GAMBIER, Ohio -- The stakes were high on The Field at Benson Bowl on Saturday as the Kenyon College women's lacrosse team faced off against Ohio Wesleyan University in a 'win and you're in' game for two teams pushing for the postseason. The visiting Battling Bishops struck first and led 3-0, but the Owls stormed back and orchestrated a 14-6 comeback win on Senior Day to secure a spot in next week's North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament.

The victory pushed Kenyon's record to 7-8 overall and 3-3 in NCAC play, while OWU fell to 11-6 overall and finished with a matching 3-3 conference record. The head-to-head win gives Kenyon the tiebreaker over the Bishops, while OWU will have to hope for a DePauw University loss later as their only chance to make it into the upcoming four-team tournament.

The 14-6 final is indicative of a Kenyon team that dominated most of the game, but the score would surprise if one only looked at how things started. The Battling Bishops came out swinging, and the visitors landed the first three blows to take a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Despite a less-than-ideal start, the home team settled in and took over the game from then on, outscoring OWU 14-3 the rest of the way. The Owls scored three straight goals to close the first half as two Spencer Kirsch scores bookended a Charlotte Skelly goal. The Bishops bounced back with the second half's first goal, but it was all Kenyon after that.

The Owls scored six unanswered goals, including two more from Kirsch, two from Mallory Brophy, and one apiece from Bridgette Cassidy and Susannah Zimmerman. OWU pulled within three at 9-6 after goals to end the third quarter and start the fourth, but Skelly helped slam the door on any comeback hopes. The first-year was on fire, scorching the Bishops for four straight scores. Blythe Karras put the cherry on top of the victory late in the game as the Owls clinched their comeback.

Skelly's five goals were a season-high for the first-year. Kirsch, a junior, tied her season high with four goals, a mark she's managed in each of her last two outings. She also tied a season-high with a team-leading four draw controls. Elena Zuvekas, another junior, set a career-high with four assists.

Defensively, first-year Emma Sage forced a game-high three caused turnovers, tying her season high. Lily Mason led the Owls with four ground balls, and she impacted all aspects of the game, corralling two draw controls, causing two turnovers, and adding an assist. Nola Garand was great in goal, saving 14 of OWU's 20 shots on goal, a .700 save percentage that is her second-best mark this season.

The big win ensured that Kenyon's three-player 2025 senior class will have at least one more game before their stellar careers come to a close. The Owls celebrated their three seniors, Brophy, Garand, and Karras, before the game.

While the Owls will wait to see the final NCAC Tournament seeding, the team can already look ahead to next week's quarterfinal match. Whether Kenyon finishes as the No. 3 or No. 4 seed, the Owls will travel to take on either Denison University or The College of Wooster for a midweek playoff matchup.