Written by Tyler Kuehl
 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – After a wild an exciting win the night before, the D2 hockey team was back home at Patterson for a second meeting with the Michigan State Spartans. DU was looking for fourth weekend sweep of the season, while the Spartans were still looking to end their 14-game losing skid.
 
The Panthers jumped to an early lead, before the Spartans stormed back with three unanswered goals to take the lead. The teams traded goals in the middle stanza before DU stormed back with five straight of their own to take a commanding lead, which they would barely hold onto to complete the weekend sweep.
 
QUICK STATS
 
Final Score: Davenport 8 – Michigan State 7
Shots: DU 45 | MSU 30
Power Play: DU (4/6) | MSU (3/5)
Records: #9 DU (15-10-3-1) | #20 MSU (6-15)
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
 
Kyle Mazur had the best game of his career, as he scored two goals and three assists for five points for the Panthers. Connor Seymour and Trevor Murray each chimed in with a goal and two assists, along with Jacob Demeter scoring twice. Ty Jaenicke and Adam Hulsey each had a pair of assists for the Panthers.
 
Brenden Bogema earned his fourth win of the season in net, making 23 saves.
 
QUICKLY AHEAD
 
DU had a much better start to the game than they did the night before, as they circled around in the MSU end. Just passed the six-minute mark of the period, Tyler Blackburn took a shot from the point that missed the net. However, the puck bounced off the glass back in front where Marc Rotondo scored first for the second game in a row to give DU the early lead.
 
Just over a couple of minutes later, Murray took a shot from the top of the circle on the left wing side that fooled MSU's Maxwell Quertermus for his 16^th goal of the season, and Davenport found themselves with a two-goal lead.
 
SEETHING SPARTANS
 
Michigan State would start to find their footing following Murray's goal. With just under five minutes left in the period, Davenport mishandled the puck while trying to breakout of their own zone. The puck squirted to the slot where John Zielinski stepped into a wrist shot that beat Bogema to put MSU on the board.
 
Only a couple of minutes later, Hulsey was worked off the puck by Jeremy Anthos below the DU goal line. Anthos then threw a pass out in front for a wide-open Tyler Lee who tapped in his fourth of the season to tie the game at two.
 
MSU would find a way to take the lead early in period two after Ben Burns ripped a shot off the post and in just over two minutes into the period.
 
TRADING BLOWS
 
The Panthers would tie the game just five minutes later after Mazur fired a long shot passed the blocker of Quertermus and in for his seventh of the season.
 
A couple of minutes later, after another DU penalty, Lachlan Sawall would score his third goal of the weekend to give MSU their second lead of the game.
 
Davenport would take another penalty with a little over five minutes left in the period, but after he forced a turnover in the DU zone, Clint Loney rushed the puck into the Spartan end, and beat Quertermus over the glove for his fourth shorthanded goal of the season to tie the game at four.
 
Behind the play, Nico Zervos was called for spearing Cole Uzzell, giving the Panthers a major power play as a result. On the ensuing power play, Seymour would bang in his 15^th of the season to give DU their second lead of the game.
 
A POWERING LEAD
 
The Panthers would receive a power play in the opening seconds of the third period. Just five seconds into the power play, Mazur would score his second of the game to put the Panthers up by two. Just a couple of minutes later, DU would get another power play this time with Demeter banging in his 15^th goal of the season to give the Panthers a 7-4 lead.
 
The Panthers would convert on another power play just over a minute later, as Demeter scored his second of the period, finishing off a nice passing play from Ty Jaenicke and Mazur.
 
A LITTLE UNEASINESS
 
With a four-goal lead halfway through the third period, the game looked all but over, but the Spartans would make a late charge. First, Alexander Barnes scored his seventh of the season to cut into the DU lead, followed by a goal from Coleman Peppelman just a couple of minutes later to make it a two-goal game.
 
The Spartans would get a power play with less than five minutes to play, and Sawall scored his second of the game to bring MSU within one.
 
Michigan State would push for the tie, but Davenport would hold on and get out of dodge, winning by a final score of 8-7.
 
WHO'S NEXT?
 
In the final weekend of the regular season, the Panthers will take on their most historic rival one last time, the Grand Valley State Lakers. GVSU is currently ranked no. 8 in the Central Region, and are currently 13-12-2 on the season.
 
The Panthers swept the Lakers back in October, and lead the all-time series 25-11-2-1. Game one puck drop will be set for 8:30 p.m. on Friday the 8^th at Griff's Georgetown.