The Spire

Jack Faggiano ‘27

Staff Writer

Over 2500 fans decked out in purple filtered into Linda Johnson Smith Stadium, the home of Holy Cross soccer, on a gorgeous Monday night to watch their beloved Crusaders go toe-to-toe with the reigning national champion Clemson Tigers. Evan Jones netted a sweet goal just 2:35 into the game off of the long assist from the midline from Jake Williams. The home crowd immediately roared with enthusiasm. 

The first half was extremely competitive, and Clemson gave themselves plenty of opportunities to tie things up, taking ten shots to Holy Cross’ four. Holy Cross goalkeeper Josh Tubbs looked like a brick wall for much of the game. He recorded three beautiful saves while allowing no goals in the first half. The Crusaders felt inspired going into halftime with a 1-0 lead over the fifth-ranked team in college soccer. 

Clemson’s offense came to life early in the second half, with Tyler Trimnal and James Kelly scoring two goals at the fifty-first and fifty-third minute mark, respectively, to put the Tigers ahead for the first time. Despite watching the Tigers take a 2-1 lead, Holy Cross stayed poised in their mission to shock the world of college soccer. 

After allowing the second goal, Tubbs recorded three more fantastic saves to keep the Crusaders alive. Clemson went down a man for the final twenty-one minutes of the game after Tiger defender Galen Flynn received a red card. Flynn’s ejection opened up the door for a potential Holy Cross comeback. 

However, the Crusaders continued to struggle to get shots on goal. When all hope seemed to be lost for Holy Cross, chaos ensued near Clemson’s goal in the final two minutes. Tubbs launched the ball up the field. Kyle Martell perfectly headed the ball to Tyler Mancuso who volleyed it over to John Kowalski for a poetic first career goal to tie this game up with just 1:07 remaining. The Holy Cross faithful erupted as Kowalski ripped off his jersey and ran across the field with his hands up in celebration. The arena buzzed with electricity. The Crusaders were on the brink of a dramatic tie against one of the top teams in the country. Clemson was stunned, as they had put up a near-perfect defensive performance up until this point. 

Clemson gave a solid effort in the final minute after relinquishing a much-needed victory. With just two seconds remaining, the Tigers had a great opportunity to steal the win in Worcester, with Ransford Gyan up for the free kick. Holy Cross’s defense prevailed and deflected the shot, securing the draw against the reigning champions. 

The resilience the Crusaders showed Monday night could become a defining moment for this program’s future. First-year head coach Matt Brown did not let his squad back down from the challenge, and this will pay off dividends for their confidence. Brown’s team embraced the pressure. On top of that, this tie may have serious implications on Clemson’s NCAA playoff seeding, potentially costing them a first-round bye. Holy Cross can hold their heads high on the fact they played spoiler. The Crusaders look to keep the momentum going this Saturday on the road at 4 p.m. at Bucknell as they hope to make a run at their first Patriot League title in twenty-two years.