Davenport Athletic Network | Fox 17 Good Luck DUck Feature

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The tough closing stretch for the Panthers continues as they face No. 17 Oakland this weekend. The Good Luck DUck series also continues this weekend as the Panthers face the Grizzlies, and DU currently trails the series 0-2. Davenport will look to tie the series up this weekend with a two game home-and-home set. The Panthers look to turn the tables as Oakland did to them last year, after DU took a 2-0 lead last season Oakland won the next two to force the fifth game of the series were the Panthers were able to win back the DUck. The first game of the weekend series begins at 8:20 p.m. in Rochester, Mich., followed by a 5:30 p.m. start on Saturday at Patterson Ice Center.
 
Date:  January 31, 2014/February 1, 2014
Location: Onyx Ice Arena (Game 1)/Patterson Ice Center(Game 2)
Broadcast Coverage: Oakland Audio Broadcast (Game 1)/ Davenport Athletic Network(Game 2)
Broadcast Talent: Thomas Biondo (Game 2)
Twitter: @DU_D1Hockey | @DUAthletics
 
SCOUTING OAKLAND:
 
First year head coach Gordie Schaeffler, has his team entering the weekend with a 17-13-0-0 record and ranked 17th in the ACHA rankings. The Golden Grizzlies are led by Billy Balent who has an even 50 points on the season to lead the team and also lead the team with 20 goals and has 30 assists, which is second on the team to Anthony Colizza who has 32 assists and 49 points. Schaeffler will look for the dynamic duo of Balent and Colizza to lead the way for Oakland.
 
In net, Corey Hrischuk has been getting the majority of the playing time as he has appeared in 25 games to garner a 14-10 record. Hrischuk has a 3.58 goals against average with a save percentage of .89. Anthony Munoz has been the back up net minder and has a goals against average of 2.69 and a .84 save percentage to go along with his 2-3 record.
 
LAST MEETING:
 
These two teams met in the middle of November for a their first home-and-home series of the season. The Golden Grizzlies were able to take both games as they jumped on DU early in both games. In the first game at Oakland, the Panthers fell behind 2-0 after the first period and brought the game as close as one goal, but Oakland took control at the end and scored an empty net goal to seal the 6-3 win.
 
In the second game, the Panthers started slow and Oakland capitalized as they score the first five goals of the game and DU trialed 5-1 after the first period. Davenport was never able to get back into it as they lost the second of the weekend 7-2 and fell 0-2 in the Good Luck DUck series.
 
WEEKEND RECAP:
 
The Panthers stepped out of GLCHL conference play last weekend as they hosted Lindenwood for a two game set at Patterson Ice Center. In the first game, DU found themselves down two goals twice in the game, but showed the resilience they have shown in second half of their season and came back to tie the game with eight seconds left. The Panthers controlled the play in overtime, but could not score and lost 2-1 in a shootout and lost the first game 4-3.
 
In game two, DU controlled the tempo of the game throughout and used the momentum from the third period and overtime from the night before and took it to Lindenwood. The Panthers were able to take the second game 4-0, and Phil Graveline picked up his second shutout of the season. 
 
THE PANTHERS:
 
Andrew Frank is leading the Panthers offensive charge with 35 points and 24 assists on the season, but his 14 game point streak was snapped in the Panthers last game against Lindenwood. Mason Bohlinger is right on Frank's heals with 34 points as he leads the team in goals with 18. Luke McCarthy is right behind Bohlinger with 17 goals on the year. Head coach Phil Sweeney has liked what he has seen from his offense as they have out shot their opponent in every game in the 2014 portion of their schedule.
 
In net, Phil Graveline and Matt Kaludis have split time pretty evenly and have each played in one game each weekend for the past four weeks. Graveline has a 12-7 record and two shutouts on the season making 538 on the year. Kaludis, who has been getting the start on Friday's has an 8-3 record this season and also has two shutouts to go along with a .924 saver percentage.
 
GLCHL OUTLOOK:
 
Adrian still holds a nine-point lead over the Panthers for first place in the GLCHL with 51 points. DU is looking to hang on to second place in the conference as Oakland is just three points behind with 39 points. Eastern Michigan continues to increase their lead for fourth place in the conference of as they are four points ahead of Michigan-Dearborn. Western Michigan falls one spot to sixth place in the conference with 19 points. Kent State picked up one point in a shootout loss against Western Michigan and now has seven points to round out the conference.
 
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
Week 9 (11/20)                                     18th
Week 10 (11/27)                                   16th
Week 11 (12/5)                                     12th
Week 12 (12/11)                                   13th
Week 13 (12/17)                                   13th
Week 14 (1/8)                                       13th 
Week 15 (1/15)                                     12th
Week 16 (1/22)                                     12th 
Week 17 (1/29)                                     12th
   
DI Ice Hockey Contact: David Gerhart | 616-554-5045 | dgerhart@davenport.edu
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