Granville, Ohio- Bouncing back from its first North Coast Athletic Conference loss of the season, the Denison field hockey team found its way back to the win column, defeating Kenyon College 3-1 on Senior Day and in its final regular-season home game of the year. With today's win, Denison holds an 8-6 overall record and 6-1 NCAC record, while Kenyon drops to 4-9 for the season and 4-2 in conference play.
The Owls struck first in the first six minutes of play, taking a 1-0 lead over the Big Red off a high deflection that skipped just past the reach of sophomore goalkeeper Therese Lucian. Not even two minutes later, Denison would knot up the game at one apiece after Emma Gebhart slipped past the defensive line following a penalty corner. With the match tied at one, the two teams battled up until the half for a look at the opposite team's cage, recording eight penalty corners and no goals in the second quarter.
Coming out of halftime, Kenyon came out with an aggressive midfield presence that hindered Denison's offensive push forward. However, after some crisp passing and a fast break to the cage, Gebhart pushed a pass to teammate Lulu Keil, who deflected it in for goal number two for the Big Red. Despite a bit of relief up by a goal, Denison's pressure on the ball never let up, resulting in a third goal in the fourth quarter. This time, Gebhart connected with Madden Phelps to give the Big Red some cushion with just under ten minutes remaining in regulation.
Despite a slow start, Denison had a big second half, shooting 14 of its 19 shots in the second half, and outshooting Kenyon by 15. The Big Red also held a 15-5 advantage in penalty corners, forcing the Owls to make some big saves throughout the matchup. Lucian finished the day with two saves, with the backline playing a crucial role in stopping the ball before it even made it to their goalkeeper. Kenyon's Lucy Baker came away with 10 saves, which kept the Owls in the game even in the final ten minutes of play.
Up Next
Denison travels to Washington, Pa., on Wednesday, October 22, to take on Washington and Jefferson. The two teams face each other at 4 p.m.
