The Tigers, who were ranked No. 3 in the nation prior to the game, battled back and forth with the Niners. The game became physical early on, as the two teams traded fouls, and Charlotte was assessed a yellow card in the 13th minute. Clemson knocked on the doorstep near the end of the first half, as Diego Campos and Oliver Shannon managed to get shots on goal, but they both missed. A third shot from the Tigers went wide, and the two teams entered the intermission deadlocked at zero.
However, things soon got interesting. Charlotte’s Tommy Madden pushed the ball up the field before finding teammate Daniel Bruce, who evaded the Clemson goalkeeper and scored from six yards out.