Box Score GAMBIER, Ohio-- Denison's Kirsten Audette scored the game-winning goal 11 minutes into overtime resulting in a thrilling 2-1 victory over Kenyon College at McBride Field. The win helped avenge a stinging 2-1 overtime loss to the Ladies in last year's North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. It also marked the third-straight regular season win over Kenyon.
Scoring opportunities for both teams were sparse throughout the contest. Denison broke through first when Charlotte Godfrey sent a shot that was deflected into the goal by Charlotte Happel in the 57th minute.
That 1-0 lead stood until just over three minutes remained on the clock, that's when Kenyon's Katelyn Hutchinson got out on a fast break and was 1v1 with Denison goalie Kerry Lawler who came out of the cage to challenge. Hutchinson's initial shot was saved by Lawler but she managed to gather the loose ball and score on the empty cage, tying the match at 1-1.
In overtime gameplay shifts to 7-on-7 and the Big Red started out with Happel, Godfrey, Jane Higley, Michelle Kabaira, Jen Durbin and Lucy Pearsall in the field of play.
With the field opened up, so did the offense. In the first two minutes of OT, Denison took two penalty corners and sent three shots-on-goal. Minutes later, Kenyon flipped the field and took three shots that were blocked by Denison defenders.
In the 76th minute of play, Audette entered the match for Pearsall and five minutes later, Audette drove down the right side and fired a shot between the legs of Kenyon goalie Sarah Speroff for the winner.
The two teams tied in the shot department at 11 apiece. Penalty corners ended in an 8-7 edge for Denison. Speroff posted five saves for Kenyon while Lawler finished with two saves for Denison.
The Big Red improves to 8-3 and 5-2 in the NCAC while Kenyon drops to 9-2 and 6-1 in conference play. Denison will put their six-game winning streak on the line on Saturday (Oct. 7) when they travel to DePauw for a noon start.
