Kentucky Men's Soccer all set for Sweet 16 matchup at Clemson

On3 imageby:Kassidy Stumbo11/28/21

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After a dominant win over Santa Clara last week, the No. 9 seed Kentucky Men’s Soccer team will continue their postseason run against eighth-seeded Clemson tonight in the Sweet 16 round.

The game will air live on the ACC Network (which you can access through the ESPN app. Click here for a how-to on watching the match) at 7:00 p.m. later tonight down in Clemson.

Sweet 16 Preview

The ‘Cats earned an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament after winning the Conference USA Tournament back on November 14, when they beat Florida Atlantic in overtime.

Last weekend, they started their NCAA Tourney run with a 2-0 shutout of Santa Clara. The ‘Cats scored both of their goals off set pieces in the first 10 minutes of play. Lucca Rodrigues and Marcel Meinzer scored the pair of goals.

Kentucky’s defense impressed in the Santa Clara match as well. Conference USA Goalkeeper of the Year Jan Hoffelner posted his 12th clean sheet of the season, thanks in huge part to a dominant performance by his backline. After the shutout, he is now tied with St. John’s keeper Luka Gavran for the national lead.

After the game, UK head coach Johan Cedergren was very complimentary of his team and hopeful about their future. “We’re really gelling at the right time,” Cedergren said in the post-game press conference.”

The Clemson Tigers did not have as easy of a time in their first tournament game. After receiving a first-round by with an at-large selection to the tournament, they faced Denver last weekend. Though they outshot Denver 24-4, it took them two overtimes to overcome the Pioneers. The game ended with a questionable PK call in the 108th minute, leading to the Tigers golden goal.

Kentucky and Clemson have both appeared in three of the last four Sweet 16s. Tonight’s game will be the second all-time meeting between the two teams. The last time they met, the ‘Cats lost 1-0 in triple overtime in the second round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

Tonight’s matchup will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra, a digital platform found on the ESPN app. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The winner will move on to face either No. 1 Oregon State or No. 16 New Hampshire. That round is scheduled for the weekend of Dec. 3-4.

While we wait for tonight’s match, check out the highlights from last weekend’s victory.

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2024-03-28