GRANVILLE, OH – The top-seeded Denison Big Red captured the 2026 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Field Hockey Tournament title on Saturday, November 7, with a 4-1 victory over the second-seeded Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops. The tournament championship is Denison’s second straight and seventh overall.
As conference tournament champions, the Big Red have earned the league's automatic bid into the 2026 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament. The NCAA Division III selection show will be held at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, on NCAA.com.
#1 DENISON (16-2) 3, #2 OHIO WESLEYAN (15-5) 1
- After a scoreless first quarter, Denison got on the board first in the second quarter when senior Emma Gebhart (Newbury, NH/Concord Carlisle) found the back of the cage off an assist from senior Reilly Desmond (Eagle, CO/Proctor Academy) to give the Big Red a 1-0 advantage. Ohio Wesleyan responded shortly after, as first-year Emmerson Crist (Baltimore, MD/Carver Center A&T) scored off an assist from junior Reagan Shifflett (Henrico, VA/Godwin), evening the score at 1-1.
- Denison regained the lead in the third quarter when Gebhart scored her second goal of the afternoon off an assist from sophomore Lulu Keil (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest). Gebhart added her third goal later in the period, again assisted by Keil, to extend the Big Red's advantage to 3-1.
- The Big Red added an insurance goal in the fourth quarter when Desmond found the back of the cage to push the lead to 4-1 and secure the victory.
- Gebhart led Denison with three goals on five shots, including four on goal, while Desmond finished with a goal and an assist. Keil contributed two assists. Junior goalkeeper Therese Lucian (Mickleton, NJ/Tower Hill School (DE)) recorded two saves in the win, while senior Payton Mindel (Louisville, KY/duPont Manual) finished with four saves for the Battling Bishops.
- Denison outshot Ohio Wesleyan 12-5, including an 8-3 advantage in shots on goal, and held a 4-3 edge in penalty corners.
The NCAC All-Tournament team was also revealed at the conclusion of the tournament. Twelve members from Denison, DePauw, Kenyon and Ohio Wesleyan made up the squad. For the second year in a row, Denison’s Gebhart was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
NCAC Field Hockey All-Tournament Team
Helen Harpenau, DePauw
Sophie Flynn, DePauw
Ari Rowe, Kenyon
Ada-Louise Wigfield, Kenyon
Grace Ammon, Ohio Wesleyan
Emma Reynolds, Ohio Wesleyan
Mary Powers, Ohio Wesleyan
Reilly Desmond, Denison
Lulu Keil, Denison
Annie Luongo, Denison
Tabitha Chandler, Denison
MVP - Emma Gebhart, Denison