Clemson Freshmen Lead the Way in 2-0 Victory Over Charlotte
The Clemson Tigers Women’s Soccer team faced off against the Charlotte 49ers, coming off a 3-0 win over Appalachian State on Sunday night. Goals from Juju Harris in the 31’ and Alessandra Washington in the 68’ gave Clemson a 2-0 lead late in the second half. The Tigers were able to hold onto their two-goal lead the rest of the way to give Clemson the win. Clemson improves to 3-1-2 on the season, while Charlotte falls to 3-3-0.
Clemson Women’s Soccer Off to a Strong Start
The Tigers got off to a quick start against the 49ers, as they dominated much of the possession through the first 20 minutes of play. In the 10’, Renee Lyles sent a strong cross towards the middle of the box, but Charlotte’s goalkeeper, Harlee Head, made a nice diving punch to stop Juju Harris from getting a touch on it.
Just a few seconds later, Harris had a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper, but was unable to slip it past Head, as her left footed attempt was saved. The best chance the Tigers had through the first 20 minutes was on a Mackenzie Duff header off a corner kick, which was once again saved by the Charlotte keeper, who had three early saves.
Clemson Takes a Deserving Lead
The Tigers were finally able to breakthrough, after dominating much of the match through the first period. The goal started with Anna Castenfelt, as she drew a foul a few yards outside the box in a dangerous area. A strong ball into the penalty area from Renee Lyles fell into Mackenzie Duff’s chest, which landed perfectly for Juju Harris. The freshman took a touch, turned to her left, and sent it past Harlee Head to open the scoring in the 31’ for her third goal of the season.
Good First Half for Clemson
Clemson dominated the first half of play, which led to them taking a 1-0 lead on Juju Harris’ third goal of the season. Along with having the lead, Clemson outshot Charlotte 8-2, with five of those eight shots being on target. The Tigers also committed three less fouls and were awarded two more corner kicks than the 49ers. Clemson knew they had to come out sharp against a good mid-major team in Charlotte, and they did just that.
Clemson Extends Their Lead to Two
After a strong first half, Clemson was a bit shaky to start the second, as Charlotte had a few opportunities to equalize. But, a beautiful breakaway goal from Alessandra Washington in the 68’ changed the entire game.
Washington, the freshman, times her run off the left flank perfectly, as the looping ball over the heads of the Charlotte defense landed right at her feet with just the goalie to beat. A powerful left footed strike just inside the box beat Harlee Head and found the top right corner to give Clemson a commanding 2-0 lead.
Takeaways
- The young talent stepped up in a big way for Clemson in this game. Both of Clemson’s goal scorers in tonight’s game were freshman, Juju Harris and Alessandra Washington. Head Coach Eddie Radwanski built this team on young talent, with roughly half of the squad being freshmen. If Clemson’s freshmen continue to play the way they have to start the season, they could end up very similar to last season’s Clemson softball team, which stunned the country with how well their young talent played.
- This was a much needed win for the Clemson Tigers. They’re now off to a strong start with three wins overall and two ties against ranked opponents. With a tough home stretch coming up against Georgia and Stanford, Clemson needed a win to give themselves some hope going into those difficult games. A win in one of those games could potentially put Clemson on the national map with a top-25 ranking.
Up Next
The Clemson Tigers will take on the Georgia Bulldogs at 6:00 PM on Sunday, September 7, at Historic Riggs Field.
Stay tuned and updated with Tiger View Media, as we bring you news, recaps, and stories for Clemson Women’s Soccer this season.
