D'Youville answered early adversity with a sharp first quarter. After falling behind 1-0, Madison Handley sparked the Saints with back-to-back goals, including a player-up tally, to give D'Youville its first lead. Lily Buckley added a goal in the final minute of the opening frame, helping the Saints take a 3-2 advantage after one.
The back-and-forth continued into the second quarter, as Buckley and Sam Newlin each found the back of the net to keep pace. Newlin's goal at the 5:28 mark pulled the Saints within one, but Daemen responded late to take a 7-5 lead.
Play was then halted by two separate lightning delays totaling approximately an hour, with the Saints trailing 7-5 at the time of the stoppages. Following the delays, Daemen used a strong third quarter to create separation, but D'Youville continued to battle. Newlin struck again in the fourth off a feed from Ireland Costigan to highlight the team's persistence. The Saints closed the game with a late surge, scoring four of their nine goals in the final period. Buckley netted two more, including a player-up goal, while Handley added her third of the game to complete a hat trick. Buckley and Handley led the way with three goals each, while Newlin added two. Costigan contributed a pair of assists in the effort.
Lauren Parker delivered a dominant performance in the draw circle, recording 19 draw controls to break her own program record and provide the Saints with consistent extra possessions.
Despite the final score, D'Youville showed resilience through adversity, battling through momentum shifts and weather delays as they continue to build toward their next contest in an important matchup against Molloy at Dobson field in Buffalo.
