Byron Center, Mich. – The Aquinas women's hockey team battled through three hard-fought periods but ultimately came up short in an 11–2 loss to Davenport on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 7) at home. Despite facing constant pressure and a high-powered Panthers attack, the Saints continued to compete from start to finish, generating offensive chances and showing resilience on both ends of the ice. Strong goaltending from Lila Dial and goals from Anna Castle and Bridget Clay highlighted Aquinas' effort in the setback.

Aquinas 2, Davenport 11

The Panthers struck early in the opening period, scoring twice in the opening three minutes to take an early lead. Davenport continued to build momentum with another goal midway through the period before the Saints responded.

Anna Castle put Aquinas on the scoreboard at the 7:57 mark of the first period, finishing a play set up by Kate Kramm to cut the deficit. Davenport answered with a shorthanded goal late in the frame, sending the Panthers into the first intermission with a 4–1 advantage.

Davenport extended its lead in the second period with two more goals, including another shorthanded tally, to make it 6–1 heading into the final period. Despite continued pressure from the Saints, Aquinas was unable to break through again in the middle frame.

The Saints opened the third period with a strong push, capitalizing on a power play when Bridgett Clay found the back of the net at 17:46 to pull AQ within four. However, Davenport quickly responded, scoring five unanswered goals over the remainder of the period to seal the victory.

Lila Dial anchored the Saints in net, facing a heavy workload with 50 shots on goal. The freshman turned aside 39 attempts, finishing the contest with a .780 save percentage.

Aquinas continued to compete throughout the contest, generating offensive chances and working hard in transition, but the Panthers' sustained pressure proved difficult to overcome.

By the Numbers 

• Aquinas generated 17 shots through out the three periods 

• Anna Castle and Bridget Clay claimed one goal each 

• Kate Kramm found the lone assist for the Saints 

• Lila Dial faced 50 shots through out the contest 

Coaches Comments 

"I was proud of the way our team continued to compete and support each other throughout all three periods," said head coach Alyssa Exline. "We faced a lot of pressure tonight, but our effort never wavered. There are a lot of positives we can take from this game, and we'll use it as motivation to keep growing and getting better every day."

Up Next 

The Saints will look to bounce back on Sunday, Feb. 8, when they face Davenport again at 1:00 p.m.