LOUISVILLE, KY – Clemson captured the 2023 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship on Monday with a 2-1 victory over ACC rival Notre Dame in the NCAA Men’s College Cup at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky.
The ACC earned its 20th national championship in men’s soccer, including its third straight (Clemson 2021, Syracuse 2022). With its second national championship in three seasons, Clemson notched its fourth NCAA crown (1984, 1987, 2021).
This was the third all-ACC NCAA title game in men’s soccer, with the others coming in 2008 (North Carolina-Maryland) and 2013 (Notre Dame-Maryland). It also marked the third straight season and the fourth time in the last five seasons in which an ACC team played in the national championship game.
Clemson’s men’s soccer national championship is the ACC’s fourth national title this fall, joining women’s cross country (NC State), field hockey (North Carolina) and women’s soccer (Florida State).
Clemson (15-3-5) broke through in the 27th minute following a corner kick as Brandon Parrish corralled the ball, then unleashed a rocket from well outside the box. The ball took a slight deflection and sailed past diving goalkeeper Bryan Dowd and just inside the post. The goal was Parrish’s fourth of the season and just the second conceded by the Fighting Irish in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
With Notre Dame (13-3-6) pressing forward throughout the second half, Clemson hit the Fighting Irish with a counterattack in the 70th minute, and Alex Meinhard crossed a ball into the center of the box to find Ousmane Sylla, who slotted it inside the near post for his 13th goal of the season.
Notre Dame got on the board in the 90th minute on a penalty kick from Paddy Burns. It was the first goal conceded by the Tigers in five NCAA Tournament matches, totaling 449 minutes.
Notre Dame made its second appearance in the NCAA Championship game and first since winning the title in 2013 during its first season as a member of the ACC.
NCAA Championship Schedule/Results
Thursday, Nov. 16 – First Round
at Syracuse 3, Boston University 1
at Louisville 4, Dayton 3
James Madison 3, at Pitt 2
Sunday, Nov. 19 – Second Round
Western Michigan 2, at No. 15 Duke 1 (OT)
at No. 7 Virginia 2, FIU 1 (OT)
at No. 8 New Hampshire 3, Syracuse 0
at No. 5 West Virginia 1, Louisville 0
Indiana 3, at No. 10 Wake Forest 2 (OT)
at No. 2 Notre Dame 2, Kentucky 0
at No. 3 North Carolina 2, Memphis 0
at No. 9 Clemson 3, Charlotte 0
Sunday, Nov. 26 – Third Round
at No. 2 Notre Dame 0, Western Michigan 0 (OT; ND advances 4-2 on PK)
at No. 3 North Carolina 2, No. 14 Hofstra 2 (OT; UNC advances 5-3 on PK)
No. 9 Clemson 1, at No. 8 New Hampshire 0
Indiana 1, at No. 10 Virginia 0
Saturday, Dec. 2 – Quarterfinals
at No. 2 Notre Dame 1, Indiana 1 (OT; ND advances 5-4 on PK)
at No. 9 Clemson 2, No. 16 Stanford 0
Oregon State 1, at No. 3 North Carolina 0
Friday, Dec. 8 – NCAA College Cup Semifinals (Louisville, Ky.)
No. 9 Clemson 1, No. 5 West Virginia 0
No. 2 Notre Dame 1, Oregon State 0
Monday, Dec. 11 – NCAA College Cup Championship (Louisville, Ky.)
No. 9 Clemson 2, No. 2 Notre Dame 1
ACC Communications contributed to this recap
