Henry Gamble | News Editor
Max Dolinh | Sports Editor
On Nov. 4, Denison men’s soccer defeated Kenyon 3-1 to win the conference championship for the second time in three years, with goals scored by Cameron McIntosh ‘25, Jack Rice ‘27, and Corey Brunner ‘25. The Owls were ranked No. 17 in the nation heading into the game and won the Oct. 7 regular season matchup with the Big Red 1-0, though only managed one goal from 15 shots in the decisive NCAC Tournament final.
Rohan Tripathy ‘24, the captain of the Men’s team, attributed the team’s performance to their momentum entering the final.
“We felt very confident going into the championship game, and even if the box score doesn’t reflect it in terms of shots, we felt like we dominated the game for the most part,” Tripathy said.
Now in his fourth year as Head Coach for the Men’s team, Brandon Bianco, who previously was Head Coach of the men’s soccer team at Case Western Reserve University, was especially proud of his team’s victory due to the unique season they endured.
According to Bianco, due to the ongoing construction of the Kienzle-Hylbert Stadium, Denison’s new lacrosse and soccer stadium set to open in 2024, the men’s team played more away games than anyone in the country and was therefore forced to adopt a different practice schedule. However, if anything came of this, it
was the adaptability of the team. Bianco highlighted that, regardless of the impediments caused by ongoing construction, the team played their best when it mattered most.
“Despite [the altered schedule], the team really dug in throughout the fall, found its identity over the last few weeks, and played a fantastic conference tournament…Everyone in the team played so hard and so well and the performance capped maybe our best week of play in our program’s history,” Bianco said.
Just as for Bianco, the season was challenging yet rewarding for Tripathy. Despite a strong start personified by six wins and one draw from their first seven games, the team still went on to face several challenges, which the team used to further its work ethic.
“Like every college season, there were some games where we did not play our best, but one thing that was consistent with this team was that we came to work hard every day. We made sure to lean into that even when our play wasn’t our greatest,” he said.
Yet, according to the senior forward, it wasn’t just this season’s work that contributed to the victory, but the culmination of years of contributions from former players.
“This win was for them in a lot of ways,” Tripathy said. From his perspective, the players that preceded him “helped us establish a new standard for what we want this program to look like.”
He additionally acknowledged how this shift in team culture was aided by Bianco’s arrival.
“When I came in as a freshman, no one on the men’s soccer team had been on a winning college soccer team. Coach Bianco did a great job helping to establish the standards that were needed for us to be successful on and off the field.”
To Bianco, the team’s new standard is about academics just as much as it is about athletics.
“My vision for Denison men’s soccer is to be one of the premier programs in the country to combine academics and soccer. There aren’t many places that offer the kind of rigorous academic experience we do for our students while matching an equally ambitious soccer experience with it,” he said.
Bianco also believes that their recent successes are indicative of a bright future that aligns with his overarching academic and athletic goals.
“The recent seasons have, if nothing else, created a foundation for what we want our program to be about. We’ve established our vision, standards, habits, and behaviors that drive our daily performance. Success in my mind has nothing to do with what’s on a scoreboard as much as if our daily actions reflect our agreed-upon standards,” Bianco said.
Their NCAC title granted them an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Tournament, where they traveled to Lancaster, PA, and played No. 7 ranked Connecticut College in the first round on Nov. 10. The two teams were tied after 90 minutes, though the Camels converted two penalties in overtime to make the final
score 3-1. The Big Red’s lone goal was a header scored by Tripathy in the 13th minute.
Speaking ahead of their season-ending loss in the NCAA Tournament, Tripathy emphasized how important the conference championship was to the team.
“This win means the world to the program. So many alumni reached out to me and other members of the team to congratulate us, and it just shows how much people care about this program. To know that you are a part of something bigger than yourself is an amazing feeling, and makes me appreciate it that much more when I get to wear the Denison jersey. I am looking forward to [seeing] where this program goes in the future because I know there will be a lot more wins like this,” he said.