Box Score Photo Gallery | Video Highlights | Sweeney Post-Game Speech

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Davenport staked claim to the Good Luck Duck for the fifth time in the last six seasons as they used a three goal third period to down visiting Oakland 5-2 on Friday night. Matt Ogden scored a pair of goals including the game winner early in the third period to give DU a 3-2 edge in the season series. Davenport improves to 23-16-1 all-time against their rival as they head into the ACHA D1 National Tournament on a 10-game winning streak.

In a back and forth opening period, it was the visiting Grizzlies who lit the lamp first as they scored on a shot from the blue-line just 2:30 in. It marked the first time this season in the six meetings that OU tallied the first score. After Davenport fought off a pair of power plays, the Panthers tied the game with 2:30 remaining in the period on a goal from Travis White (assisted by Phil Wendecker).

The second period saw the Panthers get a leg up as Andrew Frank scored just 6:34 in on a beautiful feed from Alex Ostrowski. Davenport continued to apply pressure but could not find the net to give them a two goal cushion and with 7:55 to play in the period, the Grizzlies got the equalizer and that would be how the period would end with the score being tied 2-2.

Knowing the next goal would be crucial, both teams came out with high intensity in the third and just 1:44 in, Davenport got the go-ahead and eventual game winning goal from Matt Ogden off two nice passes from Phil Wendecker and Dan Zawacki giving DU a 3-2 lead.

Both teams then settled down for the mid-part of the period and just as it looked like OU would tie it up with a flurry of shots, Phil Graveline came up with every big save to keep the one-goal lead. With 1:52 to play, DU added the much needed insurance goal as Ogden got loose on a breakaway and put it by the OU netminder and the scoring continued into the last minute with Stephen Flood picked up an empty netter for the win.

Davenport will be in action next in the ACHA DI National Tournament in the second round on Saturday, March 2 when they face Lindenwood University.

Post-Game Quotes – Head coach Phil Sweeney

On claiming the Duck back – “This is what we have worked for all season, why we recruited so hard it is exactly what we told our guys coming in, that you come here to win championships, win trophies and that is what we have done this season with the Blue-Grey, GLCHL and now this.”

On recovering from an early deficit – “I was actually kind of happy we got down…I know that sounds strange, but we have not been trailing much this whole second half of the year and it was good to see our guys be able to battle back and come out on top. It will help us as we get ready for nationals next week.”

Post-Game Notes

Davenport has now won four of the six games this season vs. their rivals Oakland and outscored the Grizzlies by a final count of 24-15…The Panthers have won the Duck series in five of the last six years dating back to the start in 2007-08…Davenport will bring a 10-game winning streak into the national tournament that starts on Saturday, March 2