GRANVILLE, Ohio (Nov. 2) – Fueled by sophomore
Emma Gebhart's first collegiate hat trick, the Denison University field hockey team celebrated Senior Day in style with a 5-0 victory over visiting Washington & Jefferson College in North Coast Athletic Conference play Saturday morning.
Denison, winners of six-straight to close the regular season, finishes with a 9-1 record in NCAC play and a 10-6 overall. W&J closes its season at 3-7 in conference play.
The Big Red finish in a tie for the regular season title with Ohio Wesleyan for the NCAC regular season title. By virtue of its 1-0 win over Denison back on Oct. 1, the Battling Bishops earn the top seed in the conference tournament while the Big Red will slot in at number two in the four-team tournament.
This marks the sixth time under 25th year head coach
P.J. Soteriades claimed at least a share of the NCAC regular season title. The regular season title is the first for Denison since 2019.
Following a scoreless opening 15 minutes, Denison struck twice in the second quarter. Three minutes into the quarter,
Emma Gebhart found herself wide open just inside the top left of the circle following a pass from the near sideline by
Nina Casingal.
Less than two minutes later, Gebhart slipped past a defender before stepping inside the top right of the circle to fire a shot into the back of the cage. The score made it 2-0 Denison with a little more than 10 minutes remaining before halftime.
Denison kept up its offensive pressure in the second half. The Big Red tallied two goals in the third quarter.
Reilly Desmond turned in an acrobatic score less than four minutes into the third. Desmond knocked in a rebound following a long strike by Gebhart from outside the circle. The goal was the ninth of the season for Desmond.
Just a little more than a minute later, Gebhart was able to finish off her first collegiate hat trick. Gebhart was able to score from left post following a pass from
Helen Breen which bounced in front of the goal before finding Gebhart's stick.
Maddie Gaines closed the scoring with a fourth quarter score. Gaines scored off a pass from Gebhart with near eight minutes remaining. The goal was the third of the season for Gaines.
Gebhart finished with three goals and two assists for a carer-high eight points. Gebhart is the NCAC leader in goals (15) and points (35).
Denison honored seniors
Athena Joannou and Kristen Kelley before the game for their hard work, dedication and commitment to the program the past four years. The two seniors have helped Denison to 44 wins which includes 30 wins in NCAC play. The two helped spearhead Denison's NCAC Tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance last fall.
Up Next: Denison will host the NCAC Tournament Semifinals at Deeds Field – Piper Stadium on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Start time is tentatively scheduled for a 5 p.m. OWU will face fourth-seeded DePauw University in Wednesday's other semifinal.
