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Kenyon College Athletics

Ben Russell

Owls set for NCAC semifinal clash with DePauw

GAMBIER, Ohio -- The stage has officially been set for the 2026 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) postseason, and the road runs through Gambier. The number one seeded Kenyon College men's soccer team will host the fourth-seeded DePauw University Tigers, in a rematch of the 2025 semifinal, on Thursday, November 5, at 2 p.m. at Mavec Field. 

Kenyon has been nothing short of dominant this fall, entering the tournament as the number one seed while holding the 18th ranking in the nation according to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Men's Rankings Poll. Kenyon claimed a record of 14-3-0 in the regular season picking up a 7-1-0 conference record. 

The Owls started out their season in dominant fashion with a 2-1 opening victory against Ohio Northern University, before rattling off three straight wins of 6-0, 3-0, and 2-0 to move to an undefeated record in their first four matches. Kenyon advanced to a 6-2-0 record by the end of September with its only losses to No. 3-ranked Case Western Reserve University and Occidental College (ranked 7th in Region X). Head coach Travis Wall guided the Owls to a 20-6 goals-allowed ratio in their first eight games of the fall. 

October was a strong month for Kenyon where it picked up an 8-1-0 record conceding their only loss to Denison University (16th ranked as of Nov. 3). A strong offensive attack has led Kenyon this fall as it sits ninth in the country, averaging a total of 3.00 goals per game and third in assists, averaging 3.13 per match. Featuring a team-driven attack, the Owls feature Luca Bilotto who picked up 22 points (8G, 6A) in the fall, Lucas de Alarcon with 21 points (8G, 5A) and Andrew Adams with 14 points (5G, 4A) to add to the tally. 

Defensively for the Owls, they tallied the 10th best goal differential in the nation, scoring 51 goals while only conceding 15 goals. They were anchored by keeper Matt Kayser and a strong defense consisting of Andrew Adams, Kevin Farina, Grant Blake, Jack Commandeur and Moustapha Gassama among many others. Kenyon picked up a total of eight clean sheets on the year, helping propel it toward the playoffs. 

Both DePauw and Kenyon have a deep seeded history with Kenyon leading the all-time series 11-4-3. The Gambier side picked up a 3-0 victory in their most recent meeting against the Tigers, setting up an interesting semifinal meeting. 

As mandated by the NCAC tickets can be bought here for $10 for general admission. Children under five and students with a valid NCAC ID are free of charge.



 
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