Miami fought a hard back-and-forth game, but it was not enough as the team fell to the No. 18 Clemson Tigers 1-0 at Historic Riggs Field.
The Canes (8-7-0. 3-4-0 ACC) were unable to find the final pass and put the ball in the back of the net despite creating several scoring opportunities. This is the fifth game that Miami has lost by a score of 1-0 and the sixth defeat that has been decided by one goal this season.
The Hurricanes were attacked early and often by the Tigers (10-3-2, 4-1-2) in the beginning of the first half, but the defense held strong to keep the game at 0-0. Miami had several counter attack opportunities, highlighted by senior forward Gracie Lachowecki’s left-footed strike that was pushed wide by the goalkeeper in the 18th minute. In the subsequent corner kick, the header was won by junior forward Ronnie Johnson, but was just wide of the post.
Clemson found its lone goal in the 21st minute, when a cross was played in from the left and over the defender’s head. Tigers forward Jenna Weston corralled the pass close to the penalty spot and looped a shot into the top corner of the net.
The half ended with a great combination play in Miami’s midfield. It led to freshman forward Kristina Fisher playing a through ball to Lachowecki, who beat her defender and passed the ball across the box and past the goalkeeper who had come out to prevent her from shooting. The Canes were unable to get on the end of the pass, and the Tigers took a 1-0 lead into the locker room.
In the second half, Miami pushed more bodies forward into attack position in order to find an equalizer, but Clemson’s defense matched the intensity and held off several attempts at goal.
Miami forwards pressed the opposition’s back line and was able to create a turnover in the final minutes of the game. This led to another breakout opportunity, but once again, the team was unable to connect the dots for a tally mark on the scoreboard.
The Canes will look to avenge this close loss when the team hosts the Louisville Cardinals at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Cobb Stadium.