GAMBIER, Ohio (October 26, 2022) – In a matchup between two of the top three teams in the North Coast Athletic Conference standings, the Denison University women's soccer team suffered its first conference loss of the season in a 2-0 defeat at Kenyon College on Wednesday.

Kenyon got off to a good start by scoring on the first shot of the match less than eight minutes in.

Then after Denison's first shot on goal came from Maddie Reap in the 26th minute, the Owls kept their foot on the gas pedal and scored again just over a minute later to make it 2-0 and put all of the pressure on the Big Red.

In the 40th minute, Ellie Reiser fired Denison's second shot on goal of the first half, but it was saved by Leah Anderson, and then Reiser missed high in the 43rd minute as Denison outshot Kenyon 6-3 in the period, but it was the Owls that converted on both of their shots on goal.

A good strike from outside the box by Leland Keller was knocked out of bounds by Anderson in the 57th minute, and then after the ensuing corner kick, the attempt by Dulcie Heyes was again saved by Anderson.

Anderson again made a pair of saves on shot's by Reap in the 71st minute and by Caroline Garrard in the 72nd minute, and then she was up for the challenge one last time with saves on back-to-back shots by Victoria Nielsen and Reiser in the 88th and 89th minutes, respectively.

In all for the second half, Denison outshot Kenyon 10-2 and had all six shots on goal and all six corner kicks in the period, but kept getting turned away by Anderson, who finished with eight saves on the match.

For Denison, Wynne Hague did not face a single shot on goal after entering the match in the 31st minute while the Big Red were led in shots by Reiser (4) and Reap (3), who both put two of their attempts on goal.

With its first loss against Kenyon since 2015, the Big Red dropped to 4-8-4 overall and 3-1-2 in the NCAC while the Owls posted their third shutout win in a row to improve to 6-5-4 and 4-1-1 while also taking over first place in the conference standings. Denison, meanwhile, will need to fight for its postseason life next time out against the College of Wooster as the Big Red wrap up the regular season at home at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 29, against the Fighting Scots (7-5-4, 2-2-2).