GRANVILLE, Ohio (Oct. 5) -- The Denison University men's soccer celebrated Senior Day in style with a commanding 4-0 victory over visiting Hiram College Saturday afternoon at Kienzle-Hylbert Stadium. The game was the North Coast Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

"It's always nice to begin league play with 3 points and a shutout," said Denison haed coach Brandon Bianco. "They were tough to break down today and I'm happy we could find the goals we needed. It was a good performance on senior day and we look forward to the new week next week."

Celebrating their senior class in front of a home crowd, the Big Red honored 10 seniors prior to the match. Those recognized were Zach Barr, Cole Trigg, Michael Sullivan, Jake Kreuger, Niko Argyros, Corey Brunner, Doyle Catlin, Cameron McIntosh, Ben Goeller and Tommy Prokos.

Together, this group has now achieved 39 wins during their Denison careers, including NCAC Tournament Championships in 2021 and 2023, with double-digit win totals in each of their previous three seasons.

Denison controlled the match from the opening whistle, launching 15 shots on target while limiting Hiram to just one shot on frame. Despite being held scoreless for the first 27 minutes, Denison's offense soon broke through with sophomore Eli Taylor leading the charge. After back-to-back saves by the Hiram keeper, Taylor capitalized on the second rebound, slipping the ball into the back of the net to give the Big Red a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute.

The momentum quickly shifted in Denison's favor, and junior captain Henri Heyes extended the lead to 2-0 shortly after in the 35th minute. Off a perfectly placed corner kick by Phil Koutsaftis, Heyes rose to meet the ball and headed it into the upper left corner, sending the home crowd into celebration.

A pair of seniors helped Denison tack on two more goals and swell the lead to 4-0 by halftime. Niko Argyros notched his Senior Day goal with a gritty finish inside the box, guiding a deflection past the Hiram defense to make it 3-0 in the 37th minute. Fellow senior Michael Sullivan capped the scoring with a powerful strike from the top of the 18-yard box, firing across goal to beat the Hiram keeper in the 41st minute. 

Hiram's goalkeeper, Tyler Jurgensen, made an impressive 11 saves to limit the damage, but Denison's relentless attack proved too much. The Big Red saw 26 of their 30-man roster take the field, allowing a wide range of players to contribute to the win.

Denison's victory kicks off conference play on a high note as they now turn their attention to their next match. The Big Red will host Oberlin College inside Kienzle-Hylbert Stadium on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m.