Listen live Wednesday on the Slocum Sports Network to action from the Southwest Michigan High School Hockey League (SWMHSHL). Set for 5:30 p.m., the Southwest Michigan Blades face Portage Northern, followed by Portage Central versus the Kalamazoo Eagles at 7:45 p.m.
With two weeks until the league tournament, these teams are sitting third through sixth in the six-team standings. Those who finish in the bottom two spots miss out on a chance at the conference tournament title. Entering these games, Portage Central is third with eight points (4-4), followed by the Blades with six points (3-4), the Eagles with five (2-5-1), and the Huskies with two (1-7).
The Blades and Eagles both will be missing key players following game disqualification penalties during the 4-3 Blades victory on Saturday. The Eagles had Nicholas Burr tossed with Schuyler DeVries and leading scorer Evan Wilson both getting disqualified for the Blades.
For the Portage Northern Huskies, a loss guarantees them a spot in the bottom two. They enter at 5-14 overall against the 15-7-1 Blades. The Blades won 5-3 over the Huskies back on January 4, but they’ll missing Wilson, who tallied a hat-trick last month.
In the second game, the Portage Central Mustangs are 7-12 overall with the Eagles at 7-11-1. The Mustangs topped the Eagles 4-1 when they met on December 21. Portage Central has won six consecutive meetings with the Eagles, with the last Eagle win on February 5, 2014. The Mustangs can secure a top four spot with a victory or draw.
Listen to both games live on the Slocum Sports Network. The Huskies and Blades meet at 5:30, followed by the Mustangs and Eagles at 7:45.
