Kenyon prepares for NCAA Tournament clash with Ohio Northern

11/12/2026 10:38:00 AM

LYNCHBURG, Va. -- The next chapter of a long NCAA history for Kenyon begins in central Virginia for the Owls, as they take on Ohio Northern University in a round of 64 matchup to open the NCAA Tournament. The game is set for a 3:00 PM start at Shellenberger Field on the campus of the University of Lynchburg.

Kenyon enters the match with a record of 15-4-0 and sits in 21st place in the NCAA's national power index (NPI). After claiming a regular season conference title finishing at 7-1-0, the Owls did not fare as well in the playoffs. Coming off a 1-0 loss in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) final to Denison University, the Owls face a familiar foe in Ohio Northern. The Polar Bears head south off of a dominant 5-1 victory over Baldwin Wallace University to claim their ninth Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) championship.

Sitting in the 55th position in the national power index, the Polar Bears will look to avenge an earlier meeting with Kenyon this season. The Owls started their dominant season with a 2-1 victory in their season opener at home against Ohio Northern. Lucas de Alarcon started the scoring for the Gambier side, firing a screamer into the left corner off an Emmett Brown shot giving the Owls a 14th minute lead. Not long after, NCAC Newcomer of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, Luca Bilotto made his scoring debut in Kenyon purple, extending the Owl lead to two-nil in the 16th minute.

This is not the first time that Ohio Northern and Kenyon have met in the NCAA tournament with their only meeting coming in 2013. The Owls posted a two-nil win on a chilly night in Wheaton, Illinois to advance past the opening round of the NCAA tournament. The Owls 2013 run would take them all the way to the Sweet 16, falling to the eventual national champions Messiah University.

The Owls sport one of the highest power attacks in the country averaging 2.70 goals per match, good enough for 18th in the nation. After leading the NCAC in goals (52), assists (55), points (159), shots (303) and corner kicks (127), the Owls will look to continue their offensive attack as the NCAA tournament begins. Kenyon sits at a perfect 15-0-0 in matches they have scored at least once in.

Tickets for the match can be purchased using the link below

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