GAMBIER, Ohio -- The Kenyon College men's soccer team kept dancing in the NCAA DIII Men's Soccer Tournament, withstanding the weather and earning a win for the second consecutive day on Mavec Field. The Owls collected a lead in a contentious first half before cruising to a 4-0 shutout win at home over Calvin University in snowy conditions.
The Owls boosted their record to 18-1-1 with the win and advanced to the 'Sweet 16' in the national tournament, and now they await this weekend's results to see who their matchup might be. Kenyon moves on to the third round for the third time in the last four NCAA Tournaments, having most recently earned a spot in the second weekend in 2019.
The pressure buildup was palpable in the first half as both teams tried to navigate one another while dealing with persistent snowfall. Kenyon was unsuccessful in its first few offensive attacks, including two on-target shots that were saved, but the Owls seemed to be working their way closer to finding a chink in the Knights' armor.
The pressure paid off when super-seniors Sebastian Gaese and Luke Muther broke through the Calvin defense in the 17th minute. After a defensive stand, Aidan Burns and Eamon Dujakovich sparked an attack that culminated with Muther breaking down a defender on the right side and firing a pass to Gaese in the middle of the box, who got set and fired a ball off the hands of the diving Calvin keeper and into the back of the net. It was Gaese's second goal in as many tournament games and 10th score this season.
The one-goal lead did not feel safe against a team ranked No. 17 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 and No. 6 in the D3Soccer.com poll, but Kenyon got a big boost in the 28th minute after Calvin keeper Daniel Wunder was sent off with a red card. Sam Carson had driven into the box and only had the goalie to beat to double the Owls' lead, but Wunder took down Carson after the Kenyon senior got past and into a scoring position.
The card was one of two reds and four yellows given to the Knights, while Kenyon was issued three yellows across the chippy and chirpy contest. Calvin's 10-man lineup and backup keeper Kaelen Matascastillo held up through halftime as the 1-0 score persisted, but the Owls proved too tough in the second frame.
Kenyon added three goals on 19 shots in the second half while allowing the Knights to put just two attempts on target. Overall, the Owls finished with a 26-9 edge in attempts that included a plus-10 mark in shots on goal, 13-3, while also holding a 9-3 advantage in corner kicks.
Gaese and Muther contributed to the Owls' second goal in the 54th minute when Muther played a corner kick into the box that senior Scott Upton and Gaese headed before first-year defender Matt Nguyen booted the ball into the net for his third goal of the season.
The Owls added to their lead less than 10 minutes later when sophomore Alem Duratovic, who added a hat trick in Kenyon's 6-1 win over Greenville a day prior, scored his fourth tournament goal. Duratovic earned and converted a penalty kick at the 63:11 mark to put the home team ahead 3-0.
Calvin's second red card came at the same time, and Kenyon cruised the rest of the way. Senior Johan Johannsson tacked on an insurance goal after an assist from Aidan Schoellkopf on a pretty give-and-go in the 84th minute. Sophomore goalkeeper Jack Pedreschi and the Owls held on to secure the shutout, his 10th, and the team's 12th.
