GAMBIER, Ohio -- The Kenyon College women's lacrosse team would not be denied a spot in the 2025 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament, which starts Wednesday, April 30. The Owls bounced back from the brink of elimination with back-to-back wins to close the regular season, clinching the fourth seed in the four-team playoff. Kenyon will travel to take on top-seeded Denison University for a 7 p.m. matchup in nearby Granville, Ohio.

Kenyon heads into the postseason with a 7-8 overall record and a 3-3 mark in NCAC play. The Owls finished in a three-way tie for the final two playoff seeds, and Kenyon slotted into the fourth seed after tiebreaker rules were applied. DePauw University (7-8, 3-3 NCAC) and Ohio Wesleyan University (11-6, 3-3 NCAC) finished with matching NCAC records, and DePauw slotted in as the No. 3 seed while Kenyon earned the head-to-head tiebreaker over OWU after ousting the Battling Bishops in Saturday's regular-season finale. DePauw will head to The College of Wooster (15-2, 5-1 NCAC), the No. 2 seed, for Wednesday's other semifinal bout.

Denison enters the tournament with a 12-4 record and clinched the top seed after going undefeated in six conference contests. In addition to being the No. 1 seed, the Big Red are also ranked in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) NCAA Division III poll, checking in at No. 20. 

The Owls and Big Red last matched up a few weeks ago in Granville on April 12, and the game was a tale of two halves. Kenyon jumped out to an early lead and held a 5-3 edge in the second quarter, and the teams were tied 7-7 at the half. The rivals traded goals to start the third frame, but Denison all but clinched the victory with eight straight third-quarter goals, eventually prevailing 20-11. First-year Ashley Auerbach paced the Owls with four goals, while Mary Martinson's seven-goal effort helped Denison secure the win.

This year's matchup marks the fourth straight season in which Kenyon and Denison have duked it out in the NCAC Tournament. However, the previous three postseason meetings were all in the NCAC Tournament Championship rather than the semifinal. Including this season, the Big Red have won four straight against the Owls, but the streak comes after Kenyon won three straight, including the 2022 NCAC Tournament Championship. Overall, Denison has won 49 of 59 matchups against Kenyon since the two institutions began NCAC play in the 1984-85 academic year.

Kenyon heads into Wednesday's game averaging 12.00 goals per game and allows 12.40 goals per game to opponents. Denison ranks second in the NCAC with 14.94 goals per game and a plus-6.0 scoring margin as the Big Red allow an average of 8.94 goals per game to opponents. 

Individually, Blythe Karras leads Kenyon with 55 points, and her 3.67 points per game rank seventh amongst NCAC players. The senior has 29 assists this season and her 1.93 helpers per game rank second in the conference. Karras is third on the team in goals with 26, and Spencer Kirsch (28), Lily Mason (27), Charlotte Skelly (23), Auerbach (19), and Mallory Brophy (16) have all contributed to the balanced offensive output. Emma Sage, Mason, and Cecily Torres top the team's caused turnover and ground ball totals. In goal, Nola Garand leads the NCAC with 10.93 saves per game while ranking second in save percentage (.478).

Denison's Anna DeVuono leads the league in goals (59), goals per game (3.69), and shots per game (7.31), while Bridget Sheehy ranks second in assists (30) and third in assists per game (1.88). Julianne Henigan tends goal for the Big Red, and she tops the NCAC with a .485 save percentage while ranking second in goals against average (9.33).

Kenyon and Denison are the only two programs to claim an NCAC Tournament Championship since 2011. Kenyon has twice topped the bracket, winning titles in 2022 and 2013, while Denison is going for its third straight NCAC Tournament title and 18th overall crown.