<div>The No. 16 Kenyon men’s soccer team opened conference play with a slate of four games over the past two weeks. Though the Owls beat the DePauw University Tigers in Gambier, Kenyon struggled against Ohio Wesleyan University and Denison University, before picking up a win over the College of Wooster to move to 8-3-2 (2-2 NCAC).On Oct. 5, the Owls began their NCAC slate with a match against the Tigers on Mavec Field. Kenyon had an early advantage, earning the game’s first corner kicks and registering the first shots on goal. On the Owls’ second shot of the game, Lawrence Taylor ’28 found paydirt in the 17th minute. The first-year sent a shot through the Tigers’ defense to score his first collegiate goal. Taylor had been manifesting his first goal for Kenyon, and the experience lived up to his expectations. “I imagined myself scoring my first goal many ways in the summer leading to this fall,” he wrote in an email to the Collegian. “The morning before the DePauw game, Coach [Travis Wall] and a few of my teammates had told me that I was going to score. Seeing my teammates run to me at the corner flag was the highlight of that week for me.”Kenyon didn’t let up, adding on another goal less than 10 minutes later. Jacob Lazarus ’25 scored his fifth goal of the season, after chaos in front of the DePauw goal gave him all the space he needed. Unfortunately for the Owls, the Tigers roared back, scoring after a corner kick less than a minute later. With under five minutes to play in the half, DePauw leveled the score off of another set piece. Though momentum appeared to be on the visitors’ side, Kenyon quickly stole it back, as Lucas de Alarcon ’28 redirected Hamza Kromah ’28’s header to regain the lead. Though both teams continued to press in the second half, de Alarcon’s first collegiate goal stood as the game-winner, and Kenyon came away with a 3-2 win.Unfortunately for the Owls, they faltered against the Battling Bishops on Oct. 9. Kenyon entered Delaware, Ohio, as the second-ranked team in the nation, but it was unranked Ohio Wesleyan that opened the scoring with a goal in the 34th minute. Neither team could find the back of the net before halftime, and the Battling Bishops entered the break with a 1-0 lead. Under five minutes into the second half, Ohio Wesleyan struck again, and a third goal in the 65th minute put the game completely out of reach for Kenyon. The loss to the Battling Bishops was the Owls’ first NCAC loss since 2016, ending a 56-0-4 unbeaten streak.While many Kenyon students were on fall break, the Owls returned to Mavec Field on Saturday to celebrate the program’s nine seniors with a game against the rival Big Red. Despite the loss to Ohio Wesleyan, Kenyon still held its No. 2 ranking, while Denison came into the match ranked No. 17. The Owls brought the offensive intensity early, earning a corner kick and forcing the Big Red goalkeeper to make a save in the opening minute. Kenyon maintained its pressure, which paid off when Taylor scored his second goal in three games, with assists from Alem Duratovic ’25 and Bravo. Though the Big Red outshot the Owls 4-0 to close the half, Kenyon’s defense held strong. Denison came out of the gate hot in the second half, but the Owls responded by peppering the Big Red defense with shots. Unfortunately, Denison leveled the score 10 minutes into the half. About six minutes later, Kenyon appeared to have a golden opportunity, when a yellow card on the Big Red gave the Owls a free kick. After Denison cleared Gerardo Martinez ’25’s kick, the Big Red turned defense into offense, carrying the ball up the field before sending it past goalkeeper Jack Pedreschi ’25. Though the Owls continued to press, they couldn’t break through the Big Red’s defense, and Denison earned a 2-1 win.&nbsp;For Taylor, Kenyon’s losses came down to poor choices on the field. “We need to get back on defense and prevent counter attacks. While we were in the attacking third, we weren’t in position enough to help prevent [opposing] counter attacks,” he said. “Our decision-making wasn’t the best, and the results in both games show it.” Looking to get back on track and regain ground in the national standings, Kenyon started off strong against Wooster on Tuesday. After a pair of corner kicks, the Owls finally broke through 10 minutes into the game, when Andrew Adams ’28 laced a pass to a flying Eamon Dujakovich ’25, who sent a shot past the Fighting Scots’ keeper. Twelve minutes later, Dujakovich added another goal and doubled Kenyon’s lead. The Owls stymied the Fighting Scots’ attack, allowing just one shot in the first half. In the second period, Wooster continued to search for an answer to the Kenyon defense, but Pedreschi turned away the Fighting Scots’ first shot on goal with ease in the 54th minute. With just over 15 minutes to play, Martinez added an insurance goal, and the Owls earned a convincing 3-0 win.Kenyon will return to the pitch on Saturday, when the Owls head east to take on the Hiram College Terriers. Despite the team’s recent struggles, Taylor is confident in Kenyon’s process. “Sometimes when things are not going the way we want them, [it] doesn’t mean we have to change, and this is one of [those] times,” he said. “I believe that we have all that we need to go on and do great things. We have to work harder, make better decisions and finish our chances.”</div>

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Men’s soccer falls in rankings after pair of NCAC losses

The No. 16 Kenyon men’s soccer team opened conference play with a slate of four games over the past two weeks. Though the Owls beat the DePauw University Tigers in Gambier, Kenyon struggled against Ohio Wesleyan University and Denison University, before picking up a win over the College of Wooster to move to 8-3-2 (2-2 NCAC).