WINSTON SALEM, NC – 18 Clemson (13-5-1) went on the road and controlled the entire ACC semifinal game at No. 20 Wake Forest (14-5-0), beating the Demon Deacons 2-0 on Wednesday. at night. Just as they did in the ACC quarterfinal win over Duke, Brandon Parrish and Derek Waleffe found the back of the net to give Clemson the win.
With the win, Clemson advanced to its 10th ACC Championship game, and as the No. 8, became the lowest seed to ever reach the finals. This will be the fifth time in Mike Noonan’s 13th season that his Tigers will play for the ACC title.
The Tigers entered the game and immediately took it to the home team. Clemson held its opponent to zero shots in the first half for the first time all season while testing Wake’s goalie four times.
Brandon Parrish struck first for the Tigers as the young midfielder took a pass from Ousmane Sylla and unleashed a right-footed shot from outside the box that beat the keeper and found the back of the net. It was Parrish’s second all-time goal in as many games.
This is just wild… Brandon Parrish, take a bow 🫡 pic.twitter.com/D08IRkIRI9
— Clemson men’s soccer (@ClemsonMSoccer) November 10, 2022
Clemson took a 1-0 lead into halftime, but didn’t slow down in the second frame. A corner kick by Isaiah Reid was deflected and found Derek Waleffe. The graduate transfer from Brown dribbled the puck past a defender into the back of the net. Two goals proved insurmountable, as the Tigers became the lowest seed ever to advance to the ACC Championship Game.
For the second game in a row, Brandon Parrish and Derek Waleffe have us up 2-0 🙌#ClemsonUnited🧡💜
📺https://t.co/wNe4zlAaqr
📊https://t.co/mneGlAEbFy pic.twitter.com/l4si6YdM01— Clemson men’s soccer (@ClemsonMSoccer) November 10, 2022
While Parrish and Waleffe stole the spotlight for the second straight game, a big part of the story is the Tigers’ defense, which didn’t allow a single shot on goal. Goalkeeper Joseph Andema, who was named to the All-ACC Freshman team earlier Wednesday, earned his eighth clean sheet of the season. It was the Tigers’ fifth straight win, three of which came in shutout fashion.
Next time, The Tigers will return to the scene of their 2021 National Championship victory at WakeMed Park in Cary, NC to face No. 2 Syracuse for the ACC crown on Sunday, November 13. The game will be televised on ESPNU and will begin at noon.
Tickets are on sale now for the championship game and can be purchased HERE . General admission tickets are $10. Admission is free for youth ages 18 and under, as well as students of ACC institutions (with valid ID).
For all the most up-to-date information on Clemson men’s soccer, please visit ClemsonTigers.com and follow @ClemsonMSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
