ACHA Preseason Rankings | DI Hockey Schedule
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Davenport Division I hockey team opens the season ranked 10th in the preseason ACHA Men's Division rankings. The Panthers finished last season ranked in the same spot in the rankings. They finished last season with 30-11-0 record. The also captured the GLCHL tournament crown. Head Coach, Phil Sweeney and his squad open their season with a home and home against conference opponent Western Michigan next Friday and Saturday, Saturday night being their home opener at Patterson Ice Center.
The Panthers received a total of 430 in the preseason rankings. The team will play seven different teams that are ranked in the ACHA's preseason Top 25. Those teams are conference foes #4 Adrian, #12 Oakland, and #24 Michigan-Dearborn. Davenport will also play #3 and last season's national runner-up Lindenwood, #8 Robert Morris (Ill.), #11 Delaware, and #13 Liberty.
With this tough schedule the Panthers will be looking to move up in the ranking each and every week. This will also help the Panthers get ready for the national tournament as they will face many of the competitors that are also looking to get into the national tournament.
ACHA DI SHOWCASE
The ACHA also released the matchups for this seasons ACHA Showcase that will be held at the Mentor Civic Ice Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The ACHA Showcase is October 11-13. Last season at the showcase they went 2-1 with victories over North Dakota State and then #10 Central Oklahoma. This season the Panthers drew #11 Delaware, Colorado State, and Towson.
The Delaware Blue Hens won the national championship two seasons ago. Davenport faced them in the 2012 national tournament where the Blue Hens came away with a 3-1 victory as they formed their path to the national championship.
Davenport also goes up against Colorado State. The Rams enter their first season at the Division I level receiving votes from the ACHA preseason ranking. This brings up an old rivalry between Davenport and Colorado State. When the Panthers and Rams were both at the Division II level they played many heated games either in a showcase tournament or the national tournament. With the Rams making the jump the rivalry will be renewed.
Finally the Panthers will face another team that is receiving votes in Towson. The Tigers won the East Collegiate Hockey Association last season with a victory over the Naval Academy. This will be the first game between Davenport and Towson.
DI Ice Hockey Contact: David Gerhart | 616-554-5045 | dgerhart@davenport.edu
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