GAMBIER, Ohio -- The Kenyon College women's lacrosse team secured its spot in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament Championship by defending its home turf against DePauw University. Now, the top-seeded Owls will welcome the Denison University Big Red to The Field at Benson Bowl on Saturday to compete for the conference crown.

On Wednesday, Kenyon beat DePauw (11-5), the No. 4 seed, 18-6 in a semifinal bout. The Owls ran their program-record winning streak to 17 games and remained undefeated this season at 17-0. Kenyon, who ranks No. 18 and No. 21 in a pair of national polls, is one of just three unbeaten NCAA Division III teams. As of April 29, the Owls held the top spot in the NCAA Region VI regional DIII rankings.

On the other side of the bracket, second-seeded Denison (8-10) hosted a semifinal matchup against Ohio Wesleyan University (11-6), the No. 3 seed. The Big Red prevailed 13-7 after pulling away in the second half.

This year's NCAC Tournament Championship is a rematch of last year's finale, a game Kenyon won 12-10 over Denison. The Big Red jumped out to an early 4-0 lead midway through the second quarter and led 5-1 early in the third period, but Kenyon roared back seven unanswered goals and held on to claim the program's second NCAC Tournament title and first since 2013.

Earlier this season, the matchup between the Owls and the Big Red produced another thriller. Playing on the road, Kenyon built an early 8-3 lead before Denison flipped the script with a 9-2 run. Down two with five minutes left, Kenyon evened the score to send the game to overtime, where Blythe Karras's game-winner one minute and 11 seconds into the extra period clinched the Owls' victory.

Kenyon and Denison have combined to win the last 11 NCAC Tournament Championships dating back to 2011. The Big Red won nine of those titles and lead the conference in total tournament championships with 15.

The winner of the NCAC Tournament Championship receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, which begins next weekend. The NCAA announces the remainder of the Division III field on Monday with their online selection show starting at 10:30 a.m.

The championship matchup on The Field at Benson Bowl is slated for a 1 p.m. start. As mandated by the NCAC, tickets are $7 for adults and $3 for children (18 years of age and under). Any NCAC student with a valid ID from their NCAC institution will be admitted free of charge.