GREENCASTLE, Ind. -- In a closely contested road match, the Kenyon College field hockey team (6-4, 3-3 NCAC) fell to the DePauw University Tigers (6-4, 4-0 NCAC) by a final score of 3-2. After a scoreless first half, the third quarter saw an offensive outburst as each team scored two goals. DePauw scored an additional goal in the fourth quarter, which ultimately gave the home team the edge.

For the Owls, their two goals came from Maren Lawrence and Grace Lane, the team's leading scorers this season. The duo displayed impressive efficiency, converting on two of their three total shots. Lawrence's goal put Kenyon on the board in the 35th minute, quickly answering a DePauw goal at the start of the third quarter. Lane landed her shot just over a minute later, putting Kenyon ahead in the 37th minute.

Lane and Lawrence are first and second on the team respectively in goals scored, and Lane was tied for first in the conference with eight goals heading into the match. Maggie Wallace came off the bench as a spark plug and contributed an assist on the Owls' opening goal.

Megan Lydon, Kenyon's senior goalkeeper, put together an impressive game in goal. She faced 13 shots on goal and made 10 saves, giving her a save percentage of 0.769. Lydon, a team captain, entered the game tied for first in the conference with three shutouts on the season.

Alongside Lydon, Kenyon's defense put together a resilient day despite DePauw's consistent offensive pressure. The Owls faced 14 penalty corners from the Tigers, though the defense hung in tough. Senior midfielder Justine Cole, who made the All-NCAC NCAC Second Team and all-tournament team in 2023, played great defense, shutting down multiple DePauw set pieces. Contributing positively alongside Cole were seniors Liz Cramer and Darcy Miller, both of whom have started for Kenyon for multiple years. DePauw outshot Kenyon by a wide margin of 25 to 3, but the Owls defense only allowed the Tigers to convert on three attempts. 

The goal-scoring for DePauw was led by Alexandra May, who found the back of the net twice. All four of her attempts were shots on goal, and she bookended the four-goal third-quarter scoring. Hailey Nowak scored the game-winning goal for DePauw in the 51st minute and twice assisted May.

The Owls showed defensive discipline, only committing five fouls compared to 11 for the Tigers. Corner statistics heavily favored DePauw, who earned 14 corners to Kenyon's one. The disparity in set-piece opportunities highlights DePauw's territorial advantage throughout the match.

Despite the loss, the Owls put together an impressive defensive performance highlighted by some great individual play. Kenyon's season is just starting to heat up, as their next two matchups are on the road in Wisconsin, against Marian University on October 11 and Concordia University (Wis.) on October 12. Both games will be non-conference matchups, as the Owls' next NCAC matchup will be an important one against Washington & Jefferson College on October 16.