The high school hockey season resumes Wednesday with four of the six SWMHSHL teams meeting at Wings West.  Mattawan faces the Kalamazoo Eagles at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Southwest Michigan Blades against Portage Northern at 7:45 p.m.  Both contests will be broadcast live on the Slocum Sports Network.

Mattawan has already met each league opponent once and sits second in the standings at 4-1, only behind the 5-0 Kalamazoo United.   The Wildcats (7-4 overall) dropped the Eagles 6-1 all the back in the season opener on November 16.   The Eagles are 1-3 against SWMHSHL foes so far, with a 1-0 win over the Blades and losses to Mattawan, Kalamazoo United and Portage Central.     The Wildcats have controlled the rivalry in recent memory, taking eight of the last ten meetings along with the last five contests.  The Eagles last topped Mattawan in December 2014.

The second game of the night has a similar recent history; Portage Northern has won eight of the last ten, along with the last five contests, over the Blades.  It’s their first meeting this season.

The Blades are 1-3 in league play with a win over Portage Central and hold a 7-5 overall record, significantly improved from a two-win season last year.   The Huskies are 0-3 in the league standings and 2-8 overall.   After winning their opening contests against at Traverse City and Manistee, they’ve dropped eight straight.  Although, they’ve had some close games against tough opponents.

Listen to both contests on the Slocum Sports Network.   Coverage will begin shortly before the puck drops at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.