GRANVILLE, Ohio – The Kenyon College Lords lacrosse team got off to a great start Tuesday night against the No. 5-ranked Denison University Big Red. It was an eight-goal second quarter from Denison, however, that changed the complexion of the game and eventually placed Kenyon on the unpleasant side of a 17-6 final score.

Kenyon (10-3, 5-2 NCAC) was aiming for an upset of first place Denison (13-1, 7-0 NCAC), which clinched at least a share of the NCAC regular-season title with the win. Kenyon currently sits in third place and will have to post a win at home against Hiram College on Saturday to remain in that position for the upcoming, four-team North Coast Athletic Conference postseason tournament. A College of Wooster loss at Ohio Wesleyan University will also lock Kenyon into that No. 3 spot in the conference standings.

The Lords did everything they could to hang with the Big Red in the early stages of the game. Back-to-back goals from Alex Lopez gave Kenyon a 3-2 lead before Denison's Jamie McCahan scored with three seconds left in the first quarter to tie things up at 3-3.

McCahan scored again to begin the second quarter and kicked-off what would be a five-goal run for the Big Red. Kenyon stopped the bleeding with a Robert Jacobs goal at the 9:24 mark, but Denison replied with three more tallies to go up 10-4. Each team tacked on a goal before the half, giving the Big Red an 11-5 advantage at intermission.

Denison owned the third quarter of play, too. The Big Red rattled off four more goals while holding the Lords scoreless for the entire quarter and nearly the first four minutes of the fourth quarter.

Lopez finished with a team-high four goals. Roberts and Emilio Sosa scored the other two for the Lords, who were outshot 40-30. Kenyon freshman Will Swain won 15-of-25 face-offs, but the Denison defense backed by goalkeeper Chris Thomas, neutralized any extra chances for the Lords. Before being pulled late in the game, Thomas made nine saves for Denison, which has held six of its last seven opponents to six goals or less.

Kenyon's final regular-season game against Hiram will take place Saturday at McBride Field with an 11 a.m. start time.