University of Louisville
8-5-2, 4-2-1ACC
CLEMSON
8-6-1, 4-2-1ACC
No. 11 Louisville Draws with Clemson
October 25, 2014 | Men's Soccer
Seniors Santiago Vélez, Nolan Moore, Joachim Ball, Will Vitalis and Daniel Keller on Friday.
CardsTV: Match Highlights
CardsTV News Conference: Ken Lolla | Joachim Ball | Daniel Keller
By Corey Goodlett
GoCards.com
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The No. 11-ranked University of Louisville men's soccer team battled ACC foe Clemson to scoreless draw Friday night at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium in front of a crowd of 4,318.
The Cardinals (8-5-2, 4-2-1 ACC) dominated the match offensively, holding a 17-7 shots advantage and an 11-4 edge in corner kicks despite being held scoreless through 90 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of extra periods. Playing its fifth overtime match of the season, Louisville entered the night locked in a three-way tie atop the ACC Atlantic with Clemson (8-6-1, 4-2-1) and Syracuse, who visits NC State on Saturday night.
"We're disappointed because I thought we did enough to win the game," Louisville head coach Ken Lolla said after the match. "It puts us a little behind the eight ball as far as winning the division. But just the same, I thought they were a quality opponent and I thought we played very well. I thought we created enough chances to win the game and from that standpoint, you are disappointed, but happy about the way we played."
The Cardinals had several good chances to score in the game's second half, the first coming when a kick by junior midfielder Louie Berra (St. Louis, Mo.) sailed narrowly wide to the right side of the cage in the 57th minute. Senior forward Will Vitalis (Crestwood, Ky.) also could not connect on a solid attempt in regulation as the shot in the 76th minute missed off of the left post.
In two extra periods, the Cardinals once again had more offensive chances against the Tigers outshooting the visitors 3-1 in the extra 20 minutes. Vitalis had another opportunity to score in the first overtime, when he penetrated deep into the Clemson defense only to have his kick saved by keeper Andrew Tarbell just under six minutes into the frame.
The Tigers had a chance to win the match as time expired in the second overtime when a free-kick found the back of the net. The would-be game-winning goal was waved-off for goalie interference as the match clock reached zeroes.
Louisville senior goalkeeper Joachim Ball (Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany) recorded two saves in the match to earn his fifth shutout of the season and 14th of his career. Tarbell registered seven saves in his 110 minutes in the goal for Clemson.
Prior to Friday's match, Louisville honored its 2014 senior class of Santiago Vélez, Nolan Moore, Joachim Ball, Will Vitalis and Daniel Keller.
Up next, No. 11 Louisville plays its final home match of the season as SIU Edwardsville visits Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., ET. The Cardinals will close the regular season with an ACC road match at Wake Forest on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.
Fans can follow Louisville men's soccer on Twitter (@UofLmenssoccer) at http://twitter.com/uoflmenssoccer and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/UofLmenssoccer.
2015 Season Tickets
Season tickets for the second season at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium are now available. To obtain tickets for the 2015 soccer season, call Dan Cerwinski in the Louisville ticket office at (502) 852-0120 and place your $70 deposit. Ticket prices for the 2015 season will remain the same as the inaugural season and will start as low $45.
Season tickets for 2015 include every home match for both the men's and women's soccer programs. Men's home matches at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium will feature former Big East and American Conference rival Connecticut as well as in-state foe Kentucky. The women's side will again feature the top programs in the ACC highlighted by 21-time national champion North Carolina, 2013 College Cup runner-up Florida State and Duke.
