GAMBIER, Ohio (April 9, 2022) – The No. 21 Denison University women's lacrosse team played in its first North Coast Athletic Conference game on the road of the 2022 season on Saturday at Kenyon College, but it was a game the Big Red would like to forget as the Ladies took a 6-1 lead at halftime and stunned Denison 8-6 in the end.

It was a big matchup that featured the only 2-0 teams in the NCAC, both of which were looking for their fifth wins in a row. However, it was Kenyon that jumped out to a 2-0 lead five and a half minutes in and led it 3-1 after the first quarter.

It was then a 6-1 Ladies' advantage at halftime as Denison's lone goal of the opening 30 minutes came from Casey McTague with 4:18 left in the first quarter.

Denison was only outshot by three (12-9) in a first half in which both teams had eight shots on goal, but it was the eight total saves, including six in the second quarter alone, by Kenyon's Nola Garand that kept the Big Red from getting close until late in the fourth quarter.

Emma Repke opened the scoring in the second half to get Denison to within 6-2 with 7:50 left in the period, but Kenyon answered with two goals to close out the third quarter and make it 8-2. The Ladies outshot Denison 10-2 in the third quarter and held the Big Red to just one shot on goal.

The fourth quarter was all Denison on the scoreboard as Ana Ortiz DeRosa made it 8-3 with 11 minutes left, but it took another seven minutes for the Big Red to start their comeback rally as back-to-back goals by McTague and Ashley Viglione made it 8-5 with 2:39 remaining. Unfortunately, it was just too little too late as Josie Lucchesi's goal with only one second left capped off the game.

In addition to McTague who finished with two goals, Viglione (1 goal, 1 assist) and Abby Van Metre (2 assists) also both finished with two points. McTague also led Denison with four draw controls and three caused turnovers while Annie Rau finished with three groundballs.

The loss snapped Denison's 45-game regular-season conference winning streak that dated back to April 11, 2015. The Big Red were trying to break the all-time NCAC conference winning streak of 49 games (1991-1996) set by Denison in the 1990's with an undefeated conference slate this year, but that run has officially come to an end. Instead, Denison now falls to 6-4 overall and 2-1 in the NCAC while Kenyon, which is off to its best start in program history, improved to 9-1 and 3-0 while also earning its first win against Denison since 2013 and snapping a seven-game losing streak against the Big Red. Addtitonally, the Ladies now take over sole possession of first place in the conference standings.

Next up for Denison will be another road game, this time at Wittenberg University starting at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13. The Big Red will then return home to host Oberlin College at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 16.