Marshall vs. Vermont: Preview, how to watch the 2024 Men's College Cup final

The No. 13-seeded Marshall Thundering Herd meets the unseeded Cinderella sensation from the America East conference, the Vermont Catamounts in a battle for the national trophy. Marshall looks to earn the program’s second national title in as many College Cup appearances since claiming the 2020 national championship. On the other hand, Vermont continues its historic season making its first-ever College Cup and becoming the first team from Vermont athletics to compete in a national championship match — Vermont Skiing has a national title but did not compete in a championship game scenario.

So far this tournament, Vermont has only allowed two goals and top-goalscorer Yaniv Bazini has scored in all five contests, tallying a late equalizer in the semifinals against No. 3 Denver to extend the game to OT. The Catamounts went on to win 4-3 in PKs thanks to an expert save by Niklas Herceg. The Herd has conceded three goals this tournament and is coming off an impressive 1-0 win over the No. 1-seed Ohio State in the College Cup semifinals where Marshall outlasted 20 Buckeye shots after taking an early lead.

Both Marshall and Vermont are bolstered by their international-heavy rosters, bringing worldwide playing styles and talent to one pitch. Monday night’s contest will be a clash between two teams many doubted and few — outside their devoted fan bases — expected to make a deep run into the 2024 NCAA tournament. Both have exhibited similar styles of play: high-pressing, controlled possession, quick counters and minimal goals allowed. We know each can score against big opponents, but with just one thing left to prove, this matchup will be determined by the backlines, with the strongest walking away with a trophy.

Keep track of all the action here, on NCAA.com