GRANVILLE, Ohio (May 2, 2024) – The top-seeded Denison University men's lacrosse team scored four goals in each of the first three quarters and advanced to the championship game of the 2024 North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament following a 14-4 victory over the College of Wooster in the semifinal round on Thursday night inside Kienzle-Hylbert Stadium.

It was the first postseason matchup between Denison (13-5 overall) and Wooster (11-7) since 2019. On that day, Denison was able to shake off a 6-6 halftime score by outscoring the Fighting Scots 11-2 over the final 30 minutes of play and winning by a final score of 17-8.

In Thursday's matchup, there was nothing for the Big Red to shake off as Denison scored the first four goals of the game within the first five minutes.

The Big Red led 3-0 after back-to-back goals by Nate Kay (12:08; 10:53) and then led 4-0 after a goal by Luke Fisher (10:43) just 10 seconds later.

It was 4-2 at the end of the first quarter, but the Denison defense kept Wooster off the scoreboard for a nearly 30-minute span and ultimately took a 12-2 lead after a goal by Tommy Quinson with 1:42 left in the third quarter.

Jack Hines and Nick Vance, who also scored Denison's first goal of the game, both scored twice during Denison's 10-0 run that started with the second goal of the game by Fisher just 40 seconds into the second quarter.

Quinson, meanwhile, would add two more goals to his total in the fourth quarter.

Denison outshot Wooster by 20 (47-27) and won 14-of-22 faceoffs. The defense, meanwhile, kept the Fighting Scots off the scoreboard on six extra-man opportunities.

Fisher (2 goals; 3 assists) and Quinson (3 goals; 2 assists) both finished with five points while Kay (2 goals; 2 assists) had four.

Vance's three-goal effort was his second time in the last three goals with three goals scored, both against Wooster.

Colin MacLean was 8-for-12 on the faceoff while Grant Larson was 6-for-10 with five groundballs.

Defensively, Owen O'Neill finished with three caused turnovers and four groundballs while Jack Sload matched him with four groundballs.

Andrew Albert made 10 saves and finished with a 7.14 save percentage. It was his third game in a row with a save percentage of over .650.

This is the 11th year of the NCAC Men's Lacrosse Tournament and the 11th consecutive year that the Big Red will play in the title game. Denison is 8-2 with seven straight wins in the previous 10 conference title matchups.

Denison will face either the No. 2 seed, Ohio Wesleyan University, or the No. 3 seed, Kenyon College, on Sunday, May 5 at 3 p.m.