Lords:

Over the last two weeks, the Lords extended their winning streak and improved their position atop the NCAC with a trio of matches against conference rivals. 

On Oct. 1, the Lords faced off against Wittenberg University, winning 2-0. The shutout extended Kenyon’s undefeated streak against Wittenberg to 12 games. Wittenberg still proved to be a challenge for Kenyon, with their stingy defense and stellar goaltending leading to a scoreless first half. However, the Lords’ offense broke out after the halftime whistle: Aidan Burns ’24 opened the scoring in the 52nd minute with a free kick, marking the first goal of his collegiate career. Thirty minutes later, Sam Carson ’22 provided an insurance goal to seal the win.

This past Saturday, the Lords continued their win streak with another 2-0 win coming against Denison University. Burns again opened the scoring, sneaking a shot past Denison’s goalkeeper in the 16th minute. Adam Silberg ’23 tacked on the second goal of the game with seconds remaining in the first half. While neither team scored from then on, it was nevertheless intense, with the Big Red outshooting the Lords 5-4. The victory extended Kenyon’s win streak against Denison to nine games.

Perhaps the most impressive win for the No. 22 Lords was their upset on Tuesday of the No. 4 team in the nation, Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU). The first half was evenly matched, with each team generating five shots. Kenyon increased the offensive pressure in the second half, but the Battling Bishops were up to the task. In the first of two sudden-death overtimes, OWU looked to end the game early with a header from Jaggar Brooker, but goalkeeper Jack Pedreschi ’25 was able to corral the shot. In the second overtime period, Alem Duratovic ’25 ended the game in a dramatic fashion with under three minutes remaining, firing a shot just past the hands of the Battling Bishops’ goalkeeper.

The Lords will look to extend their win streak to 10 games on Saturday in an away match against Wabash College.

Ladies:

The Ladies also faced off against the trio of Wittenberg, Denison and OWU, going 1-1-1 in their matches.

On Oct. 2, Kenyon defeated Wittenberg 1-0, keeping the Ladies undefeated against NCAC opponents this season. Samantha Hayes ’22 recorded the game’s lone goal in the 17th minute, after shaking two defenders and rifling a shot past the Tigers’ goalkeeper. While Wittenberg had the advantage in both total shots (10-4) and shots on goal (5-2), Kenyon’s defense was able to stymie their efforts. Goalkeeper Leah Anderson ’23 turned aside all five shots on goal to post her fourth shutout of the year. While Kenyon has had success against Wittenberg in the past, this was only the Ladies’ second road win against the Tigers since the two teams began playing each other in 2009.

Unfortunately, Kenyon was less successful against Denison, falling 3-0. After a Big Red goal in the 42nd minute, the Ladies were able to keep the playing field relatively level, as both teams posted seven shots in the first half. Despite this promising start, Denison took control after halftime. Outshooting the Ladies 9-2 in the second frame, Denison notched two goals, one in the 57th minute and another in the 79th minute. These two goals put a damper on any momentum Kenyon might have had coming out of halftime, leading to their first conference loss of the season. This result reflects the two teams’ history, with Denison sporting eight wins to Kenyon’s two.

The Ladies traveled to Delaware, Ohio on Tuesday hoping to avenge their loss against Denison and extend their winning streak against OWU to two games. In the end, the game required both overtime frames, and resulted in a 0-0 tie. Denison had the edge offensively, outshooting Kenyon 14-9 across the match, but Anderson was once again perfect, stopping all eight of Denison’s shots on goal. Despite no shots finding the back of the net, Hayes and Olivia Dion ’22 led the way on offense, each recording three shots on the night, while also combining for Kenyon’s three shots on goal.

Kenyon returns to action at home on Oct. 20 against the College of Wooster, hoping to increase their winning streak  against the Fighting Scots to 12.