GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Women's Hockey Team looked to bounce back after a pair of tough losses the previous weekend. They certainly wanted to step up their game against their crosstown rivals from Aquinas College. The Saints were looking to earn only their second win against the Panthers, while DU was trying snap their four-game losing skid.
 
Friday, January 25
Final Score: Davenport 6- Aquinas 2
Records: DU (5-16-1), AQ (4-15)
Location: Southside Ice Arena (Byron Center, Mich.)
 
Davenport wanted to take control of the game on the road, however it was the home team would break the ice. Amelia Bartels would find a way to sneak a point shot passed Julia Gaynor, on the power play, and the Saints would take the early 1-0 lead.
 
A QUICK RESPONSE
Trailing early in the contest, it would not be long before the Panthers turned the game around. Less than 30 seconds later, Tori Dubuc went in on a breakaway, but was stopped by the Saints' Ally Kennedy. Dubuc found the puck in the corner and pass in front for Zoie Amatore, and she buried her third of the season to tie the game at one. Just 29 seconds later, Jaiden Forrest would Courtney Mulligan in front, and Mulligan slipped a backhand into the back of the net. Exactly one minute after Bartels gave Aquinas the lead, DU would take the lead themselves.
 
A LUCKY BOUNCE
With the lead heading into the second period, Davenport would continue to press in the Aquinas end. While on the power play just before the halfway mark of the game, Forrest looked to throw as pass in front for either Mulligan or Morgan Pippin, however it went of a Saints' defender's skate and into the net to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead.
 
DU would take a penalty late in the period, and the Saints would cash in. Maria Manko weaved her way into the Davenport end, and fired a shot the beat Gaynor to the blocker side, and the Saints would only trail the Panthers by one heading into the third.
 
PUTTING THE GAME AWAY
The Panthers would not let the Saints back into the game in the third. Forrest would score her second of the game on a shot that fooled Kennedy one minute into the period. Just a few minutes later, Mulligan would follow up a play by Forrest, made a nifty move to the backhand around Kennedy, and slid home her second of the game to open up DU's lead to three. Amatore would cap the night off with her second of the night as well after banging in a rebound with just under a minute left in the game, and DU would take home the win by a final score of 6-2.
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Along with two-goal performances from Mulligan, Forrest, and Amatore, Mulligan and Forrest each had two assists as well. Dubuc was also key for the Davenport offense, as she set up Amatore for both of her goals. Gaynor picked up her fifth win of the season in net with a 24 save performance.
 
Saturday, January 26
Final Score: Davenport 10 – Aquinas 2
Records: DU (6-16-1), AQ (4-16)
Location: Patterson Ice Center (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
 
SHOOTING GALLERY
The Panthers offensive dominance carried into the second half of the back-to-back. Starting with Forrest sneaking a short-side snipe passed Kennedy to give DU the early lead. Just over 30 seconds later, Laken Kunz made a nice play behind the net to find Dubuc in front, and Dubuc tucked away her fourth of the season to put the Panthers up by two. Over five minutes later, it was Mulligan in front of the net as she deked out Kennedy and scored her 12^th goal of the season to give Davenport a 3-0 lead before the halfway mark of the first period. Later on in the period, while on the power play, Kunz scored her seventh of the season with an absolute cannon of a shot. Davenport would lead Aquinas 4-0 after 20 minutes of play, in a period where they outshot the Saints 24-7.
 
ALL-AROUND SCORING
The Panthers have always struggled to find depth scoring in recent memory, however in the last month or so they have found the formula that has players up and down the lineup scoring. Just over four minutes into period number two, it would be Adriannah Letts one-timing home a shot to extend the lead to five. The Saints would answer back with a goal from the Saints Emilee Ryder, Amatore would tap a shot off the leg of Saints' defenseman Tori Feddema and in for her third goal of the weekend.
 
Seven different scorers tallied markers for Davenport in Saturday's contest.
 
"I lover seeing that," Coach Jerre Coretti said after the game. "Obviously there's familiar faces, but it's awesome when you see 10 players, and seven of them getting points."
 
The familiar faces Coretti was talking about were Mulligan and Forrest. Mulligan would score a power play goal with just over five to play in the period, while Forrest would score her second of the game with another shot that beat Kennedy to the glove side.
 
EARNING THE SWEEP
Despite being down 8-1, Aquinas still had some fight left, and it showed as they put 20 shots on the DU net in the final 20 minutes, including a power play goal from former Panther Ashley Reese. Gaynor would shut the door the rest of the way, and Mulligan would complete her hat-trick just passed the halfway mark of the third. Morgan Pippin would find the back of the net for the eighth time this season with only a handful of minutes left to play in the game, and the Panthers would complete the sweep with a 10-2 victory.
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Forrest would end the game with two goals and three assists, while Mulligan finished with three goals and two assists. Olivia Rudberg, Kunz, and Pippin each had three points for the Panthers. Gaynor would earn stop 36 of 38 shots to earn her sixth win of the season.
 
WHO'S NEXT?
Davenport will take on Grand Valley State next Friday. The Lakers defeated the Panthers 6-2 last Saturday, and will be riding a five-game unbeaten streak heading into the contest. The game will be at Griff's Georgetwon Ice Center over in Hudsonville, with a 1:30 p.m. puck drop.
 
Story by: Tyler Kuehl
 
Picture credit: Alexis Hoffman