GAMBIER, Ohio – The North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) postseason is set, and the Kenyon College men's soccer team has secured the fourth and final spot in the tournament, making it 13-straight appearances for the good guys. The Owls will travel to face top-seeded DePauw University on Wednesday, November 5, at 7 p.m. in Greencastle, Indiana. It's been a different kind of year for the Owls, who enter the tournament as the No. 4 seed after a season defined by tight contests and late-game drama. Kenyon finished the regular season with a 7-3-7 overall record and went 3-2-3 in conference play, clinching their spot in the postseason after a dominant 4-0 win over Ohio Wesleyan University in the regular-season finale, a result that ended OWU's playoff hopes.

The Owls opened the season ranked No. 13 in the preseason poll and started strong with a 4-1-4 record that included a 3-1 victory over Franklin and Marshall College and a narrow 1-0 loss to Johns Hopkins University. However, Kenyon stumbled early in conference action, dropping its first two NCAC games, a 2-1 setback to then-No. 1 Denison following a late penalty kick, and a 1-0 defeat to Oberlin College. From there, the Owls steadied themselves, closing the regular season with three wins and three ties, outscoring opponents 12-3 over that span while earning three shutouts.

Defensively, Kenyon has been anchored by junior goalkeeper Dominic Pratt, who ranks among the NCAC's best in nearly every category, second in goals-against average (.857), second in save percentage (.750), and third in shutouts (6). Offensively, first-year Jack Commandeur leads the Owls with 11 points, scoring five goals and adding an assist, while senior Isaac Cortez follows closely with 10 points on four goals and two assists.

Their semifinal opponent, DePauw University (10-2-5, 5-0-3 NCAC), is riding a historic high after capturing its first-ever NCAC regular-season title since joining the conference in 2011. The Tigers' last defeat came on September 27 against Calvin University, and they've been unbeaten since. Leading the charge for DePauw is Braden Murphey, who totaled 12 points on five goals and two assists, while goalkeeper Sam Ortner has been a steady force in net, posting a 1.03 goals-against average and a .742 save percentage.

Kenyon and DePauw have a well-established history since the Tigers entered the NCAC, with the Owls holding a 10-3-3 advantage in the series. Their most recent meeting ended in a 1-1 draw after a chaotic opening goal from DePauw in the first half and a quick Kenyon equalizer less than a minute into the second.

The winner of Wednesday's match will advance to the NCAC Championship, with a spot in the NCAA Tournament on the line. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Reavis Stadium. As mandated by the NCAC, tickets are $7 for adults and $3 for children (18 and under), while students from any NCAC institution are admitted free with a valid ID.