Written by Tyler Kuehl

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – After dropping their first game of the season, the D2 Hockey team got a second chance at the Miami RedHawks on Saturday night. DU knew staying out of penalty box, and staying upbeat with the offensive pressure, would be important if they wanted to have any chance of earning the weekend split.
 
Despite taking eight penalties, the Panthers power play was efficient, and behind Drake Deering's play in goal and Evan Carroll's two goals, DU would come away the first win of the season, and split the weekend against Miami.
 
QUICK STATS
 
Final Score: Davenport 6 – Miami 2
Shots: DU 32 – MU 38
Power Play: DU (3/5), MU (1/6)
Records: DU (1-1), MU (1-3)
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
 
Deering stopped 36 of 38 shots in the winning effort. Carroll led the offense with two goals and an assist in the win. Jeff Rahilly and Clint Loney each had a goal and an assist. Brody White picked up his first set of points as a Panther with two assists, while Adam Hulsey also had a pair of helpers. Spencer Sandberg scored his first goal as a Panther, along with picking up an assist as well.  
TAKING ADVANTAGE
 
After both teams had chances early in the game, the Panthers would get an opportunity on the power play. DU got plenty of shots, and plenty of chances on the man advantage, but Miami's Daniel Karasick made some big saves for the RedHawks. With less than 30 seconds on the power play, Rahilly took a shot that Karasick kicked right out into the slot. Loney found the loose puck and put the right up under the crossbar and in, giving Davenport their first power play goal of the season, and most importantly the first goal of the game.
 
A COUPLE WEIRD ONES
 
DU took the one-goal lead into period number two. Davenport was buzzing in their first shift. Cole Uzzell took a shot deflected off Spencer Sandberg and went to the side of the goal. Karasick overcommitted on the rebound, and the puck found the stick of Carroll, who fired his first of the season into a wide-open goal to give DU a two-goal lead.
 
However, Miami would answer right back just 19 seconds later. Kov Herdic brought the puck into the Davenport zone, and took an innocent-looking backhand shot on goal. Yet, the fluttering shot fooled Deering, and snuck across the line, and the RedHawks were within one.
 
BREAKING AWAY
 
The game began to go back-and-forth as it had back in the first period. A little passed the halfway mark of the period, Miami's Noah Klinsky tried to make a move inside the DU blueline, but lost the puck. Captain Trevor Murray picked up the loose puck, and fed a perfect pass to a streaking Carroll who was behind the Miami defense. Carroll made no mistake, beating Karasick with the backhand, and giving DU an important 3-1 lead heading into the third period.
 
POWER SURGE
 
Davenport looked to cling to the two goal throughout the third period, but were given an opportunity to add some insurance to their lead when Drew Bishop of the RedHawks took a double-minor penalty. Davenport went right to work. First, Rahilly scored a seeing eye shot from the point to put the Panthers up by four.
 
Since DU scored within the first two minutes of the four-minute penalty, they stayed on the power play for two more minutes, and they would not need that long to find the back of the net. Cole Uzzell took a shot that somehow made its way through traffic and into the back of the net. Two power play goals in 24 seconds extended the DU lead to four.
 
Luca Foglio scored a power play goal to cut into the Panthers' lead, but just 30 seconds later, Sandberg would score his first collegiate goal on a nice wrist shot from the top of the faceoff circle, and Davenport would cruise to their first win of the season by a final score of 6-2.
   
WHO'S NEXT?
 
Davenport travels down to Indiana next weekend for the GMHL Showcase. Their first opponent will be the Lions from Lindenwood. The Panthers lost their lone meeting last season with the Lions in overtime, and are winless in all four meetings against Lindenwood. The Lions will be coming off a game against Maryville on Sunday. The game will be at the Thunder Ice Arena in Angola, with puck drop set for 7:30 p.m.