With a 2-0 win against Wittenberg University in the annual Senior Day game, the Kenyon women’s soccer team won the NCAC regular season title for the first time since 2017. Sadie Gould ’24 scored two goals on the day, while the stout Kenyon defense kept its fourth clean sheet in as many games and saw Wittenberg out with minimal fuss. 

The Owls started on the front foot, like many times throughout the season, and only needed two minutes to open the scoring. Maggie Williard ’23 passed the ball into the feet of Gould in the middle of the field. Gould shrugged off her defender and, from 25 yards out, lifted the ball over the Wittenberg keeper and into the top left corner. After Kenyon’s early onslaught, the Tigers controlled much of the possession for the first half, taking five shots and putting the Owls under heavy pressure. Nonetheless, Kenyon stood strong and keeper Leah Anderson ’23 made two saves to keep the score at half 1-0. 

During halftime, the team’s seniors took part in a touching flower ceremony with their parents and loved ones to honor their commitment to the team, but the job was not done yet. In the second half, it was the Kenyon offense that put Wittenberg’s defense under fire for much of the game. The defensive midfield duo of Kayla Arone ’26 and Morgan Baker ’25 skillfully controlled possession. On the scarce occasions Wittenberg got forward, the Kenyon back line, specifically Claudia Abram ’25, proved too strong for the Tigers’ attack. Abram has played the most minutes out of any player on the women’s soccer team this season, including goalkeepers. 

In the 64th minute, Gould struck again, this time from a header. After tackling the Tigers’ striker in midfield, Abram laid the ball to Baker, who in turn passed to Hailey Moss ’25. Moss curled a cross into the box, and Gould, who positioned herself perfectly, snuck in front of her defender and nodded the ball into the bottom right corner. The noticeably tired Tigers could do little more for the rest of the half and only mustered two shots, both of which Anderson saved. 

In an email to the Collegian, Gould praised her teammates for the team’s performance.  “I would chalk up the result to a complete team effort that helped us win the game. We had a really solid performance by all our seniors on Senior Day, who helped us dominate the game,” she said. Gould also made sure to shout out Williard for her go-ahead assist. 

As time ran out, the Kenyon bench emptied and the celebrations began. The Owls clinched the number one seed in the four-team NCAC playoffs, finishing the year with a 7-5-4 record.