Davenport has held Goff Rugby Report’s #1 DII ranking since the onset of the fall season, and Saturday’s 132-3 win over Slippery Rock in the Round of 32 helped the Panthers’ case for staying atop the list.

“We played very hard today and were very aggressive in loose play,” Davenport coach Greg Teliczan explained the game’s difference-makers. “I challenged the team to take control of 50/50 ball, and they rose to that challenge and performed well.”

The coach praised the cohesion of the forwards, who were instrumental in controlling the breakdown and lopsided possession. Makala Ferguson was rewarded with a first-half hat trick, as Davenport amassed a 75-point lead after 40 minutes.

“Makala Ferguson once again was outstanding, along with Hunter Moreland,” the coach highlighted standout pack performances. “It surprises me that Makala isn’t on any select side radar.

“Dani Ordway was very explosive today, taking some nice lines off Ashlee Byrge,” Teliczan switched focus to the backs. “And Hannah Tennant was almost perfect, converting 16 tries for 32 points.”

Tennant shared some kicking duties with Ordway, who scored five tries on the day. The All-American was one of four players with multi-try days. In addition to Ferguson, Moreland and Byrge dotted down three tries apiece, and Jori Smith added two. Courtenay Tafel, Brenna Donahue, Veronica Overbeek, and Madison Sparks also scored.

Slippery Rock kicked its penalty goal for the final score of the game. The team joined the post-season as an at-large bid out of the DII/NSCRO Allegheny conference.

Eastern Kentucky is Davenport’s Round of 16 opponent. The Ohio Valley runner-up was the favorite for its conference title, but dropped a tough game to Univ. Cincinnati (which defeated UW La Crosse 41-13 Saturday) in the league championship. The team made some adjustments for the fall playoffs, and they helped produce a 63-5 win over Illinois State Saturday.

“During this game we definitely improved defensively – as opposed to our last match against UC – by keeping the field spread, engaging in and turning the ball over defensively in rucks, and making the majority of our tackles,” EKU captain Chelsey Cobler explained. “When we played UC, we did not play at the level that we usually do, so it was great to beat ISU and redeem ourselves from the Ohio Valley finals.”

Outside center Cobler and Katherine Wyant scored hat tricks, while Kelsey Basham, Jameisha Smith, and Sheila Velasco also added tries. Illinois State scored during the final two minutes of the match.

The winner of Davenport vs. Eastern Kentucky will play the winner of Cincinnati vs. IUP in the fall quarterfinals on Sunday, Nov. 22. The still-undefeated team will move to the final four weekend on Dec. 5-6 at Furman University. Stay tuned for more information on the other half of the Midwest bracket.

Click here for the full fall DII bracket.