Written by Tyler Kuehl
 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The D1 hockey team returned home Thursday night for the first of two games with one of their most historic rivals, the Grizzlies from Oakland University, for the Good Luck Duck. The Panthers were coming off being swept by #2 Lindenwood, while the Grizzlies managed a split with Slippery Rock. The Panthers had a stranglehold on the Duck since winning it back in 2014-15.
 
The game was a back-and-forth contest. Neither team found a lot of success offensively, while the two goaltenders put up excellent performances for their respective clubs. Despite DU scoring first, the bounces went the way of the visitors, as Oakland scored three unanswered to pick up their 11^th win of the season.
 
QUICK STATS
 
Final Score: Davenport 1 – Oakland 3
Shots: DU 30 | OU 27
Power Play: DU (0/2) | OU (0/5)
Records: #8 DU (5-5) | #24 OU (10-2-2)
 
SCORELESS BATTLE
 
The first period saw both teams get chances, but neither team could find the back of the net, mainly due to the exceptional goaltending from Jason Rhynold and Oakland's Joshua Pack. Rhynold stopped all seven shots he faced in the first period, while Pack held the DU offense at bay, making 14 saves.
 
CRASHING THE NET
 
Despite struggling to score in the first period, Davenport wasted little time breaking the ice in period two. After Austin Neirynck fed a pass across for Ian Thompson, whose initial shot was stopped, Thompson stuck with the loose puck and poked the rebound passed Pack, and DU took the lead just 44 seconds into the period.
 
POWERFUL SWING
 
Later on in the period, Oakland would get a glorious opportunity with a 5-on-3 power play. The Grizzlies got plenty of chances, but could not convert. Yet, they continued to press in the DU zone long after the penalties expired. With just over four minutes left in the period, Greg Meuser scored his sixth goal of the season off a 3-on-2 rush to tie the game at one.
 
NOT A DISADVANTAGE
 
With the game tied at one heading into third, tensions were high at Patterson, and they would get even higher after Cory Bussing took a five-minute major penalty for boarding just a few minutes in. Yet, the Panthers put in an outstanding effort, only giving up two shots on the penalty kill, and would survive the major penalty.
 
NO GOOD LUCK
 
Moments after the penalty expired, the puck fell into the DU zone, with Adam Goudelock and Oakland's Brendan Smith chasing after it. Smith was able to win the puck battle and fed a pass to a wide-open Luke Mackin in front of the net. Mackin made no mistake in scoring his fifth goal of the season to give the Grizzlies the lead.
 
The Panthers would try to find the equalizer for the rest of the game, but an empty-net goal by Jeremy Schwartz while Davenport was on the power play sealed the deal, and Oakland would complete the upset by a final score of 3-1.
   
WHO'S NEXT?
 
The two teams will meet again on Friday at the Onyx Ice Arena in Rochester. If DU wins, they keep the Duck. If Oakland wins, they take the Duck home for the first time since 2014. Puck drop is set for 8:55 p.m.