2024 Kenyon College Men’s Soccer Season Preview

GAMBIER, Ohio — The Kenyon College men’s soccer team is set to back up another strong season that again saw the Owls show their ability to be a top contender at the conference and national levels. Last season’s North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Coaching Staff of the Year of Travis Wall, Nick Taljan, and Andy Brinkman returns for Wall’s second year at the helm as this season’s deep squad mixes nine seniors and 19 total returners with 15 first-year players.

2023 Review:

• 16-4-1 overall mark, including 12-3-1 at home and 4-1-0 on the road
• 8-0-0 record in NCAC contests, winning the NCAC Championship for the eighth straight regular season 
• Runner-up in the NCAC Tournament
• NCAA Tournament at-large qualifier; hosted the opening weekend and won their first-round match

Preseason Polls:

The Owls made their mark on a pair of preseason polls, earning a spot in the national United Soccer Coaches standings before taking the top spot in the NCAC preseason projections. Kenyon checked in at No. 19 in the national NCAA Division III rankings, right where they left off in 2023. The Owls earned seven of the nine first-place votes in the NCAC preseason poll, totaling 79 overall points to pace the conference field. Denison University ranked second with 68 points and earned a first-place vote, while Ohio Wesleyan University placed third at 65 points. DePauw University and Wabash College tied for fourth with 45 points, while The College of Wooster (35), Wittenberg University (33), Oberlin College (25), and Hiram College (10) rounded out the preseason rankings. Oberlin received the remaining first-place vote.

Key Returners:

• Eamon Dujakovich – United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team honoree and NCAC Midfielder of the Year in 2023 who ranked second on the team with 25 points and 11 goals while tying for second with three assists.
• Alem Duratovic – Earned a spot on the United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team and NCAC Offensive Player of the Year honors after leading the league with 26 points and 12 goals while dishing out a pair of assists. 
• Matt Nguyen – Secured All-NCAC Second Team honors after logging the most minutes (1,829) of any position player for a back line that allowed a stingy 0.38 goals against average in NCAC play. He also scored three goals.
• Vic Bravo – Played in all 21 games and racked up the fourth-most minutes of any position player at 1,436.
• Isaac Cortez – Tied for second in assists last year after handing out three helpers.
• Robert Little – Scored three goals as a first-year, a total that tied for fourth.
• Gerardo Martinez – A senior who was named as an All-Region performer and NCAC Newcomer of the Year in 2021, he scored three points in just seven games last season.
• Jack Pedreschi – Started all 21 games in goal for the Owls, posting a .727 save percentage, 1.02 goals against average, and 56 saves while racking up 10 shutouts (nine solo).
• Joaquin Sanchez-Korenfeld – Tied for fourth with seven points after racking up three assists and two goals in just six games.

Key Departures:

• Aidan Burns – A one-time All-American who made the United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team and was selected as the NCAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. The three-time all-conference honoree led the Owls with five assists last season and chipped in a goal while playing the second-most minutes (1,788) for a stout defense.
• Joey Martens – Tabbed as an All-NCAC Third Team honoree in 2023 after ranking third on the team with 11 points and 5 goals, including four game-winners.
• Alex Ramirez – An All-NCAC Third Team awardee last year who tied for second on the team with three assists and ranked seventh while playing and starting 17 games.
• Max Thesing – Selected to the All-NCAC Second Team last season after tying for sixth on the team with six points, including two goals and two assists. His 1,248 minutes ranked eighth.

Schedule Overview:

• Season/Home Opener: Friday, August 30, vs. No. 15 Ohio Northern University (5:15 p.m.)
• NCAC Opener: Saturday, October 5, vs. DePauw University (1:00 p.m.)

How to Follow: 

Fans can follow Kenyon men’s soccer throughout the season via the following links:

• Live coverage (stats and video) – https://athletics.kenyon.edu/live 
• Twitter and Instagram – @KenyonSports
• YouTube – @KenyonAthletics