GAMBIER, OHIO – Kenyon College scored on two set pieces -a free kick and a penalty kick – to rally past the University of Rochester, 2-1, in OT in the second round of the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championships on Sunday afternoon.
 
It took overtime for the Lords (19-1-2) to find that winning goal from the penalty spot. Rochester defended gallantly all afternoon, played strongly in midfield, and had good touch from the frontrunners on counters to keep the home side defense busy.
 
The win puts Kenyon into the sectional finals at a time and place to be determined by the NCAA soccer committee. Rochester finished the season at 12-6-1. In Saturday's opening round, Kenyon defeated Penn State-Behrend College, 5-0, scoring two goals in the first six minutes to determine the outcome early. Rochester scored a goal in the 59^th minute to seize a 1-0 victory over Hanover College of Indiana.
 
UR excelled in disrupting Kenyon attacks and not allowing one of the nation's top scoring teams good looks or shooting position at the net. It was a full team effort. Hugh Curran was the goalkeeper with an array of Will Eisold, Mouhammed Thiam, Tommy Nelson, and Christian Baltier in front of him. The midfielders were Zach Lawlor, Josh Cooley, and Mitch Volis with Tony Hypsher, James Barata and Aidan Miller up front. They all played a role.
 
Rochester broke onto the scoreboard first. Minutes earlier, the Yellowjackets swept downfield on a counterattack. The ball came from left wing to the middle, then slid over to the right slot where Miller's low drive went just past the right post. In the 39^th minute, with blue shirts rushing the area, the ball swung from one side to the other, then back into the middle where Eisold was able to head it just inside the right post. Zach Lawlor sent the ball into the middle for the Eisold goal.
 
Curran made sure the lead stood up at halftime, making a good save at the low right post on a rip from 20 yards. Kenyon's Sam Carson nearly knotted the score I the 50^th minute. He headed a corner kick into the crossbar and the defense hurried it out of danger. Hypsher nearly doubled the lead with 19 minutes left. He outpaced his defender on right wing and hit a low drive at a tough angle that the Kenyon goalkeeper had to deflect for a corner kick.
 
A free kick was awarded to Kenyon for a handball right at the edge of the penalty area, just to the left of the arc. The defensive wall set up, but Kenyon's Max Taylor hit a low shot into the net at 75:44 to equalize. Curran kept it at 1-1 punching a corner kick over the crossbar with less than nine minutes left.
 
The penalty kick was awarded for a handball as the Lords were trying to swing it over from right wing. Upton drove it down the middle at 96:27.