Written by Tyler Kuehl
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The D2 hockey team had dropped four of their last five games heading into Friday night. They took on the Adrian Bulldogs, who were trying to get back on the winning track themselves after dropping a game to Trine the night before.
Davenport stepped up in a big way in their return to home ice. DU built an early lead, then
Connor Seymour scored a natural hat trick to put the game away, and the Panthers would pick up their eighth win of the season.
QUICK STATS
Final Score: Davenport 6 – Adrian 2
Shots: DU 41 | AC 34
Power Play: DU (1/2) | AC (1/6)
Records: #10 DU (8-6-1) | AC (2-7-1)
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Trevor Murray assisted on all three of Seymour's goals and helped on another for four assists on the night.
Evan Carroll scored a pair of goals, while
Drake Deering stopped 32 of 34 shots to pick up his fifth win of the season, and even picked up an assist himself.
GETTING AHEAD
DU started off strong in the first period, and it paid immediate dividends with Carroll scoring his fourth goal of the season to put DU out in front. Moments past the halfway mark of the period,
Cole Uzzell set up
Jacob Demeter for his seventh goal of the season to put the Panthers up by two. Davenport would get a power play with five minutes remaining in the period, and Carroll would score his second of the period to put the Panthers up by a score of 3-0.
Adrian's leading-scorer Ondrej Tomek would score to put the Bulldogs on the board, but DU still led by two heading into the intermission.
A NATURAL
The second period became the
Connor Seymour Show.
Seymour first scored only two-and-a-half minutes into the frame, followed by his second goal coming just passed the halfway mark. Seymour would complete his natural hat trick shortly thereafter, and Davenport would go into the third period leading Adrian by five.
Grant Kiepper would score a few minutes into the third period, but it would be too little too late, and DU would pick up the win by a final score of 6-2.
WHO'S NEXT?
The Panthers are back on the road next weekend, as they get set to take on the University of Michigan. The Panthers split with the Wolverines last season, and are 14-5-2 all-time against Michigan. The Wolverines are 4-1-1-1 this season
First game of the weekend set will be at the Plymouth Cultural Center on Friday the 22
nd, puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m.