Box Score Photo Gallery

Site: Adrian, Mich. (Arrington Ice Arena)
Score: No. 16 Davenport 6, No. 7 Adrian 5
Records: DU (21-9-0-3), AC (25-5-0-3)
Next DU event: Friday, Feb. 7 – vs. Adrian – 8:30 p.m.
 
ADRIAN, Mich. – The Davenport D1 hockey team started a crucial stretch at No. 7 Adrian, and Andrew Frank led the charge for the Panthers with two goals in the game as the Panthers pulled ahead late in the third, in a back and forth period to hang on to win 6-5. DU is now 16-6-0-0 in the GLCHL and 21-9-0-3 on the season to pick up a big win for the national rankings. Both the Bulldogs and Panthers will face off again on Friday at Patterson Ice Center with the puck drop at 8:30 p.m.
 
The Panthers started the game on the attack and scored the first goal of the game less than seven minutes into the game as Chris Eckler made a nice from behind the net to Andrew Frank, who buried it to put the Panthers ahead early in the first period. Adrian came back a few minutes later to tie the game back up with a power play goal.
 
Tyler Layle was able to get the puck at the top of the circle on the Panthers power play and he ripped the puck past the Adrian net minder to put the Panthers up 2-1 heading into the first intermission.
 
To start the second period the Bulldogs controlled the tempo for the first part of the period, but Phil Graveline stood on his head to keep the Panthers ahead by one goal. Davenport was able to get another power play and flipped the momentum in the period. Matt Ogden was able to increase the DU lead, as Frank threw the puck to the front of the net and Ogden was able to pick up the loose puck and put it home to give the Panthers a two goal after two periods.
 
The third period started with 1:41 of four-on-four hockey and neither team could use the open ice to their advantage. Just after coming out of the box Ogden was able to pick up the puck and start a Davenport rush up the ice and after curling around the net he found Frank for his second goal of the game.
 
Mason Bohlinger kept pouring it on the for the Panthers as, Travis White and Dustin Wischmeyer were able to connect with Bohlinger to increase the lead to four goals. After the Bulldogs were assed a five-minute penalty the scored a shorthanded to bring the lead back to three, and Adrian came right back less than three minutes later to bring the game back to two.
 
Adrian continued to make their comeback as they scored two goals in less than one minute to tie the game at five goals a piece with 3:30 left in regulation. Phil Wendecker continued the third period scoring as he gave DU the one goal lead with 2:47 left in regulation. The Panthers were able to hold off the Bulldogs late in the period to come away with a 6-5 win.
 
After the game head coach Phil Sweeney talked about his team's performance tonight, "Tonight's game was crazy, we needed to have the win. I am glad we won, Adrian never stopped coming, they had a couple goals that were really good goals. The guys just kept playing and I was proud of how they played. That was a very nerve racking game, but liked the way we played."
 
Phil Wendecker talked about how he rallied the team to score the game winning goal, "The end of the game started to get a little hectic, when the game gets like that you just have to simplify the game. We had to block shots, get into passing lanes and all the little things it takes to win games"
 
The Panthers will face off against the Bulldogs again tomorrow at Patterson Ice Center with the puck drop scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
 
Post-Game Notes
 
The Panthers are now 21-9-0-3 on the season and they outshot Adrian 41-35 in the game. Andrew Frank tallied two goals in the game and added an assist. Ogden tallied a goal and an assist, while Chris Eckler tallied three assists in the game. Phil Graveline made 30 assists in the game to pick up the win.
 
DI Ice Hockey Contact: David Gerhart | 616-554-5045 | dgerhart@davenport.edu
DU Athletics: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
DI Ice Hockey: Twitter | Facebook