2012 Good Luck DUck Video | The DAN | Oakland Broadcast

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – After a roller coaster weekend against Kent State, No. 15 D1 Hockey was able to salvage a weekend split with the Golden Flashes. Now head coach Phil Sweeney and his team looks to change their focus to their bitter rival in Oakland, and the opening of the Good Luck DUck series. The Panthers were able to win the DUck back after beating Oakland in the fifth game in the best of three series. The two rivals faceoff in a home-and-home series Friday and Saturday with game one being in Rochester, Mich. at 8:20 p.m. and game two back at Patterson Ice Center on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
 
Date: November 15, 2013 (Game 1)/ November 16, 2013 (Game 2)
Location: Onyx Ice Arena (Game 1)/ Patterson Ice Center (Game 2)
Broadcast Coverage: Oakland Broadcast (Game 1)/ Davenport Athletic Network (DAN) (Game 2 Only)
Broadcast Talent: Tom Biondo (Game 2)
Twitter: @DU_D1Hockey | @DUAthletics
 
SCOUTING OAKLAND:
 
Oakland has a tough start to the season as they started off the season at No. 12 in the ACHA rankings and have now fallen out of the rankings, but they climbed back in this week as they sit at No. 21. However, Oakland is always a tough match up, because of all the history between DU and the Grizzlies. The head coach of the Grizzlies is Gordie Schaeffler, who is in his first year as a head coach after being an assistant for the previous eight seasons. The first year head coach looks, to Billy Balent to lead the team offensively as he leads the team in goals (9), assists (19), and points (19). Helping Balent carry the offensive load is Anthony Colizza, Frank Maytok, and David Merkle who have all eclipsed the 20 point mark in the season.
 
In net, the Grizzles will have Corey Hrischuk, who has played in 14 games garnering an 8-6 record with a .90 save percentage and a 3.20 goals against average to lead the team.
 
LAST MEETING:
 
The last time the Grizzlies and Panthers met was on February 22 of this year, in the fifth and deciding game of the Good Luck DUck series. After DU won the first two games of the series, Oakland won the next to tie up the series to set up the fifth game. Oakland got on the board early as they scored just 2:30 into the game take an early lead.
 
The Panthers came back to score to goals back-to-back, by Travis White and Andrew Frank to go up 2-1 halfway through the game. Oakland scored with eight minutes left in the second period to tie the game at two, but the Panthers would score three unanswered goals, two by Matt Ogden and one by Stephen Flood, to close out the game 5-2 and win back the DUck.
 
WEEKEND RECAP:
 
The Panthers are coming off a roller coaster weekend as they split games with Kent State. In game one, DU had plenty of chances, but just could not find the back of the net as they lost the game 4-2. The second game was completely different story as DU took it to the Golden Flashes and were able to capitalize on the scoring chances as they won game two 8-0. In the second game Mason Bohlinger picked up a hat trick and Matt Kaludis got his first shutout of the season.
 
THE PANTHERS:
 
After the scoring barrage in game two, Robert Klieman still leads the team in assists with 11 and in points with 16. Phil Wendecker, who has seen time at forward and defense, is tied for the team lead in goals with Luke McCarthy at six goals apiece. After Bohlinger got his hat trick on Saturday, he now sits at five goals and nine points on the season.
 
In net, head coach Phil Sweeney looks to Phil Graveline, as he has had a huge year in net even though the win-loss record may not show it. Graveline has a 4-4 record with a .92 save percentage and 2.54 goals against average. Behind Graveline, is Matt Kaludis who is coming off his first shutout on the season to lower his goals against average to 1.50 and now has a .94 save percentage to go along with 3-1 record.
 
GLCHL OUTLOOK:
 
Adrian is still atop the GLCHL conference with 30 points, and only having one loss that came to Michigan-Dearborn who is in sixth place with nine points. Oakland comes into the weekend match-up with 24 points which slots them into second place having already played 15 games and holding a 8-7-0-0 record in conference. The third place is Eastern Michigan with 14 points, and behind them is the Panthers who have 12 points through six conference games. In fifth place is Western Michigan with ten points in conference and Kent State still sits in seventh place after picking up another with to move to six points in the GLCHL.
 
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
Week 7 (11/5)                                       15th
Week 8 (11/13)                                    15th
               
 
DI Ice Hockey Contact: David Gerhart | 616-554-5045 | dgerhart@davenport.edu
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