Big Red clinch NCAC regular season title with win over Tigers

The 12th-ranked Denison women's soccer team clinched their seventh outright North Coast Athletic Conference regular season title with a 2-1 victory over league rival Wittenberg University at Barclay-Thomsen Field on Wednesday night. Sophomore Kimmi Oshita's (pictured) two goals lifted the Big Red to their 10th straight win and the top seed in the NCAC Tournament.

After weathering the Tigers' early offensive storm, Denison swung momentum back into their favor with a pair of solid scoring opportunities. Roughly 10 minutes into the contest, junior Anna Rusch found reigning NCAC Player of the Week Jen Clemmer streaking down the right side of the field. Clemmer corralled the pass and unloaded a cross-goal shot that was deflected out of harm's way by Wittenberg goalkeeper Jordan Bamberger. DU's second opportunity came five minutes later when junior Kate Henderson unleashed a rocket from 40 yards out that Bamberger barely kept from going across the goal line.

After a scoreless first half, the Big Red finally found the back of the net when Oshita chipped a shot over Bamberger's head off a crossing pass from sophomore Maggie Hoskin to give DU a 1-0 in the 67th minute. At the 74:13 mark, Oshita scored her second goal of the contest. The sophomore's 13th goal of the season was a header off a free kick from junior Julie Dean.

The Tigers trim the margin to 2-1 13 seconds later when Sheryl Chambers drove past a Denison defender and scored on a cross-goal shot past a diving Courtney Cobb. After surrendering the score the Big Red defense picked up their play and shut down Wittenberg's offensive attempts to preserve the victory.

DU outshot Wittenberg 13-8, including an 11-2 advantage in shots on goal. Cobb finished the night with one save while Bamberger stopped nine shots.

With the win, the Big Red improves to 14-2-1 overall and a perfect 7-0 in the NCAC. Denison closes out the regular season on Saturday (Nov. 1) when they host Wooster at 1 p.m.