The 11th-ranked University of Louisville men’s soccer team wrapped up the home portion of its regular season schedule with a 1-0 victory over reigning national champion Clemson on Friday night at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium.
Louisville (9-3-3, 4-2-1 ACC) closed out the regular season with a 6-2-2 mark on its home field. Friday’s victory clinches a home match in the ACC Tournament for the Cardinals.
Friday’s match was physical from the opening kick, featuring a combined 39 fouls between the two sides. The Cards forced a pair of saves with shots in the first half but had just two attempts through the first 45 minutes despite having a large advantage in possession.
Clemson (8-5-1, 2-4-1) had four shots in the first half with only one on target that Ryan Troutman pushed aside.
The Cards kept charging at the net, getting a pair of shots blocked early in the second half and then cashed in on a free kick in the 59th minute.
Sander Roed lofted a pass into the center of the box that fell at the feet of Josh Jones, who turned and slotted the shot into the left side of the net to break the scoreless tie. The goal was the third of the season for the sophomore defender.
Clemson had several dangerous chances over the final 20 minutes of the match as it searched for the game-tying goal. The Tigers had one shot deflect out off the left post and another that bounced off the crossbar.
In the end, Troutman and the Louisville defense stood tall and kept Clemson off the board, earning their sixth shutout of the season and fourth in the last six matches.
The Cardinals were outshot 11-6 on the night but had a 3-1 edge in shots on target.
Louisville will finish the regular season next Friday night with a road match at Wake Forest. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET from Winston-Salem, N.C. and will be televised on ACC Network.
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| STEPHEN WILLIAMSAssistant Sports Information Director | Louisville Athletics |