DELAWARE, Ohio (October 8, 2022) – The first North Coast Athletic Conference game on the road of the 2022 season for the Denison University field hockey team saw the Big Red fall 3-0 at Ohio Wesleyan University on Saturday inside Shelby Stadium. The Battling Bishops scored two first-quarters goals and scored on all three of their shots in the first half to come out on top.

OWU held Denison to without a shot attempt in the first quarter while converting both of its attempts in the period to take a 2-0 lead after the first 15 minutes. The Battling Bishops struck first with a goal off a penalty corner less than five minutes in, and then added another score after gathering the loose ball in the front of the goal with less than a minute left in the opening quarter.

The Big Red did not get their first shot of the game until the final five minutes of the first half when a loose ball opportunity for Denison saw a defensive safe by the Bishops on a shot by Kristin Kelley. A few seconds later, a penalty corner by Abigail Hano got the ball to Denison's leading goal scorer, Madeleine Hunt, who got by her defender and had a look with a crowded box in front of her before her shot missed wide.

A little bit over two minutes later, OWU did what Denison could not and made the long shot on a penalty corner count as they took a 3-0 lead into halftime.

Athena Joannou made her first of two saves in the game with a diving effort on a one-vs.-one breakaway opportunity for OWU late in the third quarter, and then back-to-back shots by Hunt and Kate Hinshaw were both saved by OWU's Meg McCarthy just under three minutes into the fourth quarter.

Denison falls to 6-4 overall and 1-1 in the NCAC so far this season while OWU, which is the defending NCAC Tournament Champion from a year ago after beating the Big Red, 2-1, 33 seconds into overtime in the championship game, improved to 8-2 overall, 1-1 in the conference and 7-1 at home. In addition, all eight of the Battling Bishops' wins this season have been shutouts for a team that has allowed only one goal all season long so far.

With no time off to rest, the Big Red will return home to host their Senior Day against Allegheny College at 11 a.m. on Sunday, October 9.