Men’s Soccer Takes a Draw in First Conference Game

Lords soccer is a little more than halfway through their season, with an overall record of 4-4-1. They recently played out a draw at the home of conference rival Denison University on Saturday, marking the third time out of the two’s last four matchups that they have tied.

The game was evenly matched, with Kenyon attempting 13 shots to Denison’s 14. The game ended up going into double overtime, but neither team could pull ahead. Although the game ended in a draw, Captain J.J. Jemison ’13 said, “I think it is clear we were the better team after watching film, but there are many factors that led to us not getting the result we wanted. The game against Denison was a battle, like always, but under such terrible conditions it was hard to say either side was actually playing good soccer.”

“I would not use the word happy when I think about the Denison game,” Andrew Parmelee ’14 said. “I think given the conditions of the game, we will take a draw; however, you can never be fully satisfied with lost points.”

The team’s most recent matchup against non-conference foe John Carroll University ended in a 0-1 defeat. John Carroll dominated most of the game by keeping the ball on Kenyon’s side of the field. The Lobos managed 17 shots, significantly more than Kenyon’s four shots. Goalie James Smith ’13 managed to make a season high in saves, with seven.

Looking ahead, the Lords will face stiff league competition in coming weeks. And the team has gone through many changes, but Jemison has viewed it as progress.

“As the season has progressed we have experienced coaching changes and line-up changes, but through it all we have stayed resilient,” Jemison said. “We just need to stay hungry and confident as a team going into the rest of our conference games, and there is no doubt in my mind that we can win the [North Coast Athletic Conference], which is our ultimate goal.”

The Lords will be going to Indiana to play DePauw University on Saturday. The Lions are 1-1 in NCAC games with their only win was against Denison. It could be a tight game, meaning the Lords will have to stay level-headed and focused.

“Our goal for the rest of the year is simple: Win the rest of our games,” Parmelee said. “So that is what we will try to do.”