The Tigers' run at the conference championship ended on Wednesday night, as the men fell to Ohio Wesleyan University 2-0 in the NCAC semi-final game in Delaware, Ohio.
Ohio Wesleyan held the second seed as the Tigers were given the third. A win was needed to advance to the NCAC Championship game on Saturday.
It marked the second time that DePauw (11-3-4) had been defeated by the Battling Bishops (15-3-2).
“The key to the game was possession and being dangerous in the attack," said senior defender Chris Schoenfeld. "Ohio Wesleyan held the tempo for the majority of the game, and our team never really found our rhythm offensively."
Senior midfielder Alieu Musa echoed similar sentiments.
“Our lack of possession really hurt us early on," said Musa. "In every aspect we just were not clicking as a team. We were the second best team on the field that night and the results showed that.”
Ohio Wesleyan was the only conference team to beat the Tigers this season, as DePauw boasted an impressive conference record of 6-1-2.
This marks the third year in a row that the Battling Bishops have eliminated DePauw from the conference tournament, potentially ending their season.
“Our season has ended there too many times in my career,” said senior goalkeeper Chris Yount, who was credited with six saves in the match.
However, there is a chance that the Tigers will live to see another day, as the men still have the opportunity to receive an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament.
“We are just waiting until selections come out," explained Schoenfeld. "An at-large bid is given to the teams in each region that do not automatically qualify through the conference tournament. They look at overall record, strength of schedule, and results against ranked opponents.”
The men have high hopes that they will be given another chance to prove themselves. The team’s season has included wins over sixth ranked Loras and first ranked Kenyon, along with a tie against 15th ranked Thomas More at the time. They have scored 35 goals in 18 games.
“This team is too good not to make a run in the NCAA tournament,” said Yount.
The information will be released on Monday. In the mean time, the team will continue training in hopes of preparing for the national tournament.
“It's been a great season that still doesn't embody the talent and skill level that this team has,” said Musa. “We see each others as brothers and having our season end now would be devastating.”
The team will watch the NCAA Selection Show on Monday to find out what is next for the group of talented Tigers.