Today a national champion will be crowned and not for the first time, No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 9 Clemson Tigers will meet under season-ending conditions. Let’s take a look back at the convoluted history between these well acquainted ACC foes.
Sep. 9, 2023, ACC season opener
Notre Dame battled out a 3-2 win this season feeding off the energy of their home crowd in South Bend, IN, and narrowly escaping a Tiger comeback. The Irish went up 2-0 in the 36th minute before Clemson fired back a response, leveling the scoreboard in 43 seconds. Notre Dame’s Daniel Russo curled in a free kick to start the second half and the Irish backline endured five Clemson shots to ultimately outlast the Tigers.
2022, ACC tournament first-round matchup
Clemson ends the Notre Dame season and steals any chance for the Irish to make a run into the postseason with a crushing 3-1 Tiger victory. The Irish, who had turned around a rough start to the season, went home empty-handed with an 8-7-2 record.
📲 Click or tap here for the interactive bracket
2021, National Semifinal match
Clemson advances off penalty kicks after a tied-up first half (1-1) held through a hard-fought 110 minutes. Despite a Notre Dame win during the regular season (2-0), the Tigers once again ended the Irish season. Both teams converted their first three PKs, but a huge Clemson save on the Irish’s fourth shot gave the Tigers an opening to gain an edge and claim the semifinal match. The Tigers would go on to beat Washington in the national final and claim their program’s third title.
2019, Regular season match and ACC tournament quarters
The only meetings in the past four seasons that did not result in a season end. Although Clemson triumphed on both occasions, the Irish earned a berth in the NCAA tournament but fell in the first round. The Tigers fell in the ACC championship match and went as far as the NCAA quarterfinals.
2018, ACC tournament first round
Notre Dame delivers a 2-0 blow to Clemson, halting the Tiger’s chance at the NCAA tournament after a tough season. The Irish made it as far as the NCAA quarterfinals.
As history has proven, a regular season win does not guarantee a postseason repeat but with the back-and-forth history of tonight’s opponents, anything may happen. One thing for certain, by the end of the night, only one team will lift the national championship trophy.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at NCAA.com > soccer-men d1 articles and video…