Denison at Ohio Wesleyan
The Ohio Wesleyan University women's soccer team will host Denison in the championship game of the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Jay Martin Soccer Complex.
Ticket prices for NCAC tournament games are $7 for adults and $3 for children 18 and under. Students bearing a valid ID from an NCAC institution will be admitted free of charge. There will be no re-entry, and no containers are permitted.
Ohio Wesleyan (12-2-4) is the No. 3 seed in the tournament after tying for third place in the NCAC with a 4-1-2 record. The Battling Bishops advanced to the championship game with a 2-0 win at second-seeded DePauw on Wednesday, getting goals from junior forward Ali Claus (Milford) and sophomore defender Kaylee DeShong (Canal Winchester) and a shutout by freshman goalkeeper Natalie Ryan (Beavercreek/Dayton Carroll). Ohio Wesleyan is making its seventh appearance in the NCAC tournament championship game. Ohio Wesleyan has won the NCAC tournament title 6 times, most recently in 2011.
Claus and freshman midfielder Tiffany Trinh (Dublin/Scioto) share the team lead and are tied for sixth in the NCAC with 5 goals on the season. Trinh's 12 points on the year is tied for seventh in the conference, while Claus' 10 points ranks 10th in the league. Sophomore forward Avery Maxeiner (Sunbury/Big Walnut) has 4 goals, tied for 10th in the conference. Claus and Maxeiner share the league lead with 3 game-winning goals on the year, while Trinh and freshman midfielder Athena Kolettis (Northfield/Nordonia) are tied for fifth with 2 game-winners apiece. Ryan leads the league with 11 shutouts, a goals-against average of 0.291, and a saves percentage of .928. Ryan was tied for sixth in the nation in shutouts and was eighth nationally in goals-against average prior to the DePauw game.
Denison (6-8-4) is the No. 4 seed in the tournament after tying for third place in the NCAC with a 4-1-2 record. The Big Red moved into the tournament final with a 1-0 win at conference champion Kenyon on Wednesday, with midfielder Ellie Reiser scoring the game-winner in the 73rd minute and goalkeeper Wynne Hague posting the shutout. Denison is playing in the NCAC tournament championship for the 10th time. The Big Red have taken the tournament title 3 times, most recently in 2016.
Midfielder Caroline Garrard leads the Big Red and is tied for sixth in the NCAC with 5 goals on the season and ranks ninth in the NCAC with 11 points. Forward Dulcie Heyes has 2 game-winning goals, tied for fifth in the conference. Hague ranks second in the NCAC with a goals-against average of 0.837 and is tied for third with 4 shutouts.
The Bishops have played Denison twice in the NCAC tournament final, winning by a 1-0 score in 2001 and by a 2-1 count in 2005.
In this year's regular-season meeting, the teams played to a 1-1 tie on Oct. 22 in Granville. Forward Amy Chiero gave the Big Red the lead just over 10 minutes into the game, but Claus evened the score at 1 in the 51st minute.
The advancing team from Saturday's game will receive the NCAC's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III tournament, with play set to begin next week.
