Inspiration
"I think everyone is looking at Vermont right now and saying, 'These underdogs, watch out for Vermont.' But let’s shorten that up and let’s just call us dogs. . . We’re not fully funded with scholarships. We don’t have Alston money. We don’t have NIL budget. What’s most important is your team’s culture, and it’s a family, and they work harder than everybody else, and you have enough talent to win big games"
Those were the words of men's soccer coach Rob Dow after the unseeded Vermont Catamounts'
stunning run to the NCAA championship, which was capped off by an overtime
golden goal.
Vermont's success is built around a culture of belief, chemistry, will, and selflessness. They recruit hard-working players who can play multiple positions, players who want to put the team ahead of the individual. Case in point - Maximillian Kissel, who scored the game winner, scored all 11 of his goals as a substitute. He accepted his role and brought energy throughout the season. He also epitomized the Catamounts' mindset, "You have to keep going and don’t stick to the past and move forward. That’s how we keep a positive mindset . . . You can never predict what’s going to happen, so I just keep calm — that’s the secret to be honest, to be relaxed."
The connection between teammates is undeniable. This year, seniors who lived off campus bought meal cards so they could bond with the freshmen and sophomores at post-practice meals. On the field, the squad seamlessly shifted between formations as the situation demanded. The Catamounts demonstrated resilience throughout the season by scoring nearly half of their goals (22 of 48) after the 76th minute of the game. As a result, they were unfazed by trailing in both the semifinal and final.
Coach Dow summed up his winning approach, "It’s us trusting the players and empowering them to bring their best versions of themselves to the team while putting the team first."
