University of Vermont Secures National Title
Vermont are 2024 College Cup Champions!
Monday night saw the NCAA Division I men’s soccer season come to an end in Cary, North Carolina, as #2 ranked Marshall looked for their second title in five years while the Vermont Catamounts were on the hunt for UVM’s first national title!
A near chance came Vermont’s way in the 21st minute when a fast break led Yaniv Bazini to running down the middle before cutting the ball to David Ismail. Ismail attempted to slot one past Janjic, but the keeper was there to make the save. Bazini had a golden opportunity to find the opener for Vermont in the 28th minute when he got free inside the box and looked to head the corner kick to the upper-left corner, but his header trailed wide and out for a goal kick.
Despite some great chances from both teams, Vermont nor Marshall could find a go-ahead goal in the first 45 minutes, as the game remained scoreless going into halftime.
Things broke down for Vermont in the 67th minute. It started when Rai Pinto got free on the right flank and sent a cross centrally. Herceg leaped out in an attempt to grasp the ball but mishandled it.
Tarik Pannholzer was at the right place at the right time. He ran onto the bouncing ball and tapped it in to give Marshall the 1-0 lead.
Herceg came up huge for Vermont in the 77th minute when he stretched out to make a save and keep the game in striking distance for the Catamounts.
A horrific turnover from Aleksa Janjic led Vermont to execute a series of give-and-go passes that ended with substitute Marcell Papp finding the equalizer in the 81st minute.
A fastbreak nearly sealed the deal for Vermont when Maximilian Kissel broke down the right flank and attempted to send the ball to the left side of the net. Unfortunately for Kissel, Janjic got a fingertip to the ball and directed it out of play to keep Marshall alive.
Neither side found the go-ahead as regulation ended in a 1-1 draw, which meant this College Cup Final was heading to overtime.
The nail in the coffin came in the 95th minute when Vermont booted the ball downfield as Maximilian Kissel and Alex Bamford got into a footrace for the loose ball. Bamford attempted to stick a leg out and poke the ball away but ultimately missed as Kissel found himself one-on-one with Janjic.
Kissel drew Janjic off his line and diverted to the left as he tapped the ball into the open net to give Vermont the 2-1 victory along with the school’s first National Title.
Many counted the Catamounts out, but Coach Rob Dow and the UVM players proved why they were the best throughout the tournament. With their five-nil thrashing over Iona, their 2-1 victory over Hofstra, their last-second shutout win over San Diego, a 2-0 shutout over Pittsburgh, a shootout victory over Denver, and their overtime thriller against Marshall, Vermont has proven the Green Mountain State is also a soccer state.