The Kenyon men’s and women’s soccer teams were back in action over the past week, with the men recording two home draws and the women falling on the road.
Men: The Owls hosted the Case Western Reserve University Spartans in a close battle on Saturday, eventually ending in a 0-0 draw. Then, on Tuesday, Kenyon recorded another home draw, this time against the Otterbein University Cardinals, with a 2-2 final score.
While the Owls had a promising offensive start against Case Western, they were unable to capitalize on any of their shots in the first half. Kenyon’s first shot of the game came early, with Hayato Ishii ’28 launching the ball over the net in just the 7th minute. The Spartans quickly countered, registering the first of their two shots in the opening period. Kenyon’s best chance also came from Ishii, who cut inside onto his left foot and unleashed a shot headed for the opposite top corner, but it was palmed away at the last second by the Spartans’ keeper. Throughout the first half, the Owls’ defense maintained both poise and pressure, preventing the Spartans from earning any corner kicks, let alone goals.
Kenyon, hoping to build momentum, registered its sixth and seventh shots of the day off the feet of Moustapha Gassama ’27 and Joey Nigro ’29, but neither found its mark. Kenyon continued to apply offensive pressure into the last minutes of the game, drawing two corner kicks. Unfortunately, the Owls were unable to seize the opportunity from those corner kicks and the contest ended scoreless. The Owls’ defense, yet again, proved to be a formidable force and aided Dominic Pratt ’28 in earning another shutout.
On Tuesday, the Owls were unable to pull ahead of Otterbein, and after a back-and-forth contest settled for their second consecutive draw, this time 2-2. While both teams recorded shots in the first half, neither team converted their opportunities into goals. Less than 10 minutes into the second half, David Do ’29 drew first blood, finding the back of the net to put Kenyon ahead of the Cardinals. However, just a few minutes later, Otterbein leveled the score at one apiece. Then, Isaac Cortez ’26 scored a beautiful goal to give Kenyon its second lead of the day. But, the Owls failed to keep the lead, and the Cardinals found the back of the net once more. While Kenyon earned offensive opportunities, the Owls were outmatched in shots.
On Saturday, the Owls will travel to Ada, Ohio, and compete against Ohio Northern University, their final nonconference game of the regular season.
Women: On Sunday, Kenyon suffered its first defeat of the 2025 campaign on the road against Capital University. The Owls’ record now sits at 6-1-1.
Kenyon entered the matchup unbeaten, riding on one of its best defensive starts in program history, and the contest itself was a close affair. Each team finished with 10 shots, with Kenyon generating seven of their chances in the first period, and none finding their mark. In the second half, Capital answered with eight shot attempts and a six to one edge in corner kicks, gradually gaining ground offensively. On Kenyon’s offensive end, the Owls tested Capital’s keeper three times, with shots on target coming from Margot Kuller ’26, Jenna Michel ’26 and Anna Taggart ’26, but its keeper stood firm to preserve the shutout. In the 79th minute, a late strike by Capital put an untimely end to Kenyon’s shutout streak. The Comets’ low shot to the left corner slipped past goalkeeper Ariel Kite ’26, who faced only one other shot on target the entire match.
Despite the result, the Owls remain in strong early-season form, continuing a historic start to the season. Through eight games, Kenyon’s defense, the backbone of the team’s dramatic turnaround, has surrendered just one single goal. The Owls return to action Thursday at Mavec Field against Adrian College (Mich.), the first of two remaining nonconference tests before heading into NCAC play.