GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Riding a four-game win streak after beating Drexel on Thursday night, the D1 hockey team would complete their three-game weekend with a pair of tilts against the Toledo Rockets. Toledo moved up to Division 1 from Division 2 and were looking to make their mark against one the top established programs in ACHA D1. Davenport was not about to let the newcomers into the top-tier of the ACHA so easily.
 
Friday October 5
Final Score: Davenport 10 – Toledo 3
Records: DU (5-0-1), UT (0-1)
 
JUMPING OUT EARLY
One of the most important keys to setting the tone in a game is to come out strong in the first five minutes of the game, and the Panthers were able to do that on Friday night. After a couple of close chances, Sam Basich got the puck and quickly moved the puck over to Nick Bontomasi, who fired a shot top corner to score his first goal as a Panther. The goal gave Davenport the early lead over three minutes in. Just over a minute later, with the Panthers still pressing in the Toledo zone, Cory Bussing fired a rocket of a shot that looked like it was going wide, but it ended up hitting Keegan Miller in his midsection, and rolled into the net to give Davenport an early two-goal lead. Less than 30 seconds later, DU would find the net once again, Austin Thompson was able to tip in a Mike Gessler point shot, and DU was off and running just over five minutes in with a 3-0 lead.
 
HARD WORK PAYS OFF
While the teams were four-aside, and a faceoff in the Toledo zone, Luke Cowan lost the draw, but immediately jumped on the loose puck and forced it to the net. He got the puck knocked off his stick, but Miller was right on the spot and fired home his second of the game. A couple of minutes later, Ian Rapp would get Toledo on the board on the power play. With only 23 seconds left in the period, Alex Hulford would score from Thompson to extend his point streak, and the Panthers led 5-1 after 20 minutes. 
 
SPECIAL-TY TEAMS
DU had an early power play in the second period, and with top unit on the ice, they would not faulter. Gessler fed Hulford a pass just atop of the faceoff circle, and the captain unleashed a wrister that went bardown, and Davenport extended their lead to five. Chris Corgan would score a couple of minutes later, and that would be all for Toledo goaltender Brendan Duff. Backup Alex Woolley would come in, and the Panther offense treated him the same, as Wade Weisgerber would score his third of the season on the power play, and Davenport led the Rockets 8-1 after two.
 
Zach and Adam Felser scored power play goals midway through the third to shrink the Davenport lead to five, but Alyx Fonseca would score a pair before the final buzzer to cap off a 10-3 win for the Panthers.
 
NOTABLE PERFROMANCES
Fonseca finished the night with two goals and three assists, for an impressive five-point game. Corgan had a three-point night himself. Goaltender Jason Rhynold stopped 16 Toledo shots in his second win of the season.
 
Saturday, October 6
Final Score: Davenport 8 – Toledo 1
Records: DU (6-0-1), UT (0-2)
 
After being embarrassed in their first game in Division 1, Toledo was determined to come out with a much better performance in the second game of the back-to-back. Things were looking good for the Rockets, as Lars Culver fired one passed the glove of Rhynold to give Toledo the 1-0 lead just 4:34 into the contest.
 
A KEY RESPONSE
Davenport found themselves stumbling out of the gate, and struggled to find an answer to the Toledo defense. However, a power play just over the halfway mark of the first gave DU fresh life. The power play was filled with chances, but the Panthers could not crack Toledo netminder Woolley. Despite not scoring with the man advantage, the momentum had clearly shifted in favor of the home team. The ongoing pressure from the Panthers finally paid off, as just over three minutes left in the period Sam Basich passed one to the front of the net in hopes of finding a teammate, instead it found the leg of Rocket defenseman Jake Koback, and it slipped into the Toledo net. The teams headed into the first intermission deadlocked at one.
 
WHO NEEDS 5-ON-5?
The Rockets got into penalty trouble early the second period, and as fans have seen this season so far, the Panthers would be able to capitalize on the opportunity. Shortly after he rang one off the crossbar, Miller would come back with another chance, and he beat Woolley to the stick side to give Davenport their first lead of the night. Another penalty would be taken by Toledo a couple minutes later. Gessler fed a pass over to Miller who fired a one-timer on net and Woolley made the save, but kicked the rebound right onto the stick of Hulford who tapped it into the empty cage for his 11^th of the season. Later on in the period, it would be DU shorthanded, but the offensive attack was still noticeable. Pat Modaff took a shot from center ice that Woolley knocked into the air with his blocker. Woolley tried to catch it like an outfielder in baseball, but muffed it, and Ian Thompson jumped on the loose puck, and put in a shorthanded goal, and Davenport went into the final frame up 4-1.
 
FINISHING STRONG
The third period was all Davenport. After Cowan redirected a Miller pass to put the Panthers up by four, Austin Thompson ripped a bad angle shot by Woolley to put the Panthers well ahead in the third. Cowan would add one more, and Bontomasi would score his second goal in as many nights. Davenport would complete the weekend sweep by a final score of 8-1.
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
DU's powerplay was almost perfect, as they went 4-for-5 on the night. Cowan led the Panthers with three points, and Rhynold would pick up back-to-back wins, giving him three for the year.




 
WHAT'S NEXT?
Davenport will play a home-and-home against GLCHL opponent Western Michigan. The Panthers will travel down to Kalamazoo to take on the Stallions Thursday night for a 9:45 p.m. puck drop. Then, on Saturday, DU will return home to take on Western at 3:35 p.m. at Patterson Ice Center.
 
Story by: Tyler Kuehl

Picture credit: Alexis Hoffman