Maximilian Kissel scored a sudden-death goal in overtime to lead Vermont to a 2-1 victory over Marshall on Monday night, securing the program’s first national championship.
This match marked the ninth championship game in the 21st century to be decided by overtime or penalty kicks. With this victory, Vermont (16-2-6) became the first team in school history to win a national championship in a team sport, although the skiing program has claimed six national titles. The Catamounts also made history as the first team from America East to reach a national title game in a team sport.
Marshall (15-2-7), the defending champions from 2020, aimed to capture their second national title in as many College Cup appearances.
Kissel’s decisive moment came when he raced to meet a long ball over the defense along the right sideline. After heading the ball forward, he evaded falling defender Alex Bamford and outmaneuvered Marshall goalkeeper Aleksa Janjic, slotting the ball into an empty net. In celebration, Kissel tore off his jersey and sprinted to the corner flag. This was Vermont’s 16th goal of the season scored in the 83rd minute or later.
Earlier, Kissel’s teammate Marcell Papp equalized in the 81st minute, finishing a give-and-go with David Ismail after a turnover by Marshall deep in their territory. Kissel nearly put Vermont ahead in the 85th minute, but Janjic made a crucial save, deflecting his shot wide.
Janjic had already made a significant save in the first half, denying Ismail during a one-on-one breakaway.
Marshall took the lead in the 57th minute when Tarik Pannholzer scored his third goal of the NCAA Tournament, capitalizing on a rebound after Vermont goalkeeper Niklas Herceg failed to handle a cross from Rai Pinto. Herceg later preserved the scoreline by stopping a close-range shot from Haruhi Taneda in the 78th minute.
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