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Kenyon College Athletics

1996 Lords men's soccer team

Men's Soccer

KENYON CLASSIC: Lords play in '96 NCAA final

For most of the '90s, the Kenyon Lords soccer team was among the best in the country. During the 1996 season, the program nearly soared to the top of the NCAA Division III world. Led by Jack Detchon, whose Lords squads won 63 of 77 matches (.818) during his four years of coaching (1994-97), the '96 Kenyon team made it all the way to the NCAA Tournament Final. 

Heading into the national tournament, the Lords had attained a 14-2-1 record and were winners of five straight. Kenyon had eight All-NCAC performers on its roster including Offensive Player of the Year Wayne Albertyn and Defensive Player of the Year Kelsey Olds.  

NCAA postseason action started in Gambier for Kenyon, as it was one of eight schools selected to serve as hosts for the first two rounds. In round one on November 15, the Lords dialed up a 2-1 win over Wittenberg University. The next day, Kenyon triumphed 3-2 over Wilmington College. 

The following weekend, Kenyon would serve as host again, this time facing Luther College on November 23. In that quarterfinal matchup, the Lords blanked the Norse 2-0, a team that had achieved a still-standing program-record 21 victories. 
 
Lords Hall of Famer Wayne Albertyn 97
                Wayne Albertyn 

Now into the semifinal round, the Lords found themselves back in Gambier with three other schools: Ithaca College, The College of New Jersey and University of Chicago,  the Lords' next opponent.  In the game against the Maroons on November 30, Kenyon prevailed 3-2, pushing the program into the national title match for the first and only time. There, the Lords would face off against New Jersey who had won in a penalty-kick shootout against Ithaca. 

On December 1, the Lords and Lions battled in the final at Mavec Field in a match that spanned three hours and forty minutes and four overtimes. There were 1,124 spectators in attendance that day.  

The Lords struck first at 7:12 as Albertyn, an All-American that season and future Kenyon Hall of Famer, cut through the Lions' defense, passed to Jamion Berry and watched as his senior classmate fired between the legs of TCNJ goalie Rob Jordan. Kenyon kept that lead until the 30-minute mark. 

New Jersey's Mark Laurinaitis scored off a direct kick from Joe Mahon along the left-side of the 18-yard box to tie the game. 

A 1-1 scoreboard tally would last almost another 100 minutes of game time. 

From the second half until the final seconds of the fourth overtime, Kenyon had its chances. The Lords outshot the Lions 9-5, controlled much of the possession with the help of Isaac Gowin, Albertyn and Tony Mohammed, and performed well defensively. 

Two of Kenyon's shots hit the crossbar, while another was saved miraculously by Johnson. That attempt came early in the fourth overtime. With Johnson nearing the left post, a shot grazed the keeper's foot and rolled just outside, keeping the score at 1-1. 

Several minutes later, New Jersey sunk the hearts of the host Lords. With a half-dozen seconds left, a corner kick came into the box, and Laurinaitis picked up the ball around several players and fired home. 

After the match, Detchon said, "It was a great, robust effort. It was an absolutely terrific game. My players played outstandingly well against a very, very good New Jersey team. We have finished second out of 367 teams that began playing in August. If anyone ever set out in a race against that many competitors and finished second they would think they hadn't done too badly. It was a marvelous performance."

The runner-up finish is the best in the program's 73-year history. Additionally, the 18 wins are tied for the third-most in single-season lore. In the '96 season, Kenyon had a school-record six All-NCAC First Team selections in Albertyn, Olds, Gowin, Berry, Mohammed and Mark Toews.
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