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Owls prevail in another battle of top-ranked teams

GAMBIER, Ohio — Forging through a schedule loaded with talented opponents, the Kenyon College men’s soccer team came out victorious Sunday in a battle of Top-10 teams at Mavec Field. The Owls, ranked No. 3, logged two second-half goals to post a 3-1 win over the No. 8-ranked Captains of Christopher Newport University.

Kenyon, now with a 6-0-3 overall record, has faced four nationally-ranked opponents this season and can boast of a 3-0-1 record against them. Christopher Newport was unbeaten entering play this weekend, but lost at Denison University on Friday. That result, coupled with Sunday’s loss to Kenyon, moved the Captains’ overall record to 5-2-3.

The Owls had the better of possession in the first half, unleashing nine shots to Christopher Newport’s four. Five of those shots were on goal and three of those five on goal came from senior Alem Duratovic. He booted on-target attempts in the 1st, 21st, and 23rd minutes of the game, but the Captains’ goalkeeper, Hayden Dewey, saved all three.

Jacob Lazarus, another Kenyon senior, fired two shots of his own in the 25th and 26th minutes, but the first was blocked by a defender and the second drifted left of the goal. Undeterred, Lazarus kept after it and broke through in the 35th minute. He gained control of the ball at midfield, beat one defender and raced toward goal. He uncorked a shot from the top of the box and beat Dewey on his left side for the only score of the first half.

Second-half play was a little more balanced and featured more offense from each side.

The top-ranked teams went back-and-forth until there was 17:22 left on the clock. At that point, Christopher Newport tallied its first, and lone, goal of the game. A long ball delivered down the left side was met by Carson Grove. He quickly sent in a cross toward the center of the Kenyon goal. As the pass descended, Drew McWhinney camped out under it and headed it into the left side of the Kenyon goal.

The buzz for Christopher Newport didn’t last long, though, as its goal was quickly neutralized. Just 42 seconds after the Captains tied it up, the Owls notched their second goal, one that would stand as the game-winner. It started at the feet of Ronald Ribera, who was working the left sideline and centered a pass to the top of the box. It was met there by Gerardo Martinez and he quickly tapped it back to Justin Buchwalter, who unloaded a left-footed laser into the upper left corner.
As the game’s final seconds ticked away, Lazarus struck again, netting his second goal with six ticks left. Following a Kenyon goal kick that bounced around midfield multiple times, Lazarus broke free with possession and beat Dewey one-on-one.   

Lazarus, who has played in five games this year, now has four goals this season.

The outcome marked the final non-conference contest of the season for the Owls, who now turn their attention toward North Coast Athletic Conference play. That slate of eight games starts Saturday with a home contest against DePauw University.

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