Box Score
Denison 12, Ohio Wesleyan 11
by Zane Kieffer '16
Freshman attacker Conor Caffrey (Scituate, Mass./Brewster (N.H.) Academy) scored to give 15th-ranked Ohio Wesleyan an 11-7 lead with 4:17 left in regulation time, but fifth-ranked Denison rallied to send the game into overtime and scored the game-winner in the extra session to defeat the Bishops in the championship game of the NCAC tournament on Saturday in Granville.
With the win, Denison claims the NCAC's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III tournament. Ohio Wesleyan will find out its playoff fate during the NCAA Division III tournament selection show, scheduled for 9 p.m., Eastern time, on Sunday, May 8.
Denison had closed to within 9-7 on a goal by James Meager with 10:40 left in regulation time.
Sophomore midfielder Luke Leyden (Northfield, Mass./Northfield Mt. Hermon) fielded a pass from freshman midfielder Cole Jamieson (Okemos, Mich.) and scored from up top to make it a 10-7 game with 5:08 remaining, and Caffrey circled around the Big Red goal and scored to give the Bishops an 11-7 lead with 4:17 to go.
The Big Red got a man-up opportunity shortly thereafter when senior midfielder Cooper Del Zotto (Orangeville, Ontario/Taft School) was called for pushing. During the man advantage for Denison, senior defenseman Ben Danieli (Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville) picked up the ground ball after a blocked Big Red shot, but Denison's Jake Waxter forced a turnover, picked up the ground ball, and passed to Liam Rooney, whose shot found the back of the net to make it 11-8 with 3:44 remaining.
Denison won the ensuing face-off and looked for an opening, with Blair Farinholt firing a shot that junior goalkeeper Ben Rigger (Decatur, Ga.) saved. The ground ball went to Rooney, who found Nick Bortolani in front of the open net, and Bortolani's goal brought the Big Red within 11-9 with 2:25 left. On the play, junior defenseman Jordan Carlson (Delaware/Hayes) was called for a cross-check, giving the Big Red a man-up opportunity, and the hosts took advantage, with Donohue scoring from close range off a feed from Waxter to narrow the margin to 11-10 with 1:44 to play.
The Bishops won the ensuing face-off but turned the ball over, with Denison calling timeout with 1:07 remaining. After the timeout, Farinholt passed to Meager, who spun and fired to tie the game with :53 remaining.
Denison won the next face-off and played for the final shot, but Rigger saved a shot by Meager during the final seconds of regulation time. Carlson was flagged for pushing on the play, and the Big Red elected to hold the ball and start the overtime with possession.
The Bishops killed the penalty, but the Big Red maintained possession until Farinholt's shot was blocked. Farinholt got to the loose ball and passed to Rooney, who found Meager, whose shot was good for the game-winner.
Ohio Wesleyan had broken a 2-2 tie with a run of 4 consecutive goals, with junior midfielder Derek Todd (Edina, Minn.) scoring for a 3-2 Bishop lead after one quarter before scores by freshman attacker Jack Jeschke (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy), freshman attacker Max Tennant (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek), and freshman midfielder Steven Hildebrand (Berwyn, Pa./Conestoga) gave the Bishops a 6-2 lead with 6:28 remaining in the second quarter.
The Big Red would rally, but Ohio Wesleyan had an answer each time, countering a goal by Farinholt with a long shot by Leyden, and answering Big Red scores by Rooney and Bortolani with a transition goal by Tennant during the final minute of the first half and a score by Leyden with 5:11 left in the third that stretched the Bishop lead to 9-5.
Denison closed to within 9-7 with goals by Jamie McCahan and Meager, but the Bishops restored the 4-goal margin when Leyden scored from up top with 5:08 left in regulation time and Caffrey scored with 4:17 to play.
Leyden led the Bishops with 4 goals and 2 assists, followed by Tennant with 2 goals. Rigger finished with 9 saves.
Danieli, Leyden, Rigger, and Tennant represented the Bishops on the all-tournament team.
Rooney led Denison with 3 goals and 4 assists, while Meager added 3 goals. Chris Thomas recorded 6 saves in the net for the Big Red. Meager was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
Box Score
