Scots Move on to NCAC Tournament Final, Set Up Rematch with Ohio Wesleyan

Hillary Darragh

Less than two weeks after Denison University handed The College of Wooster a heartbreaking one-goal loss in double overtime, the Scots gained revenge on the Big Red, earning a slim 8-7 victory in the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament semifinals. The win marks the second-straight season which Wooster has beaten Denison in the conference semifinal round, besting the Big Red by a 19-12 count a season ago.

The game went back-and-forth throughout the first half, as the teams traded goals four times over the first 30 minutes, sending the game into the halftime break tied 4-4. Leading the Wooster attack was Hillary Darragh with three goals, including a free-position tally, while Amy Denny notched her lone score of the game, and fourth goal of the season, just under nine minutes into the opening period.

The Big Red (6-9) broke the tie just under five minutes into the second period on a goal from Meg Wilcox. Over the next 9:32, Wooster recorded a 4-1 run with two more goals by Darragh and single tallies by Taryn Higgins and Nina Dine sandwiched around a Sara Langsam goal for the Big Red. The run gave Wooster an 8-6 cushion with 15:31 remaining in the game.

Denison managed one more goal by Jenny Strathern shortly thereafter, but neither squad found the back of the opposing net over the final 14:56 of play resulting in the one-goal win for Wooster.

The game was evenly matched in nearly every statistical category, with Wooster holding a slight edge in shots (25-22), draw controls (10-7), and in groundballs (29-20). Wooster also converted 4-of-7 free-position shots, while Denison was 3-of-11, including 0-of-7 in the second half.

Another key in Wooster’s (10-5) win was the play of goalkeeper Jamie Dannenberg, as she recorded 11 saves on the afternoon. On the other end of the field Denison’s net-minder, Amanda Wilson, matched her counterpart’s output with 11 stops of her own.

Darragh paced the Wooster offense, tying a season- and career-high with five goals after scoring four goals and tacking on an assist one year ago in the conference semifinals, while Denny, Dine and Higgins each recorded a goal. Carly Carey chalked up her 10th assist on the campaign, aiding Darragh’s first goal of the game.

The Big Red were led by Wilcox and Langsam with two goals apiece, while Quinn Simmons, Kelly Vogt, and Strathern all recorded one goal, respectively. Lindsay Howard tallied the lone helper for Denison.

The Scots now advance to the NCAC Tournament finals and will face host and No. 1 seed Ohio Wesleyan (9-4), a 13-9 victor over No. 4 seed Allegheny College, Saturday afternoon in a 3 p.m. battle for the NCAC title and the league’s automatic berth into next week’s NCAA Div. III tournament. The same two teams battled it out one year ago in the conference tournament finals in Delaware, with Wooster coming out on top by a 13-10 margin.