The Kenyon women’s lacrosse team dominated in a conference matchup against DePauw University on Saturday. Then, on Tuesday, Kenyon continued its strong run of play, defeating Oberlin College 16-10. The Owls’ record stands at 8-7 (4-2 NCAC).

On Saturday, Kenyon hosted DePauw for Alumni Day. While the Tigers struck first, the Owls leveled the score almost immediately. After Ashley Auerbach ’28 scored the Owls’ initial goal, Kenyon scored five unanswered goals. The Owls were able to sustain an impressive attacking front for the entire quarter, going into the second frame up 9-2. 

Kenyon continued to be relentless in its offensive efforts, generating consistent and formidable success while maintaining a strong defensive front. Charlotte Skelly ’28 scored the first goal of the second quarter on a free-position shot, and Spencer Kirsch ’26 quickly followed with another unassisted goal. Throughout the first half, Kenyon managed to hold DePauw to only three goals and went into the break with an impressive advantage. 

Susannah Zimmerman ’28 logged a pair of goals for the Owls to start the third quarter. Kenyon continued to add to its substantial lead, and while DePauw scored two in the third quarter, the constant attacking presence from the Owls was too much to overcome. The energy was palpable in the fourth quarter as alumni cheered on the Owls in a statement performance as the regular season began to wind down. 

Reflecting on the regular season, defender Cecily Torres ’26 thinks Kenyon’s nonconference schedule has been a learning experience for the Owls. “Our competitive schedule has been really important in preparing us for conference play,” she wrote in an email to the Collegian. “We’ve had the chance to go up against several nationally ranked teams, and those games challenged us and pushed us out of our comfort zone. Even when the results did not go our way, we learned a lot about ourselves and what we need to improve on. I think those situations have helped us stay composed and focused in tough situations and given us more confidence heading into conference matchups because we have already seen high levels of competition.”

On Tuesday against Oberlin, Kenyon got off to a red-hot start. Auerbach kicked off the scoring, while Zimmerman, Kirsch, Skelly, Josie DeBruer ’28 and Ashley Quinn ’26 all notched goals to put the Owls up 8-2 after the first quarter. While Oberlin found some offensive rhythm and scored three goals in the second, the Owls matched that with three goals of their own. First, Zimmerman scored her second of the game, before Ella Baxter ’28 and Kirsch each put the ball in the back of the net, sending the Owls into halftime ahead 11-5.

Kenyon came out of the locker room with its foot on the gas to start the third quarter, scoring four straight goals. One came from Lily Mason ’26 and the other three came from Auerbach, who tied her career-high with six total goals in the contest. From there, Oberlin attempted a comeback, scoring the final four goals of the game, but it was too little, too late, and Kenyon won 16-10. Mason’s efforts against DePauw and John Carroll University the week prior earned her NCAC Athlete of the Week honors.

Torres stressed the importance of the Owls’ connection. “Our team has been focused on playing together and staying connected as a unit. As the season’s gone on, I think we have definitely started to hit our stride and build more team chemistry, which has made a big difference for us,” she wrote. “A big goal for us is to continue improving each game and put ourselves in a position to compete for a spot in the NCAC finals. We are excited about where we’re at right now, but we know we still have room to grow, so we’re just focused on taking it one game at a time and continuing to build on what we’ve been doing.” 

Kenyon’s win against Oberlin clinched the Owls a berth in the NCAC Tournament, and they will close the regular season with a road matchup at Wittenberg University on Saturday.