CALEDONIA, Mich. — Davenport University took control Friday night, cruising to a 2-0 win over Michigan Tech behind a rock-solid defense and timely scoring from Megan Malek and Shay Norden Friday evening in Caledonia. Davenport's defense stood tall, with goalkeeper Elizabeth Wolter recording three key saves to secure the shutout, while the offense capitalized efficiently on scoring opportunities. Michigan Tech struggled to convert despite taking 11 shots.

The Panthers struck early in the fifth minute when Megan Malek took advantage of a defensive lapse following Anna Syracuse's yellow card of Michigan Tech at 3:50, putting the Panthers ahead 1-0. Davenport maintained pressure, generating four shots and earning two corner kicks, while Michigan Tech's early attempts missed the mark. By halftime, Davenport had built a slender but solid lead.

Davenport continued controlling the tempo in the second half. Shay Norden sealed the victory in the 85th minute with a goal assisted by Natalie Vance, giving Davenport a 2-0 cushion. Despite Michigan Tech managing four shots on target, Wolter made crucial saves to preserve the clean sheet. Davenport also dominated corner kicks in the period, executing four to further apply pressure on the visitors.

Michigan Tech's Ludesha Reynolds made five saves, limiting the scoring damage despite facing 15 shots, while Bri Barrows contributed defensively with two saves during her 45 minutes in goal, conceding one goal.

For Davenport, Wolter's three saves over 90 minutes anchored the defensive effort, ensuring a shutout for the team. Sofia Capoccia led Davenport in shots with five, including two on target. Malek opened the scoring with her only shot in the first half, and Norden converted her opportunity late, making both goals decisive for the win.

With Davenport's last matchup against the Huskies dating back to Sept. 26, when DU took a 3-1 victory, the Panthers repeated the outcome with a 2-0 win. Head Coach Joe White shared that his game plan going into the match stayed largely the same: "We have constants in every game, and things are tweaked. Michigan Tech changed their system in the last game, so we made a few adjustments based on that, but we try to keep a lot of our things constant, especially when we have the ball. We did some really good things on the ball and off the ball and made the adjustments that we needed."

Looking ahead, Davenport will prepare for its next challenge vs. Northern Michigan this Sunday at 2 PM at the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex.