GRANVILLE, Ohio – The Davenport University Panthers faced Denison University in a two-game series on October 10th and 11th. The Panthers came away with a hard-fought 2-1 victory on Friday but fell 5-2 in Saturday's contest, splitting the series in a weekend of tight matchups, timely goals, and strong goaltending.

Friday's Matchup
Davenport struck first in Friday's contest as Gabriel Olenzuk scored with 18:21 remaining in the opening period, assisted by Derrand Wilcox and Ian Milton. The Panthers carried momentum into the second period, and Nate Dixon extended the lead at 3:53 off a pass from Anthony Ott and Edward Pukhalsky, giving DU a 2–0 advantage.

Denison responded at 7:36 of the second period as Thomas Kreske found the back of the net with assists from Seth Kaplan and Rylan Crozier, cutting the lead to 2–1. The remainder of the game saw strong defensive work from the Panthers, including key saves from goaltender Julian Arenal, who stopped 40 of 41 shots to secure the victory. Davenport finished the game with 31 shots on goal and disciplined play, limiting Denison's scoring opportunities despite multiple penalties on both sides.

The win highlighted Davenport's balanced attack and solid defensive structure, allowing the Panthers to start the series on a positive note with a 2–1 edge over the Big Red.

Saturday's Matchup
Denison took control early, scoring first on a power-play goal from Thomas Kreske at 3:54 of the first period, assisted by Rylan Crozier and Seth Kaplan. The Big Red added another goal in the opening seconds of the second period as Owen Rabadam pushed Denison ahead 2–0.

Davenport responded with Brayden Bartlett scoring a power-play goal at 5:01 of the second period to get the Panthers on the board. Later in the period, Derrand Wilcox converted another goal off an assist from Anthony Ott, cutting Denison's lead to 3–2. However, the Big Red responded with a flurry of goals from Rylan Crozier, who completed a hat trick with strikes at 13:16 in the second period and twice in the third, including an empty-net goal at 19:03, sealing the 5–2 victory for Denison.

Despite a strong effort from goaltender Chris Stamos, who stopped 37 of 41 shots, Davenport struggled to contain Denison's offensive surge. Both teams saw significant penalty time, with Davenport serving 12 minutes on six infractions and Denison 10 minutes on five.

Up Next
The Panthers will return home for their first contest of the season on Friday, October 24th, at 6:30 PM at Patterson Ice Center, looking to build momentum and showcase their depth in front of the home crowd.