GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – After a game cancelation nine minutes into the Davenport vs. Michigan- Flint game on Friday, Chris Green and his team have had nearly two weeks of practice to prepare for a home-and-home weekend series against the 2-7 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals. With a current record of 10-2, DU will head to University Center, Mich. for a late Friday night game beginning at 9:30 p.m. Saturday they will return home for a 7:20 p.m. game.
Vs. Saginaw Valley State University
Date: Friday, Nov. 8, 2013(Game 1)/ Saturday, November 9, 2013(Game 2)
Faceoff: 9:30 p.m. (Game 1)/7:20 p.m. (Game 2)
Location: University Center, Mich. (Game 1)/Patterson Ice Center (Game 2)
Internet Coverage: None (Game 1)/ Live Video (Game 2)
Announcer: Thomas Biondo (Game 2)
Scouting Saginaw Valley
SVSU begins the weekend series with the home ice advantage Friday at 9:30 p.m. Holding a 2-7 record, the Cardinals are being led by a few key players. Dylan Welch and Scott Walter are tied for the lead in every major stat for their team. The boys have four goals and six assists a piece. Walter capitalized on a hat-trick earlier this season against GVSU. Mitchel Leist leads the team in saves with 139 in the four games he has played.
Scouting Davenport
Two weekends ago, the Panthers swept the University of Louisville Cardinals in a two game series being held at Patterson and they haven't had the chance to complete a game sense. Last weekend they had only one scheduled game and it was Friday against UofM- Flint. Zack Feher was playing strong aggressive hockey that game and just nine minutes into the first period, he checked a player into the boards and a part of the white board broke, resulting in a cancelled game. The team was handed nearly two weeks of time to practice and get refreshed for SVSU. Donald Sund has done some big things for his team this year. Throughout the twelve games Sund has played this season, he has added nine goals, fourteen assists, and zero penalty minutes to the board and is a leader for his team. The Panthers have gathered over 150 points this season and they don't plan on stopping. John Cruse has added 189 of the 251 saves DU has accounted for this year.
Davenport and Saginaw Valley played twice last year and the two games had very different results. The first time these teams met last year near the beginning of the season, DU shut them out 5-0. Later in the season these two met again and the Cardinals were able to break a 3-0 Panther lead, and defeat the team at Patterson in overtime 5-4. This weekend could go either way and both teams have something to play for. It all goes down Friday for a late night game at SVSU's home rink.
D3 Ice Hockey Contact: Ryan Clarkson | 616-745-9420 | rclarkson1@davenport.edu
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