Duke Plays to 3-3 Draw at Clemson, Falls in Penalties

CLEMSON, S.C. – In a high-tempo, back-and-forth, ACC Tournament quarterfinal, the fifth-seeded Duke men’s soccer team fell in penalty kicks at fourth-seed Clemson on Sunday night. The Blue Devils (11-3-3) and Tigers (9-3-4) played to a 3-3 draw in 110 minutes of play, with Duke getting goals from their striker duo of Forster Ajago and Ulfur Bjornsson, but eventually failed to advance in penalties.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams earned corner kicks within the first three minutes of the match, but nothing came of the set pieces.
• Clemson scored first in the 11th minute, taking the early 1-0 lead.
• A back-and-forth game was established through the middle portion of the first half as neither team could muster a shot attempt in a high-tempo affair.
• The Blue Devils equalized with less than 10 minutes remaining in the first half, as Forster Ajago slotted home a goal in the 36th minute.
• The physicality picked up out of halftime, with five combined fouls called inside the first five minutes of the second half.
• Duke took the lead, 2-1, in the 54th minute via a Clemson own goal off a Duke corner kick.
• The Blue Devils nearly took a 3-1 lead in the 72nd minute, but two diving stops by the Clemson goalkeeper kept Nick Pariano and Ulfur Bjornsson off the scoresheet.
• Clemson equalized in the 75th minute off a re-directed header, leveling the score at 2-2.
• Both teams earned corner kicks in the waning minutes of regulation, but both…