SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers were unable to withstand a first-half barrage from visiting Denison in a 13-4 loss that was played in high winds and intermittent rain and snow.

The loss snapped a five-game Wittenberg winning streak and dropped the Tigers to 6-3 overall and 2-1 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). Denison, ranked sixth nationally, improved to 8-1 overall and 2-0 in the league.

The Big Red scored the first three goals of the game before Wittenberg senior Thomas Fuss (New Albany, Ohio/Gahanna Lincoln) put the Tigers on the board with 3:22 left in the first quarter. That set the stage for a decisive second quarter that featured six straight goals by the visitors.

The scoring margin over the final 30 minutes was 4-3 in favor of Denison.

Fuss scored three goals in the game, and senior Anthony Becker (Galloway, Ohio/Wellington School) rounded things out for the Tigers with a goal and an assist. Senior TJ Smith (Atlanta, Ga./The Marist School) also contributed an assist to the attack.

Denison held a 41-22 advantage in shots as junior Nick Gregory (Mukilteo, Wash./Kamiak) picked up 14 saves in the game. The Big Red held a 28-13 edge in ground balls, and Denison dominated in the face-off circle, winning 15 of the 20 battles.

Written By: Ryan Maurer