Washington holds on to win OT thriller 3-2 against NC State in College Cup Final
🏆 Washington wins first men's soccer National Championship
Washington captured its first-ever soccer championship in dramatic fashion, defeating NC State 3-2 in overtime. The win fulfilled a journey that started in 2021 when the Huskies came up short in the national title against Clemson, now they are the last team standing at the end of the dance.
Washington finished with three goals on 13 total shots, nine of which were on target. NC State generated more overall attempts with 17 shots, but only seven tested goalkeeper Jadon Bowton, who recorded five saves. The Wolfpack also held a significant edge in corner kicks, earning 10 to Washington’s five. Discipline played a role as well, with Washington whistled for eight fouls and three yellow cards, while NC State committed 11 fouls but drew only one caution. Both sides avoided red cards and penalty attempts. Washington’s scoring included one unassisted goal, while NC State relied entirely on assisted finishes. However, it was Huskies’ efficiency in front of goal that proved decisive, as Harrison Bertos’ overtime strike sealed the 3-2 victory and delivered the program’s first national title.
The Huskies struck first late in the opening half when Zach Ramsey scored in the 44th minute to put Washington ahead 1-0. NC State pressed for an equalizer but was denied by goalkeeper Jadon Bowton, who made several key saves to preserve the lead at halftime.
Washington doubled its advantage in the 62nd minute when Joe Dale finished a pass from Richie Aman. The Wolfpack responded quickly, however, as Donavan Phillip converted off an assist from Nikola Markovic just three minutes later to tie the match at 2-2.
Momentum swung again in the 86th minute when Taig Healy scored for NC State off a combination from Justin Mclean and Calem Tommy, giving the Wolfpack its first lead of the night. Washington refused to fold, continuing to pressure goalkeeper Logan Erb until the Huskies broke through to equalize before regulation ended.
With the score tied at 2-2, the teams entered overtime. Less than two minutes into the extra period, Harrison Bertos delivered the decisive moment. Off a setup from Egor Akulov, Bertos found the back of the net in the 91st minute, securing the 3-2 victory and the program’s first championship trophy.
HARRISON BERTOS. CLINICAL. HUSKIES TAKE IT IN OT 👏 x 🎥 ESPNU /
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer)
The Washington Huskies are National Champions for the FIRST TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY! 🏆🐾☔️ defeats (15) NC State, 3-2, to win the 2025 National Championship.
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer)
⌛️Headed to overtime
Washington and NC State are headed to overtime after a tense 2-2 draw in regulation, with the winner set to claim their program’s first-ever championship trophy.
Washington struck first late in the opening half when Zach Ramsey buried a goal in the 44th minute to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. NC State pressed for an equalizer but was denied multiple times by goalkeeper Jadon Bowton, who made several key saves to preserve the advantage at halftime.
The second half saw momentum swing back and forth. Washington doubled its tally in the 62nd minute when Joe Dale finished a setup from Richie Aman, but NC State responded quickly. Just three minutes later, Donavan Phillip converted off an assist from Nikola Markovic to get on the board down 2-1.
The Wolfpack then tied the score in the 86th minute when Taig Healy scored off a combination from Justin Mclean and Calem Tommy. With the score knotted, the two sides now enter overtime, 20 minutes away from crowning a champion.
WE GOT OURSELVES A TIED BALLGAME, FOLKS 😱
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer)
Taig Healy equalizes with 3' to play, assisted by Justin Mclean and Calem Tommy.
📺 ESPNU x
⚖️ NC State ties the game
Taig Healy scores another goal in the College Cup with the the equalizer in the 87th minute. The NC State fans that flooded WakeMed Soccer Park erupt as the the national championship is all knotted up at 2-2.
NEVER BACK DOWN, NEVER WHAT?!
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer)
TAIG HEALY EQUALIZES WITH UNDER 4 MINUTES ON THE BOARD 😱 x 🎥 ESPNU /
📈 New attendance record in Cary
The Wolfpack showed up big. First Horizon Stadium in Cary, NC is right in the back yard of NC State University and you can see red all over the stands, but you'll still see some purple as Washington has had support in all of its road postseason matches this season. All together, 10,316 soccer fans make up the new record for most attended Men's College Cup crowd since 2004.
🦴 Washington goes up 2-0
JOE DALE CHECKING IN 😮💨 WASHINGTON ADDS THEIR SECOND! x 🎥 ESPNU /
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer)
🥅 Washington on the board first, up 1-0 at half
ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR CHANCES! ZACH RAMSEY FROM THE SAVE AND THE HUSKIES GRAB THE LEAD RIGHT BEFORE THE HALF 💥 x 🎥 ESPNU /
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer)
NC State is pushing, but Washington is holding off
Huskies get the party started with a fast counter and early shot 🤛 x 🎥 ESPNU /
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer)
Two quick chances for the NC State! Wolfpack gaining momentum 🙂↕️ x 🎥 ESPNU /
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer)
🏁 Starting lineups
The 2025 NCAA men's College Cup final is kicking off. Regardless of the outcome we will be seeing a brand new champion as Washington and NC State seek their program's first title. We will be here keeping you up to date on all the action so stay tuned.
👇Here are the players that will start on the field to make history
Starting XI for tonight
— NC State Men's Soccer (@PackMensSoccer)
Our championship XI 👇
— Washington Men's Soccer (@UW_MSoccer)
📚 Championship History
Here is a list of the last 10 national championship game results.
| Year | Champion (Record) | Coach | Score | Runner-Up | Host or Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Vermont (16-2-6) | Rob Dow | 2-1 (ot) | Marshall | Cary, N.C. |
| 2023 | Clemson (15-3-5) | Mike Noonan | 2-1 | Notre Dame | Louisville, KY |
| 2022 | Syracuse (19-2-4) | Ian McIntyre | 2-2 (PK) | Indiana | Cary, N.C. |
| 2021 | Clemson (16-5-2) | Mike Noonan | 2-0 | Washington | Cary, N.C. |
| 2020 | Marshall (13-2-3) | Chris Grassie | 1-0 (ot) | Indiana | Cary, N.C. |
| 2019 | Georgetown (20-1-3) | Brian Wiese | 3-3 (2ot, pk) | Virginia | Cary, N.C. |
| 2018 | Maryland (13-6-4) |
Sasho Cirovski |
1-0 | Akron | Santa Barbara, Calif. |
| 2017 | Stanford (19-2-2) | Jeremy Gunn | 1-0 (2ot) | Indiana | Philadelphia |
| 2016 | Stanford (15-3-5) | Jeremy Gunn | 0-0 (2ot, pk) | Wake Forest | Houston |
| 2015 | Stanford (18-2-3) | Jeremy Gunn | 4-0 | Clemson | Kansas City, Kan. |
⏮️ Semifinal recaps
NC State (16-2-4)
NC State secured a 2-1 victory over Saint Louis on Saturday, weathering a late Billiken rally to hold onto the win. After dominating the middle portion of the match, the Wolfpack survived a tense final 10 minutes following a successful Saint Louis penalty conversion.
The Wolfpack offense broke through in the 69th minute when Donavan Phillip scored off a clinical sequence involving Isaac Heffess and Calem Tommy and ending in a perfectly placed header. Taig Healy quickly doubled the advantage at the 72:04 mark, burying another header assisted by Riley Moloney to put NC State up 2-0.
Saint Louis found a lifeline in the 80th minute. Following a foul in the box by NC State’s Justin McLean, Quinten Blair stepped to the spot and converted the penalty kick to cut the deficit to one.
Defensively, both goalkeepers remained busy. NC State’s Logan Erb made two crucial saves, including a stop on Jack DiMaria in the 85th minute to prevent an equalizer. Saint Louis’ Jeremi Abonnel finished with four saves, notably denying Ibrahim Conde and Frankie DeFrancesco in quick succession to keep the Billikens within striking distance early in the second half.
Washington (15-6-2)
Behind a dominant multi-point performance from Charlie Kosakoff, Washington defeated Furman 3-1 in the semis to advance to the national championship. The Huskies controlled the tempo from the opening whistle, outshooting the Paladins and consistently testing the frame.
Washington’s offense ignited late in the first half. Zach Ramsey opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, converting a pass from Alex Hall. Kosakoff, who was a constant threat throughout the match, doubled the lead in the 40th minute with an unassisted strike to give the Huskies a 2-0 cushion at the break.
Despite a more aggressive Furman side in the second half, Washington put the game away in the 86th minute. Asher Hestad, appearing as a late substitute, found the back of the net off a surgical assist from Kosakoff. Furman managed to spoil the shutout just over a minute later when Luke Hutzell scored off a double assist from Braden Dunham and Connor Dunnigan, but the Paladins could not find a path to a comeback.
Furman goalkeeper Ivan Horvat delivered a heroic performance in defeat, recording eight saves to keep the score respectable. His work was highlighted by a string of four saves in the second half against a relentless Washington counter-attack. Washington’s Jadon Bowton earned the win, making one key save on a Wilfer Bustamante attempt late in the first half that could have switched the momentum.
📺 How to watch NC State vs. Washington
🗓️ Date: Monday, Dec. 15
⏰ Time: 7 p.m. ET
📺 TV: ESPNU
📍 Location: WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina
📊 Follow: Live scores and stats
We will be live blogging the game here on krikya18.com.