For the fourth consecutive season and the 12th time in school history, the Denison Big Red women's soccer team is heading back to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.

Denison is one of 19 teams who received an at-large bid from the NCAA after posting a 14-4-1 record in the regular season.  The 2008 North Coast Athletic Conference champions will travel to Westerville, Ohio to face Centre College on Nov. 15 at 1:30 p.m.

Otterbein College is the host site for the four-team regional.  The winner of the Denison-Centre match would face the winner of the Otterbein-Penn St. Altoona match on Sunday (Nov. 16) in Westerville.

Denison seniors Sarah Ash and Molly Ruano will be making their fourth straight appearance in the postseason.  Since 2005, the duo has helped Denison to a 6-3 record in the NCAA Tournament.  In 2005 they came within one victory of their first final four appearance.  The following year they advanced to the NCAA's round of 16.

Ash is second on the team in points with 22 (7 goals; 8 assists) and Ruano leads a defense which has allowed just 16 goals in 19 matches.  Sophomore Kimmi Oshita leads the team in goals with 13 which is the most by a Denison player since Dana Grandmaison's 16-goal season in 1999.  Junior Anna Rusch trails Oshita with 10 goals in 16 matches played.

The first-round opponent for the Big Red is a familiar one.  Denison and Centre squared off in the opening match of the 2008 season on August 30 with the Big Red prevailing 2-1 thanks to second half goals by Oshita and Jen Clemmer.  This is the first NCAA Tournament bid for Centre College after posting a 12-5-1 record out of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.