CLEMSON, S.C. – Another California men's soccer freshman scored his first goal as a Golden Bear against an ACC power – and the Bears played with a man advantage in the last 10 minutes – but the Bears wound up falling to No. 14 Clemson 3-1 on Friday night at Historic Riggs Field.
 
Cal has a 3-3-2 record (1-1-1 ACC) after its first conference loss. Clemson improved to 4-2-2 (2-0-1).
 
The Bears had a scare in the game's first minute when the Tigers' Wahabu Musah appeared to have scored. His goal was disallowed for offside.
 
But Musah did score in the fourth minute, converting on a counterattack to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead they took to halftime.
 
Clemson scored again in the first minute of the second half, as Ransford Gyan hit a shot from inside the Cal box that deflected off a Bear and into the net.
 
Down 2-0, Cal pulled a goal back when Callen Lewis – a first-year winger – fended off a Clemson defender in the box and scored past goalkeeper Joseph Andema from a difficult angle. Cal trailed 2-1.
 
Goalkeeper Connor Lambe made a clutch save against Gyan in the 71st minute when the midfielder dribbled into the box and took an uncontested shot on Cal's goal.
 
But Clemson's Nathan Richmond scored in the 74th minute, and Cal fell behind 3-1.
 
Musah was shown a red card in the 80th minute, giving Cal a man advantage for the rest of the game, with the Bears eventually falling to the Tigers.
 
"We have to figure out how to avoid slow starts," Cal head coach Leonard Griffin said. "That's something that's become too consistent. We have to find a way, again, to get the first goal of the game and start better. It's frustrating. We fought to the end, and that's something we do want to see. Hopefully we can have some positive results and some Ws soon."
 
This was the second straight game in which a Cal freshman scored his first collegiate goal, as midfielder Noe Morales scored his first in Cal's 1-1 tie with then-No. 19 Duke last Sunday.
 
"They're fearless, fantastic, attacking players," Griffin said. "They were recruited because we saw their ability at the youth level, and it's translated here. It's a sign of a bright future for the attack, and I'm happy for both of them."
 
The Bears remain on the East Coast to play a nonconference match at UNC Asheville on Tuesday.
 
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