University of Vermont wins first-ever NCAA Division I national championship

By Wayne Sterling, CNN

(CNN) — The University of Vermont earned its first-ever NCAA Division I national championship in a team sport in dramatic fashion on Monday.

The unseeded Catamounts upset No. 13 Marshall University 2-1 in overtime in men’s soccer at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.

Vermont was down 1-0 after Marshall senior forward Tarik Pannholzer scored in the 67th minute. But the Catamounts showed their fighting spirit.

Forward Marcell Papp drew the game level for the underdogs in the 81st minute as the match would eventually go into overtime. In the extra period, Vermont forward Maximilian Kissel got free on a long ball and scored the game-winner.

“This is the place that I wanted to be. This is the place to win the national championship. This is best team in this country. I’m just happy that we could prove it,” Kissel said after the game. “This is no Cinderella. This is no underdog. This is not luck. It’s will. It’s skill and … talent.”

Both the Thundering Herd and Catamounts knocked out two of the tournament favorites in the semifinals to reach the Cup final.

Marshall blanked No. 1 Ohio State 1-0 while Vermont came from behind to down No. 3 Denver in penalties.

Vermont also defeated No. 2 Pittsburgh 2-0 in the quarterfinals and is the third team to oust two top-four seeds in the same tournament in the last decade.

“We’re the toughest team,” Vermont head coach Rob Dow said. “To rally back again, the cardiac cats, we did it. … It’s been really hard for everyone but the best things in life are also the hardest things.”

Vermont, who was appearing in its first-ever team sport national championship game, has won individual national titles in men’s and women’s skiing.

The Thundering Herd were seeking their second title in the last five years.

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