LYNCHBURG, Va. – The women's hockey team traveled down to Liberty, looking to snap their seven-game skid. Their first opponent were they Nittany Lions of Penn State. The Panthers knew this would be a great opportunity to get their game back in the right direction.
 
Friday, November 16
Final Score: Davenport 8 – Penn State 4
Records: DU (2-7), PSU (5-5)
 
COMING OUT FLYING
Davenport's offense finally had an opportunity to show off their abilities Friday night. Emily Ellis kicked off the scoring with her fifth of the season, with the assist going to Amanda Ballestero. Tori Dubuc was able to find the back of the net just 44 seconds later, and the Panthers were off and running. Jaiden Forrest was set up by Adriannah Letts for her fifth of the season. Delaney Hucker put the Nittany Lions on the board just a couple minutes later to cut the Panther lead to two. Zoie Amatorescored her first goal less than five minutes left in the period, and the Panthers were ahead of Penn State by a 4-1 score after 20 minutes.
 
SWINGING MOMENTUM
The teams traded chances early and often in the second period. The scoring started early in the period, as just over 30 seconds in, Sydney Foy score for the Nittany Lions, putting Penn State within two. The Panthers were able to answer with a goal of their own just over a minute later, as Ellis was able to feed Forrest for her second of the game. Less than a minute after that, Penn State's Crosby Delliman slipped one passed Julia Gaynor, and the score was 5-3 less than four minutes into the second period. The action slowly died down, but that did not stop Laken Kunz from getting her first of the season. Davenport had a comfortable 6-3 lead heading into the final period.
 
Ellis would score her second of the game early in the third period. Mikaela Poorman tried to keep Penn State in the game with her fifth goal of the season, but it would not be enough as Forrest would cap the night off with her third of the game. Davenport was able to skate away with the 8-4 win.
 
Head Coach Jerre Coretti was ecstatic following the team's offensive outburst. "A higher ranked team got beat today, we took it to them every chance we could."
 
NOTABLE PERFROMANCES 
On top of scoring the team's first hat trick of the season, Forrest also had a pair of assists. Ellis also had a five-point game, with two goals and three assists. Dubuc chimed in with a goal and two assists. Gaynor made 24 saves, earning her second win of the season.
 
Saturday, November 17
Final Score: Davenport 0 – Liberty 13
Records: DU (2-8), #2 LU (11-1-2)
 
UNDER SIEGE
The Panthers were riding high after their victory the day before and looked to take advantage of a Liberty club that had already played earlier that day. However, the deep Flames roster was all over the Panther defense. It all started just a few minutes in as Shannon Fehr broke the ice with her fifth of the season. Just a couple minutes later Rachel Gibson put the Flames up two. Towards the end of the period, Lauren McDonals and Tiana Lisle scored 44 seconds apart, and Liberty was out in front, 4-0.
 
Despite the four early goals Gaynor was doing everything she could to frustrate the Liberty attack. "Julia played amazing for us again." Coach Coretti said after the game.
 
Liberty continued to press in the second period, as Fehr and Aly Morris lit the lamp just minutes into the period. Morris and Lisle each earned their second goals of the game just passed the halfway mark of the period. Alexis Pailmert scored her second goal of the season with only a handful of minutes left in the period.
 
Liberty scored four more times in the third, with Danica Polson scoring just over a minute into the final frame. Paulmert and Gibson each scored their second goals of the game, and Fehr completed the hat-trick, and Liberty took their second win of the season over DU, 13-0.
 
Gaynor ended the night stopping 72 of the 85 shots she faced.
 
Sunday, November 18
Final Score: Davenport 0 – Colorado 6
Records: DU (2-9), #5 CU (13-4)
 
FIGHTING HARD
DU wanted to finish the weekend strong against another top-5 opponent, the Colorado Buffalo. However, it was not going to be easy, as leading scorers Forrest and Courtney Mulligan were out of the lineup. Despite the short roster, the Panthers came ready to play in the first period. Yet, the Buffalo broke through as Morgan Mciver scored her first of goal of the season with just over five minutes into the period. The Panthers, though, played solid defense in their own zone for the remainder of the first, helping Gaynor as much as they could. Gaynor made 13 stops in the first period, including a couple key saves to keep the game close. The Panthers were hanging in there, as they only trailed Colorado by one after the first period.
 
The second period saw Davenport give up a few more chances in their own zone. With the long change and an already tired group on the ice, Colorado was able to take advantage. Maura Kieft found the back of the net twice in the middle stanza. The Panthers gave up 22 shots in the second period, but once again, Gaynor put in an amazing effort. Despite being outshot 36-6 after two periods, the Panthers were only down three to the Buffalo.
 
The juice in the Davenport lineup ran out in the third period. Leah MacArthur scored a pair of goals, along with Renee Dreher putting in her third of the season, and the Panthers fell to the number-five team in the nation, 6-0.
 
Gaynor ended up making 40 saves in net for the Panthers.
 
WHO'S NEXT?
Davenport will have a week off for Thanksgiving, and then will prepare to take on Liberty for the third, and final, time this season. This will also be the first of three Sunday home games for the Panthers. The contest against the Flames will be at Patterson on December 2, at 11 a.m.
 
Story by: Tyler Kuehl
 
Picture credit: Alexis Hoffman