Written by Tyler Kuehl
 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – In what was an incredibly unique night, the D2 and D3 Hockey teams met on Saturday night, marking it the first time ever that two Davenport teams met for a regular season game. It also fell on the same night as D3's Senior Night, as the Panther honored Austen Strauss, George Hangas and Brendan Schievink in their final home games as Panthers.
 
While D3 put together a solid effort to keep the game close, D2 was able to ride an outstanding second period from one of their rookie defensemen to victory.
 
QUICK STATS
 
Final Score: D3 3 – D2 5
Shots: D3 22 | D2 46
Power Play: D3 (0/3) | D2 (0/2)
Records: D3 (5-5) | D2 (5-2-1)
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
 
D2's Arian Starin led both teams with a hat trick in the second period. Brendan Bogema picked up the win in net for D2, making 19 saves picking up win no. 4 on the season. Despite the loss, Austen Strauss made 41 stops in the game for D3.
 
A STUNNING START
 
It looked like it was going to be a one-sided affair for the D2 team, as Adam Hulsey scored his first of the season less than two minutes into the contest. However, D3 answered back just minutes later with JT Warren's first of his collegiate career to tie the game at one.
 
Later on in the period, Carter Osborne fired a shot that went over the shoulder for Brendan Bogema for his sixth of the season, and D3 was able to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
 
TURNING THE TIDE
 
Despite trailing after the first period, the D2 team stormed back with all sorts of offensive pressure in the second, outshooting D3 24-7 in the middle stanza. Starin scored his first just passed the halfway mark of the frame, followed up by his second just over 30 seconds later to give D2 their second lead of the night. Starin capped off the natural hat trick a few minutes later, before Alexander Brown added his fourth goal of the season to make it 5-2 D2 heading into the third period.
 
Aiden Dion scored a highlight-reel goal early in the third to bring D3 within a pair, but D2 held their DU brethren off the rest of the way en route to the 5-3 victory.
 
WHO'S NEXT?
 
The D2 Hockey team travels down to Missouri for a three-game weekend. Their first game is against Lindenwood University, the No. 2 team in D2. The Panthers lost both games to Lindenwood last season, and are 9-8-2 all-time against the Lions. Puck drop at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights is set for 9 p.m. CST.
 
D3 travels down to Fort Wayne for two more games against Indiana Tech. The Panthers will look to build of their weekend sweep from last weekend, with game one of round two at the SportOne/Parkview Icehouse on Friday.