CARLISLE, Pa. -- The Kenyon College men's lacrosse team saw one of the best seasons in program history end in the Owls' first game of the 2023 NCAA DIII Tournament, falling to Stevens Institute of Technology. Playing on a drizzly day on hosting Dickinson College's Biddle Field, the Owls fell 20-11 to the Ducks in the tournament's second round.
Kenyon, ranked No. 19 by USA Lacrosse Magazine and tied for No. 23 in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) coaches poll, finished the season with a 15-3 record. The Owls, making their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance, set a program record for wins in a season. However, Kenyon could not overcome a Stevens team ranked 14th by USA Lacrosse Magazine and 20th by the USILA. By winning, the 18-2 Ducks advance to take on No. 4/6 Dickinson on Sunday.
Stevens' offensive attack was a recipe for success on Saturday. The Ducks came into the game with the second-best scoring offense at the DIII level, and Kenyon's ninth-ranked defense could not hold up. However, it was not for lack of trying, as the Owls stayed close before the Ducks capitalized upon miscues.
The Owls hung tight in the first frame, trailing 4-3 through one period. Jack Giuffre and Colin McCarthy started Kenyon's scoring before Chase MacCartee converted a man-up opportunity late in the quarter. The momentum carried over into the second frame when Joe Boesel tied the game at 4-4, but it was all Stevens from there.
The Ducks scored the following four goals, including one with an extra man and one with a man down. After the Owls outshot Stevens 12-10 in the first, the Ducks held an 18-9 edge in the second.
Rowan Goldin scored the first goal of the third quarter, but another 4-0 Stevens run had Kenyon behind the eight ball. David Chintala assisted McCarthy to cut the deficit to 12-6, but the Ducks closed the penultimate period with three unanswered goals.
Two quick fourth-quarter scores had Kenyon down 17-6, all but deciding the game. After going down 19-7, the Owls' bench erupted for four goals over a two-and-a-half-minute stretch as goals from Gavin Gumucio bookended scores from Chintala and Giuffre. The run was a bright spot, but Stevens ran out the rest of the clock and added a man-up goal to clinch the 20-11 decision.
The Ducks' offense dictated the game, but Kenyon had its chances. The Owls dominated 29-5 in the faceoff circle behind Thomas Nelson's 21-26 mark and Will Jordan's perfect 8-8 showing, but Kenyon could not convert the offensive opportunities.
The Owls turned the ball over 26 times (10 caused), compared to 14 Stevens giveaways (six caused). Additionally, missed shots let Stevens get out in transition, where the Ducks were an impressive 32-34 on clears. A 57-44 shot differential in Stevens' favor, combined with the Owls missing out on five of their seven man-up opportunities, put too much pressure on Kenyon's defense that the offense could not alleviate.
Chintala and Giuffre, Kenyon's leading scorers this season, each finished with two goals and two assists. Gumucio and McCarthy poured in two goals as three of the Owls' top point producers in the game were first-years. Adam Hall, another first-year, secured 12 saves in goal.
