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 Senate—

(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 Secretary of the Senate 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.