#3 Syracuse and #18 Clemson Meet In ACC Championship Final
11/12/2022 8:18:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Game Details: Sunday, November 13, Cary, N.C., 12 p.m.
Live Video: ESPNU
Live Coverage:Â Stats
Twitter:Â @cuseMSOC
Syracuse Links: Notes | News | Roster | Schedule
Clemson Links: Roster | Schedule
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No. 2 seed Syracuse men's soccer looks to claim its second ACC Championship crown in program history on Sunday, Nov. 13 at noon against the No. 8 seed Clemson. The ACC Championship Final will be played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C and will be broadcasted on ESPNU. Tickets are available for purchase here. Admission is free for youth ages under 18 and students of ACC institutions (with a valid student ID). General admission tickets are $10.
The Orange last played in the ACC Championship Final in 2015, when head coach Ian McInytre led 'Cuse to its first ACC conference championship with a 1-0 win against Notre Dame. Junior forward Ben Polk secured the conference title with a strike in the 47th minute.
ORANGE UPDATE:
Syracuse is 13-2-4 on the season and is the No. 3 team in the United Soccer Coaches' latest poll. The Orange have won the most matches in a season since 2015, the last time they captured the ACC tournament crown. 'Cuse also secured its first Atlantic Division title since 2014 after winning a program-best 17 points in ACC regular-season play.
McIntyre is the 2022 ACC Coach of the Year, winning the award for the second time in his career. The 13th-year head coach led one of the great single-season improvements in program history. The Orange finished the 2021 season with an 8-8-2 record and a No. 10 seed in the ACC Championship tournament.
Five Orange were also selected to the All-ACC teams. All five earn All-ACC honors for the first time in their careers. Senior forward Levonte Johnson and sophomore forward Nathan Opoku earned All-ACC First Team honors after combing for 16 goals and 11 assists. Both student-athletes have started each match in the 2022 campaign.
Redshirt-senior goalkeeper Russell Shealy garnered All-ACC Second Team honors. The Cartersville, Georgia native is having a standout season. Shealy has saved a career high 54 shots and is second in the ACC in save percentage (.818), goal against average (0.66), and is tied for second in shutouts (8).
Junior midfielder Jeorgio Kocevski and senior defender Christian Curti check in at the All-ACC Third Team. Kocevski has had a breakout season, scoring a career-high five goals and registering two assists. Curti has started every match of the season, picking up three assists along the way.
LAST TIME OUT:
Syracuse went through to the ACC Final after beating No. 3 seed Virginia in penalties in the first ever ACC Championship Semifinal at the SU Soccer Stadium. The match was a back-and-forth affair, going to a penalty shootout after each team scored two goals in regulation.
The Orange opened the scoring in the 27th minute, as Opoku was tripped in the box for a penalty. Kocevksi stepped to the spot and converted his third penalty try of the season. Virginia equalized in the 38th minute, as Axel Anhlander found Andrea Ueland for a goal off a set piece.
Despite controlling possession for the opening portion of the second half, the Cavaliers took the lead in the 66th minute with a strike from Leo Afonso. With just six minutes remaining in the match, Opoku found Lorenzo Boselli for a goal to send the match to overtime.
After neither side could find a goal in the 20-minutes of overtime play, a Syracuse men's soccer match went to penalties for the first time since 2019. Both team's first penalties were successful, as Kocevski converted the second penalty to put 'Cuse up 2-1. Shealy came up clutch with a save to maintain the Orange advantage in the shootout. Senior midfielder Colin Biros
sent 'Cuse to the final with a perfect penalty that sent Virginia's keeper the wrong way.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS:
No. 8 seed Clemson are 13-5-1 on the season under head coach Mike Noonan. The Tigers are the defending national champions.
Noonan is in his 13th season as Clemson head coach, posting a 150-76-36 record. He ranks fifth all-time in wins among active head coaches with 374 wins across his career. The Tigers have a national championship in 2021 and an ACC Tournament Championship in 2014 under the direction of Noonan.
Clemson shutout No. 4 seeded Wake Forest in a 2-0 win in the other ACC Semifinal. Clemson allowed six goals in the first matchup of the season with the Demon Deacons. Ousmane Sylla found Brandon Parrish for the opening goal in the 14th minute, while Derek Waleffe doubled the advantage in the 60th minute.
The Tigers beat No. 9 seed Notre Dame in the first round of the ACC Championship, then handed No. 1 seed Duke their first loss of the season in a 2-0 win before arriving to the ACC Championship Semifinal. Clemson are the lowest seed to appear in an ACC Championship Final.
THE SERIES
The overall series between Clemson and Syracuse is tied at 5-5-4. The two sides first met in 2013, where Syracuse defeated the visiting Tigers 1-0. The Orange have a two-match winning streak in the series.
The ACC Final is the second meeting of the season, as then No. 16 Syracuse upset No. 1 Clemson 2-1 at Historic Riggs Field. Clemson struck first with a goal from Isaiah Reid. From that moment on, Syracuse took control of the match with goals from Kocevski and Johnson. The win snapped Clemson's 11-match winning streak, which dated back to last season's tournament.
UP NEXT:
The NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament Selection Show is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 14.
Â
Live Video: ESPNU
Live Coverage:Â Stats
Twitter:Â @cuseMSOC
Syracuse Links: Notes | News | Roster | Schedule
Clemson Links: Roster | Schedule
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No. 2 seed Syracuse men's soccer looks to claim its second ACC Championship crown in program history on Sunday, Nov. 13 at noon against the No. 8 seed Clemson. The ACC Championship Final will be played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C and will be broadcasted on ESPNU. Tickets are available for purchase here. Admission is free for youth ages under 18 and students of ACC institutions (with a valid student ID). General admission tickets are $10.
The Orange last played in the ACC Championship Final in 2015, when head coach Ian McInytre led 'Cuse to its first ACC conference championship with a 1-0 win against Notre Dame. Junior forward Ben Polk secured the conference title with a strike in the 47th minute.
ORANGE UPDATE:
Syracuse is 13-2-4 on the season and is the No. 3 team in the United Soccer Coaches' latest poll. The Orange have won the most matches in a season since 2015, the last time they captured the ACC tournament crown. 'Cuse also secured its first Atlantic Division title since 2014 after winning a program-best 17 points in ACC regular-season play.
McIntyre is the 2022 ACC Coach of the Year, winning the award for the second time in his career. The 13th-year head coach led one of the great single-season improvements in program history. The Orange finished the 2021 season with an 8-8-2 record and a No. 10 seed in the ACC Championship tournament.
Five Orange were also selected to the All-ACC teams. All five earn All-ACC honors for the first time in their careers. Senior forward Levonte Johnson and sophomore forward Nathan Opoku earned All-ACC First Team honors after combing for 16 goals and 11 assists. Both student-athletes have started each match in the 2022 campaign.
Redshirt-senior goalkeeper Russell Shealy garnered All-ACC Second Team honors. The Cartersville, Georgia native is having a standout season. Shealy has saved a career high 54 shots and is second in the ACC in save percentage (.818), goal against average (0.66), and is tied for second in shutouts (8).
Junior midfielder Jeorgio Kocevski and senior defender Christian Curti check in at the All-ACC Third Team. Kocevski has had a breakout season, scoring a career-high five goals and registering two assists. Curti has started every match of the season, picking up three assists along the way.
LAST TIME OUT:
Syracuse went through to the ACC Final after beating No. 3 seed Virginia in penalties in the first ever ACC Championship Semifinal at the SU Soccer Stadium. The match was a back-and-forth affair, going to a penalty shootout after each team scored two goals in regulation.
The Orange opened the scoring in the 27th minute, as Opoku was tripped in the box for a penalty. Kocevksi stepped to the spot and converted his third penalty try of the season. Virginia equalized in the 38th minute, as Axel Anhlander found Andrea Ueland for a goal off a set piece.
Despite controlling possession for the opening portion of the second half, the Cavaliers took the lead in the 66th minute with a strike from Leo Afonso. With just six minutes remaining in the match, Opoku found Lorenzo Boselli for a goal to send the match to overtime.
After neither side could find a goal in the 20-minutes of overtime play, a Syracuse men's soccer match went to penalties for the first time since 2019. Both team's first penalties were successful, as Kocevski converted the second penalty to put 'Cuse up 2-1. Shealy came up clutch with a save to maintain the Orange advantage in the shootout. Senior midfielder Colin Biros
sent 'Cuse to the final with a perfect penalty that sent Virginia's keeper the wrong way.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS:
No. 8 seed Clemson are 13-5-1 on the season under head coach Mike Noonan. The Tigers are the defending national champions.
Noonan is in his 13th season as Clemson head coach, posting a 150-76-36 record. He ranks fifth all-time in wins among active head coaches with 374 wins across his career. The Tigers have a national championship in 2021 and an ACC Tournament Championship in 2014 under the direction of Noonan.
Clemson shutout No. 4 seeded Wake Forest in a 2-0 win in the other ACC Semifinal. Clemson allowed six goals in the first matchup of the season with the Demon Deacons. Ousmane Sylla found Brandon Parrish for the opening goal in the 14th minute, while Derek Waleffe doubled the advantage in the 60th minute.
The Tigers beat No. 9 seed Notre Dame in the first round of the ACC Championship, then handed No. 1 seed Duke their first loss of the season in a 2-0 win before arriving to the ACC Championship Semifinal. Clemson are the lowest seed to appear in an ACC Championship Final.
THE SERIES
The overall series between Clemson and Syracuse is tied at 5-5-4. The two sides first met in 2013, where Syracuse defeated the visiting Tigers 1-0. The Orange have a two-match winning streak in the series.
The ACC Final is the second meeting of the season, as then No. 16 Syracuse upset No. 1 Clemson 2-1 at Historic Riggs Field. Clemson struck first with a goal from Isaiah Reid. From that moment on, Syracuse took control of the match with goals from Kocevski and Johnson. The win snapped Clemson's 11-match winning streak, which dated back to last season's tournament.
UP NEXT:
The NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament Selection Show is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 14.
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Players Mentioned
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