GREENCASTLE, Ind. (October 12, 2023) – In a matchup featuring two of the three undefeated field hockey teams in the North Coast Athletic Conference this season, it was Denison University coming out on top by a final score of 2-0 at DePauw University on Thursday night in Indiana. The Big Red scored twice in the first half while the defense allowed just two shots on goal en route to victory.

In addition to taking down the defending NCAC regular-season champions and handing them their first conference loss in 15 games, Denison (8-3 overall, 7-0 NCAC) also snapped an eight-game winning streak for DePauw (9-4, 6-1).

Through the first six conference games of the season, Denison had yet to let up a goal while DePauw had only let up one, and both teams had 18 goals scored in conference play.

On Thursday, however, Denison stuck quickly as within the first five minutes of the game, a penalty corner by Kate Hinshaw went to Lila Smith, whose shot from just inside the circle fired past the DePauw goalkeeper Bella Lauber for her fourth goal of the season.

The Tigers' offense then proceeded to hit the post and then have a second shot blocked, both in the eighth minute, before another shot by Smith was this time saved by Lauber in the final minute of the opening period.

Then three minutes into the second quarter, back-to-back penalty corners for Claire Willoughby and Grace Lock led to another goal for the Big Red to double up the score. After Lock's pass on the penalty corner went to Abigail Hano in the same spot where Smith scored from, Hano instead passed it across to the opposite side of the circle to Tabitha Chandler, who made a move past one defender and then put a shot on the ground that found its way to the far side for her second goal of the season.

Shots were even at five apiece in the first half and corners were 5-3 in favor of the Tigers, but it was the Big Red who made their penalty corners count as they lead to both goals in the opening 30 minutes.

After Denison goalkeeper Athena Joannou made her first save of the game in the 22nd minute during the second quarter, neither team had another shot until the final minute of the third quarter when two penalty corners for the Tigers led to three shots, two of which were blocked and one of which was saved by Joannou.

DePauw tried to keep the pressure up with another penalty corner and a shot wide in the first two and a half minutes of the fourth quarter, but that was the last threat of the night by the Tigers.

Both teams finished with nine shots on the game while Denison led 5-2 in shots on goal. In addition, Smith put all three of her shot attempts on the night on target.

Next up, Denison will play in back-to-back games on back-to-back days at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The Big Red will first play a neutral-field contest against a top-10 nationally-ranked opponent in the form of No. 6 Christopher Newport University at 11 a.m. on Sunday, October 15, before battling against the hosts from Mary Washington at 10 a.m. on Monday, October 16.