GAMBIER, Ohio -- The Kenyon College women's soccer team earned a massive win over rival Denison University (4-8-4, 3-1-2 NCAC), securing a 2-0 shutout on their home turf. The win propelled the Owls to the top of the North Coast Athletic Conference standings and gave Kenyon the inside track for a regular-season championship.

Denison kept the ball on Kenyon's half in the early going, but the Owls faced no threats after thwarting a corner kick.

Conversely, Kenyon's first foray into Denison territory paid dividends. Sophomore Eun Hae Lillig dribbled down the right side and into Big Red's box, where she sliced a ball across the face of the net, over the keeper's head, and into the far left side of the goal. The early score put the home team ahead 1-0 in the eighth minute. 

A few days after collecting her first intercollegiate goal on Saturday, Oct. 22, at Hiram, Lillig scored in a second straight outing.

A run from Lillig led to Kenyon's second goal in the 27th minute. The midfielder was breaking away before getting taken down by a Denison defender, earning a free kick from 35 yards out. Sophomore Morgan Baker handled the free kick duties and sent a ball deep into the Denison box. From there, Sadie Gould, a senior, corralled the ball, moved to get an opening, and converted a goal that doubled the Owls' lead.

The goal was Gould's fourth this season, tying Talulla Sheridan for the team lead in both goals and points (9).

Big Red finished the first half with a 6-3 edge in shots, but senior keeper Leah Anderson secured saves on the two on-goal attempts while both of Kenyon's on-target shots found their mark.

Looking to get back in the game, Denison pushed to keep the ball in the attacking half. Big Red won most of the balls, and the pressure resulted in four shots and three corner kicks through the first 12 minutes of the second frame. However, Anderson and the Owls' defense held firm, surviving some near-misses and shutting down Denison's set pieces.

The second 45 minutes were tense as it felt like Denison was in control based on their possession of the ball, but the pressure was firmly on Big Red's shoulders. The reigning NCAC Champions were staring down their first conference loss of the season, and, despite desperate pushes, the Owls ended Denison's attacks again and again.

Denison finished the second half with a 10-2 edge in shots, including six on goal, and took the only six corner kicks of the half. Still, Owls' players like Baker, Claudia Abram, Lily Mahdavian, Kit Ross, Jackie Thompson, and Kayla Arone, amongst others, stepped up big defensively and were up to the task. Along with the defenders, Anderson was stellar, securing six saves, and the Owls locked down Denison to claim a 2-0 win over Kenyon's biggest rivals.

The big win ended an 0-3-2 stretch for the Owls in the last five matchups against Big Red, including a 3-0 loss to the conference champions last year. Kenyon's most recent win in the series was in 2015, the second in a two-game winning streak against Denison. The 2015 victory came in the second overtime of a defensive battle, with the Owls claiming a 1-0 win at home in Gambier.

With today's victory, the Owls improve to 6-5-4 and sit atop the NCAC with a 4-1-1 conference mark. Kenyon's three-game winning streak, all shutouts, came at the perfect time. The Owls are in control of their destiny, as one more win would clinch the NCAC regular-season title.

Kenyon's next and final game is on Saturday, Oct. 29, at home against Wittenberg University (2-8-6, 1-1-3 NCAC). The Owls host the Tigers on Mavec Field at 1 p.m., and Kenyon will celebrate Senior Day at halftime.