Belchertown's Ethan Czaporowski part of Vermont soccer's improbable national championship run
Published: 12-17-2024 4:34 PM |
Maximilian Kissel scored a thrilling goal in sudden-death overtime to lift the Vermont men’s soccer team over Marshall, 2-1, in the NCAA Division 1 national championship in Cary, N.C. on Monday night.
It was the ninth championship game decided by overtime or penalty kicks in the 21st century.
Vermont boasts a pair of western Massachusetts natives on its roster – sophomore TJ Liquori of Westfield, and Hampshire County’s own, Ethan Czaporowski of Belchertown. Czaporowski, a redshirt sophomore who didn’t appear in a game for UVM after transferring from Virginia Tech, was a standout player at Belchertown High School for one season. As a freshman in 2019, he led the Orioles in both goals and assists, and helped them to an MIAA Division 3 state championship before departing to focus on competing for the Boston Bolts club team.
Czaporowski didn’t just have a great regular season in 2019, he was stellar in the postseason. In the Western Mass. semifinal, Czaporowski accounted for all three Belchertown goals, tallying two scores and an assist to advance the Orioles past Pope Francis, 3-2. And later on in the tournament, in the state championship game against Medway, Czaporowski buried the overtime winner – clinching the title for Belchertown.
Overtime game-winners in championship games are nothing new for Czaporowski, and he enjoyed another one on a much bigger stage Monday as a member of the Vermont men’s soccer team.
Vermont (16-2-6) became the first squad in school history to win a national championship in a team sport — with the skiing program winning six national championships. The Catamounts were also the first America East Conference team to ever make a national title game in a team sport.
Marshall (15-2-7) was looking to earn the program’s second national title in as many College Cup appearances since claiming the 2020 national championship.
Kissel was first to a long ball over the defense along the right sideline and he headed it forward as defender Alex Bamford fell to the ground. Marshall goalkeeper Aleksa Janjic came out of his area and Kissel cut to his left before sending a shot into an empty net. Kissel ripped off his jersey and ran to the corner flag to celebrate with his team.
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It was Vermont’s 16th goal this season in the 83rd minute or later.
Kissel’s teammate Marcell Papp tied it at 1-all in the 81st after a give-and-go with David Ismail following a Marshall turnover deep in its own area.
Kissel almost gave Vermont a 2-1 lead in the 85th after cutting back on his defender in the box on a breakaway, but Janjic dove to his right to deflect it just wide of the post.
Janjic made a huge save midway through the first half when he denied Ismail on a one-on-one breakaway.
Tarik Pannholzer scored his third goal of the season — all coming in the NCAA Tournament — in the 57th minute to give Marshall the lead. Vermont first-year goaltender Niklas Herceg spoiled a cross by Rai Pinto and Pannholzer was there for the rebound.
Herceg kept it 1-0 after denying Haruhi Taneda’s close-range attempt in the 78th minute.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.