Maddie Moran

Sports Editor

On Tuesday, Oct. 15, the Wooster men’s soccer team traveled to Gambier, Ohio to take on the no. 12-ranked Kenyon College Owls at Mavec Field. This matchup came directly after a difficult home game against the Wittenberg Tigers on Sunday, with the Scots suffering defeat 4-0. 

“The energy going into the game was palpable,” Elliot Miller ’26 said, “We had a close matchup last year with Kenyon and both teams were coming off losses, so it was clear both teams were hungry for a win.” 

Kenyon currently sits at number 3 in the NCAC, which is one of the toughest conferences in Division III men’s soccer. The NCAC holds 3 of the top 25 spots in the DIII men’s soccer standings — including Kenyon College — presently ranking number 12. After a strong start to the season, Wooster has hit a slight lull, with this match bringing them to 7-6-1 overall and 2-2 for conference games. 

“Full credit to the team for having a great response after a very difficult game and result against Wittenberg. Our messaging following the game and on Monday was that we have to respond and continue to get up off the mat,” head coach Andy Zidron said. “Soccer can be really interesting sometimes … who we become as individuals and a program through success and setback is so valuable moving forward. All said, energy was great. This is a resilient and committed group that has big goals for the remainder of the season.”

The Fighting Scots found themselves back on defense, struggling to keep the ball up the field in an attacking position. As a result, Kenyon led the game in shots taken 12-5 and shots on goal 5-1. Wooster came out stronger after halftime, with 4 of their 6 total scoring attempts occurring in the second period.

Despite 17 scoring attempts by the Owls, Wooster’s strong defense held them to 2 goals in the first period and 1 in the second. Defender Nate Chartrand ’27 often put himself between the ball and the net, ferociously booting it back downfield. Goalkeeper Gabriel Thomas ’25 was credited with 2 saves after going in to play the second half.

After a fast break up the field, Walker Johnson ’25 sent a pass down the field to teammate Max Wiley ’25, who battled off Kenyon defenders all the way down the sideline. Wiley sent the ball to Ioannis Aristodemou ’27, whose footwork and proximity to the net forced the Owls to kick the ball out of play resulting in a Wooster corner kick. Aris Christodoulou ’27 took the Scots’ only shot on goal in minute 53 off of the corner kick, but was denied by Kenyon’s goalkeeper, Jack Pedreschi ’25.

“I think our strength came in our defensive structure and ability to force turnovers to play in transition. We were able to attack areas behind their defense because they committed a lot of numbers forward,” said Zidron. “[We had] outstanding effort and commitment. People see the scoreline and think we got trounced. We competed at a great level and not everyone sees the effort that goes into the game on game day and the days stacked leading into the game to bring success. [We have a] lot to build on.”

With 10 minutes left in the game, Miller commanded the field after a pass from Christodoulou, who battled Kenyon forwards and stole the ball right out from under them. Miller took off, sending the ball up the field only to be denied by Kenyon defender Robert Little ’27. Rather than give up, Miller raced back to the ball and returned the favor, knocking Little to the ground and sending it back up to Johnson. Johnson took a shot which hit square into a defender who ran up from behind, which blocked the ball and pushed it out of bounds, resulting in another Wooster corner kick.

“We held them well defensively for most of the game, just unfortunately had a couple that didn’t bounce our way and gave them 2 own goals,” Miller said, “Our team communication was solid, and we had a strong competitive effort as a collective. This week will consist of high intensity and focused training sessions that will bode well for us in this weekend’s matchup.”

Watch the Wooster Fighting Scots as they head to Crawfordsville, Indiana to battle against the Wabash Little Giants this Saturday at 1:30 p.m.