Stanford’s ‘Hail Mary’ college soccer goal needs to be seen to be believed

Stanford’s Dylan Hooper scored one of the best goals you will ever see.

Everyone loves a game-winning goal. The absolute scenes of putting the ball through the net as the game expires is one of the coolest things to see in the sport.

It’s even better when the goal comes from the other half of the field in a stunner, which is exactly how the men’s soccer match between Stanford and Notre Dame ended. With eight seconds left on the clock, Stanford midfielder Dylan Hooper dribbles past a defender and from a little behind midfield, lets a prayer fly.

The announcer might be my favorite part of this entire sequence. His transition from getting ready to send this thing to OT to just incredulous shock makes this entire moment so much better. I mean, it’s just an incredible goal that’s put in the only spot that the goalie can’t get it.

I’m not sure if you could even replicate this goal with a hundred tries. If you asked Hooper to do that again, he’ll probably tell you that he can’t make that shot in that situation again. But that’s what makes this so freaking awesome.

2024 is almost over, but we found another late entry for play of the year in any college sport.