Box Score Site: Grand Rapids, Mich. (Patterson Ice Center)
Score: Davenport 12, Ferris State 3
Records: DU (6-0-0-0), LU (0-9-0-0)
Next DU event: Friday, Oct. 24 – at Bradley – 7 p.m.
 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Davenport D2 hockey returned to action against Ferris State on Saturday night. Jake Otto led the team to a 12-3 win over Ferris State with three goals in the game. Davenport completed the sweep over Ferris State and moves to 6-0-0-0 on the year. DU will travel to Peoria, Ill. to face Bradley on Friday and Saturday next week.
 
Davenport got off to a fast start in the game as they put pressure on the Ferris State net minder, but they could not find the back of the net in the first half of the period. The Panthers started to control the neutral zone and Donald Sund was able to score the first goal of the game with just over seven minute left in the first period.
 
After DU took a 1-0 lead, Ferris State came back strong looking to tie the game, but Andrew Habasevich was able to make some big stops to keep the Panthers ahead. Zachary Bodziak blasted a shot from the point and John Brooks was able to deflect it past the goalie to give Davenport a 2-0 lead. With less than a minute remaining in the first period Branden Burton made a nice backhand pass out to the slot where Sund picked up the puck and fired it into the net as DU took a 3-0 lead into the break.
 
Jake Otto started the scoring for the Panthers in the second period off a feed from Dugan Kelly. Bailey Rietman was able to sneak past the Ferris State defense and Burton hit him with a stretch pass and Rietman beat the goalie on his backhand to give DU a 5-0 lead. Less than a minute later, Ferris State was able to cut the Davenport lead to four goals as they scored their first goal of the game. Otto and Kelly connected again on the power play, and Kelly scored one of his own goals as Davenport took a 7-1 lead into the second intermission.
 
Ferris State came out strong in the third period and scored 1:48 into the period, but the Panthers came right back as Blake Damerow scored for bring the Davenport lead back up six goals. The teams continued to trade goals to start the third period as Ferris State cut the Panther lead to five on a power play goal, and Kyle McConnell answered back for DU.
 
Otto concluded his hat trick in the game with nine minutes left in regulation on back door pass from Bodziak. Bodziak then scored his first goal of the game as DU took an 11-3 lead and Habasevich was able to keep the Bulldogs at ease the remainder of the game as the Panthers won the game 12-3 after Burton capped off the scoring for Davenport.
 
The Panthers will head to Peoria, Ill. next weekend as they face Bradley on weekend series on Friday and Saturday with both games starting a 7 p.m.
 
D2 Ice Hockey Contact: David Gerhart | 616-554-5045 | dgerhart@davenport.edu
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