The No. 20 ranked Grand Valley State University Division I men’s hockey team played back-to-back matches against the unranked Davenport University Panthers on Friday, Jan. 17 and Saturday, Jan. 18. Taking home advantage, the Panthers found a 6-2 win on Friday. Flipping the script, the Lakers hosted the Panthers for a close matchup the following day, securing a Laker win, 4-2.
In Friday’s matchup, the Lakers had 11 total penalties for 22 minutes in the box, which allowed the Panthers to score four power-play goals. Struggling all season with penalty minutes, the Lakers were forced to step back and address the issue, as their time in the box has cost the team wins.
“Guys (the team’s players) are starting to take accountability, and (are) starting to play a little bit smarter after whistles,” said the Lakers’ junior forward, Tristan Avoletta.
During Saturday’s match, both teams’ friends and family members gathered at Griff’s Georgetown Ice Arena. The freshly laid ice awaited the vengeful Lakers, who sought to reclaim a win against the Panthers.
GVSU won the first face-off at center ice, and laid the first two shots on goal. The teams delivered huge hits into the boards, firing up both benches, which were hooting and hollering. With an aggressive start, junior captain Carson Wood put the Lakers on the board at 17:05, which was assisted by freshman forward Yarne Vaerewyck and freshman defenseman Scott Neitzel. Continuing to trade hits, both teams received penalties at the 14-minute mark for cross-checking (GVSU) and interference (DU). In the last 30 seconds of the first period, junior goaltender Adrian Morales made two back-to-back saves that, entering the second period, kept the Lakers in the lead.
Despite the Lakers starting the game strong, they trailed the Panthers in on-goal shots, 10-12. Compared to the previous night, the Lakers had a secret weapon for this game: the return of junior defenseman Enzo Tarducci. Tarducci took a year away from hockey, and recently transferred back to GVSU.
“(It) took a minute and a couple of practices to get my legs back (in shape), but I felt pretty good out there,” said Tarducci. “Obviously, (I am) playing shorter shifts for right now so I can work my way in, but hopefully I can just be something for the team.”
With a healthy pair of legs, Tarducci contributed to the Lakers’ aggression and laid-out hits.
The Lakers entered the second period hot and heavy. At 17:03, Vaerewyck dished out a goal, which was assisted by senior captain Josh Suzio and freshman defenseman Brady Balagna. Following the goal, each team traded penalties and generated 4-on-4 hockey. The Panthers took advantage of the Lakers’ penalties to put themselves on the board, and made a power-play goal at 10:59. In response, the Lakers charged down the ice and owned the offensive zone, as sophomore forward Chase Tallaire buried the puck in the back of the net. Still fighting back, the Panthers scored with two minutes of play left in the second period. Morales made two back-to-back saves, but it wasn’t enough to clinch the Lakers two-goal lead.
Eager to maintain the lead, the Lakers played strategically, while the Panthers aggressively fought for possession of the puck. The first eight minutes of play consisted of back-and-forth movement down the ice from both teams. At 9:59, senior forward Carson Korte secured the final insurance goal for the Lakers, which was assisted by junior forward Kyle VanCompernolle and Suzio. In retaliation, the Panthers started a 10-man brawl on the ice when a Panther hit Morales for goaltender interference. The Panthers received two penalties for goaltender interference and a major, five-minute penalty for cross-checking and game misconduct. Despite the man advantage, the Panthers persisted in their offensive line and created an odd-man rush on Morales, who made a diving save to shut the Panthers down for good.
Despite having eight penalties to Davenports’ six, GVSU outshot Davenport, 34-30. Since going into 2025, the Lakers are 3-1, and continue to compete at the highest level of play. The team has also improved on certain aspects of their game, such as penalty minutes, overall chemistry and improving their offensive line.
“Our offense is finally starting to click,” Suzio said. “We got guys who were cold (in terms of playing and producing), who are getting hot at a great time. Our main focus as a team is the offense and pushing (the momentum) forward, playing offensive first and defense second.”
The GVSU men’s hockey team is more than halfway through the regular season, and boast a 15-16 record. The Lakers’ next matchup is against Purdue University Northwest on Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. in Crown Point, Indiana.
