🌰 Ohio State Buckeyes
The top-seeded Buckeyes (16-1-4) enter the Men’s College Cup riding a historic season. With a program-best 51 goals, Ohio State has been dominant on both sides of the ball. Senior forward Michael Adedokun leads the team with 11 goals and 11 assists, ranking among the nation’s best in total points. Complementing the attack is a stout defense anchored by another MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist in Siggi Magnusson and goalkeeper Max Trejo. Trejo’s 0.49 goals-against average is a program record.
The Buckeyes’ path to the College Cup included a thrilling penalty shootout win over Stanford in the third round and a 3-0 victory over Wake Forest in the quarterfinals. A win Friday would secure Ohio State’s second trip to the national championship in program history — and its first since 2007.
🦬 Marshall Thundering Herd
Marshall (14-1-7) returns to the Men’s College Cup for the first time since winning it all in 2020. Led by Brazilian star Lineker Rodrigues dos Santos, who has 15 goals and 35 points this season, the Thundering Herd has been an offensive force throughout the NCAA tournament. The star has been critical to Marshall’s run, tallying a goal and two assists in the 3-2 quarterfinal win over SMU. Keeper Aleksa Janjic has also been key, ranking seventh nationally with a 0.703 goals-against average. Head coach Chris Grassie, sitting on 199 career wins, has built a team that thrives under pressure.
Marshall has shown resilience, with five players earning All-Southeast Region honors, including first-team selections dos Santos and Taimu Okiyoshi (the two are also MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalists). The semifinal clash marks the 12th meeting between these two programs, tied at 5-5-1 in the all-time series. A win would give the Herd a shot at their second national title in five years.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at NCAA.com > soccer-men d1 articles and video…