Last year's North Coast Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year, Catie Merrick (Owings Mills, Md./Garrison Forest) netted a hat trick in the 2010 opener, helping the Denison Big Red to a 3-0 victory over Roanoke College in Lynchburg, Va.  Merrick, who is coming off a 2009 season which saw her score 18 goals, broke the scoreless tie in the 56th minute when Hilary Zdanowski (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) set the sophomore up off a penalty corner.

Up to that point DU had outshot Roanoke 20-2 and that goal seemed to open the floodgates.  Just over two minutes later Merrick would clean up a rebound off a shot attempt from Taylor Bacon (Mission Hills, Kan./Pembroke Hill School) to put DU up 2-0.  In the 66th minute Merrick put the game out of reach off another put-back, this time following a shot on-goal by Katie Couyoumjian (Ann Arbor, Mich./Greenhills).

DU would outshoot the Maroons 28-3 for the game.  Penalty corners were 11-0 in favor of the Big Red and Brittany Benson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) finished with one save for Denison while Roanoke goalkeeper, Cristina Schicilone finished with 18 saves.

Denison improves to 1-0 with the victory.  They will remain in Virginia for Sunday's match-up against host, Lynchburg College at 12 p.m.