MOUNT VERNON, Ohio – With Wednesday's 3-0 win over Ohio Wesleyan University, the Kenyon College Ladies soccer team closed out its 2015 regular-season schedule and secured a spot in the upcoming four-team North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.

Kenyon (11-6-1, 5-2-1 NCAC) has 16 points in the conference standings and currently sits in second place. DePauw University is first with 18 points, Denison University is third with 15 points and Wittenberg University is fourth with 13 points. All three of those teams still have one conference game scheduled to be played Saturday.

The Ladies won't know their tournament seeding until those game are completed, but for now they can enjoy the fact that they made postseason and have the opportunity to defend their 2014 NCAC Tournament title.

Kenyon had been toiling through a bit of a scoreless spell, one that lasted two games and continued through the first half of Wednesday's contest. The Ladies did manage 15 shots in the first 45 minutes against Ohio Wesleyan, but none of them crossed the goal line. At the 31:10 mark, the Ladies had their best opportunity. A Gillian Blackwell pass up the middle was met by a streaking Maggie Smith. Smith took a shot, but OWU goalkeeper Mackenzie Brunke charged forward and dove in front of Smith's shot. She made the save, but also took a shot to the head, finished off the half and was replaced at halftime.

In the second half, still scoreless, the Ladies' front line kept consistent pressure on OWU, testing new goalkeeper Rachel Charles. Two minutes in, they broke through. Sophomore Tess Austin dribbled up the left side of the field, stopped and passed over to Smith, who slid a bit to her right and launched what would be the game-winner into the right side of the Battling Bishops' net. It was Smith's team-leading ninth goal of the season.

One hundred seconds later, Kenyon struck again. Senior Lucy Evert gathered in a loose ball near the right sideline, moved forward and fired her shot over Charles, who was charging toward the play. The goal was the first in Evert's collegiate career.

With the game already in hand, Kenyon tacked on one more tally. After a Kenyon corner in the 82nd minute, the ball was booted around the Ohio Wesleyan box until sophomore Emma Klug took control and fired home her fourth goal of the season.

Kenyon outshot Ohio Wesleyan, 32-8, and also racked up a 9-1 advantage in corners. Senior goalkeeper Alissa Poolpol made three saves for the Ladies and recorded her tenth shutout of the season.