GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The D1 Hockey team's lone game this weekend was against a team they have had great success against over the past number of years. Davenport had won 13 consecutive meetings against Western Michigan, including a pair of convincing victories earlier this season. The Panthers was looking to stay undefeated this semester heading into some important games towards the end of the regular season.
 
Saturday, February 2
Final Score: Davenport 3 – Western Michigan 4 (OT)
Records: #8 DU (22-4-2), #21 WMU (16-9-1)
Location: Patterson Ice Center (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
 
GETTING CAUGHT OFF GUARD
Western was hungry to come out with a good performance against a top team like Davenport, and their start to the contest showed. Just over two minutes in, Corey Siwula fired a shot from the point that somehow found its way through a mess of bodies, bounced off the post and in, and Western had the 1-0 lead.
 
BOUNCING BACK
That goal seemed to help the Panthers refocus, as they started to take the play back to the Stallions. After some solid saves from Western Michigan's Alex Hufford, DU would finally break through just passed the halfway mark of the period. . After a close from Wade Weisgerber, Sam Basich threw the puck towards the front of the net where Alyx Fonseca tipped the puck passed Hufford to tie the game at one.
 
Western would battle back to have a couple good chances towards the end of period one, but DU's Jason Rhynold stood tall the task, and the game would remain deadlocked after one.
 
DÉJÀ VU
Period number two saw almost the exact same start as the first. The Stallions started off the period with a power play, then Austin Neirynck took a penalty just over a minute in. DU was able to kill off the first penalty, but Western Michigan stayed on the attack. At the exact same time as their goal in the first period, Siwula found Caylen Dyni in front of the DU net, who then turn and slipped a backhander passed Rhynold to give the Stallions the lead once again.
 
However, Davenport would not take nearly as long to answer back. After Head Coach Phil Sweeney put the top line back together of Keegan Miller, Alex Hulford, and Austin Thompson, the trio began to dominate the play in the offensive zone. Thompson at one point had what looked like a clear shot, but whiffed on the opportunity. However, Adam Goudelock came flying in from the point, took a shot and was stopped, but he followed up his own rebound and put home his fourth of the season to tie the game at two.
 
SPEED KILLS
The teams began to trade chances through the middle chunk of the middle stanza. Hufford was called upon to make some huge stops, including robbing Miller after a grade-A scoring chance. With under five to play in the period while 4-on-4, Zachary Roberts poked the puck to center and took off down the ice. He walked in untouched, and after Rhynold made the first save, Roberts would put the rebound underneath the bar and in for his 14^th goal of the season.
 
RIGHT BACK AT IT
The third lead of the game for the Stallions for Western was short-lived. Just 30 seconds after the Roberts goal, Pat Modaff created a turnover just inside the Davenport line. Weisgerber found Basich flying through the neutral zone, and fed a stretch pass that brought the Junior into the Western end. Basich used his speed to beat a Western defenseman to the outside, and then used his hands to deke around Hufford to slide home his sixth goal of the season, and the game would stay tied at three heading into the third period.
 
The third period saw a plethora of chances for both squads, however neither team could find the back of the net, and the game would head to overtime.
 
LETTING IT SLIP AWAY
The extra period saw DU come out flying with chances, including Miller scooping the puck up into the air and batting it out of the air just wide of the net. Tyler Layle had a couple of chances, but Hufford stoned the DU d-man twice. Just before the halfway mark of the overtime, Wyatt Radakovitz received a pass at the red line. Walker Aurand came over to cut him, but lost his edge and fell into the boards, allowing Radakovitz to bring the puck into the Davenport zone. Radakovitz found Siwula with a back-door pass, who then buried his second of the game to win the game, 4-3. It was the first time the Stallions defeated the Panthers since September of 2014.
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Basich and Weisgerber led the team with two points each, with Weisgerber having a pair of helpers, and Basich with a goal and an assist.
 
WHO'S NEXT?
The Panthers take a week off before going up against one of the top teams in the country, the Adrian Bulldogs. Adrian is currently #3 in the country, and has only suffered one defeat this season. Davenport is 13-19-1 all-time against the Bulldogs, and has lost five straight to their cross-state foes. The Panthers will look to change that trend starting Thursday, February 15 at Arrington Arena, with a 7 p.m. puck drop. The Saturday matchup will be back at Patterson for a 3:35 p.m. start.
 
Story by: Tyler Kuehl
 
Picture credit: Malachi Corliss