Written by Tyler Kuehl
 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – After coming off a split last weekend, the women's hockey team took on an opponent they had never faced before, the Arizona State Sun Devils. It was the first of three games in Michigan this weekend for the Sun Devils, while the Panthers were wrapping up their five-game homestand to start off the season.
 
The Panthers got a good start to the game, but Arizona State's top line proved to be too much for Davenport. The Sun Devils scored a pair of goals in each period en route to their ninth win of the season.
 
QUICK STATS
 
Final Score: Davenport 1 – Arizona State 6
Shots: DU 25 | ASU 44
Power Play: DU (0/3) | ASU (1/2)
Records: DU (3-3-1) | ASU (9-1)
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
 
Morgan Pippin was the lone goal scorer for DU with her second of the season, tying her with Courtney Mulligan, Tori Dubuc and Julia Gaynor for the team lead. Julia Gaynor looked solid in net. Despite giving up six goals, the Goderich, Ontario native made 38 saves.
 
AN EARLY POP
 
The Panthers came out buzzing in the opening period, spending a lot of time in the offensive end. They were rewarded, though, on an odd-man rush. Mulligan brought the puck down the left wing side, moved it to the middle for Zoie Amatore, who pushed the puck towards the slot. Pippin was in the right place at the right time to tap it in to put the Panthers out in front.
 
GETTING BURNED
 
Just a few minutes later the Sun Devils would get on the board. While on a delayed penalty Abi McGee fired a point shot that fooled Gaynor to tie the game with her fifth of the season.
 
On the ensuing power play, Arizona State was able to cash in as after a deflected shot by McGee that wobbled towards the goal, but it was mishandled by Gaynor. Madness ensued around the DU net, and eventually Kat Jones tapped in her eighth of the season to give the Sun Devils the lead.
 
SPEED KILLS
 
With the lead heading period two, Arizona State did not let up. Just over five minutes in, the Sun Devils leading-scorer, Danielle Dupont, built up speed down the right wing, blowing by the DU defense. She made a good move to get around Gaynor to slide home her 11^th of the season of to make it a 3-1 game.
 
WEIRD BOUNCE
 
Late in the second period, a scramble occurred at the side of the DU net. Gaynor made two saves, and on the third shot Andi Main somehow chipped it under the arm of Gaynor, with almost no room in which to do so, and the Sun Devils would head to the third leading by three.
 
TIP OF THE HAT
 
Arizona State wasted little time getting going in the final frame, as after she caused a turnover behind the Davenport goal, Jones scored on a wraparound goal just 33 seconds into the period. Jones would add here third goal of the game just after the five-minute mark to complete the hat trick.
 
The line of Jones, Dupont and Main combined for six points in the game, which is fitting as they are the top three scorers on the Arizona State roster.
 
Neither team found the back of the net for the rest of the game, as the Sun Devils took home the 6-1 win.
 
WHO'S NEXT?
 
The Panthers hit the road for the first time this season as they travel to East Lansing for a meeting with CCWHA opponent Michigan State. The Spartans are 9-1 this season, and 5-0 against CCWHA opponents. DU is 1-11-2 all-time against the Spartans, with their lone win coming back in the 2016-17 season.
 
Puck drop at Munn Ice Arena on Sunday is set for 1:50 p.m.