GAMBIER, Ohio -- Kenyon College's men's soccer team secured a 2-1 win to improve to 2-0 as the No. 17-ranked Owls upended No. 16-ranked John Carroll University on the road in University Heights, Ohio.

The teams barely had time to blink before the game's first goal was recorded just 19 seconds into this top-25 matchup. John Carroll misplayed their kickoff and lost the ball just outside their goal box, and Kenyon's Scott Upton took advantage of the mistake by stealing the ball and getting yanked down in the box to earn an early penalty kick. Upton knocked home the PK, his second in as many games, to give the Owls a 1-0 lead.

The early scoring continued as John Carroll got in on the action after converting on their first shot of the game. The Blue Streaks' Ben Brucken played a ball deep into Kenyon's right-hand corner, where Logan Penton set up and delivered a perfect cross into the box. The assists found the head of Nicholas Felician, who put the ball into the goal to knot the score at 1-1 in the seventh minute.

Kenyon out-shot John Carroll 5-3 for the rest of the half, but the early offensive onslaught stopped as both defenses locked the offenses down for the remainder of the half. However, the scoring got going again right after the start of the second half. Sebastian Gaese collected a ball at midfield that he played through the back line of the Blue Streaks' defense, and Sam Carson raced past the defenders to catch up with the ball just in front of the JCU box to set up a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Carson ripped a shot off his right foot that sailed past the JCU keeper and nestled into the top right of the net to give the Owls their second lead of the game at 2-1 at the 47:20 mark.

The Owls kept their foot on the gas and attempted a pair of shots 19 seconds after their goal, and Kenyon continued its strong play on both sides by notching the first five shots of the second half. Mac Nardiello-Smith put a shot on goal that JCU's Jake Vogrin saved in the 62nd minute, and Carson had a shot sail just wide to the right in the 64th minute. 

The Blue Streaks' first shot of the second half came in the 71st minute, and JCU's Nicholas Graeca forced Kenyon's Jack Pedreschi to make a diving save that thwarted the attack. JCU kept the pressure on with consecutive corner kicks in the late 74th and early 75th minutes, but Pedreschi and the Owls' defense held firm. The home team took two more shots in the 77th minute that sandwiched a corner kick, but Pedreschi secured another save, and the Kenyon defensemen once again turned the Blue Streaks away.

JCU's Felician nearly notched his second goal of the game in the 80th minute after a beautiful cross that gave him an open shot, but the attempt sailed slightly high as John Carrol's offense pressures continued to come up short. Felician burned the Owls' defense again at the 85:56 mark to set up a clear shot, but Pedreschi was there for his sixth save to preserve Kenyon's 2-1 edge. The battle between Felician and Pedreschi continued as JCU's goal-scorer sent a hard shot toward the goal in the 89th minute, but Kenyon's stalwart in the box notched a seventh save to clinch a 2-1 win for the Owls.

The battle of consecutively ranked teams proved to be an even matchup as both sides notched 11 shots apiece. No. 16 JCU held an 8-5 edge in shots on goal and led 7-2 in corner kicks, but the No. 17 Owls owned the 2-1 advantage on the scoreboard at full time.

Up next, the No. 17 Owls play game two of a six-game road stretch as they take on Spalding University (KY) in Danville, Kentucky on Friday, Sep. 9, at 5:30 p.m. Fans can head to athletics.kenyon.edu/live to follow the action while Kenyon is away from home.