Kenyon to host Wabash in NCAC semifinal

GAMBIER, Ohio – For the second straight season and for the third time in the last four seasons, the Kenyon College men's soccer team will host the Wabash College Little Giants in the semifinal round of the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. The postseason game is slated for a 2 p.m. start Tuesday on Mavec Field.

Last season, Kenyon posted a lopsided 8-0 win against Wabash in the semifinal game. In 2018, two overtimes were needed before Kenyon escaped with a 1-0 win. Since first facing off against Wabash in 1973, Kenyon owns an all-time series record of 21-8-4 against the Little Giants.

Earlier this season, in their most recent contest against the Little Giants, the Owls posted a 1-0 road win. That was the Owls' third straight victory against Wabash and made the Owls a 9-0-1 against Wabash in their last ten meetings.

On Saturday, Kenyon capped off an undefeated regular-season and its seventh straight conference crown by defeating Wittenberg University 7-1. The Owls are now 15-0-1 overall, 7-0-1 in NCAC play and ranked as the No. 3 team in national polls from both the United Soccer Coaches and D3soccer.com. The NCAC regular-season title gives Kenyon the No. 1 seed and home field advantage throughout the four-team conference tournament.

Wabash, the tournament's No. 4 seed, enters postseason play with a 12-5-1 overall record that includes a 5-3-0 mark in NCAC action. Since losing to Kenyon back on October 8, the Little Giants went 3-3 in their final six regular-season games.

In the NCAC tournament's other semifinal game, No. 2-seeded Ohio Wesleyan University will host No. 3-seeded Denison University. That game will play out Wednesday at 7 p.m. The winners of the two semifinal games will meet Saturday, November 5 in the NCAC Championship, which will be held at the location of the highest remaining seed.

Kenyon will go up against Wabash as one of the most balanced teams in NCAA Division III. The Owls rank top-five in the nation with an offense that cranks out an average of 3.56 goals per game. On the other side of the field, the Owls defense ranks top-10 in the nation in shutout percentage (.688) and team goals against average (0.44). Additionally, the Owls rank top-five in goal differential (+50).

To date, the Little Giants have allowed 15 goals in 18 games for a team 0.83 goals against average. That mark ranks third-best in the NCAC. Offensively, Wabash averages 16.6 shots per game and 2.33 goals per game. Both those totals rank second only to Kenyon among all NCAC teams.

As mandated by the NCAC, tickets for Tuesday's semifinal game are $7 for adults and $3 for children (18 years of age and under). Any NCAC student with a valid ID from their NCAC institution will be admitted free of charge.

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