INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The Denison Big Red (9-2-6) claimed their sixth North Coast Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Tournament title with a 2-0 victory over the John Carroll Blue Streaks (6-9-4) on Saturday, November 7, in Granville, Ohio. As NCAC tournament champions, the Big Red earned the NCAC's automatic bid into the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament. Denison will be making its 19th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, first since 2023.

The Big Red will open play in Naperville, Illinois, with a first-round matchup against Cal Lutheran (17-1-3) on Saturday, November 14. The Regals earned the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and are making their sixth consecutive and 20th overall appearance in the national tournament. This will mark the first meeting on the pitch between Denison and Cal Lutheran. The winner of the Big Red/Regals matchup will advance to Sunday's second round on November 15, to face the winner of the first-round contest between host North Central (IL) (15-0-2) and Webster (13-2-1).

Led by fourth-year head coach Sarah Brink, Denison has gotten strong offensive performances this season from senior Mattie Mielke (Denver, CO/Colorado Academy) and sophomores Lucy Perkins (Vail, CO/Vail Mountain School), Ella Palmer (Calabasas, CA/Calabasas) and Josie Russell (Oakwood, OH/Oakwood). Perkins has a team-leading 12 points off a team-high six goals, while Mielke owns a team-best seven assists to go along with one goal. Palmer and Russell have each posted nine points after they both netted four goals and dished one helper each. On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore goalkeeper Caroline Hague (Wilmette, IL/New Trier) has logged 1370 minutes between the posts, making 37 saves and allowing just eight goals for a minuscule 0.53 goals-against average.