Soccer Streak

From Kenyon News - November 18, 2019

For the third time this postseason, the No. 9-ranked Kenyon College men’s soccer team fell behind 1-0, but rallied to victory. On Sunday at Mavec Field, the Lords converted an overtime penalty kick to defeat the University of Rochester Yellowjackets 2 to 1 in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.

With the win, Kenyon improved its record to 19-1-2 and advanced to the third round of the NCAA bracket for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. The win also moved the Lords’ unbeaten streak to 20 games, tying a program record.

The victory over the Yellowjackets followed a 5-0 win against Penn State University Behrend in the tournament’s first round on Saturday, also at Mavec Field. Kenyon’s relentless pressure helped the team, especially early on, when it scored twice in the first 6:21 of competition. After halftime, the Lords added three more goals, rolling to a comfortable win.

In contrast, Sunday’s game was evenly played and had an outcome that was decided on a handball late in the first overtime period. As Kenyon’s Luke Muther ’22 was driving toward goal from the right side, a Rochester defender attempted a slide tackle. Muther jumped over the tackle, leaving the ball in place. As the defender went down, he fell directly on top of the ball and could not avoid being whistled for a handball inside of the box.

Another Kenyon player, Scott Upton ’22, stepped up to take the penalty kick and delivered his eighth goal of the season, as well as his team-best fourth game-winner.

Prior to the overtime action, Rochester drew first blood in the game’s 39th minute, with the Yellowjackets’ lead holding up for the next 37 minutes of play. It wasn’t until the game’s 76th minute that the Lords finally broke through. Aided by another handball from the Yellowjackets, the Kenyon men were awarded a free kick just inches outside of the Rochester box. Max Taylor ’20 wound up taking the kick and drilled a left-footed shot right up the gut. It got through the Rochester wall, deflected off the heel of goalkeeper Hugh Curran and into the back of the net for Taylor’s third score of the season.

Overall, Kenyon managed a 22-10 advantage in shots taken, but only four of those 22 shots were on goal. Three of Rochester’s 10 shots were on target. Both Lords goalkeeper Ian McInturf ’21 and Curran finished off the game with two saves.

After advancing out of the first two rounds of the tournament, Kenyon found out from the Division III Men’s Soccer Committee that it would again have the right to host third and fourth-round matches at Mavec Field on Nov. 23 and 24.

The Lords will welcome the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags, Centre College Colonels and Montclair State University Red Hawks. On Saturday, the Stags will play the Colonels at 11 a.m., followed by the Lords’ match against the Red Hawks at 1:30 p.m. Kenyon’s contest against Montclair State will be the teams’ second all-time meeting and first since 1997. The Red Hawks used a penalty-kick shootout to upend Franklin and Marshall College in second-round play. 

The winners of the two matches will play on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the quarterfinal round. Ticket prices for the games are $7 for adults, $5 for students and $3 for children 17 and under. Students carrying a Kenyon ID will be admitted free.