GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Simply put, the 2021 Davenport University women's lacrosse season was one to remember. This season, ninth-year head coach, Rob Harris, and the No. 25-ranked Panthers are eager to prove they belong when it comes to the best that Division II has to offer. DU's 17-game regular-season slate begins on Friday in Indianapolis, Ind. against Frostburg State and the opening faceoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. from UIndy's Key Stadium.

Davenport's historic 2021 campaign included the following:

• First wins against four different opponents (Tiffin, Findlay, Walsh, and Concordia-St. Paul)
• First NCAA Top-25 ranking
• First IWLCA National Offensive Player of the Week (Anna Glynn on April 13)
• Program record eight players named All-GLIAC including four First Team, three Second Team and one Honorable Mention
• First GLIAC major award winners in Glynn (Freshman of the Year) and Aaliyah Miller (Attacker of the Year)
• Program record five GLIAC Players of the Week
• First GLIAC Tournament win and GLIAC Tournament finals appearance
• Seventh 10-win season in program history
• First IWLCA All-Region honors as Ryann Deuel, Glynn and Miller were named IWLCA Second-Team All-Region
• First GLIAC Commissioner's Award winner in Deuel
• Trio of Panthers named to the IWLCA Division II Academic Honor Roll in Deuel, Miller and Amber Park

Fast forward to this spring and Davenport's 17-game schedule is an interesting one. The Panthers will face three schools for the first time in Frostburg State, Lincoln Memorial and Upper Iowa as well as three programs they've never beaten before in McKendree (0-3), Indianapolis (0-3) and Lindenwood (0-1). Lindenwood is the defending National Champion with a preseason No. 1 IWLCA ranking for 2022, Indianapolis was the Lions' only loss a season ago with a preseason No. 2 ranking and Grand Valley State, the defending GLIAC Champion, is ranked No. 14 to start the spring.

Individually, Davenport returns five of its top six point scorers in Anna Glynn (78 points), Aaliyah Miller (75 points), Brenna Knoll (48 points), Reilly Noble (39 points), and Maddy Haynes (23 points) as well as a fourth player that started all 14 games in Christine Steffes. Also back in net is the Panthers' top goalkeeper from a season ago in Grace DeRidder who played in all 14 games, 12 of which came as a starter.

Those key returners will be joined by 12 new faces including four transfers in Hannah Medina (Loras), Ayanna Turrubiates (Indianapolis), Heaven-Lee Nichols (Quincy), and Maisy Latus (Maryville). The new rookies include Blakely Malpass, Abigail Sykes, An Poropat, Bree Yetzer, Fredi Mailand, Jordon Highley, Theadora Krueger, and Ele Darmofal.



Story by: Cooper Weidenthaler