DUNDAS, Minn. – The Davenport men's lacrosse team kicked off the 2019 season with a pair of tough games out in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Despite losing three of their top scorers from last season, head coach Chris Esquivel brought in a lot of talented young freshmen to the fold. One of their opponents, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, were the team that ended the Panthers season a year ago. North Dakota State was another foe DU faced-off against, a team Davenport has not played since 2012.
 
Friday, March 1
Final Score: Davenport 10 – Minnesota 15
Records: DU (0-1), UM (4-2)
Location: Bielenberg Sports Center (Woodbury, MN)
 
The Panthers struggled early against the Gophers, as Minnesota put four goals passed DU goaltender, freshman Ben Stoklas. The second quarter saw much of the same as the Gophers were able to tally another four on the scoreboard, while the Panthers were unable to beat Minnesota's Jacob Rosenow, and the Panthers trailed by a big 8-1 margin at the end of the first half.
 
The Golden Gophers continued to fill the Davenport net in the third quarter, as they were able score four more times. However, the Panthers finally seemed to have found their footing offensively, as they were able to match the Gophers with four of their own, but still trailed by seven heading into the fourth quarter.
 
In the final 15 minutes, Davenport kicked the scoring into high gear, as they were able to put five passed Rosenow. Despite the valiant effort, three more goals from Minnesota proved too much for DU, as they would drop the first game of the season by a final score of 15-10.
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
 
Despites the loss, Stoklas was able to stop 15 shots in his collegiate debut. Jake Wilson led the team with three goals, with Josh Jubenville and Max Bush scoring a pair. Blake McDonald was the big setup man for Davenport, as he had five assists in the game.
 
Saturday, March 2
Final Score: Davenport 16 – North Dakota State 17 (OT)
Records: DU (0-2), NDSU (3-3)
Location: Dundas Dome (Dundas, MN)
 
Unlike the previous night, Davenport's offense was alive in the first quarter, but as was the Bison's. Both teams each scored six goals in the opening 15 minutes. The second quarter saw even more parody, as both teams traded scoring chances. Both Davenport and North Dakota State put home four in the second, and the team's would be deadlocked at 10 heading into the second half.
 
In the third quarter, Davenport took advantage of some great offensive setups, and would outscore the Bison in the third quarter by a 4-3 margin. With the lead in the fourth quarter, Davenport looked to put the game away with a pair of tallies. However, three goals from North Dakota State would tie the game and set it into overtime. Davenport wanted to find some magic to earn their first win of the season, but the Bison would find a way to score in extra time, winning the game a 17-16 final score.
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
 
Wilson had three more goals in the Saturday matchup, while Jubenville exploded for four goals. Frehsman Stehphen Ochsenkehl had three of his own, and David Mendoza would another rookie to score his first goal as a Panther as well.
 
WHO'S NEXT?
 
Davenport will be back at it again this weekend, as they will take on the Hoosiers from Indiana. The Hoosiers are 3-1 so far, and are coming off a big win over the University of Missouri. The contest will take placed at the Detroit Country Day Fieldhouse in Beverly Hills, MI, with the game set for a 8:30 p.m. start time.