Congratulating the University of Vermont men’s soccer team on winning the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men’s soccer national championship.

Congratulating the University of Vermont men’s soccer team on winning the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men’s soccer national championship.

Whereas, on December 16th, 2024, the University of Vermont men’s soccer team (referred to in this preamble as the “Catamounts”), after a golden goal with 5 minutes and 6 seconds left in overtime, pulled off an historic comeback against Marshall University to win the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association (referred to in this preamble as “NCAA”) Division I men’s soccer national championship, with a final score of 2 goals to 1;

Whereas the 2024 NCAA Division I men’s soccer national championship victory for the Catamounts is the first-ever NCAA Division I national championship in the history of the Catamounts;

Whereas the 2024 NCAA Division I men’s soccer national championship game was a game for the record books, with many notable moments including—

(1) a perfectly timed goal by Marcell Papp, which gave the Catamounts a golden opportunity in overtime; and

(2) the game winning goal by Maximilian Kissel, his 11th goal of the season, which will be remembered by the Catamounts for all time;

Whereas the coaching staff of the Catamounts led the team with grit and determination;

Whereas the support staff of the Catamounts played critical roles in supporting the Catamounts throughout the 2024 season;

Whereas, to the casual observer, the Catamounts may have been the underdogs or the “Cinderella story” of the entire 2024 NCAA Division I men’s soccer national championship tournament;

Whereas, during the 2024 season, the Catamounts scored 22 goals in the 76th minute or later, including the championship equalizing goal, earning the Catamounts the nickname “Cardiac Cats”;

Whereas last-minute victories were a habit for the Catamounts during the 2024 NCAA Division I men’s soccer national championship tournament, including—

(1) beating San Diego University in overtime in the third round match; and

(2) tying the University of Denver in the final minutes of the semifinal match to push the game into penalty kicks, where a save from Catamounts goalkeeper Niklas Herceg ended up securing the Catamounts a ticket to the championship match;

Whereas Vermonters and fans of the Catamounts congratulate the Catamounts for their well-deserved 2024 NCAA Division I men’s soccer national championship win;

Whereas the Catamounts are champions, not underdogs; and

Whereas the Catamounts made the people and State of Vermont very proud and showed the United States that the State of Vermont is, in fact, a soccer State: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) congratulates the University of Vermont men’s soccer team on winning the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men’s soccer national championship; and

(2) respectfully requests that the Clerk of the House of Representatives transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to—

(A) the interim president of the University of Vermont, Patricia A. Prelock;

(B) the director of athletics of the University of Vermont, Jeff Schulman; and

(C) the head coach of the University of Vermont Catamounts men’s soccer team, Rob Dow.