Grand Rapids, Mich. — Sunday at Patterson Ice Arena was a grind, the kind of day where momentum is hard-earned and mistakes are costly. Aquinas DI Hockey battled through a physical, fast-paced finale against Davenport, but the Panthers took advantage of key moments to hand the Saints setbacks on both the women's and men's sides. Despite stretches of strong compete level and flashes of execution, Aquinas was unable to flip the script in a demanding close to the weekend.

Women's

Davenport 9, Aquinas 1

Aquinas faced an uphill climb early as Davenport struck four times in the opening period, forcing the Saints to play from behind for much of the afternoon. Despite the early deficit, Aquinas continued to compete physically and showed improved structure as the game settled in. The Saints found a breakthrough midway through the second period when junior Reyna Dominczak buried a power-play goal, finishing a well-executed setup from Anna Sherman to put Aquinas on the board.

That tally sparked one of Aquinas' strongest stretches of play, as the Saints generated sustained offensive pressure and forced the Davenport goaltender into multiple quality saves. Izzy Buckett remained under constant pressure in net, facing a high volume of shots while battling through traffic to keep Aquinas competitive. Dominczak, Paige Ike, Cali Lindbeck, and Lila Dial were active throughout the lineup, working to disrupt Davenport's transition game and win battles along the boards.

Davenport answered with late second-period goals to regain momentum before adding two power-play tallies in the third period to extend the margin. Even as the score widened, Aquinas continued to skate hard, block shots, and finish checks through the final horn. While the result did not go the Saints' way, Aquinas showed resilience and effort that will carry into the final stretch of the season.

Inside the Numbers – Women's

• Aquinas converted on its lone power-play opportunity
• Reyna Dominczak scored the Saints' only goal of the afternoon
• Izzy Buckett played all 60 minutes in goal under heavy pressure
• The Saints continued to battle on special teams throughout the contest 

Men's

Davenport 11, Aquinas 2

The Aquinas men showed early fight on Sunday night, but a decisive third period allowed Davenport to pull away in an 11–2 final. After surrendering two early goals, the Saints answered late in the first period when Xavier Erickson finished a rush chance off a feed from Gavin Rozema, cutting the deficit to 2–1 and injecting momentum into the Aquinas bench. The opening frame reflected Aquinas' ability to respond and compete against a deep Davenport lineup.

Davenport regained control in the second period with a pair of goals, including one on the power play, as the Saints struggled to sustain extended offensive-zone time. Randon Striplin made several difficult saves to keep Aquinas within reach, while Easton Pratt and Braylen Outwater worked to clear traffic and disrupt passing lanes in front of the net.

The game turned decisively in the third period, as Davenport capitalized on tired legs and defensive breakdowns, scoring multiple times in quick succession. Aquinas continued to push back and earned its second goal when Ben Cesario buried a chance created by Brendan Bourne and Erickson. Contributions across the lineup from Erickson, Rozema, Cesario, Oliver Plato, and Logan Boettcher highlighted the Saints' commitment to compete through the final horn.

While the loss was a tough way to close the weekend, it does not diminish the excitement surrounding Aquinas' back-to-back wins over Rochester Christian on Friday and Saturday. Playing for the third straight day and likely well below 100 percent, the Saints showed grit and resolve that continues to define the trajectory of the program.

Inside the Numbers – Men's

• Xavier Erickson and Ben Cesario found the net for Aquinas
• Erickson factored into both Saints goals
• Randon Striplin faced sustained pressure in goal
• Davenport scored seven times in the third period to pull away

Up Next

The Aquinas women will play their final home-and-home series of the season when they host Michigan State on Friday afternoon. Puck drop is set for 2 p.m. at Southside Ice Arena, where the Saints will also honor their graduating seniors prior to the game.

The Aquinas men will begin their final two-game set on the road Friday night at Indiana Tech before returning home Saturday for a Valentine's Day matchup against the Warriors at Southside Ice Arena, scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start.

For complete coverage of Aquinas Athletics, including stories, stats, highlights, and more, visit AQSaints.com.