Brennan Ford, Asst. Sports Editor–
The Denison men’s soccer team concluded their regular season play with a scoreless draw against Ohio Wesleyan University on Nov. 2.
The team finished 11-1-5 in the regular season and 6-0-2 in conference play, where they tied for first in the NCAC with Ohio Wesleyan. Over the course of the season, the team reached a peak national rank of ninth out of all DIII men’s soccer teams.
As the team enters the postseason, they are set to play Kenyon at home on Nov. 7 in the NCAC tournament semifinals. Denison defeated the Owls 2-1 on Oct. 12, getting goals from Jake Krueger ‘25 and Phil Koutsaftis ‘26. Both teams are nationally ranked as the Big Red are currently ranked 10th while Kenyon is 14th. The similar nature of both teams’ seasons suggests their upcoming game will be a close matchup.
With the semifinal game approaching, sophomore defender Liam Walsh has high expectations. However, he hopes to enjoy what’s promised for the rest of the season.
“We are all aware that we are getting to the point in the season where tomorrow is not guaranteed. So the big thing is cherishing every moment with each other and playing the best we can,” said Walsh.
He feels that despite being nationally ranked, the team dynamic has stayed relatively constant throughout the season which he feels has contributed to the team’s overall success.
“Being ranked hasn’t changed how we do things or who we are as a program,” Walsh said. “It is nice because it’s been a token of our accomplishments this year. But honestly, we aren’t dwelling on the rankings; we are just focused on getting a little bit better every day.”
Despite the allure of playing in the final against DePauw or Ohio Wesleyan, the team is trying to stay focused on the game ahead.
“For our team, we are going to approach it just like we have been doing all season: by taking it one game at a time,” Walsh said. “Our coaches and captains have done a great job conveying the message of staying present and focusing on what we can control. In the past, it was challenging to do this, but we have managed it well this year.”
Head coach Brandon Bianco is also trying to keep the team on track and best prepare his players for their upcoming game against Kenyon.
“Our approach right now is to try to stay as present as possible and not look ahead,” Bianco said. “We want to continue to focus on our daily preparation, which we feel will position us for where we hope to be on game day.”
Bianco is in his season and has led the Big Red four NCAC tournament appearances, two of which the Big Red took home the title.
Bianco feels especially confident in his players this year given the team’s relationship with each other.
“Our strength this year is our connection amongst each other. This is our superpower.” Bianco said. “Our chemistry has been strong the last few years, but this year the leadership of our 10-member senior class and our good junior group has really enabled this to be at a level that it hasn’t been in years past.”
Although the team is trying to take the postseason day by day, Bianco isn’t ready for the season to be over.
“This year certainly has been memorable. We’ve had some exciting and special moments, but really what’s been so memorable for me is seeing how hard the players work for each other, how committed they are, and the joy they bring to everything we do. We’re not done yet, and I know we’ll squeeze everything out of what we have left,” Bianco said.
Photo: Jack Rice ’27 dribbles the ball while being pressured by an Ohio Wesleyan player.