Marshall and Vermont, two unexpected teams, earn spots in the men’s college soccer championship game

The GIST: If you like an underdog, you’re gonna love this: No. 13 Marshall and unranked Vermont will play tonight for a National Title after both programs upset their way to the ‘ship. Marshall has one previous title, earned against Indiana in 2020, while Vermont is hoping to take home the trophy for the very first time.

How they got here: Marshall’s 1–0 win over Ohio State in the semifinals was probably the biggest upset of the tournament…so far. Senior forward Tarik Pannholzer scored the team’s only goal just seven minutes into the contest, and the Thundering Herd held off the Buckeyes’ relentless attack for the dub. Junior goalkeeper Aleksa Janjic recorded his eighth shutout of the season, stopping five Ohio State shots. Really saving the day.

• Not to be outdone, Vermont had a dramatic upset of its own when the Catamounts bested Denver on penalty kicks (PKs). Vermont senior forward Yaniv Bazini tied the game at 1–1 in the 84th minute, forcing overtime. Three extra periods later, Vermont outscored Denver 4-3 on PKs, with freshman goalie Niklas Herceg making the game-winning stop.

The Championship – Today at 8 p.m. ET – ESPN2: Though no one expected Marshall to reach the title game, the Thundering Herd are no strangers to NCAA Tournament play, having made the field the past six seasons. Meanwhile, Vermont’s been building up to something big, appearing in the last four tournaments and making a quarter-finals run in 2022. Time to make history.

• These teams are both known for their defense, as Vermont only allowed two goals in the tournament, and Marshall shut out Ohio State, who scored 51 goals this season.