GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Davenport D1 hockey team started their final weekend of the regular season against Kent State on Friday night. After being tied 1-1 after the first period, the Panthers scored eight goals in the second period en route to 9-3 win over the Golden Flashes. Davenport will conclude their regular season on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. as they conclude the weekend series with Kent State. Davenport will honor the seniors on the team prior to their final home game of the regular season.
 
In the first period, neither team could take control of the game until Davenport was able to keep put on a strong offensive attack part way through the first period, but Kent State was able to kill the momentum with a power play goals with 9:36 left in the first period. The Panthers were slowly able to flip the momentum with strong special teams play and they finally got the board with 1:17 left in the period after Andrew Frank tallied a power play as Travis White and Cameron Dimmitt picked up the assists on the goal to tie the game at one heading into the first intermission.
 
The Panthers came out strong in the second period as the Luke McCarthy put Davenport ahead 2-1 just 2:50 into the period as Aaron Beally notched an assist on the goal and White picked up his second assist of the night. Davenport continued to their hot start to the second period as Frank scored his second goal of the night just 2:01 later as Mason Bohlinger picked up the assists and Beally tallied is second assist of the night. The Panther offense continued to buzz in the second period as White scored his first goal of the game to take a 4-1 lead.
 
Zack Blumke continued to the Panther scoring in the second period as the puck ricocheted off the board and into the net to give Davenport a 5-1 lead with 11:13 left in the second period. Less than two minutes later, Chris Eckler scored with 9:30 left in the second on shot from slot to give the Panthers a 6-1 lead. The Panthers took a 7-1 lead with 6:29 left in the second period as Cody Mathieu scored his second goal of the season.
 
Jordan Simmonds gave the Panthers a seven goal lead with 5:24 left in the period, but Kent State came back to score their second goal of the game. The Panther scored with 32 seconds left as Dimmitt was able to cap off the eight goal period for the Panthers to take a 9-2 lead into the second period.
 
In the third period, the Golden Flashes got on the board first in the period of a deflection to cut the Davenport lead to 9-3 with 12:19 left in regulation. The Panthers were able to keep the Golden Flashes at ease the rest of the period as Davenport went on to win the game 9-3, as Clayton Brown picked up the win in net.
 
After the game head coach Phil Sweeney talked about his team's performance on Friday night, "We started really slow, but it was 1-1 after and we finished the period strong. We came in and regrouped after the period and we played one of the best periods I have seen this team play. Scoring eight goals in one period is amazing. We just have to carry the momentum into Saturday for senior night and send these guys off in style.
 
The Panthers will conclude their regular season on Saturday night as they face Kent State in their final game of the regular season at 3:30 p.m. in at Patterson Ice Center.
 
DI Ice Hockey Contact: David Gerhart | 616-554-5045 | dgerhart@davenport.edu
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