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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Davenport Division I hockey team will head to Lynchburg, Va. to face No. 10 Liberty in the Blue-Gray Cup. Last season, the Panthers were able to sweep Liberty in Virginia to take the cup in the first two games. Davenport played in close games against them last season as they had to win the cup in a shootout. The first game of the weekend series in Friday at the LaHaye Ice Center, and the puck drop is at 7 p.m.
 
Date: October 18-19
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (LaHaye Ice Center)
Broadcast: Liberty Flames Sports Network
Twitter: @DU_D1Hockey | @DUAthletics
 
 
SCOUTING NO. 10 LIBERTY FLAMES:
 
The Flames are led by a senior and a freshman. Senior Andrew McCombe and freshman Robert Ward lead the team with 14 points apiece. Right behind them are two upperclassmen, Jackson Kuhn and Lindsay LeBlanc with 13 points each. In net Liberty will have freshman Matt Pinel and senior Blair Bennett. Pinel has been getting the majority of the starts as he has played in seven games and has a 6-0 record. He has allowed just over three goals a game with a .89 save percentage. Blair has a 2-0 record with a goals against average of 1.25 and a save percentage of .94.
 
The Flames come of weekend split with the University of Arizona as they lost the game on Friday 5-1, but would rebound to come back and win 5-2 on Saturday. The Flames are coached by Kirk Handy who is in his 14th season as coach of Liberty.
 
LAST MEETING:
 
The last time the Panthers and Flames was on November 29 of last year. The Flames would come away with a 5-3 victory. The Panthers had already come into the game at Patterson Ice Center winning the Blue-Gray Cup as they were able to sweep the Flames in Lynchburg.
 
In the game the Panthers were able to jump to 1-0 lead, but Liberty was able to score three straight goals to take a 3-1 lead. Davenport would come back to tie the game at three. However, the Flames would score early in the third period to take a one goal advantage. Liberty would add an empty net goal to take the 5-3 victory.
 
WEEKEND RECAP:
 
The Panthers had a grueling weekend as they played three games in as many days at the ACHA Showcase in Cleveland, Ohio. Davenport would drop their first game of the season as they would lose in a shootout to No. 8 Delaware. They would rebound in their final two games of the weekend as they would beat Colorado State 1-0 on Saturday and Towson 5-1 on Sunday.
 
THE PANTHERS:
 
DU got their first shutout of the season from Phil Graveline who was able to Colorado State off the board to preserve the 1-0 victory. Leading the way for the Panthers is Robert Kleiman who has six points with three goals and three assists. Bo Jacobs is right behind Kleiman with three goals and two assists for five points. The Panthers sit at 4-0-0-1. They sit at six points in conference only having play two conference games and winning both.
 
GLCHL OUTLOOK:
 
The GLCHL is led by Adrian who has 18 points winning all six conference games they have played. They are coming off a weekend where they swept the number two team in the standings, Oakland (15 points). Eastern Michigan sits in third with eight points and Davenport falls in at number four with six points. Western Michigan, Michigan Dearborn and Kent State round out the GLCHL standings.
 
ACHA RANKINGS:
Preseason Ranking (9/20)                        10th
Week 1 (9/27)                                              11th
Week 2 (10/4)                                              12th
Week 3 (10/11)                                            12th
Week 4 (10/18)                                            (Released 10/18)
 
DI Ice Hockey Contact: David Gerhart | 616-554-5045 | dgerhart@davenport.edu
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