FINAL RESULT: Vermont 1, #3 Denver 1 (UVM wins PK’s 4-3)
CARY, NC. – The 2024 Vermont men’s soccer team made more history on Friday night at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, defeating the #3 Denver Pioneers 4-3 on PKs for the first time in program history Secured a ticket to the College Cup final. Yaniv Bazinis game-winning goal in the 84th minute and Niklas Hercegs A massive parade of PKs launched the Catamounts to the National Championship Game. Vermont will face 13th-seeded Marshall in the title game on Monday, Dec. 16, at 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.

RELATED LINKS
Box score (.pdf)
CatamounTV: Penalty Shootout | Bazini Gate
Game highlights
Aftermath: Coach Dow, Herceg & Murray
Photo gallery



HOW IT HAPPENED

• Denver applied significant pressure early in the game and hit the crossbar six minutes later. Sam Bassett crossed the ball into the box and found Trevor Wright, who headed the ball towards goal but he couldn’t hit the crossbar Niklas Herceg regained possession and gave the Catamounts time to regroup.
• In the 30th minute of the game, the Pioneers created a prime scoring opportunity when Ronan Wynne sent a cross into the box from distance, this time hitting the head of Oje Ofunrein, who placed his header wide left to keep the game goalless, 0 : 0. There were no more goals for the rest of the half as both teams went into the final half in a complete draw.
• Between the 60th and 61st minutes of the game, Herceg showed textbook goalkeeping performance and made two decisive saves. The first save came from a corner where the ball was knocked out of danger with both hands, but the second save in the 61st minute was stunning. Bassett delivered a right-footed strike into the net that looked like a rocket towards the top right corner, but Herceg’s incredible athleticism allowed him to stretch as he made a diving save to knock the ball out of bounds and the Pioneers stayed off the scoreboard.
• David Ismail In the 68th minute he created a brilliant scoring opportunity by dribbling the ball into open space towards midfield and firing a right-footed shot just outside the goal area, but his shot went just wide to the right, leaving the game goalless remained, 0 -0.
• A minute later, in the 69th, Bassett broke through on a second chance, pushing a high shot into the right corner of the net to give Denver a 1-0 lead heading into the second period. Ian Smith received an assist on the Pioneers’ goal.
• In the 76th minute, a great major attack was achieved Ryan Zellefrow He was able to prepare to get around his defender and get into the goalkeeper box Marcell Papp in the slot, but Papp leaned a little too far back on his one-touch shot and sent the ball over the net as Denver maintained the 1-0 lead.
• The Vermont Catamounts tied the game 1-1 in the 84th minute thanks to a goal from Nathan Simeon Yaniv Bazini On a cross pass, he blocked the ball with his chest, wasted no time, planted his right foot on the ball and fired it into the bottom right corner, securing his 30th career goal as UVM tied the game 1-1.
• After no goals were scored for the remainder of regulation time, the game went into two separate 10-minute overtimes in which UVM fired off three shot attempts, but neither team was able to find the net as the game ended a penalty was directed by kicks.
• Vermont beat Denver 4-3 on PK and faced Bazini, Zach Barrett, Max MurrayAnd Maximilian Kissel All successfully completed their attempts, while Herceg made an incredible stop on the Pioneers’ third attempt, earning the Catamounts a berth in the NCAA College Cup Finals for the first time in program history.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Bazini scored his 30th career goal against Denver, earning his 10th NCAA Tournament goal in 12 career games.
• Bazini scored six goals in five games during the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
• Siméon scored an assist on the Catamounts’ tying goal, his third assist of the season and first point of the NCAA Tournament.
• The Catamounts became the first team in this season’s NCAA Tournament to score in Denver.
• Vermont has held its opponents scoreless in the first half of five straight games and won all five.
• Until Sam Bassett’s goal in the 69th minute, Vermont had never trailed at any point during the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
• Vermont is outscoring its opponents 8-2 in the second half of tournament play this year. Over the last three years, the Catamounts have outscored their opponents 17-6 in the second half of NCAA postseason play.
• Vermont has scored 20 goals in the 76th minute or later and 16 goals in the 83rd minute or later this season.
• The Vermont men’s soccer team is the first Vermont team or America East team in any sport to ever compete in a national championship game.
• Tonight marked the Catamounts’ third PK shootout in NCAA Tournament history and first since 2007.
• National semifinal games have advanced to PKs 10 times since 2000, and in five of those cases, the team that advanced won the national championship.
• With the winnings, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to the Vermont Children’s Trust Foundation as part of the Cats Wins, Community Wins initiative.

For news and updates on the Vermont men’s soccer program, follow @UVMmsoccer on Instagram, X and Facebook and visit UVMathletics.com.
EastRise Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of Vermont Soccer