The Boston College women’s soccer team closed out its home schedule on Friday afternoon with a 1–0 loss to Clemson at the Newton Soccer Complex.
But the result did not reflect the flow of the game, as the Eagles dropped their sixth conference game.
The Eagles (5–7–5, 1–6–2 ACC) outshot the Tigers 12–4, held an 8–1 edge in corner kicks, and spent much of the afternoon pressing forward. But a penalty kick in the ninth minute was enough for Clemson (7–4–5, 4–3–2 ACC) to escape Chestnut Hill with the win.
Clemson struck early when Juju Harris stepped up to the spot after a foul in the box and buried her shot past BC goalkeeper Olivia Shippee a little less than 10 minutes into the game.
The early goal put the Eagles on the back foot, but they didn’t let up too quickly, though. From that moment on, the match belonged mostly to Boston College, who kept Clemson pinned deep in its half.
BC’s midfield led the charge, with Ashley Roberts and Sophia Lowenberg each testing the Tiger’s defense several times. The Eagles placed seven of their twelve shots on goal, forcing Addy Holgorsen to make a combined seven saves.
Time after time, BC worked the ball into dangerous positions, through crosses, corners, and long-range efforts. But ultimately, the Eagles could not convert any of their advances into a goal.
In the second half, the Eagles ramped up their attack even more. Their ball movement quickened and they consistently found space down the wings. A string of four shots in the final ten minutes had fans on edge as BC earned corner after corner in search of the equalizer.
Clemson’s back line, however, stayed compact, clearing away chances and denying rebounds until the final whistle.
Defensively, the Eagles didn’t back down. Shippee made two saves and commanded her box well after the early penalty. The back line gave Clemson little room to operate, holding the visitors to just four total shots.
While the box score didn’t favor them, the Eagles’ performance showed an improvement from previous conference matchups.
But it may be too little too late as the Eagles head into their final regular season game.
