Cardinals' win streak broken

By Lisa Paine
VIEW Sports Editor

DAVISON — Pontiac Notre Dame Prep handed Davison its first loss of the season, breaking a six-game win streak, last Saturday.
Davison trailed, 1-3, after the first quarter, but pulled to within one, 3-4, after the second quarter. An even third quarter that saw both sides score twice kept the match close, but Notre Dame scored six goals in the final quarter to put the win out of reach, 12-5.
Notre Dame Prep scored the first two goals of the game, and Davison clawed back with the help of several Notre Dame errors. Davison held its only lead of the game, 5-4, with four minutes left in the third quarter, but the Cards ran out of gas and Notre Dame found its second win.
Mike Dudash scored one goal and assisted on four, Craig Schaepkens and Ryan Herriman scored one goal apiece, and Jay Lenz scored twice. In goal, Ryan Renbarger made 23 saves.
“We were able to give the No.-8 team in the state a tough test today and I was convinced that we were going to win it,” said coach Rob Hatten. “They were out of their element and were clearly frustrated by our defense and our ability to move the ball on offense. However, Notre Dame Prep was a very physical team, and they were able to wear us down and make their 8-0 run late in the game.”
Hatten added that the game offered his squad an opportunity to learn a lot about itself and how to hang tough when the momentum doesn’t go their way. That they battled hard against a state-ranked team also helped the team keep its confidence despite the adversity.
Last Thursday, Davison notched its sixth win of the season after dispatching Midland, 12-3.
The contest was knotted at 1-1 after the first quarter, but seven goals in the second by Davison gave the Cards a significant cushion. Four more unanswered goals in the third essentially sealed the deal, as Midland could only muster two more goals in the final quarter.
Dudash scored four goals and had three assists, Schaepkens matched that effort, and Lenz scored four more goals. Renbarger made 23 saves.