GAMBIER, Ohio – A drive through the interior of the Kenyon College defense resulted in an overtime goal and a 1-0 North Coast Athletic Conference victory for the Denison University Big Red field hockey team on Wednesday evening.

After a scoreless regulation at McBride Field, the rivals burnt up another 7:27 of overtime before the lone goal was recorded by Denison sophomore Michelle Kabaira. She gained possession near the right wing, dribbled through the Kenyon defense and fired off a backhanded shot near the center of the Kenyon cage. The goal was her first of the season.

The win kept Denison atop the NCAC standings with a 7-0 conference mark. Overall, the Big Red improved to 9-2. On the other side of the field, Kenyon fell to 5-5 with a 4-3 mark in NCAC play. All five Kenyon losses this season have come by one goal and four have been in overtime periods.

Kabaira's goal decided the game, but the Denison defense was the difference. The Big Red came into the contest yielding averages of just 0.66 goals and 5.4 shots per game to opponents. Kenyon, which managed three shots Wednesday, became the Big Red's fifth shutout victim of the year.

The Big Red tallied 22 shots, but only seven were on goal. Freshman goalkeeper Suzy Deems made five saves for Kenyon and junior defender Sammy Russell was credited with her second defense save of the season.

Kenyon, losing back-to-back, regular-season games for the first time since the start of the 2013 season, will try to turn things around on Saturday, when it hosts Oberlin College in a noon showdown.