The 2022 Kenyon Owls men’s soccer team was tabbed as the preseason favorite in the North Coast Athletic Conference in a poll released Aug. 18 and the team was selected 17th in the United Soccer Coaches’ Preseason Top-25 Poll released Aug. 2, matching their end-of-season rank from 2021. In the NCAC, the Owls received seven of the nine available first-place votes. On the women’s side, the Lady Owls have a streak of seven consecutive postseason berths and the squad was picked to finish fourth in the NCAC Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll.
The Owls men are coming off a season in which they finished 16-3-1, including a flawless 9-0 mark against North Coast Athletic Conference competition. Kenyon’s season began with a 2-1 loss against No. 20 John Carroll University, followed by a draw, but the Owls responded with 14 consecutive victories to end the regular season.
Kenyon earned the top seed in the NCAC postseason tournament with the conference’s only undefeated record and secured an 8-0 win over Wabash College in the semifinal match before falling 1-0 to Denison University in the NCAC Tournament Final. Kenyon earned an NCAA Tournament berth after finishing as the NCAC Champions and the runners-up in the NCAC Tournament. The team secured a 4-1 victory over Catholic University in the opening round before falling 2-1 against No. 8 Messiah University in the second round.
Head Coach Chris Brown enters his 18th season at the helm for the Owls, and was named the NCAC Coach of the Year for the third time in his career (2015, 2018) last season.
“We played well in our first scrimmage on Saturday,” said Brown. “I think we have some talented new players that, with the right work ethic, will fit right in. The lads have high aspirations for the 2022 season, but, as ever, we’ll need a bit of luck and for injuries not to become a major hindrance for us to push on.”
Women building on success
The Kenyon College women’s soccer program looks to build upon a strong return to the pitch in 2021 as the Owls take the field in 2022. Last season, the Owls finished with an 8-8-2 mark that included a 5-2-1 record against North Coast Athletic Conference opponents. Kenyon earned the second seed in the NCAC Tournament behind their .662 NCAC winning percentage. The Owls’ tournament semifinal match against The College of Wooster remained scoreless through 110 minutes of play, and Kenyon’s season came to a close after being outscored 10-9 on penalty kicks.
Head Coach Kelly Bryan enters her 20th season at the helm of the Kenyon women’s soccer program with an impressive string of accomplishments. Bryan’s teams have earned an NCAC Tournament berth each season from 2014 to 2021, a streak of seven seasons, not including the 2020 campaign that was canceled due to the pandemic.
“Our returning group of players has great leadership and depth, and we are balanced across the field positionally,” said Bryan. “Our incoming first-year class will add to that depth and provide us with great options for the 2022 season. We are excited to see how things will come together.”
