GAMBIER, Ohio  – Though the soggy weather provided mucky conditions at Mavec Field, Wednesday afternoon's rivalry matchup between the men's soccer squads of Kenyon College and Denison University could not have been prettier. Fans from both sides saw their teams body up in a very physical match that saw momentum sway to both sides, but it was the host Lords that pulled away with a 3-2 victory. Andrew Parmelee scored twice for Kenyon, leading the Purple and White to a huge win both for their conference record and their confidence.

Kenyon found itself down a goal early when less than two minutes into the contest, but rallied with three unanswered goals, all in the second half. It did not take long for the Lords to throw it into another gear after falling behind, and it all started with the senior, Parmelee.

In the 63rd minute, Parmelee connected for Kenyon's first goal when a loose ball was kept active long enough for him to come in and put a strong strike on the ball, beating Denison goaltender Matt Wagner. Instantaneously, the Lords became reenergized and came back down the pitch to score again just two minutes later.

Jeremiah Barnes did all the work, first forcing a turnover by getting a foot on an intended pass by Denison and knocking it forward. It became a footrace from there, which Barnes won by a landslide and went one-on-one with Wagner. He converted the attempt after the keeper challenged him in the middle of the box. The goal was Barnes' second of the season.

Kenyon was not done there. At the moment, their next score seemed like an insurance goal but turned into the all-important game-winning tally, scored by Parmelee in the 73rd minute. Cameron Scott got in on the scoring by setting up Parmelee on the far post for a header that quickly turned an observant crowd into one of exuberance. The goal, his fourth of the season, seemed to seal the deal but the Big Red did not stop attacking.

Understanding that time was of the essence, Denison pressured Kenyon with its attack up front and pushed the ball forward quickly to get its offense back on track. The Big Red kept the ball deep in Kenyon's defensive zone where it was only a matter of time before got lucky, and they did. With the Big Red moving the ball around, Jake Marsh set up Kyle Skinner with a diving header to the far post that put Denison one goal down, 3-2.

The Lords responded by playing ball control and outside of one last shot and save by freshman keeper Sam Clougher, Kenyon dominated the final 12 minutes of the contest and kept Denison from any further scoring opportunities. The Lords rode out the clock and pulled out of Mavec Field victors over rival Denison.

VIDEO: See the celebration slide by Jeremiah Barnes following his second-half goal (Instagram via @KenyonSports).