University of Vermont men’s soccer fans gathered at a downtown Burlington bar to watch the team play in the NCAA national championship game Monday night.
People jammed into Nectar’s in downtown Burlington for a watch party and cheer on the UVM Catamount soccer team as they faced the Marshall Thundering Herd in the NCAA national championship game.
As the team prepared for the match in North Carolina, UVM Athletics spokesperson Nich Hall said the game is the culmination of four years of success at the national level.
“The team has won 9 games in the NCAA tournament over the last three years and advanced in 10 matches, which is the most in the country. And we’re really sort of led by what I would describe as a perfect storm of upper classmen and graduate students and then exceptionally talented freshmen like Ryan Zellefrow and Niklas Herceg this year. Everything’s come together in a great way for this team,” Hall said. “This team has just kind of caught fire at the best time and each game’s been a little different. We’ve had an overtime win. We had advance in penalty kicks. We’ve won 5-nothing in the tournament. And really this team has just kind of built to handle any sort of environment and any different style of game and they’re just doing it.”
Fans in Burlington were confident the Cats would win as they waited for the game to start. Doug Maynes is a late 1970s alum who said he hadn’t followed the team until close to the end of the season.
“To watch this team ascend and beat seeded teams, you know, we’re just super excited. Super excited,” Maynes said. “Either team’s going to be the first mid-major college team in the history of the United States to win a national championship. If that happens to be UVM it’s going to be unbelievable. It’s extremely important. And what it’s going to do for the college for recruiting and national awareness is going to be substantial.”
After kick-off, fans gathered in front of televisions scattered throughout the bar. The first half left some people gasping as nearly missed goals on both sides raised tensions.
At the end of the first half the score was tied zero-zero.
The Marshall team wasted no time scoring the first goal of the game shortly after the second half began. But Catamount supporters refused to give up on their team.
About half way through the second half the Catamounts tied the game.
At the end of regulation play the score was tied 1 to 1. Under NCAA rules in soccer championship games sudden death is played and the first team that scores wins.
Tyler Shedd:
“Oh my God, let’s go UVM. Best in the nation. Bring it home. Lets go!”
Shane Skiff and Charlie Harder were also celebrating the win.
“It was an amazing game. It was a master class in soccer by the Vermont team, the UVM team here. I mean, you just can’t play a better game. Just the emotions that evoke. Every time the other team had the ball, I started to get sweaty and nervous. But, you know, as soon as we had it, as soon as we score, just pure elation,” Skiff and Harder say.
