In a game marked by strong defensive plays on both sides, the newly No. 17-ranked Case Western Reserve University men’s soccer team tied Kenyon College 0-0 during their match on Sept. 20 on Kenyon’s home field in Gambier, Ohio. The matchup was especially significant as the Spartans’ last meeting with Kenyon in 2022 ended in a 4-0 defeat.

While this result marks the first time CWRU has failed to score in their 11 past matches, starting all the way from their game against the University of Chicago on Oct. 25, 2024, it nonetheless keeps the squad’s undefeated streak for the 2025 season alive. The Spartans move to 6-0-2 for this season, while the Owls drop 4-1-2.

As the game commenced, CWRU and Kenyon fought back-and-forth over possession of the ball as the defensive efforts of both teams took center stage. The Spartans were able to get two shots in during the first 18 minutes of the game, but neither were successful. These would also be the only two shots of the period for CWRU as both teams struggled to break through the other side’s defense. By the first half’s end, a mere six shots had been recorded: the two aforementioned shots from the Spartans and four from the Owls.

One very notable moment during the first half of the game came courtesy of fourth-year co-captain and goalkeeper Bradley Winter. As Kenyon fired a shot into the upper corner of the net, Winter dived towards the ball and got a hand on it, keeping the Owls off the scoreboard. This would be one of seven shots Winter faced during the game and the only one which required his intervention, allowing him to record his seventh shutout of the season and the record-extending 19th of his career.

While the defensive battle would continue into the second half, CWRU was able to make a rather quick breakthrough within the first five minutes of the period. Second-year forward Amir Awais attempted a shot in the 49th minute only for it to be saved by Kenyon’s goalkeeper. This was the only shot the Spartans were able to attempt during the second half, though Kenyon did not fare much better as their three attempted shots during the period were all off-target. Thus the game would come to a close with neither side having scored a shot during its entirety.

Commenting on the game’s result, Awais took note of how the game still highlighted the team’s strongest aspects.

“I think the game was very promising and a testament to our team’s culture,” Awais said. “Even though it wasn’t our sharpest game technically, our players battled on and off the field to earn a point. Building on this, one positive and promising takeaway from this game is that even when we aren’t at our best technically, we can compete and will have opportunities to beat any team we play, as long as our mentality and effort are excellent.”

Awais also called attention to where the team can make improvements going forward given the tough competition they have coming up in their next games.

“[We] have to generate more goal-scoring opportunities and be more composed when staging possession in the attacking third of the field,” Awais said. “From here on out, we play two very good teams, John Carroll and Otterbein for our final two out of [conference] games and then we go straight into UAA competition, where every game is a warzone for points, so these fields are a necessity of growth in these next couple of weeks to get results in any upcoming game.”

Following their strong weekend performance, the Spartans earned their first national recognition of the season, coming in at No. 17 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 rankings.