Second Half Goals Doom Louisville in Loss at No. 5 Clemson

Friday, October 9

Clemson, S.C.

7:00 PM

University of Louisville

4-5-3, 0-2-3ACC

Clemson

10-1-2, 3-1-1ACC

Louisville

Clemson

Tim Kubel scored his 10th career collegiate goal in Friday's match.

Second Half Goals Doom Louisville in Loss at No. 5 Clemson

October 09, 2015 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Kubel and Johnson score goals for the Cardinals, who return home for two games next week

By: Garett Wall

CLEMSON, S.C. - A trio of second half goals proved too much as the Louisville men's soccer team dropped a 4-2 road decision to No. 5 Clemson on Friday at Riggs Field.

After the two sides connected for one goal each in the opening half, the Tigers (10-1-2, 3-1-1 ACC) scored three straight goals during the first 35 minutes of the second half to gain command of the match. Playing their third ranked foe in the last four matches, the Cardinals suffered their third straight loss to fall to 4-5-3 overall and 0-2-3 in the challenging ACC.

"It was a disappointing result as I thought we were very good in the first half and gave up a soft goal early in the second half that forced us to chase the game," said Louisville head coach Ken Lolla. "The energy to do that against a good team on the road caught up with us."

The Tigers broke through for the first goal of the night in the 32nd minute when Iman Mafi converted a penalty kick for the 1-0 advantage. After Louisville junior defender Michael DeGraffenreidt was whistled for a foul inside the box, Mafi scored inside the upper left corner for his third goal of the season.

About six minutes later, Louisville evened the score at 1-1 after sophomore Tim Kubel scored inside the upper left 90 from outside the corner of the 18-yard box with a perfectly placed left-footed strike in the 38th minute. It was the third goal of the season and the 10th of the collegiate career for Kubel.

The home side regained the lead in the opening moments of the second half when Kyle Murphy's header from inside the box narrowly crossed the end line to cap a hectic series and give Clemson a 2-1 advantage in the 47th minute. After multiple headers redirected the ball to the center of the box, Murphy's attempt deflected off the hand of Louisville junior goalkeeper Theo Jamilloux, whose second attempt to prevent the ball from passing the end line was a moment too late. It was the fourth goal of the season for Murphy.

The Tigers pushed the lead to 3-1 in the 77th minute when Austin Burnikel made a run down the center of the field before putting a foot on a cross to score his fourth goal of the season. A little more than three minutes later, Thales Moreno connected for his second goal of the season scoring inside the lower right corner for the 4-1 cushion in the 80th minute.

The Cardinals cut into the deficit in the 83rd minute when junior Daniel Johnson dribbled to the top of the 18-yard box and connected on a perfectly placed ball over the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell and beneath the crossbar. It was the third goal of the season for Johnson, but it was the final tally of the night for the Cardinals.

Overall, the two sides finished with 16 shots each, including six shots on goal from each team. The host Tigers finished with a 6-3 edge in corner kick chances.

Up next, Louisville returns home for back-to-back matches at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium starting Tuesday at 7 p.m., ET against UConn. The Cardinals will also host ACC foe Boston College on Friday (Oct. 16) at 7 p.m.

LOUISVILLE SOCCER TICKET INFORMATION
Single match tickets are also on sale through the Louisville Cardinals Ticket Office. Reserved chairback tickets are set at $12 for adults and $6 for youth. Fans can purchase online through www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at (502) 852-5151 or in-person at the Louisville Cardinals Ticket Office located at Gate 2 at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Tickets can also be purchased on match days at Lynn Stadium starting one hour prior to kickoff.

FOLLOWING THE CARDINALS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville men's soccer on Twitter (@UofLmenssoccer) at http://twitter.com/uoflmenssoccer and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/UofLmenssoccer.