After finishing their regular season with an overall record of 15-2 and 13-1 in the NCAC, the 20th-nationally-ranked Tigers will host an NCAC semifinal game against Wooster on Nov. 2 at Blackstock West Field.
Head Coach Gina Preston believes getting the opportunity to play a semifinal game at home is a huge advantage and is very comforting for the team.
"The girls are excited," Preston said. "We have great fan support when we play at home. There's nothing unexpected when playing at home."
Preston also said that being able to sleep in their own beds the night before provides a lot of relaxation and focus.
The Tigers are still in high spirits despite their loss against Denison, Saturday. The loss marked the end of their 15-game winning streak and marked DePauw's first shutout defeat of the season.
"We learned a lot as a team and we are really focused on moving forward," Preston said. "Overall it wasn't a bad game. It's good experience going into conference after playing a game that was so competitive."
The Tigers are aware of the adjustments that need to be made and are making sure they take one game at a time.
"We need to work on passing early and moving up together as a team," said junior forward Bridgette Shamleffer. "We've played Wooster twice and had two shutouts. We're feeling pretty confident, but not like the game is going to be handed to us."
Preston said the team is working on making more relaxed and easy passes as well as defensively being there to support each other.
"We're playing our best when we control the speed and tempo of the game," Preston said.
If the Tigers win the game on Wednesday, they will have the opportunity to play either Denison or Wittenberg in the championship game for NCAC title on Saturday. The winner of the championship will automatically have a place in the NCAA, an opportunity the Tigers were never guaranteed in the SCAC.
"Everyone is 0-0 again," Preston said. "We need to be prepared to win on Wednesday so we have the opportunity to play on Saturday.
Shamleffer said that while the team is focused on taking one game at a time, they are itching to face Denison one more time.
"We are hungry for revenge," Shamleffer said. "They are the only team in the conference that's beaten us."
The game will begin at 3 p.m. on Blackstock West Field and will be broadcasted on 91.5 WGRE.