Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – Senior goalkeeper Kyle Renfro made a career high 10 saves en route to his 12th career shutout and a 0-0 draw against No. 16 Clemson at Thompson Field on Friday night.
The game against the Tigers marked the third time this season that the Hokies would play a ranked opponent.
Tech (3-2-3, 1-0-3 ACC) amassed 11 shots in the game while Clemson (7-1-1, 2-1-1 ACC) hit a total of 22 shots throughout the match.
“We were fortunate to get a point tonight,” explained head coach Mike Brizendine. “That was a quality side that we just played. I’m glad to have my team back. We had some fight back in this group that we didn’t see on Tuesday.”
Kyle Renfro was forced to make two saves early on. Tech was put under pressure as Clemson rattled off four shots and earned three corner kicks in the opening ten minutes of play.
After Tech survived the attacking onslaught provided by Clemson in the opening minutes, the match settled down with most of the play staying in midfield. Both squads struggled to produce any quality scoring chances, and the two teams went into the break tied 0-0.
Clemson outshot Tech 7-3 in the first half and held a 4-0 advantage in corner kicks.
The second half saw both teams produce more chances than either did in the opening half.
Again, Renfro had to make two saves in the opening 15 minutes of the second half to keep the game level.
Tech nearly got on the board in the 78th minute when senior Austin Stewart heaved a throw-in to sophomore Kai Marshall’s head. Marshall put his body on the line to get to the ball but his header missed just wide and the game remained tied at 0-0.
Clemson got a chance to get on the board in the 83rd minute when a header by Clemson’s Kyle Fisher seemed as if it was going in the goal. Senior Devante Dubose was there however to clear the ball off of the line and keep the score level.
Tech went up a man in the 84th minute when junior André Thomas was taken down by Clemson’s Alexandre Happi. Happi received a straight red card and Clemson would go down to ten men for the remainder of the game.
The Hokies were able to hit seven shots in the second half while Clemson hit nine, but the scoring opportunities never amounted to anything and the game would be forced into overtime.
This would be Tech’s fourth overtime game of the season while the Tigers would play in their second overtime game of the year.
Fatigue set in in the first overtime period as both teams were only able to get off one shot apiece with neither being on goal.
Clemson came out with new life in the second period of overtime and were able to take five shots forcing Kyle Renfro to make two athletic saves during the period, but their efforts would not pay off and the game ended in 0-0 draw.
“We’re banged up right now. I’m glad we have a week to get ourselves together to face yet another ranked team in Wake Forest,” concluded Brizendine.
The Hokies continue ACC play on Friday, Oct. 4 when they travel to Winston-Salem, N.C. to take on Wake Forest.