By Vaishnavi Sriadibhatla, Co-Sports Editor
Pandemonium erupted from the stands of WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina as the soccer ball rolled into the net. Fans, staff and players, all decked in yellow and green garb, rushed out onto the field to rejoice in their newfound victory.
On Nov. 13, 2024, 2024 alumnus Ryan Zellefrow and the University of Vermont (UVM) men’s soccer team won the NCAA Division I Soccer Championship game against the Marshall University Bisons.
The UVM Catamounts won the game by scoring in the first overtime period, breaking the tie and finishing the game with a final score of 2-1. This win marks the first NCAA title for both the soccer program and the university.
“When you think of athletic powerhouses in college sports, you would never say Vermont. So, it was crazy to just see all the big schools like Pitt and San Diego that we knocked off on the way,” Zellefrow said. “And then, after the final whistle blew in the final, it just felt unreal. Still to this day, it hasn’t fully hit me that we won the whole thing.”
The team’s training for its season and its NCAA championship journey started during its preseason. During this time, the Catamounts focused on fitness and conditioning to improve their endurance. This prepared them for the intense match schedule that lay ahead of them during their regular season and their playoffs. They tried to approach all of their games with a positive mindset.
“As the underdog, you kind of start every game with the mentality of we have nothing to lose, right?” Zellefrow said. “So, it was just game after game (where) we were just focused on that game and just thinking to ourselves: ‘We have nothing to lose — let’s go out there and show everyone what we have.’”
Zellefrow was a vital part of both the Catamounts’ undefeated season and their NCAA championship, starting in 18 of the team’s 24 matches. As a midfielder, he helped support the team’s offensive and defensive plays during the championship game win. He attributes a large part of his collegiate success to ’Stoga soccer and believes that it prepared him well.
“I think college is a good mix of both of physical players who are just big — really fast and strong —and technical players,” Zellefrow said. “So, I think ’Stoga definitely helped me prepare for some guys that may be much bigger, stronger, faster than me.”
With this win, Zellefrow becomes one of the first players in Conestoga boys soccer history to win an NCAA championship. Conestoga soccer head coach David Zimmerman believes that Zellefrow was one of the most talented players he has ever coached.
“His overall skill and talent level was off the charts,” Zimmerman said. “There were things he would do that I’ve never seen before. So, it was the kind of thing where he was able to start on a national college team.”
Vaishnavi Sriadibhatla can be reached at [email protected].
