GAMBIER, Ohio -- In addition to earning an at-large berth in the 2023 NCAA Division III Tournament, the Kenyon College women's lacrosse team will host the Tournament's opening weekend. The Owls, who received a first-round bye, await the winner of the matchup between DePauw University and Lake Forest College.

The opening round of the 2023 NCAA DIII Tournament will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 13, followed by a second-round matchup at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 14. Both games will be played on The Field at Benson Bowl. 

Ticket prices are set at $10 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and students, and $3 for children. All ticket sales will be at the gate and are cash only. Any Kenyon student with a valid student ID will be admitted free of charge.

Kenyon earned hosting duties after compiling a 17-1 record through the completion of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament. After opening the season with a program-record winning streak, the Owls boasted a perfect 17-0 record heading into the NCAC Tournament Championship. Additionally, the 17 wins are a single-season program-best. However, Kenyon could not keep it going in the tournament title game, finishing as the runner-up after winning the regular-season NCAC Championship.

The Owls' offense is 19th in the nation in scoring at 16.22 goals per game, while their scoring defense is tied for 18th at 7.06 goals allowed per game. The combination has Kenyon ranked 12th in the NCAA with a plus-9.17 scoring margin. Caroline O'Neil leads the team with 75 points and 56 goals, while Tatumn Eccleston has tallied 54 points and a team-high 45 assists. Seven Owls have added between 27 and 40 points. In goal, Nola Garand is 16-1 with a .485 save percentage.

The postseason has an element of deja vu for two of the three teams coming to Gambier, Ohio, as DePauw and Kenyon have faced off twice in the last two weeks. The Owls faced the Tigers on the road in the regular-season finale, winning 20-4 on April 29 before DePauw fell 18-6 at Kenyon in the NCAC Tournament semifinal on May 3. On the other side, Lake Forest will meet an NCAC foe for the first time in the program's two-year history.

DePauw enters the opening round with an 11-5 record. The Tigers, who make their way to Gambier from Greencastle, Indiana, are making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament after earning an at-large berth. DePauw finished the regular season ranked second behind Kenyon in the NCAA DIII Region VI regional rankings. The Tigers opened their season with an 8-1 nonconference record before going 3-3 in the NCAC and losing to the Owls in the NCAC Tournament. 

The Tigers have outscored opponents 224 to 179, averaging 14 goals per game and 11.2 goals against. Five DePauw players have tallied between 48 and 61 points, while Lydia Hollis has played every minute in goal.

The first-round features two teams making their NCAA Tournament debut as Lake Forest enters the field in their program's second season. The Foresters, hailing from Lake Forest, Illinois, posted a 9-9 record this season and earned an automatic bid to the Tournament by winning the Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference (MWLC) Tournament Championship. Lake Forest went 6-1 against MWLC foes and 3-8 in nonconference contests.

The Foresters have outscored opponents 220 to 92, averaging 12.2 goals for and 5.1 against. Lake Forest's offense features three players who have recorded between 48 and 61 points. Calliope Saban (6-4) and Cecilia Adams (3-5) have split time in goal, each appearing in 16 games and racking up similar statistics. 

While DePauw and Lake Forest have not faced off, the teams share two common opponents in Carthage College and Aurora University. The Tigers beat Carthage and Aurora 14-9 and 11-10 (OT), respectively, while the Foresters fell 15-7 and 15-8, respectively.

If Kenyon wins its Sunday game and advances in the NCAA Tournament, it will continue to host the regional rounds on May 20-21. The tournament semifinal and championship games will all be played in Salem, Virginia, from May 26-28.