Sam Rennaker's hat trick helps Forest Hills Northern/Eastern beat Forest Hills Central

Kelly Hill | The Grand Rapids Press, February 06, 2011 12:42 a.m.

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Forest Hills Northern/Eastern's Sam Rennaker skates up the ice Saturday. -(Darren Breen | The Grand Rapids Press)

GRAND RAPIDS -- Sam Rennaker was hanging his head.

After failing to convert three good scoring chances in the first period of Forest Hills Northern/Eastern’s hockey game against Forest Hills Central Saturday evening at Patterson Ice Center, Rennaker’s head was hanging during the first intermission.

Fueled by his teammates’ encouragement during the break, Rennaker, who is a sophomore at Eastern, scored three times in the first eight minutes of the second period to lead the Hawks and Huskies to a 7-2 victory.

Rennaker’s first goal, scored at 2:39, came on the power play, while his second and third goals were short-handed.

“The first period was not very good for me,” Rennaker said, “I had three good scoring chances and I couldn’t put it away.

“My head was down during the intermission, but everyone tried to keep me up. After the second period they didn’t have to do that, I was as happy as can be.”

FHN senior Robert Calvert scored the only goal of the first period so Rennaker’s natural hat trick gave FHN/E (14-3, 6-2 in Tier I) a 4-0 lead.

Northern junior Alec Miller made it 5-0 before the Rangers (5-13-1, 0-9) got on the board with the first of sophomore Tyler Brewer’s two goals.

FHN/E’s final two goals, scored by Eastern senior Colin VanderWeele and Northern junior Chris Hollemans, came early and late in the third period.

“We tried to play our game, but we can’t seem to come out on the good end in the penalty column,” FHN/E coach Todd Gallup said. “Special teams is our game. We take pride in that and tonight that was the game. We want to be good on special teams and tonight we were.”

Special teams also were critical for FHC, as both Rangers goals were scored with a man advantage.

The second of Brewer’s goals was scored in a 4-on-3 situation. FHC also played without its top player, senior Cam Pulling.

“We did a better job this time than the first time we played them,” Rangers coach Rob Feenie said. FHN/E beat FHC 10-2 in their first meeting this season.

“The first half of the second period hurt us. We gave up two short-handed goals and you just can’t have that. They are a good skating team, but our guys held their own,” Feenie said.