WMVO Good Times Great Oldies
GAMBIER, Ohio — The Kenyon College men’s soccer team continued to climb up the national rankings, improving to No. 3 in the most recent NCAA Division III United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll. The unbeaten Owls have soared up the standings since starting the season, ascending 16 spots from their place in the national preseason poll.
The Owls opened the season as the No. 19-ranked team in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll after posting a 16-4-1 record in 2023. The team took little time to improve their ranking, jumping up 14 spots to No. 5 in the season’s first poll. Kenyon has improved an additional place in the following rankings, going from No. 4 last week to No. 3 this week.
Despite facing a difficult non-conference schedule, the team has come through with an undefeated 5-0-2 record. Kenyon opened the year with four straight games against teams either ranked or receiving votes, and the Owls have beaten teams ranked No. 15, No. 17, and No. 24 at the time of playing. Three straight wins started the season off on the right foot, and the Owls have started another winning streak with a pair of victories after two ties. Over the stretch, the Owls have outscored their opponents 16-7, scoring 2.29 goals per game while conceding just a goal per game. Additionally, Kenyon has posted a 97-64 edge in shots and a 39-26 advantage in corner kicks while notching a .759 save percentage as a team.
Kenyon has enjoyed a long run as one of the nation’s premier programs. The Owls’ No. 3 ranking is the highest Kenyon has ranked since a matching No. 3 mark during the 2022 campaign, when the Owls reached No. 3 in a pair of national polls, including the United Soccer Coaches poll. This season’s squad is searching for an 11th straight NCAA Tournament selection, which would mark the program’s 20th Tournament berth. The Owls are also out to defend their North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Championship, a crown they have corralled for eight consecutive campaigns and 14 total times.
Before beginning NCAC play, the Owls have two more non-conference tests on deck. Kenyon will make the short trip to Otterbein University (4-3-0) on Friday, September 27, before welcoming No. 8-ranked Christopher Newport University (5-0-3) to Gambier on Sunday. The CNU Captains entered the top-10 nationally for the first time since 2016 after tying the previous No. 3 team, Colorado College, and winning against then-No. 9 Rowan University. The top-10 matchup will kick off at 11 a.m. on Mavec Field and serve as the final home game of Kenyon’s Homecoming Weekend.
