FHN/E and FHC earn rematch

The third time will be the charm for one of the Forest Hills hockey teams, as they both won tonight. Forest Hills Northern/Eastern and Forest Hills Central will face off on Wednesday, February 27 at 7 p.m. for the right to play in the regional final Friday night. The game is scheduled for Griff's Icehouse, which should be filled to capacity given recent crowds when these two rivals have played this year.

FHNE advanced by virtue of a 4-3 win over Dewitt, which hung around the entire game despite being outmanned and outshot. Dewitt actually tied the game at 3-3 with 1:53 left, but Ben Biondo played the hero with the game-winning goal with just 17 ticks left in regulation. Ian Jester earned the win between the pipes.

FHC's path to the pre-regional final was a little less anxious, as the Rangers cruised to an 8-0 victory over Northview. FHC was up 4-o after one and 7-0 after two. Northview continued to battle, but the game was called with 4:17 left when FHC scored its 8th goal. Derek Hess got the win between the pipes.

You can catch highlights of both games, including Biondo's late game-winner in the FHNE game, on the FOX 17 sports website. The Grand Rapids Press also offers this in-depth coverage of the game.

We'll have more on this game Wednesday, but suffice to say, it's one that everyone wants to happen. FHNE won the first two matchups between the teams, but FHC is, as the coaching cliche goes, "playing much better in February than it was in November." Should be a dandy.

Forest Hills Northern/Eastern vs. Dewitt:




Forest Hills Central vs. Northview: