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Kenyon College Athletics

Isaac Cortez
Graham Stokes
2
Winner Kenyon KEN (9-2-3, 3-1-0)
0
Hiram HIR (3-8-2, 0-4-0)
Winner
Kenyon KEN
(9-2-3, 3-1-0)
2
Final
0
Hiram HIR
(3-8-2, 0-4-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Kenyon KEN 0 2 2
Hiram HIR 0 0 0

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Cortez scores twice in Kenyon win at Hiram

HIRAM, Ohio -- The No. 16-ranked Kenyon College men's soccer team worked through a frustrating first half to pull out a 2-0 victory at Hiram College on Saturday afternoon. Junior Isaac Cortez scored both goals for the Owls. 

The conference win moved Kenyon's overall record to 9-2-3 and its North Coast Athletic Conference mark to 3-2-0. Hiram, which put up a valiant effort, slid to 3-8-2 overall and 0-5-0 in conference competition.

It appeared that Kenyon struggled to get a feel for the fast turf at Charles A. Henry Field. The Owls did manage to out-shoot the Terriers 8-1 over the first 45-minutes of play, but got to the break with nothing to show for it. 

Within that first half, Kenyon's best chance came in the 30th minute, when Justin Buchwalter uncorked a shot from close range. Although he was not in position to get a lot behind the shot, he did fire it past Hiram goalkeeper Tyler Jurgensen. As the ball trickled past him and toward the left post, Hiram defender Ryan Graber was able to stop it before it crossed the line.

Four of Kenyon's eight first-half shots were on target, but Jurgensen saved them all. At the other end of the field, Hiram's offense managed just one shot, which sailed high and wide in the game's 28th minute.

The Terriers, smelling an upset, opened the second half with a surge that resulted in two scoring chances, but the Hiram shots whistled high and wide right, respectively. Kenyon charged right back with shots from Cortez and Andrew Adams, but Jurgenson made a great save on Cortez's attempt and Adams' shot went high.

It wasn't until the game's 73rd minute that Kenyon broke through. A great play from Moustapha Gassama started it all. As the ball bounced around in the box, it looked to be headed out of bounds, near the left post. Gassama, however, bicycle-kicked the ball back to the center of the box, where Cortez charged in and buried it into the Terriers' net. 

The goal was Cortez's first of the season and the assist was also a first for Gassama.

With less than five minutes remaining in the game, the Owls tacked on an insurance goal, as Buchwalter intercepted a pass around midfield and laced a perfect lead to Cortez, who streaked up the middle of the field and used his left foot to put a shot into the lower right side of the Hiram goal.

In the end, Kenyon out-shot Hiram 18-5 and posted a convincing 11-0 advantage in shots on goal.

The Owls have just three conference regular-season games left. The first of those three will be at home on Wednesday against Wittenberg University.
 
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