Written by Tyler Kuehl
 
KENTWOOD, Mich. – After a big sweep against Indiana Tech last weekend, the D3 hockey team continued their Michigan Collegiate Hockey Conference (MCHC) schedule against the Spartans from Michigan State. The Panthers were certainly in tough, not just because they were taking on the no. 3 team in the North Region, but because the Spartans had won the last 12 meetings dating back to 2013.
 
The game started off wide-open, with the Panthers scoring first, but the Spartans would answer back with back-to-back goals. The teams would then trade goals for the rest of the first period, and, despite DU leading three separate times in the period, Michigan State took the lead into the second period, and would take over in the final two periods on their way to their 13^th consecutive win over the Panthers.
 
QUICK STATS
 
Final Score: Davenport 6 – Michigan State 16
Shots: DU 25 | MSU 58
Power Play: DU (0/2) | MSU (3/4)
Records: DU (9-14, 7-12) | #3 MSU (17-6-1, 13-6-1)
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
 
Kevin Crawley led the Panthers with three assists in the game, while John Lizyness and Tyler Heyboer each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers.
 
HELTER SKELTER
 
Davenport was able to jump out in front just minutes into the contest after Elijah Klco scored off of a fanned Lizyness shot. The Spartans would collect themselves, and score just before the halfway mark of the period as Collin Lynch beat Jordan Tafel to tie the game at one.
 
Parker Schmitt would take a penalty shortly thereafter, and just seconds into the man advantage, Joe Zelenka would bang in his 24^th goal of the season to give MSU their first lead of the game. Just a few minutes later, the Panthers would answer back with a goal from Christopher Heath to tie the game at two, before DU took the lead thanks to Marcus Chartrand's fourth goal of the season with a little over seven minutes remaining in the period.
 
MSU would answer back less than a minute later following a goal from Dakota Ristow, only for Tyler Heyboer's 18^th goal of the season to put DU back in the lead with minutes remaining in the frame.
 
SPARTAN DOMINANCE
 
State would come back with two goals in the final three minutes of the period. First, Jack Chumley scored to tie the game at four, followed by a power play goal by Chance Murray. After all the craziness was accounted for, the Spartans went into the break with a 5-4 lead.
 
The Spartans put the pedal to the medal in the second period. Just a couple minutes into the frame, Murray would score his second goal of the game to give Michigan State a two-goal lead. That was followed by Ristow's second of the game minutes later, and a goal form Mason Buresh a little before the halfway mark of the period to give the Spartans a four-goal cushion. Lorenzo D'Agostini would get on the board with his seventh goal of the season, before Lizyness cut into the MSU lead with his eighth goal of the season to make it a 9-5 game. However, the Spartans would extend their lead to six before the end of the period, as D'Agositini scored his second of the period, followed by a tally from Ethan Arboleras.
 
Michigan State continued to pour it on in the third, as Arboleras and Zelenka each scored their second goals of the game in the opening minutes of the period.
 
Aiden Dion potted his 21^st goal of the season to tie Alexander Brown for the team lead just before the halfway mark of the period.
 
The Spartans would finish off the game with goals from Cam Hundley, Chumley, and Joe Hildebrant, taking home the win by a final score of 16-6.
 
WHO'S NEXT?
 
The Panthers and Spartans will wrap up their weekend set Saturday afternoon in East Lansing. Puck drop at Munn Ice Arena is set for 4 p.m.