The Vanderbilt Soccer/Lacrosse Complex will be the host for a pair of NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament Second Round matches. The first, already underway, will be between (4) LSU and (5) Iowa. The second
will see the (1) Commodores battle (8) Clemson. The main event will kick off at 6 PM Central. Tickets are $10 for children 3-12 years old and $15 for anyone older than 12. Children 2 and under get in for free. Tickets can be purchased from Vanderbilt here.
After postponement from yesterday evening’s original date and time, the weather still looks sketchy. AccuWeather is still calling for rain (~70% chance throughout the evening match time) and saying thunderstorms are possible. The temperatures will be in the upper 60s but feel like right at 60. Here is to hoping for no delays or further postponement(s).
The match will also be streamed on ESPN+. Yes, it requires one of their myriad of subscriptions.
Clemson is coming off a 2-1 win over Liberty at home. It was fairly even statistically. The Tigers took a 19th minute lead off some clever interplay on the right wing followed by a chest-level cross that was headed home powerfully by Elle Bissinger. The lead did not last long. Ivy Garner would take down a long ball up the middle then take on two Tiger defenders and score to level the match.
The short burst was all of the scoring done until the 82nd minute when another cross from the right wing caused Liberty trouble. The initial cross was knocked back for Taylor Leib to hammer through a couple pair of legs and catch the goalkeeper out with its power and deception.
Not much really stands out from the box score. Clemson used 6 subs, and one of them is interesting enough to touch on later. Shots were 10 to 6 in the Tigers’ favor, but shots on goal was even at 5 each. Liberty actually had a clear advantage in number of corner kicks taken at 7 to 3. It looks like a good match between two good teams on paper.
Clemson is 8-5-5 (4-4-2) on the season. They had preseason scrimmages with both Tennessee and Alabama. Their non-conference schedule included a 1-1 draw at Ohio State, a 4-0 loss at Virginia Tech (ACC opponent but scheduled as out of conference it appears), 0-0 draw against South Carolina, and a 1-1 draw against Georgia. It should be a battle tested group.
Clemson has been outscored 26 to 24 overall. They average 11.4 shots and 4.8 shots on goal. Opponents are getting off 10.8 shots per game and putting 4.7 on target.
The most dangerous Tiger by far is Juju Harris. She has scored 7 goals and assisted 8 others. Harris has been directly involved in 62.5% of Clemson’s goals. For comparison, Sydney Watts who led the SEC goals with 14 while also assisting 3 times was only involved in 38.6% of Vanderbilt’s 44 goals. Clemson is really only dangerous through Harris.
The Tigers do have 4 players with 3 goals each. Renee Lyles is among them while also assisting 5 times. Neely Kerr has 5 helpers without scoring any herself. No one else really stands out as a threat. Of course, the postseason always has unexpected heroes.
The starting goalkeeper for Clemson will be Addy Holgorsen. She has started all 18 matches, but she has made way for Nona Reason in 14 matches. All of those appearances were halftime swaps, including in the First Round against Liberty. Holgorsen has allowed 16 goals for a 1.46 GAA with 30 saves for a 0.652 SV%. That percentage is too low. Reason has allowed 10 goals for a 1.43 GAA with 29 saves for a 0.744 SV%. They are both experienced goalkeepers, so I do not quite understand the rotation plan. I would expect them to scrap it, but maybe they really believe in it.
Vanderbilt will want to pressure whoever is in Clemson’s goal while also locking down Harris. I would expect the Commodores to be patient in possession and try to have Harris run herself out while chasing defenders. They need to be a bit more incisive though. Most of the shots were from distance and while turning, which makes a difficult skill nearly impossible. They will have to take some risks in possession to get to the more dangerous scoring areas more often.
The Dores will need to be at top gear in less-than-ideal conditions to avoid having last season’s 8 over 1 upset turned back on them.
