WMVO Good Times Great Oldies
GAMBIER, Ohio — The North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Men’s Soccer Tournament is coming to Gambier for a third consecutive season as the Kenyon College men’s soccer team will host the DePauw University Tigers in the semifinal. The postseason matchup is set for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff on Wednesday, November 1, on Mavec Field.
The Owls earned the right to host the NCAC Tournament for a third straight year and the fourth time in the last five seasons after winning the regular-season NCAC Championship. Kenyon posted an overall record of 14-3-0 and a flawless 8-0-0 mark in conference contests, clinching the program’s eighth straight and 14th overall NCAC regular-season crown.
Kenyon and DePauw, who clinched the fourth seed with a 3-2-3 NCAC record and a 7-6-4 overall mark, last squared off on September 30 for each team’s first conference clash of the season. The Owls secured a 3-1 road win, Kenyon’s seventh straight win against the Tigers.
Despite the winning streak, DePauw has the upper hand in the teams’ all-time series. Since first matching up in 1975, the Tigers have won 12 games to Kenyon’s eight, and the teams have played to a quartet of ties. The last time the teams matched up in the postseason, Kenyon ousted DePauw in the NCAC Tournament semifinal with a 4-1 win at home on Mavec.
The Owls will be coming off an extended break after their bye week fell on the season’s final weekend. Kenyon last played on October 24, when the Owls orchestrated a 3-0 shutout at home over Oberlin College. Kenyon checked in at No. 18 in the most recent United Soccer Coaches national Division III rankings, which will get another weekly update tomorrow afternoon.
DePauw’s first NCAC victory came against Oberlin on October 14 after starting the season with a 0-1-2 mark, but the Tigers finished strong with a 3-1-1 conference record down the stretch. DePauw clinched a tournament berth with a 3-0 shutout over The College of Wooster on October 28.
Kenyon enters the game with an NCAC-leading 1.47 scoring margin, having outscored opponents 42-17. The Owls lead the league with 2.47 goals per game and rank third with 1.00 goals allowed per game. DePauw’s offense has scored 35 goals and ranks second with 2.05 goals per game, but their defense has conceded 24 goals and allows the fourth-most goals per game at 1.41. Kenyon (109) and DePauw (95) rank first and third, respectively, in corner kicks, and the Owls have taken one more shot, 235-234, this season. The Tigers lead the league with five goals from penalty kicks, shooting a perfect 5-5, while the Owls have gone 2-3.
As mandated by the NCAC, tickets for Wednesday’s semifinal game are $7 for adults and $3 for children (18 years of age and under). Any NCAC student with a valid ID from their NCAC institution will be admitted free of charge.
