Delaware, Ohio- In its one-goal victory over the two-seeded Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops, the three-seeded DePauw women's soccer team advanced to the North Coast Athletic Conference women's soccer tournament finals. With its win over the Battling Bishops, the Tigers play host to the Denison Big Red on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 1 p.m. at Reavis Stadium for the NCAC women's soccer championship game.
 
From kickoff, the two teams played with tenacity, looking to get an edge on the other. Ohio Wesleyan managed to keep the ball in its attacking third for the first 15 minutes of play, forcing DePauw to play on the defensive from the jump. The Battling Bishops' aggressive offense led to five shots and earned them four corner kick attempts while giving up just one on its defensive end. 
 
The Tigers would eventually chip away at Ohio Wesleyan's suffocating defense and work the ball down the sidelines. Senior Annalise Grammel worked the ball down the left side and found some space in the middle, where an awaiting Sydney Calisto gathered a pass from Grammel, switched the field, and placed a through ball for Jayla Logan to knock into the back of the Battling Bishops net for a 1-0 lead in the 35th minute.
 
Though the Tigers fought to get into position for another goal, the second half of play was a team defensive effort to hold its one-goal lead. Despite the onslaught of shots and corner kick attempts, DePauw held off the Battling Bishops. A feat in itself when Ohio Wesleyan finished the night outshooting the Tigers 19-5, with 14 shots coming in the second half. The Battling Bishops also had an edge on DePauw in corners, earning 12 corners while giving up just one corner to the Tigers in the first half. 
 
In goal for the Tigers' Aubree Empie totaled four saves for the night, while Ohio Wesleyan's Natalie Ryan tallied two. DePauw will host four-seed Denison on Sunday, Nov. 5, a matchup that finished in a 1-1 draw the last time the two teams faced each other. Stay tuned for more information on ticketing for the championship game this weekend.