Top Seeds Set Up Fourth Straight NCAC Tournament Title Showdown

CLEVELAND, OH - The home teams claimed the semifinal round of the 2026 NCAC Field Hockey Tournament as No. 1 Denison prevailed 3-0 over No. 4 DePauw, while No. 2 Ohio Wesleyan advanced to the tournament championship game with a 1-0 victory over No. 3 Kenyon.
 
For the fourth consecutive year, the Big Red and Battling Bishops will meet for the NCAC Tournament title. The previous three championship meetings have been decided by just one goal, with Denison earning a 1-0 overtime victory in 2023, Ohio Wesleyan claiming a 1-0 win in 2024, and the Big Red capturing a 2-1 overtime victory last season. Saturday's 2026 Tournament Championship Game is scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. start in Granville, Ohio.
 
#2 OHIO WESLEYAN (15-4) 1, #3 KENYON (8-9) 0
  • The opening half was a defensive battle that saw both defenses limit offensive opportunities on a wet field. Ohio Wesleyan took all three first-quarter shots before the teams evened up at four apiece in the second frame.
  • Kenyon junior goalkeeper Sofia Chaves (Trumbull, CT/St. Joseph) started strong with two saves in the opening period, turning away back-to-back shots from OWU’s Grace Ammon (Southborough, MA/Algonquin Regional) and Mary Powers (Centreville, VA/Chantilly) in the fifth minute to keep the Battling Bishops off the board.
  • The Owls offense took the first two second-quarter shots and registered the only shot on goal in the period, but Ohio Wesleyan senior Payton Mindel (Louisville, KY/duPont Manual) saved Kenyon sophomore Hendrika Maher’s (Grand Rapids, MI/East Grand Rapids High) shot in the 26th minute to keep the first half scoreless.
  • The first scoring chance of the second half proved to be the deciding factor as OWU broke through after consecutive shots in the 32nd minute. Chaves saved the first, but Ohio Wesleyan senior Mattison Hyland (Saylorsburg, PA/Pleasant Valley) put away the rebound to put the Battling Bishops ahead 1-0.
  • OWU outshot Kenyon 8-2 in the third quarter, but Chaves saved three shots as the one-goal margin carried into the fourth frame. The Battling Bishops did not allow the Owls to take a shot in the last quarter, turning away a late penalty corner to clinch the 1-0 victory.
  • Kenyon’s Chaves compiled six saves to pace the goalkeepers, while OWU’s Mindel saved one shot.
  • Junior Emma Reynolds (Delaware, OH/Columbus Bishop Watterson) led the Battling Bishops with six shots, while Powers led with three shots on goal.
  • The Ohio Wesleyan offense outshot the Owls 16-5 (7-1 shots on goal) for the game and built a 6-2 edge in penalty corners.
#1 DENISON (15-2) 3, #4 DEPAUW (9-7) 0
  • Denison started the scoring early as sophomore Lulu Keil (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) landed the first blow less than two minutes into the game. The opening goal came on the game’s first shot in the second minute and proved to be the game-winner as the Big Red led the rest of the way.
  • DePauw took one shot in the first frame and added two more in the second quarter, but Denison junior Therese Lucian (Mickleton, NJ/Tower Hill School (Del.)) saved Tigers junior Helen Harpenau’s (Novi, MI/Novi) shot on goal.
  • With the first half winding down, first-year Maggie Lamb (Ann Arbor, MI/Pioneer) doubled Denison’s lead to 2-0 with an unassisted goal in the 23rd minute.
  • The Tigers immediately had multiple tries to get on the board to start the third quarter, tallying 11 combined shots and penalty corners in the first nine minutes. However, Lucian saved all three shots on goal to preserve Denison’s shutout.
  • On the other side, the Big Red offense made the most of their first attack of the second half when Keil put back-to-back shots on goal in the 41st minute, connecting on the second to push the lead to 3-0.
  • DePauw did not have an opportunity to answer in the final frame as Denison held the Tigers without a shot while putting five of their six fourth-quarter shots on goal. DePauw first-year Colby Durbin (Wildwood, MO/Eureka) saved all five, but the Big Red clinched the victory.
  • Durbin’s nine saves led the game for the Tigers, while Denison’s Lucian saved all four of her tries.
  • Keil led the Big Red with game-highs of six shots and five shots on goal, while Harpenau led DePauw with two shots that were both on target.
  • Overall, Denison outshot DePauw 16-8 and had a 12-4 advantage in shots on goal, but the Tigers earned an 8-6 edge in penalty corners.

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