By Canadian Press

Vermont’s NCAA men’s champions soccer team comes with distinct Canadian flavour

Dec 20, 2024 | 10:02 AM

They’re celebrating the University of Vermont’s men’s NCAA soccer championship on both sides of the border.

Vermont coach Rob Dow hails from Cole Harbour, N.S., and Montreal defender Nathan Siméon and Calgary forward Sydney Wathuta both started for the Catamounts in their 2-1 overtime win over Marshall in Monday’s championship game in Cary. N.C.

With players hailing from Germany, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Hungary and Israel as well as Canada and the U.S., Vermont’s NCAA title run likely triggered celebrations continents away.

The championship comes in Dow’s eighth season at the Catamounts’ helm. While he and his staff are no strangers to winning, it has taken time and effort to reach the championship level, with a strategic planning group of alumni and friends assisting Dow along the way.

“We are not considered the household name to win a national championship,” Dow said. “Skiing at our school, yes. Hockey at our school, yes. But not soccer.”

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Until now.

The unseeded Catamounts defeated four seeded opponents — No. 7 Hofstra, No. 2 Pittsburgh, No. 3 Denver and No. 13 Marshall — en route to the national championship.

“This team just found a way to win,” said Dow, citing a unique “level of resiliency.”

“It’s a special quality of focusing not too much on what’s down the road, not what’s happened but be in the present. And when something goes wrong, roll up your sleeves and get on to the next thing. And that takes a team and a unique set of individuals to focus on simple values of work ethic, discipline and making sure we’re all united and doing it together, as a family.”

After opening tournament play with a 5-0 romp over Iona, Vermont did it the hard way. A win at San Diego required overtime and the Catamounts needed a penalty shootout to dispatch Denver.

The championship game was equally tense with Vermont scoring an 81st-minute goal to force overtime at 1-1. Substitute Maximilian Kissel scored the sudden-death winner in the 95th minute, taking advantage of an off-balance defender to go in on goal alone before coolly rounding the goalkeeper and knocking the ball home.

Asked if he had any fingernails left after the tense tournament, Dow laughed and replied: “Barely. I chew a lot of gum on the sidelines just to handle some of that stress.”

Vermont’s 16-2-6 season got off to a rocky start with a 3-1 loss at No. 12 Western Michigan.

“It told us a lot,” Dow said. “You play great teams, you’re going to learn a lot about yourselves. And Western Michigan did that to us.”

The Catamounts bounced back with a 12-game unbeaten run (8-0-4) that ended Oct. 26 in a 1-0 loss at UMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County).

The recovery was instant again. The Catamounts went unbeaten in their remaining 10 games (8-0-2 with one of the draws turning into a penalty shootout win).

“You stay humble. You put your staff and your players into a position to learn and get better. And move the needle every day,” said Dow.

Only three teams scored more than one goal against Vermont.

“I think defence wins championships. It’s a really unselfish quality in a game of soccer like in most sports,” said Dow. “When you build your team around important values like selflessness, I think you’ve got your team in the right place mentally and culture-wise.”

Siméon, who came to Vermont after three years at the University of San Francisco, played his part in the backline this year.

“He’s a very smart human being and very emotionally intelligent,” said Dow.

Smart recruiting has also helped Vermont’s cause.

“Vermont doesn’t always get the top talent,” said Dow. “We’ve got to turn over different rocks and search in different corners to find our national champions for our program. We’re looking for qualities of character and work ethic and leadership. A little bit more than attacking talent.”

Vermont has that too.

Israeli forward Yaniv Bazini led the way with 14 goals, scoring in five of the Catamounts’ six NCAA tournament outings.

He also contributed off the field.

Bazini’s schooling was delayed by military service back in Israel. As a result, the 25-year-old comes “with a whole different perspective around life and appreciation of what he’s doing on the field,” said Dow.

“We’re trying to find little niches like that to add leadership and experience within our group, on top of our regional core.”

Germany’s Kissel added 11 more goals with Wathuta, named America East Midfielder of the Year, contributed 14 assists.

“He’s a top, top young talent,” Dow said of the Canadian left-winger.

“A great athlete. A lot of skill,” he added. “Just a gentle soul of a person. He can cross well, his feet are really tricky. We’re really lucky to have him.”

Vermont has enjoyed success with Canadians in the past.

Forward Brian Wright was taken in the first round (20th overall) by the New England Revolution in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft after graduating as Vermont’s second all-time leading scorer with 39 goals and 25 assists in 80 appearances (66 starts).

“One of the best players, if not the best, to ever play for our program,” Dow said.

Wright, who now plays for York United FC, was named the Canadian Premier League Players’ Player of the Year in 2024

Montreal’s Daniel Pacella captained the Catamounts in 2021, ’22 and ’23.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 19, 2024.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press