HIRAM – With Saturday’s 2-0 victory at Hiram College, the Kenyon College men’s soccer team improved to 14-0-1 this season and ran its unbeaten streak of North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) regular-season games to 50 straight, which extended a conference record.
The last time Kenyon lost a regular-season conference game was to DePauw University on Oct. 1, 2016.
The Owls have just one more regular-season NCAC game left this season and it will be at home against Wittenberg University next Saturday. A win in that game ensures the Owls of their fifth consecutive unbeaten season in conference play, and more importantly, their seventh straight NCAC regular-season championship.
Hiram didn’t provide much of a threat to Kenyon’s record-setting run. The Owls dominated Saturday night’s game, proven by a 23-1 count in shots taken. While the Kenyon side didn’t match its typical offensive production (3.33 gpg), the defense posted its 10th shutout in 15 games. Prior to the start of this contest, the Owls were tied for third among all NCAA Division III teams with a shutout percentage of .714.
On the attack, the Owls started the scoring in the game’s second minute. A long pass from just inside the midfield stripe reached the feet of Sebsatian Gaese, who raced to meet it inside the Hiram box. Gaese collected the pass, stepped back and tapped a pass to his right, where a hard-charging Mac Nardiello-Smith stepped into it and delivered a screamer right over the head of Hiram goalkeeper C.J. Timm.
The only other tally came early in the second half, doubling the Kenyon total. As Hiram was pinned in its defensive zone, an attempt to clear the ball down the left sideline ended up being intercepted by Max Thesing. From about 20 yards out, Thesing punted a perfect pass toward the far post, where Scott Upton was in place to head it home.
Nardiello-Smith’s goal in the first half was his fourth of the season, while Upton’s second-half goal was his eighth.
Kenyon’s output could have been a bit more, but Timm played a solid game for Hiram and made seven saves. Kenyon keeper Jack Pedreschi wasn’t tested but recorded his eighth complete shutout based on the play of the defense in front of him.
