Tears streamed down the DePauw’s field hockey teams faces as the final buzzer sounded on Wednesday afternoon ending their first North Coast Athletic Conference tournament game and hopes of obtaining their third-straight NCAC title win.
Denison University’s Big Red stepped onto the field at Reavis Stadium Wednesday afternoon with vengeance after losing two previous games to DePauw earlier in the season (2-0, 4-0). Putting away two goals to secure their win Denison will move on to the second round of the NCAC tournament this Saturday against Kenyon College.
Junior Grace Goodbarn gains possession of the ball and moves up the field.
In Wednesday's NCAC tournament game the Tigers fell to Denison 2-0.
ABBY MARGULIS / THE DEPAUW
Scoring within the first ten minutes, Denison scooted the ball into the back of the goal from the right baseline forcing DePauw to trail behind. The Tigers fought back but were limited to the middle of the field as the Big Red stepped up their defense intercepting passes and crowding the Tigers.
“They came out really strong,” head coach Gina Preston said immediately after the game. “They had a game plan where they were sticking people behind the ball. They tried to cut off our passing game. We couldn’t get a lot of offense going. It was a lot of back and forth.”
Going into half time the Tigers were scoreless and Denison was up 1-0. Returning to the field for the last 35 minutes of play DePauw increased their offensive pressure and made adjustments.
“In the second half we were able to take the ball and make an adjustment, which generated more corners and opportunities,” Preston said.
Every woman on the field playing her hardest until the final buzzer and pushed through to get to the16-yard circle to make a goal happen. With a final count of 15 shots on goal DePauw increased it offensively but were unable to make it click to get the goal they wanted.
Senior Paige Henry led shots on goals with eight attempts. Following with two shots on goal apiece were first-year Addie Ball and senior Maggie Campbell.
In the last seven minutes of the game the team pulled first-year goalie Sarah Guendert out to add another attacker to help the Tigers achieve the win. However, Denison’s defense wasn’t letting the ball in.
Denison made the final score 2-0 in the last two seconds of the match when they were rewarded with a penalty stroke.
Disappointment struck each player on the team as they’re season ended at 4:30 p.m.
“That was not the way we wanted to end conference play and potentially our season,” junior Grace Goodbarn said.
Despite Denison ending the Tiger’s season the team finished the season with an overall record of 16-3 and a conference record of 12-2.
“We made some great progress through out the season and though this lose was disappointing I don't believe it was a true reflection of how skilled and bonded our team was overall this year,” Goodbarn continued.
“I’m proud of the team,” Preston said. “They played really hard during the second half to come back and create those opportunities. They never gave up.