Written by Tyler Kuehl
 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – After earning their ninth win of the season on Wednesday, the D1 hockey team looked to pick up their second win in a row over Western Michigan on Saturday afternoon. The Stallions were looking to bounce back and pick up their first win in four games.
 
The game was close and physical from start to finish. DU jumped out in front, but the Stallions came back to tie the game in the first, and take the lead in the second. Davenport would be able to tie it before the end of the middle frame, before three goals in the third gave the Panthers their 10^th win of the season.
 
QUICK STATS
 
Final Score: Davenport 6 – Western Michigan 3
Shots: DU 34 | WMU 27
Power Play: DU (2/4) | WMU (2/7)
Records: #13 DU (10-5, 5-1) | WMU (7-9, 3-4)
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
 
Jason Cohan led the Panthers with a goal and two assists on the afternoon, while Austin Thompson chimed in with a goal and an assist, giving him 10 points in six games. Jason Rhynold picked up his eighth win of the season, stopping 24 of 27 shots.
 
PUCK LUCK
 
Similar to the Wednesday night's meeting, the game started with good back-and-forth flow. The flow was cut off when Walker Aurand threw the puck in towards Western Michigan's Alex Hufford. The puck somehow handcuffed Hufford and fell into the back of the net to give the Panthers the lead just before the five-minute mark of the contest.
 
NOT FOR LONG
 
The Stallions would waste little time to get back in the game, as 47 seconds later, Austin Kozar would score his seventh goal of the season to tie the game at one.
 
FEELING SPECIAL
 
Western Michigan would find themselves on the power play early in period two. Just passed the five-minute mark of the frame, Corey Siwula did not get a whole lot on a shot, but it fooled Rhynold and slid into the net to give Western Michigan the lead.
 
Davenport would take another penalty shortly thereafter, but this time they would take advantage on their "power kill". Ian Thompson rushed the puck down the right-wing side and fired a shot over the glove of Hufford for his seventh of the season to bring the game back to even.
 
The Stallions were still on the power play, and would cash in 10 seconds after the goal by Thompson as John Desmond tipped the puck by Rhynold, and just like that Western was back in front.
 
PRETTY PLAY
 
The Panthers were trying everything to tie the game, but could not find their way through the Stallion defense. However, with a little over five minutes to play in the period, Jason Cohan rushed the puck into the Stallions' zone. He made a pass by a defender to Austin Thompson, who quickly threw pass back-door to a wide-open Chris Corgan who buried his second goal in as many games to tie the game heading into the intermission.
 
RIGHT TO THE FINISH
 
Davenport came out flying in the third looking to take the lead. They would do just that right before the halfway mark of the period. After a scramble in front of the Western goal, the puck squirted out to the slot where Cohan blasted home his seventh of the season to give the Panthers their second lead of the afternoon.
 
Just a few minutes later, Cohan would help set up Austin Thompson for his fourth goal of the season to extend the Panther lead to two. The Stallions would pull the goaltender late to try and get back in the game, but Joey Ogden's empty-netter in the final minute sealed the deal, sending Davenport to the 6-3 win.
 
Davenport ends the first semester 10-5 and riding a five-game win streak, and currently sit second in the Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League standings with a 5-1 record.
 
WHO'S NEXT?
 
The Panthers will come out of the Christmas Break to take on Robert Morris (Ill.) for a pair of games at Patterson. The Eagles are currently 9-8-2 this season, and still have three games left before the end to their semester. DU is 9-6-2 all-time against the Eagles, and won both games down in Bensenville last season.
 
Puck drop for the first game of the weekend set is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. on Jan. 10.