UW men’s soccer falls behind in first minute, loses 2-0 to Clemson in national title game

CARY, N.C. — Sports can sometimes be extremely cruel.

How else to explain what happened Sunday afternoon in the first minute of the NCAA championship game to UW junior goalkeeper Sam Fowler, one of the best in the country at his position and as dependable as they come.

On a ball that was kicked behind UW defense, Fowler raced out of the box to clear it out. He swung his foot like he has hundreds of times, but this was different. He whiffed, the ball continuing its path behind him.

Clemson’s Isaiah Reid was in perfect position to take advantage of the gift, corralling the ball and sending it into the goal with Fowler out of position.

That put the Huskies behind just 27 seconds into the game Sunday afternoon, and they lost 2-0 at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park.

“Credit to Clemson’s defense, and they did enough to withstand a lot of pressure,” UW coach Jamie Clark said. “… More important is how proud I am of these guys and the season they have had. They have been unbelievable, a pleasure to coach, they have been great role models for the Seattle soccer community and they made history.”

Indeed. Washington made the College Cup for the first time in program history. The No. 2 seed Huskies (18-2-2) were the top seed at the Final Four and the No. 1 team in the country in the power rankings.

But it was a tough end to a historic season, with Washington getting shut out for the first time this season after defeating No. 3 seed Georgetown in the semifinals to reach the title game.

The Clemson crowd took to the field after the win, and it took about 20 minutes before the team was gathered at midfield for the trophy ceremony. The Huskies stayed on the field the entire time, patiently watching as the Tigers officially received their new hardware.

Clemson (16-5-2), the No. 8 seed and the lowest seed in the Final Four, defeated No. 1 seed Oregon State to get to the College Cup, then beat No. 4 seed Notre Dame and the Huskies to win it all.

Clark had emphasized the importance of starting fast. The opposite happened when Fowler made a rare mistake.

“It just took a different bounce than I was expecting it to,” said Fowler, who was No. 2 in the nation in save percentage.

Said UW Ryan Sailor, a sixth-year senior and the Pac-12 defensive player of the year: “Those things happen. We all know Sam is one of the best keepers in the country. We don’t doubt that for a second. Mistakes happen, and you just try to move on.”

But it got worse for UW in the 15th minute when Reid took a long pass and headed it from about 15 yards to the top-left corner of the net.

That gave Clemson a 2-0 lead. Washington, meanwhile, looked sluggish until late in the first half — with both teams facing their shortest turnarounds of the season after advancing to the title game Friday night.

Washington and Clemson each had two shots in the first half, but Clemson made the most of its opportunities.

The Huskies, one of the top offensive teams in the nation, tried to ramp up the pressure in the second half but had trouble penetrating Clemson’s defense for shot opportunities.

Washington had seven shots in the second half, with three of those coming in the final few minutes and only two shots on goal for the game. The Huskies outshot Clemson 9-4 for the game, but that meant little.

“We had a lot of balls where usually there is a head on, and crosses that just kind of skated through that we’ve capitalized on in the past,” Clark said. “I think we had enough chances to turn the tide. We hardly get shut out ever. It was a low shot total, but I felt like we had enough pressures.”

Sailor said last week that he wanted to leave the program better than it was when he started. He succeeded in that.

“It’s been an honor to be a part of it, and to see how far we’ve come in the six years (reaching at least the Elite Eight the past three seasons),” Sailor said. “It was a great place when I got here, and it’s a great place when I am leaving. I’m going to miss all of the guys, and I know it’s a special program.

“For a lot of the guys, this whole experience of getting to the College Cup is going to be huge because when we get back here again, we’ve been here before and that will make a difference.”

Fowler is looking forward to a chance to get back, saying, “I think I will come away from this working harder than I ever have.”

But don’t tell Clark that this season was not a success, even if it ended with a defeat.

“It’s an honor and a better story (to win the title), but we got every minute out of this season,” Clark said. “We all said we wanted to get every minute and every drop out of this season, and we did. We would rather be celebrating … but we got the most out it and I want every minute, every hour with these guys that I can get.”

Note: This story has been updated to clarify how Clemson’s first goal was scored.