GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – After closing out 2014 with a pair of losses on the road to Robert Morris (Ill.), the Davenport D1 hockey team will start the 2015 portion of their schedule this weekend with a home-and-home series with Michigan-Dearborn. The Panthers will start 2015 with a 12-9-1-3 record on the season, and sit in a third place tie in the GLCHL. Davenport and Michigan-Dearborn will start their series on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in Dearborn, Mich., before they return to Patterson Ice on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
 
Game 1
At Michigan-Dearborn
Date: Friday, January 9, 2015
Puck Drop: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Dearborn, Mich. (Michigan-Dearborn Ice Arena)
 
Game 2
Vs. Michigan-Dearborn
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2015
Puck Drop: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Grand Rapids, Mich. (Patterson Ice Center)
Live Coverage: Live Audio/Video
 
Scouting Michigan-Dearborn
 
Michigan-Dearborn opened the New Year with a sweep of Oakland, which was highlights by 10-4 win in the outdoor game at Clark Park. The Wolverines are 16-10-1-2 on the season, and are led by Jase Paciocco and Gino Darin. Paciocco leads the team in assists with 31 and points with 43, while Darin leads the team in goals with 20 on the season. Michigan-Dearborn has had a balanced offensive attack with five players with at least 30 points on the season. In net, Nate Ferris has played the majority of the minutes to compile a 3.64 goals against average and a .883 save percentage.
 
The Panthers
 
Kody Polin is the leading scorer on the Panther roster with 26 points and 14 goals on the season, while Jordan Simmonds and Chris Eckler are right behind Polin with 23 points on the season. Eckler leads the team with 15 assists, while Simmonds has 13 goals and 10 assists so far this season. Matt Kaludis and Clayton Brown have split time in net this season to compile a goals against average of 3.01 to go along with a .890 save percentage to help the Panthers to a 12-9-1-3 record on the season.
 
GLCHL Outlook
 
Adrian leads the GLCHL with a 20-1-1-0 record on the season, while the Wolverines are right behind the Bulldogs in second place with 35 points on the season. Davenport and Western Michigan are tied for third place with 28, but the Panthers have two games in hand against the Stallions. Through 26 games this season, Oakland is in fifth place with 25 points and Kent State is close behind with 22 points in 22 games, and Eastern Michigan rounds out the GLCHL with 12 points on the season.
 
ACHA Rankings
 
In the final ACHA rankings of 2014, the top three remained the same with Arizona State, Central Oklahoma and Ohio holding strong. Adrian and Stony Brook continued to flip-flop between fourth and fifth as Adrian was able to grab the fourth spot heading into the semester break. The Panthers sit at 16th in the rankings, while Michigan-Dearborn sits at 18th in ACHA, while Oakland is the only other from the GLCHL to appear in the top-25 as hold onto the 22nd spot in the rankings. Mercyhurst and Lebanon Valley were the only new teams to jump into the rankings as they hold spots 24 and 25, respectively.
 
DI Ice Hockey Contact: David Gerhart | 616-554-5045 | dgerhart@davenport.edu
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