Written by Tyler Kuehl
 
BLAINE, Minn. – The D2 hockey team looked to end the weekend on a high note, after falling to St. Thomas the night before. They would face the Minnesota Golden Gophers on the final day of the WCCHA Showcase.
 
Things were looking good after Jeff Rahilly scored first for the Panthers, but the Gophers reeled off four in a row to put the Panthers in a tailspin. The teams traded goals in the third period, but the Gophers would hold, send DU to back-to-back losses for the first time this season.
 
QUICK STATS
 
Final Score: Davenport 3 – Minnesota 5
Shots: DU 24| UM 33
Power Play: DU (0/2) | UM (0/4)
Records: DU (7-4-1) | UM (6-1)
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
 
Rahilly ended the game with two goals, giving him now seven goals on the season, putting him in the team lead in goal-scoring.
 
STRIKING FIRST
 
Despite being outshot 11-9 in the first period, the Panthers would find a way to break the ice. Clint Loney set up Rahilly for his sixth goal of the season with just over four minutes left in the period.
 
FALLING INTO A GOPHER HOLE
 
The Panthers carried the lead into the second period, and it looked like they were going to do so into the third. However, Kevin Delaney scored with just a few minutes left in the frame to tie the game at one. Less than 70 seconds left in the period, it would be Tyler Linnerooth scoring for Minnesota to send them into the intermission with a 2-1 lead.
 
The Gophers rode their momentum into the third period, as Jacob Sternbach scored a litte passed the halfway mark of the period to put his team up by two.
 
BATTLING UNTIL THE END
 
It looked the game was put well out of reach after Noah Berg scored with just over three minutes to give Minnesota a 4-1 lead, but the Panthers would respond. First, Spencer Sandberg scored his fifth goal of the season just over a minute after Berg's goal.
 
Only 17 seconds later, Rahilly would tally his second of the game to put DU back within one. Yet, the comeback was not meant to be, as Delaney scored an empty-net goal to send the Gophers on their way to the 5-3 win.
 
WHO'S NEXT?
 
Davenport travels to Canada for the first time next weekend for a two-game set with the Sault College Cougars. The Cougars are in their first year in division two after dominating D3 on their way to the 2019 National Championship. The two met to kick off the 2018-19 season, with each team picking up a win in Grand Rapids. The Cougars are currently 9-2-1 this season, and are coming off a sweep of Oakland's D3 team.
 
Game one will take place up in the Soo at Rankin Arena on Saturday November 2^nd, with a 7 p.m. puck drop.