Nelson nabs NCAC Athlete of the Week award

CLEVELAND, Ohio — After helping the Kenyon College men’s lacrosse team start the season with consecutive wins at home, face-off specialist Thomas Nelson was honored by the North Coast Athletic Conference as the men’s lacrosse Athlete of the Week.

Nelson tied an NCAA Division III record for single-game face-off percentage after posting a near-perfect mark in two Owls wins in Gambier. In an 11-10 season-opening win over Baldwin Wallace University, Nelson was a flawless 24-for-24 in face-off battles, which tied the NCAA face-off-percentage record at 100 percent (min. 21 face-offs). His win total, without a loss, ranks as the seventh-best in NCAA Division III history.

A few days later, in a 16-8 win over Capital University, the sophomore was 19-of-20 on face-offs, making him 43-for-44 (97.7 percent) on the week. Additionally, Nelson’s two-game totals included a team-best 34 ground balls, to go along with two goals and an assist. Giving his team the ball early and often allowed Kenyon to outshoot Capital 51-33, including a 31-22 edge in shots on goal.

The Owls will have to wait a month for their next home game after two straight wins on The Field at Benson Bowl. Kenyon starts a five-game stretch on the road with a matchup against Otterbein University (0-2) on Wednesday, Mar. 1, at 7 p.m. in Westerville, Ohio.