GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The D3 Hockey Team took on the Ferris State Clubdawgs for the second weekend series this season and was looking to have a much better outcome than last time, where Ferris outscored DU by a 13-5 margin last month. Ferris had been on a role, as they were winners of their last four games, two of which were against the Panthers.
 
Friday, January 18
Final Score: Davenport 1– Ferris State 10
Records: #19 DU (2-10-1), #7 FSU (19-9-1)
Location: Ewigleben Ice Arena (Big Rapids, Mich.)
 
The Clubdawgs took advantage early on home ice. Steven Dunn opened the scoring just over three minutes in. The Panthers would tie the game as Dillon Bond scored his third goal of the season, with the assists coming from AJ Papcunik and Elijah Klco.
 
Then it became the Matthew Medonis show, as Ferris' leading scorer took over the game. He scored two goals six minutes apart to send the Clubdawgs into the first intermission with a 3-1 lead. Medonis would complete the natural hat-trick when he scored just over two minutes into the second period. Lance Mclean would pick up where Medonis left off, scoring just 29 seconds later to put Ferris State up four. Medonis would score again just before the five-minute mark of the period, and that would be the end of the night for DU's Jacob Mofield after giving up six goals on 17 shots. Austen Strauss came in and was scored just passed the halfway mark of the middle frame, as Maxwell Jones scored his third of the season.
 
Strauss and the Panthers would be able to hold the Clubdawgs for the remainder of the period, but period three saw the return of Ferris' offense. Zach Swanson found the back of the net less than two minutes into the third. Medonis would score his fifth goal of the game later in the period. Mclean's second goal of the game wrapped up the scoring, as Ferris State would take the first game of the back-to-back by a final score of 10-1.
 
Saturday, January 19
Final Score: Davenport 6– Ferris State 7
Records: #19 DU (2-11-1), #7 FSU (20-9-1)
Location: Patterson Ice Center
 
A MORE OPTIMISTIC START
The Panthers came out with a lot more confidence on home ice. Despite DU obtaining a couple of chances, Ferris' top line was still carrying the play. Strauss though was big for the Panthers in the first period, including make a huge breakaway save on Rieman. Just minutes after that save, however, Medonis would make a nice move around Fennessy, and found a wide-open Rieman back door, who buried his 32^nd goal of the season to put the Clubdawgs in front. The Panthers would get a couple chances before the end of the first, but the Clubdawgs' Bryson Stutesman stood tall in net for Ferris, and DU would trail by one heading into the second period.
 
BY THE HAIR OF THE DAWG
Ferris' offense really picked up in the second period, as Strauss was forced to make a number of saves to keep the Ferris lead at one. That would not last for long though, as Mclean would bury a rebound off the post, and his 13^th of the season put the Clubdawgs up by two. A few minutes later, Medonis found Quinn Jedd following up the play, and Jedd sniped one off the post and in, extending the Ferris lead to three. Dunn would feed off his team's momentum and slip a shot through the five-hole of Strauss, and the Clubdawgs led the Panthers 4-0.
 
GETTING ON THE BOARD
Despite being down by four, Davenport would not be taken down easily. After good work by Charlie Bonser in the Ferris State zone, he went back behind the net. Before he crossed the net, he sent a pass back to Tyler Heyboer, and the DU captain redirected it over the shoulder of Stutesman to put DU on the board.
 
That goal seemed to have kickstarted the Panthers, as just over a minute left in the period, DU would go on the power play. On the ensuing man advantage, the Panthers created multiple scoring chances. Then, with just over 30 seconds to play, Brendan Schievink floated a wrister on goal that slipped passed the bodies in front, and into the back of the net. Davenport only trailed the Clubdawgs by two heading into the third period.
 
A WILD FINISH
Davenport looked to continue to press in the third period, but once again, Ferris' dominant offense was too much, as Medonis buried his 37^th goal of the season to give the Clubdawgs a three-goal lead once again. Shortly thereafter, Austen Gawronski took a penalty, sending Davenport back to the power play. Bond would take advantage, as he ripped a shot over the glove of Stutesman to shorten the gap once again. Only a handful of minutes later, the Panthers would win a defensive zone faceoff, but Dunn would take the puck away, and would feed TJ Burke in front of the net for his first goal with Ferris State, and the Clubdawgs would go up by a 6-3 score.
 
However, DU would refuse to quit. Bonser would take the puck into Ferris territory, looked to send a pass in front, but instead of getting the puck into the slot, it bounced off of Ferris' Daniel Davis' foot and into the net, once again DU was within two. Davis would redeem himself just a couple of minutes later, as he took the puck away from Bond, went down on Strauss and blasted a shot passed his glove to put Ferris back out in front by three.
 
Less than four minutes to play, the Panthers were able to cash in as Nick Fennessy's point shot was tipped in by Hunter Tolsdorf, showing Davenport refused to go away. With just over two minutes to play, Joseph Carney took a penalty, and Davenport would pull Strauss for the extra attacker. After a couple of close chances, Schievink took a shot at the point that was tipped on goal, and it looked Stutesman made the save. However, it slipped by him and Bonser poked it across the line, and Davenport was within one.
 
Davenport looked to tie it following another Ferris State penalty. Yet, the Panthers were not able to complete the comeback, and the Clubdawgs would earn the season sweep by a 7-6 final.
 
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Bonser led the Panthers with two goal and an assist, and Tolsdorf had a goal and an assist for DU.
 
WHO'S NEXT?
The Panthers will continue their conference schedule against Indiana Tech. The Warriors are 8-10-2, and are ranked #11 in the North Region. The Warriors won both regular season games against DU last season, before the Panthers upset them in the first round of the MCHC West playoffs. The first game will be Friday afternoon at Patterson Ice Center, with a 3:30 p.m. scheduled start time. Saturday's contest will be down in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the SportONE Parkview Ice Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 5 p.m.
 
Story by: Tyler Kuehl
 
Picture credit: Alexis Hoffman