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Site: Grand Rapids, Mich. (Patterson Ice Center)
Score: No. 13 Davenport 8, Eastern Michigan 3
Records: DU (17-8-0-1), EMU (12-18-0-1)
Next DU event: Friday, Jan. 17 – vs. Western Michigan – 7:30 p.m.
 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The D1 hockey team concluded a four game home stand on Saturday night as the hosted Eastern Michigan for the final regular season meeting between the two teams. The game started off as back and forth affair as the game was tied at two after the first period. DU finally took control of the game in the final two periods as they scored five unanswered goals. Mason Bohlinger tallied four goals, while Andrew Frank had four assists in the game to lead the Panthers to the 8-3 win. DU will have a home-and-home series with Western Michigan next weekend.
 
DU opened the game looking to keep the momentum from last nights win going, but the game opened with some back and forth play and Eastern Michigan started the scoring in the game as they capitalized on a chance just four minutes into the game. DU came right back with Mason Bohlinger scoring his first goal of the game to tie the game back up.
 
With 3:40 left in the first period the Eagles scored on the power play to regain the lead, but the Andrew Frank found Bohlinger to tally his second goal of the night to tie the game at two at the end of the first period.
 
The Panther power play continued to stay hot as Bohlinger broke the tie as he tipped in a shot from John Brooks to give DU the lead. After DU took the lead both teams took penalties and DU found themselves on a 5-on-3 penalty kill. The Panthers were able to kill the all the penalties and just after the penalty kill Luke McCarthy increased the Panther lead to two as he dangled the defender and beat the goalie.
 
In the final five minutes of the second period the Panthers held the pressure in the Eagles and DU also had a couple odd man breaks, but they were unable to increase their lead. After the two periods the Panthers took a 4-2 lead into the locker room.
 
Winston Hofer opened up the third period for the Panthers with a goal, as he sniped the puck past the Eagle net minder off the post and in, to give DU a 5-2 lead. Just a few minutes later, Bohlinger was able to add a goal for his hat trick and gave DU a 6-2 lead with 11 minutes left.
 
Down the stretch Phil Graveline made some huge saves to preserve the Panther lead. Phil Wendecker added a seventh goal as DU continued to pour it on. In the final minutes of the game Eastern Michigan scored a goal with 2:52, but DU rebounded as Cody Walsh scored on a feed from Frank to give DU an 8-3 win over the Eagles.
 
After the game head coach Phil Sweeney talked about what went on in the locker room between the first and second period to spark the team, "We talked about getting a little more hop in our step we were just a little lackadaisical, so we just needed to pick it up a notch. The boys responded really well and they really started getting after it."
 
Sweeney also talked about how he is going prep his team and take what they did this weekend into next weekend, "We have momentum on our side, we just have to keep building on it. We gave the guys Monday off; give them two more days off. Then we are going to go really hard on Tuesday-Thursday at practice just keep building on the momentum."  
 
The Panther will be back in action next weekend when they have a home-and-home series with Western Michigan starting in Kalamazoo, Mich. on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
 
Post-Game Notes
 
Phil Graveline got the win in net making 28 saves as he is now 10-7 on the season and DU moves to 17-8-0-1 on the season. The Panther power play has been hot as of late going 4-for-7 in the game tonight. Mason Bohlinger scored four goals in the game and this is his second of the season. Andrew Frank had four points in the game and is now leading DU in points with 29 on the season.
 
DI Ice Hockey Contact: David Gerhart | 616-554-5045 | dgerhart@davenport.edu
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