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Site: Kalamazoo, Mich. (Wings West Ice Arena)
Score: No. 12 Davenport 4, Western Michigan 3
Records: DU (1-0-0), WMU (1-3-1)
Next DU event: Saturday, Oct. 5 – vs. Western Michigan – 7:30 p.m.
 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Davenport DI Hockey team opened their season on the road in Kalamazoo as they took on the Western Michigan University Stallions. The Panthers battled hard in their first game of the season as they defeated the Stallions 4-3. Phil Wendecker led the team by scoring a hat trick and Luke McCarthy was right behind him with one goal and one assist.
 
The first period saw a lot of big hits and physical play throughout. It was back and forth for the first half of the period with each team trading hits and close scoring chases. The Panthers finally struck gold as Luke McCarthy found the back of the net on a scramble in front of the net at the 8:39 mark.
 
Period number two saw more of the same as the previous period. The high intensity was sustained throughout the period by both teams. The Panthers came out firing as they scored 45 seconds into the periods as Phil Wendecker drifted into the high slot and sniped a shot over the Western Michigan goaltender to give the Panthers a 2-0
 
Davenport continued to apply pressure but could not muster a goal. With 11 minutes left in the period Michael Moroso of the Western Michigan put one past Phil Graveline.
 
In the middle portion of the period Graveline made some huge saves to keep the Panthers ahead 2-1. Davenport then turned it around to maintain the puck in the Stallions third of the ice. With the period winding down the Panthers head a few power play chances, including a five on three advantage, but could not put one home.
 
In the final period neither team could find the back of the net until Wendecker jumped on a loose puck in the slot to notch his second goal of the game with 6:52 left in the regulation. He would then add one more goal three minutes later for his hat trick and gave Davenport a 4-1 lead.
 
The Stallions would come back quick to score two goals in less than one minute to come within one goal. But Graveline would stand on his head in the final minutes to give the Panthers a 4-3 victory.
 
After the game head coach Phil Sweeney said, "I am very impressed on how hard we played today, it was a little sloppy but it was our first game it is going to happen. We are trying out a new style of play and we if we play like we did today we are going to be an absolute bear to play."
 
 
The Panthers will be at home tomorrow evening to complete the weekend home and home series against Western Michigan. The puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. at Patterson Ice Center.

Post Game Notes – Phil Wendecker picks up where he left off last season by posting a hat trick tonight. Luke McCarthy picked up two points with an assist on Wendecker's first goal of the game and opened up the scoring with a goal of his own in the first period. Zack Blumke, Matt Ogden, Mason Bohlinger, Tyler Layle, and Robert Kleiman all tallied assists. Phil Graveline picks up the win in net and allowed just three goals.
 
DI Ice Hockey Contact: David Gerhart | 616-554-5045 | dgerhart@davenport.edu
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