GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – In a matchup between two top teams in the country, with two very different playing styles, it was going to be interesting to see how the D1 hockey team would fare against one of the best teams in the country. The Panthers were coming in on a three-game skid, and had not won since their weekend set in Kent State at the end of January. Lindenwood's one loss was back in November to #10 Central Oklahoma. The odds were certainly stacked against the Panthers in their final two games of the regular season.
 
Friday, February 22
Final Score: Davenport 1 – Lindenwood 2
Records: #6 DU (22-6-3), #1 LU (24-1)
Location: Patterson Ice Center (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
 
NETMINDERS STEALING THE SHOW
The first 20 minutes saw plenty of action at both ends of the rink, however no goals for either team. The reason being the play of the team's respective goaltenders. Lindenwood's Cooper Seedott and Davenport's Jason Rhynold each made humongous saves. Seedott robbed Alex Hulford, who had a wide-open net. Rhynold made a couple big stops on odd-man rushes for the Lions, and the game would remain scoreless after 20 minutes.
 
ROARING OUT IN FRONT
The pace, and physicality, of play did not let up in period number two. Both teams never shying away from laying the body. Just passed the halfway mark of the contest, Adam Goudelock would takeout Jordan Klimovsky. During the delayed penalty, Kyler Newman brought the puck towards the left of the DU net. He faked the shot, and Rhynold bit hard on the fake, and Newman was able to wrap around the net, and slip it into the back of the net for his sixth of the season to give the Lions the lead.
 
DOWN A MAN? NO PROBLEM
The penalty to Goudelock would begin following the Lions' goal. While short-handed, the Panthers was able to work the puck down into the Lindenwood zone. Walker Aurand took a long point shot that Seedott initially stopped, but the rebound landed right on the stick of Hulford. DU's leading-scorer made no mistake as he buried his fifth short-handed goal of the season to tie the game at one.
 
The game would not be tied at one for long. Just a couple minutes after the Panthers tied the game, Lindenwood's Caleb Ernst would have the puck on the side boards in the DU zone. He fired a puck towards the slot and found a streaking Alex Kalau, who redirected a shot passed Rhynold's blocker, and the Lions would take the lead for the second time.
 
POWER PLAY STRUGGLES
Since the Holiday Break, the Panthers have only managed a single power play goal. The Panthers would have two more opportunities with the man advantage in the third period. However, Lindenwood, who is the best-structured defensive team in the country, did an excellent job killing off the penalties. Davenport mustered no more than 10 shots in the final 20 minutes, and Seedott stopped them all, and Lindenwood would take the first game of the weekend by a final score of 2-1.
 
Saturday, February 23
Final Score: Davenport 2 – Lindenwood 5
Records: #6 DU (22-7-3), #1 LU (25-1)
Location: Patterson Ice Center (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
 
SIMILAR START…SORT OF
The matchup on Senior Day started just like the game the night before. All the physicality and nastiness a fan could handle. The Panthers would outshoot the Lions in the first by a margin of 8-6, but the Lions backup goaltender, Michael Errico looked solid in only his second game of the season.
 
Lindenwood would jump out in front once again, however this time before the first period came to an end. With just over a minute to play in the period, Lindenwood had a great chance as Klimovsky had a great chance in the slot, but was stopped by Rhynold. However, the rebound landed on the stick of the Lions' leading point-getter, Jake Townsend, who buried his 14^th of the season to put Lindenwood up 1-0 after 20 minutes of play.
 
AN UNFORTUNATE BOUNCE
The second period saw more chances arise in favor of the visitors, and their persistence would be rewarded. While in their own zone, the Lions tried clearing the puck by ringing it around the glass. As the puck went towards the blue line, it bounced off a stanchion, and passed a pinching Cory Bussing. Zach Mitchell jumped on the loose puck and brought it into the Davenport zone on a 2-on-1. He feathered a pass to Ryan Finnegan, who sniped a shot just inside the post to put the Lions up by two.
 
FORTUNATE BOUNCES
Now down two, Davenport knew it was going to be tough trying to comeback against a team that has only allowed three or more goals six times in the entire a season. Lindenwood came close to extending their lead to three after three shots rang off the goal post, leaving Rhynold to count his blessings.
 
Less than half a period to play in the second, Alyx Fonseca picked up the puck in the neutral zone, and brought it towards the Lindenwood end, but slipped as he came across the blueline. Chris Corgan would pick up the loose puck, and would fire the puck towards the Lions' net. It deflected off one of the Lindenwood defensemen, and found the stick of Brad Reitter, who picked the top-corner for his first goal of the season to cut the Lions' lead in half.
 
The Lions would shut down the Panthers for the rest of the middle stanza, and took advantage of an opportunity the Davenport zone. While just inside the DU blueline, Mike Lozano and found Mitchell in the high slot. After receiving the pass on his backhand, Mitchell turned and ripped a wrister over the glove of Rhynold to put Lindenwood back up by two.
 
Late in the period, Bussing would receive a five-minute major penalty, and a game misconduct after he put Ernst hard into the boards. Ernst would be able to get up under his own power, but the Panthers would be tasked with killing off a long penalty while trailing.
The Panthers would kill off over half of the penalty before time expired in period number two. The period would carry over into the third. With just under a minute left in the penalty, Kalau would score his second goal of the weekend on a rebound in the crease to put the Lions up by three.
 
STILL BATTLING
A few minutes later, the Panthers would find a rare opportunity in the offensive zone. Hulford took a shot that was stopped by Errico, and Reitter was Johnny-on-the-spot to put home his second of the game to put DU back within two.
 
The effort would be all for naught, as Cade Owad would put in an empty-netter, and the Lions would complete the weekend sweep with a 5-2 final.
 
Despite being swept, Coach Phil Sweeney saw the positives coming out of the weekend. "The guys played with one of the best teams in the country…definitely saw some positive signs."
 
AU REVOIR
Seven Panthers played their final games at Patterson Ice Center. Hulford, Wade Weisgerber, Sam Basich, Tyler Layle, Mike Gessler, Alyx Fonseca, and Tyler Ploeg were honored Saturday. Ploeg ends his career fifth in games played with 152, passing Phil Wendecker. Hulford will go out as the all-time leader in goal and points in Davenport history, after he passed Mason Bohlinger and Jordan Simmonds earlier this season.


 
WHO'S NEXT?
The Panthers will take a week off before heading over to Adrian for the Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League Playoffs. The #2 seed Panthers will take on the #7 Western Michigan. The Stallions are 21-10-1 coming into the playoffs. Davenport took the first two meetings back in October, before Western stunned the Panthers in overtime earlier this month. The matchup will be Thursday March 7^th at Arrington Ice Arena at 1 p.m.
 
Story by: Tyler Kuehl
 
Picture credit: Alexis Hoffman