RICHMOND, Ind. – Olivia O'Connell didn't waste any time in giving the Kenyon College field hockey team a lead it would never relinquish Saturday at Earlham College. O'Connell's early goal was all the Ladies needed for a 1-0 win and a season sweep of the Quakers.

That first goal, scored just 2:58 into the contest, was set up by sophomore Gigi Guenther, who drove the right side of the circle and let loose a centering pass that found O'Connell, also a sophomore. O'Connell ripped a shot that hit the pads of Earlham goalkeeper Meg Murphy. The ball then squirted behind Murphy and O'Connell was still in position to finish off the goal, her second of the season.

With that goal on the board, the Ladies played lock-down defense the rest of the way. Earlham managed just seven shots, with four on goal. Kenyon freshman goalkeeper Suzy Deems steered aside all four shots on goal and recorded her third shutout of the season. In seven starts this year, Deems has a 0.85 goals against average and a 0.824 save percentage.

The win temporarily put Kenyon in a second-place tie with The College of Wooster in the eight-team North Coast Athletic Conference standings. The Ladies are 7-5 overall and 6-3 within NCAC play. They'll try to keep things headed in the right direction Sunday, as they stay in Indiana for a noon game at DePauw University.

On the other side of the field, the loss dropped Earlham to 6-9 overall and 2-8 in the conference standings. Earlier in the season, Kenyon defeated Earlham 4-1 at McBride Field. It was the second straight year the Ladies swept Earlham.