Davenport Athletic Network 

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Davenport Division I hockey team will look to rebound from three straight losses as they face Michigan-Dearborn in two games this weekend. Davenport is coming off a loss against No. 13 Adrian, 4-0. Head coach Phil Sweeney will look for a lot of intensity from his team this weekend as they face the Wolverines. Game one of the series will be out in Dearborn, Mich. on Friday, with the puck drop at 7:30 p.m. The second game of the home and home will be at Patterson Ice Center on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
 
 
Date: Game 1: Friday, November 1st, Game 2: Saturday, November 2nd
Location: Game 1: Dearborn, Mich., Game 2: Grand Rapids, Mich. (Patterson Ice Center)
Broadcast: Davenport Athletic Network (DAN) (Game 2 Only)
Broadcast Talent: Thomas Biondo
Twitter: @DU_D1Hockey | @DUAthletics
 
SCOUTING MICHIGAN-DEARBORN:
 
Michigan-Dearborn comes into the weekend with a 6-8-0-1 record, after they were able to split a weekend series with Kent State. The head coach of the Wolverines is Chris Haltinner, who is in his first season as the head coach of the team. Leading the way offensively for the first year head coach is, Jase Paciocco who has 19 points and is leading the team in assists with 12. The leading goal scorer for the Wolverines is Ryan Kelly with 11 goals on the season.
 
In net four different goal tenders have had playing time in net. Playing the majority of the minutes is Micah Collier, who has a 5-1 record with a 2.95 GAA and .92 save percentage. Behind Collier is Zack Mielen and Max Dutzy, Mielen has a 3.46 GAA and .91 save percentage, while Dutzy has a 5.40 GAA and .86 save percentage.
 
LAST MEETING:
 
The last time these two teams met was in the Panthers season finale last season. Davenport ran away with the win as they won 9-0. DU got a hat trick from former Panther Alex Ostrowski, and sandwiched in between his goals were goals from Dustin Wischmeyer, Stephen Flood, Matt Ogden, and Josh Munford. Closing out the scoring for the Panthers was Zack Blumke and Phil Wendecker on back-to-back shorthanded goal. Posting the shutout for Davenport was Phil Graveline making 27 saves to close out the regular season.
 
WEEKEND RECAP:
 
Davenport had a one game weekend as they hosted No. 13 Adrian College on Friday night at Patterson Ice Center. DU looked to get back on the winning track after being swept by Liberty the week before, but they were unable to do so as the Bulldogs shut them out 4-0. Graveline made 33 saves in the game on Friday as he kept the game close for Davenport.
 
THE PANTHERS:
 
Davenport is at 4-3-0-1 on the season after the loss last Friday, and sit 14th in the ACHA national rankings. Leading the team in scoring is Robert Kleiman with eight point, four goals and four assists. The team as a whole is points 2.8 goals a game in the early going, which is down dramatically from the year before. Coach Sweeney is mixing lines to find connections that click to get back to the offensive form from last season.
 
On the backend, Graveline and Matt Kaludis have been big for the team as they have kept the Panthers in each game they have played this season. Sweeney has also looked to move some of the defensemen up a play forward, as captain Phil Wendecker played a little forward on Friday night. With such an active defensive core the Panthers will look to be more aggressive all around.
 
GLCHL OUTLOOK:
 
The GLCHL is led by Adrian, who picks up three more points after beating Davenport over the past weekend. Behind Adrian is Oakland, who could not close the gap on the Bulldogs as Oakland was swept by Eastern Michigan over the weekend. Eastern Michigan was able to close in the top, as the picked up six huge points this weekend, as they sit in third place with 14 points. In fourth place, is Western Michigan with ten points through seven games, and right behind them is Michigan-Dearborn with nine points. Davenport sits in sixth place with six points through just three GLCHL games. Kent State got their first conference points of the year, after winning against Michigan-Dearborn, as they sit in seventh place with three points.
 
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)                                    12th
Week 5 (10/24)                                    14th
Week 6 (10/29)                                    14th
 
 
DI Ice Hockey Contact: David Gerhart | 616-554-5045 | dgerhart@davenport.edu
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