Zach Barrett assists on national championship-winning goal for Vermont

The last play of Phoenixville native Zach Barrett’s college career was a pass he (and perhaps anyone with an 802 phone number) won’t ever forget to set up Max Kissel’s College Cup-winning golden goal in Cary, N.C. on Monday night.

The goal completed another comeback win for the Catamounts and the first ever national championship for the program and for the America East conference they call home. Barrett, who won the US Youth Soccer U-19 McGuire Cup with Lehigh Valley United in 2019, made his 90th career appearance for Vermont in the match, playing all 94 minutes.

Barrett is a graduate of The Hill School and played his youth soccer at West-Mont United before joining LVU.

Vermont rookie Ryan Zellefrow (Berwyn, Pa.) started and played 89 minutes. Zellefrow, who played youth soccer at FC Europa and Portland Timbers Academy before finishing with Philadelphia Union II and the Union Development Squad earlier this year, won the 2023 PIAA Class 4A state title at Conestoga in his only year of high school soccer. Though he didn’t see the field, reserve goalkeeper Lou Liedtka, a Davidson transfer from Wyncote, Pa. also ended his college career with a national championship.

The win was Vermont’s second in overtime in the NCAA Tournament and their second straight after falling behind. They conceded first in Friday’s College Cup semifinal against Denver but found an equalizer and advanced to the final on penalty kicks. On Monday night, Marshall’s Tarik Pannholzer put the Thundering Herd in front in the 67th minute but substitute Marcell Papp equalized in the 81st minute.

A golden moment for the Catamounts 🤩#MCollegeCup x 🎥ESPN2 / @UVMmsoccer pic.twitter.com/se9J3TGMDE

— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 17, 2024