Junior Stephanie Martin gains possession against Denison University’s
Gen Eng - Surowiec in the Tiger’s match Saturday afternoon.
DePauw fell to the Denison Big Reds 2-1
after Denison fired a shot in overtime to end the game.
ABBY MARGULIS / THE DEPAUW
With Saturday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Denison University Big Red (13-5, 6-2) the Tigers (5-8-2, 3-3-2) ended their season just one point away from qualifying for the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament.
Things looked good for the Tigers early on, as senior Chloe Jacob put DePauw on the board off of a cross from sophomore Jennifer Dimos just after the 10 minute mark.
The Tigers maintained the lead for the rest of the first half and for most of the final period. Despite numerous opportunities for both teams, it was Denison’s Anne Denze who next found the back of the net in the 85th minute, forcing the game into overtime.
It didn’t take long for the Big Red to net the goal that would go on to end DePauw’s season. Less than 15 minutes into the first overtime period, the Big Red’s Meg Wozniak pushed the game winning goal past DePauw goalkeeper, junior Sarah Cho.
Saturday’s loss did show some improvement out of the Tigers. At times throughout the season, the Tigers had difficulty putting up offensive pressure and were consistently outshot. On Saturday, the Tigers played like a team with their backs up against a wall, outshooting the Big Red 11-9.
The Tigers finished 2014 with 11 total points, just one shy of the conference’s fourth place finisher, Wittenberg University, a team DePauw defeated 1-0 on Oct. 28.
When the Tigers return to Reavis Stadium next fall, expect to see some familiar faces. Head coach Megan McCormick will be returning with a full year of experience, and the Tigers will only lose three seniors: Emma Cooper, Chloe Jacob and Ryan Konicek. Sophomore Elizabeth Seewer, who led the team with five goals, is expected to return as well.
For now, the Tigers enter the offseason after coming tantalizingly close to their third straight qualification for the NCAC tournament.