CALEDONIA, Mich. — The Davenport University women's soccer team came up just short on Thursday afternoon, falling 2–1 to Saginaw Valley State at the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex. The Panthers held a 1–0 lead midway through the second half, but the Cardinals rallied late with two quick goals to take the win.

Both teams battled through a scoreless first half, with strong defensive play and sharp goalkeeping on both ends. Davenport tested SVSU keeper Lainey Garbarz four times in the opening frame, including quality looks from Megan Malek and Sofia Capoccia, but the Cardinals kept the Panthers off the board. Elizabeth Wolter anchored the DU defense, recording three saves in the half, including a key stop on Madi Bajis early in the match.

The Panthers finally broke through in the 54th minute when Capoccia finished off a well-placed pass from Madison Fant to give Davenport a 1–0 advantage. The Cardinals began to push back, firing several close-range shots that just missed their mark - including a pair that rattled off the crossbar and narrowly escaped Wolter's reach. The mounting pressure eventually paid off for Saginaw Valley, as Lauryn Fracassi found the equalizer in the 81st minute, and just two minutes later, Bajis struck the go-ahead goal off assists from Kaley Douglass and Emily Kolodin.

Despite a strong defensive effort and multiple late pushes forward, the Panthers couldn't find a second goal. Wolter finished with nine saves on 21 shots faced, keeping Davenport in the match throughout. Capoccia led the way offensively with three shots and her second-half goal, while Fant added an assist and three shots of her own.

For Saginaw Valley, Garbarz turned in a solid performance with nine saves, conceding just once on 16 shots. Bajis and Fracassi provided the scoring punch down the stretch to seal the Cardinals' comeback win.

The Panthers will head to Kenosha this Saturday, Nov. 8, to finish out the regular season against Parkside. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET.