The Denison Big Red scored twice in the second half but it wasn't enough to erase a three-goal deficit as the Kenyon College Ladies held off DU for a 4-3 victory from McBride Field in Gambier, Ohio.

Kenyon took a 2-1 lead into the half after goals by Sarah McNee and Kelsey Kiser.  The goal by Kiser came with just 33 seconds left in the period and it occurred after Denison goalie Brittany Benson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) notched a save off a shot attempt by McNee.  Denison's lone first half goal came from sophomore forward Catie Merrick (Owings Mills, Md./Garrison Forest) via a penalty stroke with just over four minutes to play in the half.

In the second half, the Ladies took a two-goal lead when McNee scored off an assist by Cary Watts.  Denison would respond two minutes later with back-to-back goals by Merrick.  Merrick's second goal came off a put-back with just under 10 minutes to play and her third score came via an assist by Devon Satnick (Westport, Conn./Brien McMahon) following a KC timeout.

The three-goal performance by Merrick was the fourth hat-trick of her career and the second of 2010.  Merrick has accounted for all eight goals scored by the Big Red this season.

Over the final nine minutes of play Denison attempted three shots, all of which were blocked short of the cage by the Kenyon defense.

Denison and Kenyon both attempted 20 shots in the game and Benson ended with eight saves.

The Big Red drop to 1-5 with the loss and will look to rebound on Friday (Sept. 17) when they travel to Richmond, Ind. for another conference match-up with Earlham College.