A pair of seniors, Tennessee product Brandon Parrish and Ousmane Sylla of Senegal, provided the heroics for the Clemson Tigers in their 2-1 win over Notre Dame in the all-ACC 2023 NCAA Division I College Cup final on Monday. Parrish, his state’s 2019 and 2020 Gatorade Player of the Year out of Fairview High School and the Tennessee Soccer Club, opened the scoring in the first half and acrobatically cleared a ball in the Clemson goal area in the second half.
Sylla’s 70th-minute goal gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead that held until Paddy Burnsscored from the penalty spot in the 90th minute following a Tyler Trimnalhandball.
The Clemson victory came after Coach Mark Noonan guided the Tigers to the 2021 crown, capped with a 2-0 final win over Washington. Clemson had previously won national titles in 1984 and 1987 during the I.M. Ibrahim era. Clemson finished runner-up in 1979 and 2015.
All-ACC NCAA Division I finals
2023 Clemson 2-1 Notre Dame
2013 Notre Dame 2-1 Maryland
2008 Maryland 1-0 North Carolina
• The ACC’s 20 men’s Division I national champions: Virginia (7: 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2009, 2014); Maryland (4: 1968, 2005, 2008, 2018); Clemson (4: 1984, 1987, 2021, 2023); North Carolina (2, 2001, 2011); Notre Dame (1, 2013); Wake Forest (1, 2007), Duke (1, 1986).
Notre Dame’s only previous final appearance came in 2013, when the Fighting Irish defeated Maryland, 2-1, while coached by Bobby Clark, whom current Chad Riley coach replaced in 2018.https://www.youtube.com/embed/ifnkLF1KB2E?si=KnHq5v8e3vSZQjJd
On Monday in Louisville, the Tigers pulled ahead in the 26th minute with a searing half-volley from 27 yards by Parrish.
Parrish, who came into the game with four goals this season, unleashed his shot after controlling a cleared corner kick by the Fighting Irish. In the 59th minute, Parrish blocked a shot in the Clemson goal area and cleared it with an overhead kick amid a Notre Dame onslaught on Clemson’s goal that included Burns hitting the Clemson crossbar from eight yards in the 55th minute and a close-range shot into the outside side-netting by Bryce Boneau in the 63rd minute.
It was against the run of play when one of the Tigers’ counterattacks bore fruit.
Alex Meinhard delivered the low pass to Sylla that he stroked into the right corner of the net past Notre Dame goalkeeper Bryan Dowd from 12 yards out.
Clemson goalkeeper Joseph Andema made four saves while Dowd made one as the Fight Irish outshot the Tigers, 15-9.
Burns’ converted penalty kick was the first goal conceded by the Tigers in their five NCAA Tournament games, wins over Charlotte (3-0), New Hampshire (1-0), Stanford (2-0) and their semifinal win over West Virginia (1-0).• Six players on Clemson’s 2023 championship squad were on the 2021 title-winning roster: Sylla, Parrish, Mohamed Seye, Enrique Montana III, Titus Sandy Jr., and Adam Lundegard.
Dec. 11 in Louisville, Ky.
Clemson 2 Notre Dame 1. Goals: Parrish 27, Sylla 70; Burns (pen.) 90.
Clemson — Andema; Mare Boye, Gibert, Duquenne, Smart, Lundegard, Gerbet, Sylla, Parrish, Meinhard, Trimnal. Subs: Okunlola, Richmond, Seye.
Notre Dame — Dowd; Burns, Ferguson, Genenbacher, Ramsey, Baffour, Boneau, O’Brien, Nto, Roou, Russo. Subs: Lewis, Radivojsa, Spicer, Williams.
Referee: Dimitar Chavdarov
Att.: 4,449.