Denison, Kenyon Claim Spots in NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The Denison Big Red (12-1-6) claimed their fifth North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Men's Soccer Tournament title with a 1-0 win over the Kenyon Owls (15-4-0) on Sunday, November 8, in Gambier, Ohio. As NCAC tournament champions, the Big Red earned the NCAC's automatic bid into the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament.
 
Denison will be joined on the national stage by Kenyon, marking the seventh consecutive and 29th time overall that the North Coast has been represented in the field by more than one team. The Big Red will be making their 14th overall appearance in the tournament, while the Owls make their 21st overall appearance on the national stage after receiving an at-large bid.
 
Denison will travel to Clinton, New York, for the first round of the NCAA Tournament, taking on Plattsburgh State (11-3-4) on Saturday, November 14. The Cardinals earned the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and are making their 12th NCAA postseason appearance, their first since 2015. This will mark the first meeting on the pitch between Denison and Plattsburgh State. The winner of the Big Red/Cardinals matchup will advance to Sunday's second round on November 15 to face the winner of the first-round contest between host Hamilton (7-4-5) and Allegheny (12-6-2).
 
Led by seventh-year head coach Brandon Bianco, Denison has had strong offensive performances this season from senior Jack Rice (Lake Bluff, IL/Lake Forest), junior Colin MacDonald (Oakwood, OH/Oakwood), sophomore Henry Gallun (Evanston, IL/North Shore Country Day) and first-year Lowen Jamison (Washington, DC/St. Johns College). Rice leads the team with 14 points and four assists to go along with five goals, while MacDonald has a team-high six goals for 12 points. Jamison follows with nine points (3 Goals, 3 Assists) and Gallun has eight points (4G). On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore goalkeeper Alex Provost (Glen Ridge, NJ/Montclair Kimberley Academy) has logged 1350 minutes between the posts, making 45 saves and allowing only nine goals for a minuscule 0.60 goals-against average.
 
The Kenyon Owls will head to Lynchburg, Virginia, for the first round of the NCAA Tournament, taking on Ohio Northern (13-4-5) on Friday, November 13. The Polar Bears earned the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and are making their 13th NCAA postseason appearance. This will mark the eighth overall meeting on the pitch between Kenyon and Ohio Northern, with the Owls holding a 5-1-1 advantage in the all-time series. Their last meeting came during the regular season on September 1, when Kenyon earned a 2-1 victory. The winner of the Kenyon/Ohio Northern matchup will advance to Saturday’s second round on November 14 to face the winner of the first-round contest between host Lynchburg (15-1-4) and Covenant (7-8-2).
 
Led by fourth-year head coach Travis Wall, Kenyon has eight players with double-digit point totals, highlighted by strong offensive performances this season from juniors Andrew Adams (Westerville, OH/Westerville North), Lucas de Alarcon (Cincinnati, OH/Cincinnati Country Day School) and Emmett Brown (Minneapolis, MN/Washburn) and first-year Luca Bilotto (Montreal, CAN/Northfield Mount Hermon). Bilotto has a team-leading 23 points (8 Goals, 7 Assists), while de Alarcon has 21 points (8G, 5A), Adams has 14 points (5G, 4A) and Brown follows with 13 (3G, 7A). On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore goalkeeper Matt Kayser (Bedford, NY/Colby College) has logged 1617:22 minutes between the pipes, making 28 saves and allowing just 14 goals for a 0.78 goals-against average.
 

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