Owls to battle Blue Streaks in NCAC semifinal

11/4/2025 11:00:00 AM

GAMBIER, Ohio -- Returning to the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament for the first time since the 2022 campaign, the Kenyon College women's soccer team will make a trip north to tangle with the Blue Streaks of John Carroll University in a semifinal game on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Kenyon, which has a 9-3-5 overall record and a 3-2-2 conference record, enters the four-team postseason tournament as the No. 4-seed. Host John Carroll, which possesses an 11-5-1 overall record and a 5-2-0 NCAC record, is the tournament's top-seeded team.

No. 2-seeded DePauw University will host No. 3-seeded Denison University in the other NCAC Tournament semifinal on Thursday. The winners of the two semifinals will meet Sunday, at the highest remaining seed, to battle for the NCAC Tournament title and the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Championship.

Kenyon, which has put together a remarkable turnaround season with eight more wins than a year ago, has done so by making defense a priority. The Owls have been among the top-10 teams in NCAA Division III in regard to goals against average and the team's 11 shutouts this season are a program record.

During the regular season, the Owls defeated John Carroll with dominant defense, allowing 10 shots, but just one on goal, in a 1-0 win at Mavec Field.

Since the conference started its tournament format in 2000, Kenyon has been a participant a dozen times, winning it all in the 2014 season. In that span, the Owls' overall NCAC Tournament record is 2-9-2.

John Carroll is new to the conference this season, so the NCAC Tournament game will be the Blue Streaks' first. Last year, as a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference, the Blue Streaks earned the No. 2 seed and made it to the tournament final, where they fell, 3-2, to No. 1-seeded Ohio Northern University.

Both John Carroll and Kenyon lead the NCAC with 30 goals scored this season. Kenyon, however, also ranks first in goals allowed with just eight, while John Carroll has yielded 18 goals to opponents. Additionally, the Owls top the conference charts in shots (279) and corner kicks (96).

Kenyon and John Carroll have met 12 times since the 2002 season and Kenyon holds a 7-4-1 record in those games.

For those making the trip to see the semifinal contest, please note that ticket prices will be $7 for adults, $3 for children (18 and under), and $3 for students without an NCAC institution ID. Students with an NCAC institution ID will be admitted free of charge.

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