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⚽️ Vermont advances to Men's College Cup final
🦬 Marshall bests Ohio State in semis
The Thundering Herd is set to meet Vermont in the Men’s College Cup final on Sunday, Dec. 16. Marshall blanked the top-seeded Buckeyes behind an excellent performance from goalkeeper Aleksa Janjic, who tallied five saves on the night. Ohio State peppered the goal the entire night, recording 20 shots. However, only five of the attempts were on goal as the Buckeyes struggled to stay on target. On one of Ohio State’s best opportunities of the night, Janjic anticipated the ball perfectly, meeting the threatening Buckeye at his feet to make the save.
Big time stop from Aleksa 🚫 pic.twitter.com/JLN0ksHC8E
Tarik Pannholzer got the Herd on the board in a hurry, catching the Ohio State defense off guard in the seventh minute to take the lead. This proved all Marshall would need to advance to its second Men’s College Cup final since 2020.
The championship match is set, as Vermont escaped No. 3 Denver in penalty kicks the game before. We cover all of the action on NCAA.com as the Thundering Herd and Catamounts battle for the title on Monday.
Fifteen minutes into the second period and the Herd is still out in front, Ohio State, though, is knocking on the door. The Buckeyes have four shots so far but have kept most of their possession in the Marshall half.
WHAT A SAVE 🧱#MCollegeCup x 🎥 ESPNU / @HerdMSoccer pic.twitter.com/GdsAM1RXjN
The Herd maintained their 1-0 lead through the first half whistle and managed to tally five more shots after their goalie assisted a walk-in goal in the 7th minute of play. Possession went back-and-forth with four of Ohio State’s 10 shots finding the frame.
Marshall took the lead in the 7th minute with a goal from Tarik Pannholzer who expertly brought down a ball from his keeper, beat both defender and OSU goalie and found himself alone in front of the net. The goal was his second of the year, both have come in the NCAA tournament.
Wasting no time ⌚️#MCollegeCup x 🎥 ESPNU / @HerdMSoccer pic.twitter.com/D1kgE9AP0O
The second semifinal of the night has started. The Marshall Thundering Herd is in green and white and Ohio State Buckeyes are in all red. Here’s how each team started off:
The top-seeded Buckeyes (16-1-4) enter the Men’s College Cup riding a historic season. With a program-best 51 goals, Ohio State has been dominant on both sides of the ball. Senior forward Michael Adedokun leads the team with 11 goals and 11 assists, ranking among the nation’s best in total points. Complementing the attack is a stout defense anchored by another MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist in Siggi Magnusson and goalkeeper Max Trejo. Trejo’s 0.49 goals-against average is a program record.
The Buckeyes’ path to the College Cup included a thrilling penalty shootout win over Stanford in the third round and a 3-0 victory over Wake Forest in the quarterfinals. A win Friday would secure Ohio State’s second trip to the national championship in program history — and its first since 2007.
Marshall (14-1-7) returns to the Men’s College Cup for the first time since winning it all in 2020. Led by Brazilian star Lineker Rodrigues dos Santos, who has 15 goals and 35 points this season, the Thundering Herd has been an offensive force throughout the NCAA tournament. The star has been critical to Marshall’s run, tallying a goal and two assists in the 3-2 quarterfinal win over SMU. Keeper Aleksa Janjic has also been key, ranking seventh nationally with a 0.703 goals-against average. Head coach Chris Grassie, sitting on 199 career wins, has built a team that thrives under pressure.
Marshall has shown resilience, with five players earning All-Southeast Region honors, including first-team selections dos Santos and Taimu Okiyoshi (the two are also MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalists). The semifinal clash marks the 12th meeting between these two programs, tied at 5-5-1 in the all-time series. A win would give the Herd a shot at their second national title in five years.
Let’s take a look at how the Buckeyes and the Herd match up statistically.
It’s Game Day! Here’s how to watch the 2024 Men’s College Cup semifinal showdown between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 13 Marshall.
We will be live blogging the game here on NCAA.
