CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The D1 hockey team traveled down southwest for another weekend on the road against a ranked opponent in the state of Illinois, this time they faced-off against the Fighting Illini. The two teams had split their regular season series last season. Illinois was trying to get back on the winning track after falling to UNLV before Thanksgiving, whereas the Panthers were riding a three-game win streak heading into Illini Ice Arena.
 
Friday, November 30
Final Score: Davenport 6 – Illinois 4
Records: #7 DU (15-2-1), #10 UI (10-5-3)
Location: Illini Ice Arena (Champaign, Ill.)
 
BOUNCING BACK
The Panthers wanted to get a good start on the road, however it was the Illini striking first, as Thomas Kolaz opened the scoring just a hair under three minutes into the contest. One of the most important shifts in a hockey game is the shift immediately following a goal, and the Panthers had the perfect response. Less than a minute after Illinois opened the scoring, Alex Hulford found the back of the net for the 21^st time this season to even the game at one. Despite giving up the opening goal, Davenport's Jason Rhynold stood tall, making 11 saves in the first 20 minutes. The Panthers continued to take the play to Illinois, and Tyler Layle scored only his second goal of the season with just under four minutes left in the first. Davenport had all the momentum heading into intermission.
 
TAKING CONTROL
With a 2-1 lead heading into period number two, Davenport decided they were going to dictate the play in the Fighting Illini's own barn. Less than five minutes into the period, Nathan Nickelson fired one passed Illinois' netminder, Donovan Bird, to put DU up by two. Just minutes later, it was Ian Thompson scoring his eighth goal of the season, and Davenport was in business. The Panthers would be able to strike again before the period ended, as Keegan Miller continued his impressive rookie season, as he was set up by his linemates Hulford and Austin Thompson. DU led the Fighting Illini 5-1 heading into the final period of play.
 
NAIL-BITER TO THE FINISH
Illinois was not about to go quietly into the night, and they came out inspired to find a way back into the game. Just 100 seconds in, leading scorer Robert Ernsting scored to help turn the tide in Illinois' favor. Just 22 seconds later, the Illini would come right back down and score again, as Kolaz potted his second goal of the game, and Illinois was back within two. The teams traded chances throughout the period, but it would be the Illini with just a little more fight, as Luke Forfar scored to make it a 5-4 game. When it seemed like Illinois had the game going their way, DU would find a way to put a nail in the coffin. Less than a minute after Forfar's tally, Layle would score his second of the game, with the set up coming from Luke Cowan and Marc Anderson. That goal would do the trick, and Illinois would not be able to come back, as Davenport would take the first game of the weekend, 6-4.
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Miller led DU with a three-point performance. Adam Goudelock, Ian Thompson, Hulford, and Layle all had two-point games. Rhynold picked up his 10th victory this season, 30^th of his career, with a 23 save outing in net.
 
Saturday, December 1
Final Score: Davenport 3 – Illinois 2
Records: #7 DU (16-2-1), #10 UI (10-6-3)
Location: Illini Ice Arena (Champaign, Ill.)
 
TIGHT START
Just like the previous game, the opening goal came shortly after the opening faceoff. This time, it was the Panthers jumping out in front. After a play made from Alyx Fonseca and Joey Ogden, Ian Thompson beat Illini goaltender Jake Barnhart for his second goal of the weekend. The teams would go chance-for-chance through the duration of the first period, with Barnhart and Rhynold each making quality stops of the respective clubs. Illinois would find a way to even the score later in the first, as Kacper Ryba would find the back of the net. The teams would head into the second period deadlocked at one.
 
The second period found the Fighting Illini catching the Panthers sleeping coming out of the locker room, as Ryba would fire home his second of the game to give the Illini the lead.
 
FIGHTING BACK
The Panthers were incapable of scoring in the second period as Barnhart seemed to all but have solved the Panthers' high-powered offense.
 
That was, until the third period.
 
Davenport turned up the offense in the final 20 minutes, looking for an equalizer. They found it on the stick of Austin Thompson, who scored for the 16^th time this season, with the assist coming from Tyler Ploeg. With the game tied, it came to fruition that this game was a tale of two cities. Illinois, trying to avoid a sweep on home ice, while the Panthers were looking to take a weekend sweep from a ranked opponent for the second time this season. Something had to give. The play went back-and-forth, end-to-end, both teams coming so close to taking the lead. With five minutes left in regulation, Mike Gessler found Austin Thompson open in the slot, and Thompson would make no mistake, scoring his second of the game to give the Panthers the lead.
 
Illinois pulled the goalie late, looking to tie the game late, but to no avail. The Panthers would complete the weekend sweep with a hard-earned 3-2 win.
 
Head Coach Phil Sweeney was very impressed with his team's effort this weekend, and is very excited to look ahead at what his team can do down the stretch. "We could make some real noise in [the GLCHL]" He stated post-game.
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Rhynold stopped 25 of the 27 shots he faced, and earned his 11^th win of the year. Ogden's assist on Ian Thompson's goal gave him his second helper in as many games. Austin Thompson's two-goal game brought praise from his head coach. "It's nice to have a goal scorer like him." Thompson's 38 points puts him top-5 in the nation in scoring.
 
WHO'S NEXT?
The Panthers will play a spread out home-and-home against GLCHL opponent Rochester College. Rochester is 5-10 this season, and is set to play D2 opponent, Aquinas, Sunday before taking on the Panthers next week. DU is 9-0 all-time against the Warriors. The Thursday night contest will be at the Fraser Hockeyland in Fraser at 8 p.m., with the Saturday clash set for 3:35 p.m. at Patterson.
 
Story by: Tyler Kuehl
 
Picture credit: Alexis Hoffman