GAMBIER, Ohio -- In their final home game of the season on The Field at Benson Bowl, the Kenyon College field hockey team (9-6, 5-4 NCAC) delivered a hard-fought victory over Allegheny College (4-12, 4-5 NCAC). The Owls and Gators were tied in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) standings heading into the game, but the Owls climbed over .500 in the league with a 3-2 win.

The Owls struck early when Grace Lane connected with Maren Lawrence off a penalty corner just over three minutes into the contest. Lawrence's 11th goal kicked off a busy opening period as Allegheny's Emily Robles responded midway through the first quarter, evening the score at 1-1. The Owls nearly regained the lead as the quarter wound down, but Sarah Molloy's powerful shot rang off the post.

The second quarter provided the afternoon's decisive moments. With just under 11 minutes remaining, Raigan Hutter initiated a corner play that saw Justine Cole unleash a strong shot. While Allegheny's goalkeeper made the initial save, Lawrence was perfectly positioned to collect the rebound and drill home her second goal of the day. The score pulled Lawrence even with Lane for the team lead in goals, at the moment, and was the sophomore's third multi-goal game this season.

Though Allegheny's Bella Cowen quickly equalized following a corner play set up by a Megan Lydon kick save, the Owls weren't finished. In perhaps the day's most spectacular sequence, Ella Haskins sprinted down the field, beating multiple defenders before finding Lane in the corner. Lane showcased impressive poise, patiently maneuvering around her defender before crossing to the middle and unleashing a powerful right-sided shot that would prove to be the game-winner.

The second half transformed into a defensive showcase, highlighted by Lydon's heroics in goal. The Owls' keeper made several crucial saves, including a spectacular diving stop on a breakaway attempt late in the third quarter and another clutch kick save in the fourth. First-year defender Ariana Rowe sealed the victory with a pivotal defensive play in the closing seconds.

The win was especially meaningful for the ten Owls playing their final game at Benson Bowl: Justine Cole, Liz Cramer, Ella Haskins, Kiersten Hoffmann, Raigan Hutter, Jolien Kusi, Grace Lane, Megan Lydon, Darcy Miller, and Sarah Molloy. Playing in front of an energetic home crowd, Kenyon outshot Allegheny 16-12 and held down the Gators despite Allegheny's 8-7 edge in shots on goal. Lydon finished the day with six saves.

The Owls will look to carry this momentum into their regular-season finale next Saturday, November 2, when they travel to face Earlham College at 12:00 p.m. in Richmond, Indiana.