Rob Dow still doesn't know why his striker didn't shoot earlier. It was the 113th minute of the College Cup final between Vermont and Marshall, and Maximilian Kissel had done everything right: judge the flight of the ball, take it in stride, shake off a defender. But when one-on-one with the keeper, a championship to win, Kissel insisted on doing it the hard way. Instead of bashing it home with his preferred right foot, he cut onto his left.
That was not supposed to happen.
"I was like, 'Just put it in the net!'" Dow admitted.
But it worked. Of course it did. The keeper scrambled, Kissel slotted. Golden goal, shirts off, team on the pitch, a first team NCAA Championship for Vermont.
There aren't many stories like this in college soccer these days. A power five conference school has won nine of the last 10 soccer national championships. Vermont started the season in the top 25, and despite having a couple of good NCAA Tournament showings in recent years, were not among the favorites to make any noise - even when they won the America East conference tournament title.
But they fought their way there all the same, a small school, coming from a state without a professional sports team, bringing a community together and lifting a trophy at the end of it. The magic of college soccer, it seems, lives on.
"It means more to a Vermonter," Dow said last week's 2-1 title-game victory over No. 13 Marshall. "I'm just so happy for our team, so happy to be able to provide these special emotional experiences for our state."