Written by Tyler Kuehl
 
BENSENVILLE, Ill. – The women's hockey team was on the road to start off the second semester of the 2019-20 season. They traveled a little outside of Chicago for the first of two meetings with the Eagles from Robert Morris (Ill.), a team they split with last season in Grand Rapids.
 
The best thing a team can do on the road is have a good first few minutes to set the tone. Davenport did just that on Friday. The Panthers scored four goals in the opening 20 minutes, and were able to coast the rest of the way en route to their first win on the road this season.
 
QUICK STATS
 
Final Score: Davenport 5 – Robert Morris (Ill.) 2
Shots: DU 39 | RMU 35
Power Play: DU (1/5) | RMU (0/4)
Records: DU (4-9-1, 1-5) | RMU (5-15, 3-4)
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
 
Julia Gaynor picked up her second win of the season, stopping 33 of 35 shots in the game. Courtney Mulligan led DU with two goals and an assist, while Amanda Ballestero chimed in with a goal and an assist.
 
POWERFUL START
 
The Panthers would take advantage of an early power play opportunity in the first period, as Ballestero would set up Mulligan for her fifth of the season to give DU the 1-0 lead. Minutes later, it would Mulligan setting up Caitlin Miscovich for her first goal of the season, and Davenport was up by two just before the halfway mark of the period.
 
Morgan Pippin found the back of the net for the fourth time this season with a wicked shot that beat the Eagles' Kayla Johnson to put DU up by three. In the waning seconds of the period, Jessica Plowman notched her first point of the season by setting up Ballestero, and the Panthers found themselves up 4-0 heading into the first intermission.
 
"We came out firing today," head coach Matt Sekosan stated after the win. "We got to the net early and often."
 
CLIMBING BACK INTO THE GAME
 
The Eagles were not going away lightly, especially on home ice. They would finally beat Gaynor late in the middle stanza as Abby Cardew scored for the fifth time of the season. With just over five minutes to play in regulation, Melina Tiltin made the game interesting by scoring her third of the year to bring the Eagles back within two.
 
It was all for naught as Mulligan put in the dagger in the final minute, and DU would pick up their first win since October by a final score of 5-2.
 
WHO'S NEXT?
 
Davenport takes on Robert Morris in the second half of the back-to-back Saturday night at the Edge Ice Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:15 p.m. CST.