CHELSEA, Mich. – The Panthers came into Saturday's CCLA Tournament semifinal against the Golden Gophers on a three-game win streak, and hungry for redemption after their overtime loss to Minnesota earlier this year. Unfortunately, the Golden Gophers were just too strong for Davenport, and ended the Panthers' run for a conference tournament title.
 
#15 Davenport vs. Minnesota (Saturday, April 21)
Final Score: DU – 8 l Minnesota – 15
 
It was all Minnesota in the first quarter as the Gophers put five past Davenport's Jack Huffman. Davenport's Jake Wilson and Josh Jubenville scored the two for the Panthers, as they trailed by three after the first 15 minutes.

The second quarter was big one for Huffman, as the Panther netminder stopped all eight Gopher shots in the second frame. Bryan Larocque scored back-to-back goals for the Panthers, one of which came off of an assist from Jarred Riley. Jubenville, was able to tie the game up in the late stages of the half, as the two teams headed into the break tied at five.
 
An early Davenport penalty put the Gophers a man up, and they converted to take the lead early in the third quarter. Minnesota would reel off three more consecutive goals to give them a 9-5 lead not even halfway through the quarter. The Panthers would take advantage of a Golden Gopher penalty, as Jarred Coleman cut into the lead. However, Minnesota would regain their four-goal cushion late in the third and took a 10-6 lead heading into the final 15 minutes.
 
Larocque scored early in the fourth, in hopes of sparking a Davenport comeback. Minnesota though was able to put the game out of reach with four straight goals. Jarred Riley would score the last goal of the Panthers' season with just over five minutes remaining, but it wouldn't be enough, as Minnesota eliminated the Panthers by a final score of 15-8.
 
This Panther team has a lot to look back on this season positively. They beat one of the best teams in the country in BYU early on, and a couple of dramatic overtime wins over Utah Valley and Dayton. Larocque set the all-time MCLA scoring record in his final regular season game as a Panther. Huffman has shown improvements throughout the season, and gives hope for a stellar year in net for Davenport. Despite the losses of key players such as Larocque, the Riley brothers, and Brian Feiler to name a few, there is plenty of talent returning for the Panthers. The future is bright for Davenport men's lacrosse, as it looks to maintain its reputation as one of the premier programs in the country.

Story Credit: Tyler Kuehl