On Sunday, Sept. 28, the women’s soccer team faced the No. 23 team in the nation at Brandeis University due to unplayable conditions on the Newton Field. Unfortunately for Boston College, the field of play was not the only thing off against Clemson.
The first half showcased, for the most part, a rather dominant effort by Clemson. The Tigers managed to get five solid shots off in the first period of play, and saw chances on three corner kicks. Of these Clemson corner kicks, the one that came in the second minute gave the Eagles quite a scare. Clemson’s Katie Sprouse sent the ball in, which was deflected toward the goal off of midfielder Tori Andreski, but rookie keeper Darien Dunham was able to adjust to the redirection and make a save. This was Dunham’s only save of the first half, as she and the Eagles’ defense were able to keep the danger of Clemson’s attacks to a minimum.
On the other side of the field, the Eagles’ offense saw moments of excitement, but was unable to execute on any scoring plays. Senior Stephanie McCaffery led the offensive charge for the team, contributing to one of the more promising moments of the half. Facing multiple defenders when she had possession of the ball, it was clear the Tigers had a game plan to lock her down.
This did not prevent her from sending in a beautiful cross to sophomore Rosie Dimartino, who was unfortunately just inches away from making contact with the ball and sending it to the back of the net. Furthermore, the team had a chance at three corner kicks, none of which they were able to convert.
The second half came around with little change. Clemson took control of most of the offensive surges, and Dunham and the defensive backs kept them at bay. The Eagles’ offensive struggles continued, with the exception of a near post shot by McCaffrey, which came off a Hayley Dowd cross. Clemson keeper Kailen Sheridan was able to reel the shot in and record one of her two saves of the half. This back and forth ended in the 56th minute. Tiger forward Shannon Horgan directed a header from a well-placed cross just over the hands of the Eagle goalkeeper Dunham, putting Clemson up 1-0.
After falling down by a goal, the Eagles fought hard to tie up the game. Multiple offensive efforts took place, the best of which occurring in the 59th minute. Dowd managed to steal the ball from a Tiger defender, and promptly fired a shot on net from just 12 yards out. The opposing keeper was once again able to control the Eagle attack, keeping the score at 1-0.
The rest of the game saw Clemson controlling much of the play. The Tigers outshot the Eagles nine to three in the second half and never seemed to let up the pressure. The final whistle blew, with the score Clemson 1, BC 0. The Eagles are now 8-4 overall, with a 1-2 record in the ACC.
Featured Image by Emily Fahey / Heights Editor
