The Denison women's soccer team won its final five matches and seven of its last eight to secure a spot in the 2014 North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.
The Big Red secured the third seed in the tournament thanks in large part to victories over Oberlin (5-0) and DePauw (2-1) last week. As the No. 3 seed, DU will travel to Meadville, Pa. to take on second-seeded Allegheny on Wednesday at 2 p.m.
Sitting at 2-2 midway through the conference schedule, the Big Red caught fire during the second half of the NCAC slate, posting a perfect 4-0 mark to finish with a 6-2 record in league play. In their final five matches of the regular season, Denison recorded four shutouts and outscored its opponents 15-1.
Wednesday's semifinal clash will mark the 35th meeting between the Big Red and the Gators and just the third in the conference tournament matchup. Denison is 17-14-3 all-time against Allegheny.
Denison (13-5) looks to avenge a 1-0 loss to the Gators on Big Red weekend earlier in the year. Hannah Zangara scored the game's loan goal in the 63rd minute off an assist from Olivia Cushman. Freshman Grace Murray led Denison with three shots, while freshman goalie Jenny Herold made four stops.
The trio of Andrea Witte, Meg Wozniak and Ashlyn Flaherty lead the high-powered Big Red offense with seven goals each. Witte also leads the team in points (24) thanks to a conference-best 10 assists. Nine different players have at least three goals for DU this season. Herold ranks second in the league in saves percentage (.808) and goals-against average (0.84). Additionally, her seven shutouts are second to only Allegheny's Gabby Curtis (11). As a team, Denison leads the NCAC with 49 goals and has allowed the second-fewest goals in the conference (15).
In the other NCAC semifinal match, top-seeded Kenyon will host fourth-seeded Wittenberg at 2:15 p.m. in Gambier, Ohio. On Oct. 22, the Tigers handed the Ladies their lone conference loss, 1-0, in Springfield, Ohio. The winner of the two semifinal matches will face off on Saturday (Nov. 8) on the home field of the highest remaining seed.
