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Why Clemson? Excellence and Tradition

Clemson Soccer Tradition *Clemson has won the national championship twice, in 1984 and 1987, two of the four team national championships in Clemson athletic history. When Clemson won the 1984 title, it became the first athletic team in any NCAA sport to defeat the #4, #3, #2 and #1 seeds in the same tournament on the way to the championship. *Clemson has had two Hermann Award winners in Bruce Murray (1987) and Wojtek Krakowiak (1998). The school has had 14 first-team All-Americans according to the Coach’s Association. That ranks sixth best among Division I programs since 1973. The only schools with more over the last 35 years are Indiana, Virginia, SMU, UCLA and Philadelphia Textile. *Clemson has been ranked in the final top 20 of the Coach’s poll 23 seasons since 1972, including 19 top 10 finishes and 11 top five finishes. *As far the NCAA Tournament play is concerned, Clemson has ad-vanced to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament on seven occasions, the championship game four times, with two ending in victories. Clemson’s seven Final Four appearances are the sixth highest total in NCAA his-tory. *Clemson has been to the NCAA Tournament 26 times, tied for the eighth highest total in NCAA history. The Tigers have 46 victories in the tournament, fifth highest total in NCAA history. Clemson’s 46-24-2 re-cord is fourth best in NCAA history in terms of winning percentage in tournament play.

Atlantic Coast Conference *ACC teams have won the NCAA Championship 13 times in history, including 11 times since 1984 when Clemson won the title with a victory over Indiana in the Kingdome in Seattle. *Clemson has won the ACC soccer championship 13 times in its his-tory with all the titles coming since 1972. Clemson has more soccer cham-pionships over the last 36 years than any other ACC school. *Clemson has a 75 percent winning percentage over the years, best in ACC history and among the best in NCAA history. *An ACC men’s soccer player has won at least one of the national player of the year awards 18 times since 1982. Clemson’s Bruce Murray (1987) and Wojtek Krakowiak (1998) are included on that list. *Clemson has had 197 All-ACC selections in its history. This is the most by any Atlantic Coast Conference school. *The Tigers have the best overall winning pct. in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference having won over 72% of its matches.

Academics *The men’s soccer team GPA for the spring semester of 2009 was 3.18. The 3.18 GPA was the best among men’s teams at Clemson. In the fall of 2008, the team had a 2.95 GPA. *In the spring of 2009, 15 players were named to Clemson's Student-Athlete Honor Roll. A total of 13 players were named to Clemson's Stu-dent Athlete Honor Roll in the fall of 2008. *Clemson had 11 players named to the 2008-09 ACC Academic Honor Roll. *Six Tigers were also named to the All-ACC Academic team. The list includes Francklin Blaise, Michael Brooks, Tommy Drake, Greg Eckhardt, David Newton, and Keegan Priest. *Many Clemson soccer players have won prominent academic awards in recent years. In 1997, Craig Wenning won the Norris Medal as Clem-son’s top all-around student. Wenning and Jaro Zawislan (1994) have captured the Jim Weaver Award, which is presented to the ACC’s top all-around student-athletes. *Clemson has had five Academic All-Americans since 1987, includ-ing Jamie Rootes, Zawislan, Jeff Yenzer, Mike Potempa (current assistant coach) and Nathan Rawlins.

Historic Riggs Field *Clemson has one of the best, if not the best, soccer stadiums in the nation. Although Riggs Field has been serving the school since the 1915 season, it was remodeled to house the men’s soccer program in 1980, the first year that the men’s soccer team had a night match. *On September 1, 1987, Clemson unveiled what may be the premier soccer stadium in the country at Riggs Field. The construction of a 6,500 seat grandstand provides top-notch accommodations for fans and players, and state of the art locker rooms are located underneath the stadium. In 2006, Clemson had two crowds over 6,800. *In 1987, Clemson played host to the Final Four and the Tigers won the NCAA Championship with a 3-1 victory over San Diego State. *Overall, Clemson has won 80 percent of its games at Riggs Field since the Tigers first made the facility its home soccer stadium in 1980.

Clemson University *U.S. News & World Report ranked Clemson 22nd among all public national universities for 2009, the only South Carolina school in the top 50. That represents a jump of 48 places in the ranking since 1997. *Clemson University was sited as having the second most “Happiest Students” in the nation in 2009 by the Princeton Review. It was also listed as the number-one “Jock School” in the nation. *Clemson University was honored as the Public University-of-the-Year by Time Magazine for 2001. The publication cited Clemson for its ability to creatively teach its students to communicate. *Clemson is very competitive academically, thereby enhancing the value of its degree. Freshman applications have risen from 8,000 in 1996 to nearly 13,000 in the year 2008. The average SAT for incoming fresh-men in 2008-09 was 1223, second highest on record. Fifty-two percent of the entering freshman class for 2008 ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class. *The student to faculty ratio is just 14/1. The undergraduate enroll-ment is just over 14,000. *Clemson has a variety of academic disciplines. There are 74 differ-ent majors in the five major colleges. Eighty-four percent of the profes-sors at Clemson hold doctorate degrees.

Vickery Hall *Vickery Hall was constructed in 1991, the first self-standing facility built for the academic needs of student-athletes in the nation. The facility has countless computers and a full time staff of 12 who supervises the off-the field needs of Clemson athletes. *The staff at Vickery Hall has 12 fulltime employees and over 60 tutors that help a Clemson student-athlete throughout their academic career.

Clemson won the 1987 National Championship at Clemson, SC. Historic Riggs Fields is pictured just seconds after the Tigers won the title in 1987.

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The Tradition A Storied Past

Bruce Murray

Jamie Swanner

Individual NCAA Statistical Leaders *Four of the top 20 goal scoring seasons in NCAA history have been achieved by Clemson players. Henry Abadi had 32 goals in 1973, the eighth highest goal total for one season in NCAA history, the same number scored by Jimmy Glenn of Clemson in 1993. Wojtek Krakowiak scored 31 goals in 1998 the year he won the Hermann Award, for the ninth highest goal scoring season in history. Wolde Harris scored 29 in 1993 for the 15th highest total for one season.

*Three of the top 20 single season individual point totals in NCAA his-tory have been recorded by Clemson soccer players. Jimmy Glenn had 76 points in 1993 for the fourth (tied) highest total in history, while Henry Abadi’s 71 points in 1973 stand 11th best. Wolde Harris, a teammate of Glenn’s on the 1993 Clemson team, had 65 points in 1993, the 20th high-est single season total in history.

*As mentioned above, Jimmy Glenn and Wolde Harris combined for 61 goals in 1993 as Glenn scored 32 and Harris added 29. It stands as the only season in NCAA history that two players on the same team scored at least 29 goals. They both tallied at least 65 points that year, also the only time in NCAA history two players on the same team scored at least 65 points in the same season.

*Two of the top 25 goal scorers in NCAA history played at Clemson. Wolde Harris is ranked 16th with 76 career goals in 61 games, while Nnamdi Nwokocha had 74 goals in 63 games for 21st in NCAA history.

*Two of the top 15 NCAA leaders in assists played at Clemson. Eric Eichmann, a recent addition to the Clemson Hall of Fame, had 47 assists from 1983-86 and ranks 11th in NCAA history in that category. Bruce Mur-ray, the Hermann Award winner in 1987, had 46 assists from 1984-87, the 15th highest career total in NCAA history.

*Only 24 players in NCAA soccer history have scored at least 40 points and assisted on 40 others. Two of the 24 played at Clemson. Bruce Mur-ray accomplished the feat between 1984-87 with 48 goals and 46 assists, while Pearse Tormey turned the trick between 1987-90 when he had 40 goals and 41 assists.

*Only 18 players in NCAA history have had a consecutive game goal scoring streak of at least nine games and four of the 18 played at Clemson. Nnamdi Nwokocha had an ACC record 11 consecutive games with at least one goal in 1980. Andy Demori had a nine-game streak in 1969, while Jimmy Glenn and Wolde Harris both had nine-game streaks in 1993.

*Jamie Swanner, the national Goal keeper of the year in 1983, had a 0.43 career goals/against average, still fourth best in the history of col-lege soccer. He gave up just 18 goals in his two seasons as a starter while playing 3,814 minutes. Former Tiger Jaro Zawislan is ranked 10th in NCAA history for most minutes played in a career.

NCAA Team Statistical Leaders *Clemson has had three of the top 10 goal scoring teams in NCAA history. Clemson scored 103 goals in 21 games in 1976, the third highest total in NCAA history. The 1973 squad scored 97 goals in just 17 games for the sixth highest figure in history, while the 1993 team registered 96 goals in 24 games, tied for eighth in NCAA history. The 1973 team aver-aged 5.71 goals per game, the sixth highest goals per game figure in NCAA history.

*Clemson has had two of the top 20 seasons in NCAA history in terms of percentage of games ending in a shutout. Clemson’s 1983 team shut-out 17 of its 24 opponents for a .714 figure, eighth best in NCAA history, while the 1982 team had 14 shutouts in 21 games and that .667 figure is 21st best in NCAA history.

*Clemson has also had four of the top 20 goals/against average sea-

sons in NCAA history. The 1983 team had a 0.36 figure, tied for fourth best on record, while the 1973 team posted a 0.40 figure for eighth best. That 1973 team allowed just seven goals all season. The 1982 Clemson team had a 0.45 figure to tie for 15th best in NCAA history, while the 1998 team had a 0.46 figure, good enough for 21st best.

*Clemson has had some of the most impressive winning streaks in the history of NCAA men’s soccer. Clemson had a streak of 42 consecu-tive ACC wins from October 15, 1972 through September 23,1980. That streak of 42 in a row in conference play is second only to a streak of 46 in a row by Furman (of nearby Greenville, SC) between 1999 and 2003.

*Clemson’s 22 victories in 1984 and 1998 rank just three wins away from the all-time NCAA record of 25 set by San Francisco’s 1977 team. Clemson’s 22 wins tie for ninth best in NCAA history. *Clemson had a streak of 34 straight winning seasons at one juncture in its history, tied for the second longest streak in NCAA history.

* Clemson had a streak of 20 consecutive home victories between 1971 and 1974, the 12th longest streak of its kind in NCAA history.

*Former Clemson coach Dr. I.M. Ibrahim had a .774 winning percent-age between 1967-94, the 10th best winning percentage in the history of college soccer. His victory total (388) is also 12th on the all-time list.

*In 2008 Clemson was ranked 13th for average home attendance with a 1,452 mark. The Tigers drew a total of 14,518 fans to historic Riggs Field in 2008. As far as total home attendance, the 14,518 total fans ranked 15th. In the season home opener, 5,950 fans came to the match with Georgia Southern. Last season, this was the seventh largest crowd at a college soccer match.

Most Final Fours in NCAA History Rk. Schools Final Four 1. Indiana 17 2. St. Louis 16 3. UCLA 11 4. Maryland 10 5. Virginia 9 6. Clemson 7 Hartwick 7 San Francisco 7 9. UCONN 6 Michigan State 6 11. Duke 5 Santa Clara 5 Most NCAA Tournament Wins Rk. Schools Wins 1. Indiana 72 2. St. Louis 65 3. UCLA 59 4. Virginia 47 5. Clemson 46 6. San Francisco 36 Hartwick 36 Most NCAA Tournament Appearances Rk Schools App. 1. St. Louis 44 2. UCLA 35 3. Indiana 32 4. San Francisco 29 Virginia 29 6. Penn State 28 UCONN 28 8. Clemson 26 SMU 26 10. Maryland 24

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The Tradition A Legacy of Championships

Over the years, Clemson Men's Soccer has become a perennial power producing numer-ous All-Americans and All-ACC performers. Clemson has won 13 ACC Championships and two National Championships. Clemson has been ranked in 27 final top 20 polls.

National Champions: 1984 and 1987

ACC Champions: 1972, 1973, 1984, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1998, 2001

NCAA Final Four: 1973, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1987, 2005

NCAA Final Eight: 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1987,1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2005

NCAA Final 16: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006

Clemson Rankings in the Final NSCAA Polls:1972-11th 1973-4th 1974-6th 1975-1st 1976-4th 1977-4th 1978-3rd1979-3rd 1981-8th 1982-7th 1983-11th 1984-9th 1985-4th 1986-19th1990-5th 1993-5th 1995-6th 1997-12th 1998-4th 2000-8th 2001-7th2002-7th 2005-3rd 2006-13

Clemson Rankings in the Final Soccer America Polls:1981-5th 1982-3rd 1983-18th 1984-9th 1985-3rd 1986-18th 1987-16th1990-4th 1991-18th 1992-19th 1993-7th 1995-5th 1997-16th 1998-1st2000-8th 2001-4th 2002-14th 2005-12th 2006-9th

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ATHLETIC FACILITIESRiggs Field.............................................45

CLEMSON UNIVERSITYAcademics .............................................43Academics, Vickery Hall ........................28Athletic Director .....................................37Athletic Training .....................................34Campus Life ..........................................24Clemson, SC .........................................26Clemson Sports Programs ....................40Clemson University................................22Community Service ...............................35Compliance Services .............................38Facilities.................................................30IPTAY .....................................................39President ...............................................36Strength Training ...................................33Total Athlete Care/Performance.............32Traditions ...............................................44

COACHING STAFFHead Coach Phil Hindson .....................18Assistant Coaches .................................19

OPPONENTSInformation on 2009 Opponents ............52Series Scores .......................................76

RECORDS & HISTORYACC Academic Honor Roll ....................93ACC Tournament Results ......................83Against All Competition..........................73All-ACC ..................................................88All-Americans ........................................87All-Time Results ..................................114All-Time Starting Lineups ......................99 Career Leaders......................................64Class Records .......................................62Former Coaches ..................................113Great Teams/Great Years ....................110Hat Tricks...............................................63Hermann Award ...................................106Honors ...................................................87History .................................................102Last Minute Goals..................................67Letterwinners .........................................91Miscellaneous Records .........................75NCAA Tournament Results ....................85Overtime Games ...................................81 Polls, Week by Week .............................94Professional Players ............................107Record, Year-by-Year ............................74Single Match Bests, Individual...............54Single Match Bests, Team .....................70Single Season Bests, Individual ............57Single Season Bests, Team ...................71Stars From the Past.............................96

Stat Champions .....................................69Team Accomplishments .........................87Team Records .......................................70Team Stats, Year-by-Year ......................72Yearly Leaders .......................................60

THE TIGERS, 2009Biographies............................................11 Notes of Interests ....................................8 Outlook ....................................................6 Quick Facts............................................18Roster ....................................................10Schedule...............................................BCTravel Plans ...........................................17

2008 IN REVIEWBoxscores ..............................................48Game-by-Game Team Stats ..................51

Goal/Assist Chart...................................50Honors .....................................................9Results...................................................51Statistics ................................................51

CREDITSCover Photos by Kerry Capps, Eddie Cliffe, and Mark Crammer. Inside photos by Bob Waldrop, Eddie Cliffe, Kerry Capps, Mark Crammer, Kevin Bray. Patrick Wright and the Clemson Communi-cations Center.Cover design by Jeff Kallin. This brochure was written and edited by Sam Blackman with editorial assistance by Tim Bourret of the Clemson Sports Information Office. A special thanks to Dale and Kerry Capps of the Orange and White.

Table of Contents The 2009 Season

Clemson defeated both National Finalists, Maryland and North Carolina in 2008 at Historic Riggs Field. Clemson is 61-37-7 vs. Top 25 Teams at Historic Riggs Field.

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Location ........................................................Clemson, SC 29633Founded ................................................................................1889Enrollment ..........................................................................18,317Nickname.............................................................................TigersColors ....................................................Burnt Orange (PMS-165).........................................................Northwest Purple (PMS-268)Field .............................................................................Riggs FieldCapacity.......6,500 Permanent Seats, 8,500 with Standing RoomPresident .......................................James F. Barker, Clemson '70NCAA/ACC Rep. .............................. Larry LaForge, Clemson '70Athletic Department Address ......................................P.O. Box 31.......................................................................Clemson, SC 29633Athletic Department Fax ....................................... (864) 656-0299Press Box Phone ......................................... (864) 656-4303/4304

ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT STAFFAthletic Director .................... Dr. Terry Don Phillips, Arkansas '70 .............................................................Office - (864) 656-2218Sr. Associate Athletic Director/......... Bill D'Andrea, Indiana St. '73 External Affairs ......................................Office - (864) 656-7795Sr. Associate Athletic Director/..... Katie Hill, Central Arkansas '77 Internal Affairs ......................................Office -(864) 656-0128Associate Athletic Dir. ........Phil Grayson, Indiana-South Bend '89 ..............................................................Office - (864)656-0396Associate Athletic Director/ ........ Rebecca Bowman, Winthrop '76 Academic Services .......................................... (864) 656-0541Associate Athletic Director/ ............ Van Hilderbrand, Clemson '74 Event Manager ......................................Office - (864) 656-0718Associate Athletic Director/ ..........Stephanie Ellison, Clemson '98 Institutional Compliance ........................Office - (864) 656-7163Associate Athletic Director/ ............Tim Match, Bowling Green '85 Marketing ...............................................Office - (864) 656-1280Associate Athletic Director/ ............... Robert Ricketts, Erskine '71 Facilities and Grounds ...........................Office - (864) 656-0157

Associate Athletic Director/ ..................... Barbara Kennedy-Dixon Senior Women's Administrator ..............Office - (864) 656-1918Assistant Athletic Director/ ......John Seketa, SIU-Edwardsville '81 Sports Promotions .................................Office - (864) 656-1923Assistant Athletic Director/ ...................Gary Wade, Nebraska, '78 Facilities.................................................Office - (864) 656-2017Associate Athletic Director/ ....................Kyle Young, Clemson '02 Soccer..................................................Office - (864) 656-2247Director of Sports Medicine ...Danny Poole, Western Carolina '79 .............................................................Office - (864) 656-2113Executive Secretary of IPTAY .........Bert Henderson, Mars Hill '78 ..............................................................Office: (864) 656-2115Ticket Manager ...........................Travis Furbee, West Virginia '97 .............................................................Office - (864) 656-2118

SPORTS INFORMATIONSr. Associate Sports Info. Director ...Sam Blackman, Clemson '85 for Soccer ...............................................Office - (864) 656-1924 .............................................................. Home - (864) 639-4400 ................................................... Email - blackmj@clemson.eduAssistant Athletic Director/ ...............Tim Bourret, Notre Dame '77 Sports Information Director ....................Office - (864) 656-1926 .................................................................Home (864) 888-3490 ....................................................Email - btimoth@clemson.edu

SOCCER COACHING STAFFHead Men's Soccer Coach .........Phil Hindson, William Carey, '99 Email: phindso@clemson.edu ..........Office - (864) 656-1974Asst. Men's Soccer Coach ..............Mike Potempa, Clemson, '01 Email: mpotempa@clemson.edu .....Office - (864) 656-1946Asst. Men's Soccer Coach ............ Jesse Miech, Morningside '05 Email: jmiech@clemson.edu ............Office - (864) 656-6631Asst. Men's Soccer Coach ..................Alex Prostko, Clemson '09 Email: aprostk@g.clemson.edu .........Office- (864) 656-1946

Clemson Directory The 2009 Season

David AbernethyStrength and Conditioning

Roberta BallietAdministrative

Assistant

Sam BlackmanSports

Information

Bobby DouglasAcademicAdvisor

Dr. Terry Don Phillips

Athletic Director

Van HilderbrandAssoc. Ath Direc-

tor/Event Mgt.

John SeketaPromotions/Game

Management

Kyle YoungAssoc. Athletic

Director

Jerome RazayeskiTrainer

Gary WadeAsst. Athletic

Director, Facilities

Mike EcholsSupervisor of

Athletic Grounds

Kate McCrarySoccer Ticket

Manager

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Goalkeeper Joseph Bendik is seventh on the school's career list for most saves (196) and fifth for most saves per game (4.56).

Outlook The 2009 Season

Optimism is high around the Clemson men’s soccer program as the Tigers return 10 starters from last year’s team. Although the Tigers finished the 2008 season with a 7-9-2 record overall, they were only one of two teams in the country to have defeat-ed the National Champion and the National Runner up last season. Clemson defeated fourth-ranked and eventual National Champion Maryland 5-3 on October 3rd as Michael Brooks scored four goals and assisted on the other Tiger goal. This was the most goals that a Maryland team had allowed since the Terrapins lost to North Carolina 5-1 on October 7, 2000. The Tigers defeated seventh-ranked North Carolina 3-2 in over-time on October 25th as Nathan Thornton scored two goals to lead Clemson on to victory. Last season, five of Clemson’s nine losses were by one goal. Once more, the Tigers return 15 letterwinners from last year’s squad while only losing seven. The Tigers will play a 17-match regular season before the annual ACC Tournament to be played once again in Cary, NC on November 10-15. This year's schedule will have the Tigers playing seven 2008 NCAA Tournament teams including the NCAA College Cup runner up North Carolina Tarheels and NCAA College Cup Champion Maryland Terrapins. “It is without a doubt the most difficult schedule we have played since I have been at Clemson,” said Head Coach Phil Hindson. “It will be a challenge for both the players and staff.”

Goalkeepers Known for its outstanding goalkeeping tradition over the years, Clemson returns one of the nation’s best, Joseph Bendik. In 2008, he was named second-team All-ACC and third-team All-South. Bendik, a senior, has a 1.41 career goals allowed average. He has 196 career saves and led the ACC in most saves per game with a 5.11 average. He has started 41 matches throughout his career and is expected to lead the Tigers in 2009. J.D. Spearman, a sophomore, returns to this position as well. With his outstanding shot stopping ability and vast improvements through-out the spring, Spearman will only add to the outstanding goalkeeping standard at Clemson. Kamran Khyltash, a 6’2” goalkeeper from Orange, CA will begin his freshman season competing with Bendik and Spearman for play-ing time using his size and ability on crosses to add depth to the goal-keeping position. He will join both Bendik and Spearman to create a cohesive and competitive unit. “We have a strong group of goalkeepers who will compete for the starting position,” said Hindson. “We are solid at this position.”

Defense Clemson has a strong core of defensive players returning as se-niors Greg Eckhardt and David Newton will anchor the backline. Eck-hardt, a member of the United States Under-20 National Team, will be expected to play a variety of roles throughout the season using his experience and versatility to help the Tiger defense. Eckhardt has started 53 career matches and will be expected to lead by example in 2009. David Newton, a 5th year senior, has started 37 matches through-out his career. In 2008, Netwon was named second-team All-ACC and third-team All-South and will once again be a mainstay in the Ti-gers defense as the 6’4” captain will be called upon to provide stability and consistency to the Tigers’ backline. Riley Sumpter, a sophomore from Atlanta, GA will look to compete for the left back position after a solid freshman year. Sumpter spent significant time on the left side throughout the spring and is a realistic option for the fall. His technical ability and aggressive match mentality allows him to play either outside back or in midfield effectively. Also returning in 2009 is Francklin Blaise, a sophomore from Miami, FL who started all 18 matches for the Tigers as a freshman in 2008. A former United States Under-20 National Team member, Blaise will be called upon to help anchor the center of defense with his ability in the air and outstanding athleticism. In 2008, Blaise was named to the All-ACC freshman team. Mackenzie Ward, a sophomore from Fort Worth, TX, will also compete for significant time in the Tigers’ defense after a promising spring season. Having suffered a back injury for most of the fall of 2008, Ward played every match alongside David Newton in the cen-ter of defense in the spring of 2009. He will be called upon for his speed, ability in the air, and tenacious defensive qualities to help an-chor the Tiger defense. Bo Godwin, a redshirt freshman from Decatur, AL has made sig-nificant strides throughout the 2009 spring season and has defined himself as one of the best 1vs1 defenders on the squad. His intel-ligence and work ethic will allow him to compete for one of the outside back positions, while his versatility and ability in the air will also allow him to be a viable candidate in midfield as well. Several members of the incoming freshmen class will also add depth to the Tiger defense as Josh Shutter (Sinking Spring, PA), Eric Fletcher (Norcross, GA), Travis Dennis (Bowie, MD), Wesley Nelson (Austin, TX), and Wole Kekere-Ekun will all look to contribute. Shut-ter, a 6’3” defender, will add size, athleticism, and ability in the air to the Tiger defense and will be called upon for his long throw. Fletcher, a 6’0” defender, is a solid ball winner who has versatility and size. He can play anywhere across the backline and could see some time in midfield as well. Travis Dennis is an athletic defender with speed and ability to join the attack. He can play anywhere on

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Connor Barbaree had an oustanding freshman season. He played in 17 matches and started 13 and had three assists.

Outlook The 2009 Season

the left side and will look to play an attacking role from the defense. Wes Nelson is also a left sided player with tremendous speed and will also look to contribute with his 1vs1 defensive abilities. Wole Kekere-Ekun, a 6’3” defender, will look to play as a central defender with great size, speed, and athleticism. Kekere-Ekun will join Newton and Blaise as an option in the center of defense. “In this position, we will have a good balance of size and speed,” said Hindson. “We have a talented group and a lot of experience in the back.”

Midfield Hassan Ibrahim, a senior from Fairhope, AL returns to the Tigers after having started 11 matches as a junior in 2008. He is the Tigers’ leading returning scorer, as he had four goals and four assists for 12 points last season. He will be expected to contribute heavily to the Tigers’ offensive scheme, as his speed and technical ability will cause problems for opposing defenses. Connor Barbaree is one of the most technically gifted players in the ACC after an outstanding freshman year. In his first season as a Tiger, Barbaree played in 17 matches and started 13 finishing the season with three assists. His mature intelligence on the field and smooth ability on the ball will allow him to anchor the Tiger midfield while posing threats to opposing teams. A lot will be expected of him in 2009. Nick Burton, a sophomore from Atlanta, GA returns after starting 10 matches as a freshman. He had three goals and three assists for nine points and will be called upon to repeat his outstanding freshman year performance. Burton continues to display a wide range of ver-satility as his technical ability, creativity, and speed allow him to play anywhere in midfield or up front. Keegan Priest is a returning sophomore who saw significant time in 2008 having started nine matches and playing in 15. He finished the season with two goals and four assists including the game-win-ning goal against Wofford in Spartanburg, SC. A clever player with outstanding technical ability and vision, Priest will be expected to con-tribute once again to the success of the Tiger midfield in 2009. Eric Cava returns to the Tigers as the squad’s most versatile play-er. Having played in nearly every position throughout his freshman and sophomore years, Cava saw action in 18 matches in 2008 while starting 14. He added five assists in his sophomore campaign bring-ing his overall total to 10 for his career. Cava’s explosive power and sheer speed will allow him to compete for any position on the field and will help provide great depth to all positions. Incoming freshman Marco Alcocer (Plugerville, TX) will be expect-ed to use his technical ability and experience from his years with the Lonestar Soccer Club to compete for a midfield position this season. Throughout the recruiting process, Alcocer has continued to show great promise as an effective central midfield player and will add sav-vy, technique, and depth to the Tiger midfield. "The midfield area provides a versatile group of players who can compete for playing time in various positions,” said Hindson.

Forwards The Tigers anticipate a more effective offense this season utilizing a unique blend of experienced attacking players and promising new-comers. Returning from 2008 is senior Nathan Thornton from Spring, TX. Thornton finished his junior year with three goals and one assist for seven points. He has nine goals and four assists for his career and was named to the Soccer America National Team-of-the-Week on October 25th after scoring two goals in the Tigers’ 3-2 upset win over seventh ranked UNC-Chapel Hill. Joining Thornton as an attacking option will be newcomer Mike Mattson, a 6’2” senior forward transfer from the University of Central Florida. Mattson will serve as a target forward for the Tigers and will be expected to contribute right away as his experience and outstand-ing ability with his back to the goal should be among the best in the conference.

Junior Tommy Drake will be expected to have a breakout year and will look to contribute significantly to the Tigers’ offensive plan. Drake started 14 matches in 2008 and he finished the year with one goal and two assists. He has six goals and five assists for 17 career points and will look to compete for a starting role on the flank or in midfield. Drake’s tremendous speed and finishing ability should allow him to compete among the best in the conference, as he was an All-ACC Freshman team performer in 2007. Newcomer Austin Savage joined the Tigers in January of 2009 and lived up to every expectation as a prolific goalscorer out of high school. Savage combines extreme pace, calm finishing ability, and creativity in the box allowing him to take on opposing defenses and score goals at any moment. Savage comes to Clemson from Sum-merville, SC and is expected to compete for playing time right away. Brannon Blanke is another quality attacking option for the Tigers from Castle Hayne, NC. Like Savage, Blanke is considered a prolific goalscorer out of high school having broken the North Carolina High School State record for goals scored. Blanke has received numerous accolades throughout his high school career in honor of his ability to score goals and he is expected to contribute to the success of the Tigers in much the same way for the years to come. Alexander Darsinos joins the Tigers after spending much of his junior year in high school in Greece. The talented attacking player is very versatile and will compete immediately for playing time. “There is a lot of competition for places which will make preseason very interesting," said Hindson.

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2009 SEASON MARKS 75th ANNIVERSARY OF CLEMSON SOCCER--The 2009 season marks the 75th anniversary of Clemson soccer as the Tigers first played Furman on February 14, 1934. This was also the first intercollegiate men's soccer match in the state of South Carolina. Clemson fielded soccer in 1934 through the 1939 season. Fred Kirshner coached the Tigers during this time.

CLEMSON'S RECORD--Clemson finished the 2008 season with a 7-9-2 record overall. The Tigers were 3-4-1 in the ACC last season.

CLEMSON'S LEADERS--The Tigers were led in scoring by 2008 senior Michael Brooks with six goals and one assist for 13 points. Hassan Ibrahim was the Tigers' leading returning scorer with four goals and four assists for 12 points. Eric Cava led the team with five assists.

BENDIK ONE OF NATION'S TOP GOALKEEPERS--Joseph Bendik finished the season with 92 saves and a 1.42 goals allowed aver-age. He led the ACC with over five saves per game. He has 196 career saves, seventh on the Clemson career list. He finished 26th in the nation in saves per game in 2008.

THREE TIGERS NAMED ALL ACC--Three Clemson players were named to the 2008 All-Atlantic Coast Conference men’s soccer team as announced by the league office. Clemson’s David Newton, a junior defender, and Joseph Ben-dik, a junior goalkeeper, were both named to the All-ACC second team. Teammate and defender Francklin Blaise was named to the All-ACC freshman team. BROOKS LEADS CLEMSON OVER EVENTUAL NATIONAL CHAMPION MARYLAND--Clemson’s Michael Brooks was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Soccer Player of the Week as announced by the league’s office Tuesday, October 7. Brooks came off the bench and scored three goals and played only 47 minutes to help the Tigers to an upset over fourth-ranked Maryland on Oct. 3. Brooks was also named National Player of the Week by College Soccer News and Soccer America for his performance. IBRAHIM HONORED--After scoring two goals and assisting on the other in the Virginia Tech match on Sunday, September 21, Hassan Ibrahim was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Na-tional Team of the Week as announced by the website Monday September 22, 2008. Clemson defeated the Hokies 3-2 in overtime at Historic Riggs Field on Sunday, September 21. Ibrahim is a junior college transfer from Jefferson College in Hillsboro, MO.

TIGERS NAMED ALL-SOUTH--Clemson goalkeeper Joe Bendik and defender David Newton were both named to the third-team NSCAA/Adidas All-South team. Both were juniors and will return to lead Clemson in 2009. They were both named second-team All-ACC earlier this season. Bendik is a native of Marietta, GA and led the ACC in saves per game and total saves this past year. He had 92 saves for the season on the way to recording three shutouts. He started all 18 games for the Tigers, and ranked third in the ACC in save percent-age with a .767 figure. Newton, a native of Mount Pleasant, SC, started 16 of the 18 games as a defender and had one assist from his defender posi-tion. He was a big reason Clemson allowed just 28 goals in 18 games this year. He also provided a key role in Clemson's wins over fourth-ranked Maryland and seventh-ranked North Carolina, two of the teams in the NCAA Final Four this weekend. It was one of just three losses for Maryland all year.

CLEMSON DEFEATS THE TWO NCAA FINALISTS--Maryland defeated North Carolina 1-0 in the finals of the NCAA Men's Soccer Cup in Frisco, TX in December. The Tigers were one of only two teams to defeat both Maryland and UNC last season. Wake Forest who spent most of the season ranked number one and was the number-one seed in the NCAA Tournament also defeated both teams. North Carolina defeated Wake Forest 1-0 in the NCAA semifinal match. Clemson defeated fourth-ranked Maryland 5-3 on October 3. Clemson's Michael Brooks had four goals in this match and assisted on the other Tiger goal. This was the most goals that a Maryland team has allowed since the Terrapins lost to North Carolina 5-1 on October 7, 2000. The Tigers defeated seventh-ranked North Carolina 3-2 in overtime on October 25. The Tigers' Nathan Thornton scored two goals in this win. Over the years, this was the seventh time (1974, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2001, and 2008) that the Tigers have played both the National Champion and the NCAA Runner Up teams in the same season. The 2008 season marked the first time that the Tigers have defeated the National Champion and the NCAA Runner Up team in the same season. After Maryland's loss to Clemson on October 3, The Terrapins did not lose another match. Maryland won 16 consecutive matches after the loss to the Tigers.

Francklin Blaise was named to the All-ACC freshman team and to the All-ACC Academic team in 2008. He started all 18 matches in 2008 as a defender.

Notes/Year in Review The 2009 Season

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CLEMSON LEADS THE ACC FOR MOST ALL-ACC HONORS--Over the years, 98 different players have earned 191 first or second team All-ACC honors since Clemson first fielded a men’s soccer squad in the 1967 season. The 191 All-ACC selections is the most among the ACC schools.

CLEMSON IN THE ACC TOURNAMENT--Over the years, Clem-son has a 12-17-4 record in the 22 years of the ACC tournament. Clemson has a 6-10-2 record in the quarterfinal round. The Tigers are also 4-4-2 in the semifinal round and have a 2-3 record in the Championship game. Clemson won the ACC tournament in 1998 and 2001. The ACC tournament was started in the 1987 season. Prior to the 1987 season the ACC Champion was de-termined by the regular season. The Tigers won 11 ACC Titles prior to the 1987 season. Overall the Tigers have won 13 total At-lantic Coast Conference Championships. The Tigers have won three regular season titles since the 1987 season (1990, 1993, and 1998).

THORNTON HONORED--Nathan Thornton, who scored two goals in Clemson's 3-2 upset of seventh-ranked North Carolina, was named to Soccer America's National Team of the Week on Monday, October 27. Thornton scored the game winner with 1:32 left to go in the second overtime period.

NIGHT HOME MATCH RECORD--Clemson has a 192-19-12 re-cord in home matches played at night since 1980. The first home night match was on September 24, 1980, as the Tigers defeated UNC-Charlotte 1-0.

NON-CONFERENCE HOME GAMES--Clemson has a 335-36-20 record against non-conference opponents when playing at Clemson since 1967, the first year of Tiger Soccer.

AGAINST THE ACC--Clemson has a 73-39-10 record against Atlantic Coast Conference teams in the regular season at home.

CLEMSON VS. THE TOP 10--Clemson has 58 wins versus top 10 teams over the years. The following is a list of Clemson's records when playing schools ranked in positions one through 10 according to the NSCAA poll: Overall at Clemson 1. 7-16-3 3-4-1 2. 3-11-1 2-4-0 3. 7-6-1 5-1-0 4. 10-8-1 5-4-1 5. 4-11-0 2-3-0 6. 4-10-0 2-6-0 7. 7-5-0 5-1-0 8. 7-5-2 3-0-1 9. 4-2-0 3-1-0 10. 6-6-3 3-3-1

CLEMSON IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENTNCAA Final 16--(22) 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006

NCAA Final 8--(12) 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1987, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2005

NCAA Final 4--(7) 1973, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1987, 2005Championship Game Appearances--1979, 1984, 1987

National Champions--1984, 1987

2008 Clemson Men's Soccer Honors

All-ACC--David Newton (2nd), Joseph Bendik (2nd)

All-ACC Freshman--Francklin Blaise

Soccer America Teams of the WeekOct. 28 Nathan Thornton

College Socer News Teams of the WeekOct. 7 Michael Brooks

Top Drawer Team of the WeekSept. 22 Hassan Ibrahim

ACC Player of the WeekOct. 7 Michael Brooks

All-South--Joe Bendik (3rd Team), David Newton (3rd Team)

All-ACC Academic Francklin Blaise, Michael Brooks, Tommy Drake, Greg Eckhardt, David Newton, and Keegan Priest.

National Player of the Week College Soccer News and Soccer America Oct. 7 Michael Brooks

ACC Academic Honor RollMichael Brooks, Greg Eckhardt, Bo Godwin, Bryson Moore, David Newton, Richard Nova, Keegan Priest, Parker Rogers, Scott Rosman, J.D. Spearman, Nathan Thornton.

Notes/Year in Review The 2009 Season

CLEMSON DEFEATED EVENTUAL NATIONAL CHAMPION IN 1993--Over the years, Clemson has defeated a NCAA eventual National Champion one other time and that was during the 1993 season when the Tigers defeated Virginia 2-1 on October 10, 1993 at Charlottesville, VA. Former Tiger All-American Jimmy Glenn scored the winning goal at the 89:59 mark (one second remaining in regulation). This was the latest goal that the Tigers have ever scored to win a match.

CLEMSON PLAYERS NAMED ALL-ACC ACADEMIC--Clemson placed six players on the 2008 All-ACC Academic Men's Soccer Team as announced by Commissioner John D. Swofford. The six Tigers honored were as follows: Francklin Blaise, Michael Brooks, Tommy Drake, Greg Eckhardt, David Newton, and Keegan Priest. To be eligible for consideration for the All-ACC Academic team, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.0 cumulative average during his academic career.

FORMER SOCCER STANDOUT ZAWISLAN NAMED HEAD COACH AT CORNELL--Jaro Zawislan, a former Clemson Soc-cer player who has spent the past seven seasons as an assistant coach at Syracuse University, has been named the new head men's soccer coach at Cornell University. Zawislan attended Clemson University, starting every game over his four-year career before graduating in 1993. He was a three-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference and four-time All-South region selection, in addition to being named the most valuable player of the 1993 ACC tournament. He holds school records for career saves (446), single-season saves (134), career wins by a goalkeeper (58) and career starts (88).

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No. Name Pos. Hgt. Wgt. Cl. Exp. Hometown Major 0 Kamran Khyltash GK 6-2 185 FR C Orange, CA Economics 1 Joseph Bendik GK 6-3 230 SR 3VL Marietta, GA Management 2 David Newton D 6-4 210 *SR 3VL Mount Pleasant, SC Civil Engineering 3 Greg Eckhardt D 6-0 180 SR 3VL Orange Park, FL Mangement 4 Francklin Blaise D 5-9 177 SO 1VL Miami, FL Business 5 Austin Savage F 5-9 160 FR C Summerville, SC Undecided 6 Keegan Priest M 5-7 150 *SO 1VL St. Simons Island, GA Economics 7 Hassan Ibrahim M 5-9 160 SR #1VL Fairhope, AL Economics 8 Riley Sumpter M 5-8 153 SO 1VL Avondale Estates, GA Architecture 9 Tommy Drake M 5-8 155 JR 2VL Chapel Hill, NC Business 10 Nick Burton F 5-6 140 SO 1VL Acworth, GA Parks, Recreation & Tour. 11 Eric Cava M/F 5-7 155 JR 2VL Annapolis, MD Parks, Recreation & Tour. 12 Mike Mattson F 6-2 185 GR TR Boca Raton, FL Graduate School 13 Mackenzie Ward D 5-11 170 SO 1VL Ft. Worth, TX Business 14 Eric Fletcher D 6-0 167 FR C Norcross, GA Construction Sci. Mgt. 15 Josh Shutter D 6-2 160 FR C Sinking Spring, PA Undecided 16 Nathan Thornton F 5-9 163 SR 3VL Spring, TX Civil Engineering 17 Connor Barbaree M 6-0 165 SO 1VL Marietta, GA Engineering 18 Wes Nelson D/M 5-8 145 FR C Austin, TX Business 19 J.D. Spearman GK 5-10 190 *SO 1VL Summerville, SC Business 20 Bo Godwin D/M 5-6 163 *FR C Decatur, AL Business 21 Marco Alcocer M 5-6 145 FR C Pflugerville, TX Engineering 22 Wole Kekere-Ekun D 6-3 155 FR C Bowie, MD Health Science 23 Travis Dennis D/M 5-11 175 FR C Bowie, MD Engineering 24 Alex Darsinos M 5-7 155 FR C Nashville, TN Architecture 25 Brannon Blanke F 5-11 165 FR C Castle Hayne, NC Engineering Head Coach: Phil Hindson Assistant Coaches: Mike Potempa, Jesse Miech, Alex Prostko *Red Shirt #Transfer

2009 Clemson Tiger Soccer Team--Front Row (L to R): Marco Alcocer, Alex Darsinos, Nathan Thornton, J.D. Spearman, Jo-seph Bendik, Kamran Khyltash, Keegan Priest, Tommy Drake, Riley Sumpter, Nick Burton . Second Row (L to R): Asst. Coach Jesse Miech, Asst. Coach Alex Prostko, Francklin Blaise, Brannon Blanke, Greg Eckhardt, Eric Fletcher, Austin Savage, Wes Nelson, Eric Cava, Bo Godwin, Asst. Coach Mike Potempa, Head Coach Phil Hindson. Third Row (L to R) Trainer Jerome Razayeski, Travis Dennis, Connor Barbaree, Mike Mattson, David Newton, Wole Kekere-Ekun, Josh Shutter, MacKenzie Ward. Manager Ryan Chapman.

Tiger Roster The 2009 Season

Numerical