The head coach of the University of Vermont men’s soccer team is celebrating his 100th career win.
Rob Dow coached the team to victory against Hofstra University 2-1 on Tuesday, the team’s fifth win of the season.
Dow, who became head coach in 2017, is only the third in program history to reach this milestone.
“I’m proud of what our coaching staff has accomplished,” Dow said. “We have tough players and an amazing community to play in front of. So, it always takes a village to do it, but that’s the best part, you know? This is shared amongst all of our most important people.”
UVM’s men’s soccer team has reached new levels of success under Dow’s stewardship. The team has never had a losing record during his tenure, and they won an NCAA national championship last season.
Several games came to mind as Dow reflected on his favorite wins throughout his career. His first ever came in a 4-1 victory over Hartwick College on the road in 2017. Another standout was Vermont’s 3-0 victory over UCLA in November 2022 in Burlington. But the national championship and last year’s unforgettable playoff run are the highlight, he said.
“To win a national championship the way we won it, on the road together, just grinding out the buses and the planes, all those wins are amazing.”
The team has enjoyed its fair share of success so far this season. The Catamounts have five wins and three ties in eight games. During those games, they’ve outscored opponents collectively by 10 goals.
Dow attributes some of the team’s success to the overwhelming amount of support that the community has given so far this season. The club ranks fifth in the nation for attendance this year, he said.
One thing that has evaded the team this season: a road win, something Dow said the team is looking to remedy on Saturday at Fairfield University in Connecticut.
“That's what we're going for. You know, we haven't done that yet this season,” said Dow. “[We’re going] against a well-coached opponent, and using the confidence and momentum we’ve gotten here in the last two games. If we do that, we’ll feel good [and] get a result.”
The Catamounts play at Fairfield on Saturday at 6 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
