GRANVILLE, Ohio (Nov. 6) -- In a fiercely contested North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament Semifinal matchup, top-seeded Denison's run for a third consecutive tournament title fell short in a 2-1 loss to the fourth-seeded Wittenberg Tigers at Kienzle-Hylbert Stadium Wednesday evening.
Wittenberg's fast start in each half set the tone, with both of their goals coming within the first five minutes, leaving Denison in a persistent battle to catch up.
Chamberlain Browning proved to be the difference-maker for Wittenberg, scoring five minutes into the game off an assist from Caroline Stupp. Browning struck again less than two minutes into the second half, doubling the Tigers' lead and placing Denison in a difficult position. Her finishing early in both halves put the Big Red under pressure, forcing them to chase the game.
Denison, however, was relentless in their response. The Big Red dominated possession and created scoring chances throughout, recording 19 shots to Wittenberg's four.
Caroline Flynn led the charge with five shots on goal, including Denison's only score in the 60th minute. The goal came after an impressive effort by senior classmate
Sophia Connell, who worked her way down the right side, beating her defender and delivering a pass to Flynn. Flynn capitalized on the opportunity, narrowing the gap and energizing Denison's attack as they continued to push for an equalizer.
Despite the momentum shift, Wittenberg's goalkeeper, Lily Winkle, worked overtime, making nine crucial saves that kept Denison at bay. The Big Red peppered Wittenberg's goal, particularly in the second half, and secured eight corner kicks, but Winkle's steadfast performance prevented any further scoring. Perhaps Denison's best chances came when sophomore
Mara McGlone had a heading attempt graze the top of the cross bar and push over the back of the goal. Less than a minute later, first-year
Lola Tirabassi freed herself up with a nice individual effort but missed just high. Connell put a strong shot on goal in the 76th minute but Winkle turned aside the effort.
Denison put together sizable advantages in shots (19-4), shots on goal (10-3) and corner kicks (8-2) in the tough setback.
The loss drops Denison to 10-5-3 overall. Wittenberg improves to 6-5-5 overall. The Tigers advance to the NCAC Tournament Championship on Saturday when they head Indiana to face second-seeded DePauw University.
