Enjoying perfect late-summer weather, Forest Hills Field Hockey chose National Field Hockey Day to use its home games to benefit the Children’s Healing Center in Grand Rapids.

The Children’s Healing Center is a facility that offers a safe, clean place for kids, teens, and young adults to enjoy educational and recreational programming while they are dealing with illnesses that compromise their immune systems. They accomplish this by using easily-cleaned hard surfaces, special air filtration systems, and other techniques.

The Forest Hills varsity and JV teams wore special headbands with the Children’s Healing Center logo for the day’s games. Their first opponent, the Saline Hornets, also participated by purchasing and wearing the headbands as a show of support.

On the field, all three of the day’s games offered exciting action. In the first varsity matchup, Saline brought a relentless attack throughout the game. However, the Forest Hills defense was able to frustrate the Hornets for the entire first half, until Saline opened the scoring on an extended penalty corner to end the half. Saline added another goal in the second half, but Forest Hills goalkeeper Lauren TerMaat recorded 25 saves to keep the game to a 2-0 final score.

The JV game was more evenly matched, with both teams trading scoring opportunities early in the first half. But, over time, Forest Hills gained the advantage and got on the board after several close calls. Freshman Isabelle Osborn and sophomore Eileen Grunwald were credited with the goals in the eventual 2-0 victory.

Finally, the Irish arrived from Father Gabriel Richard High School to play the Forest Hills varsity in the last game of the day. The momentum swung back and forth in the first half until sophomore Daphne Westbury and junior Claire Bieniewicz scored back-to-back goals to put Forest Hills up 2-0. However, the Irish got on the board with only a few seconds left in the first half to make the game 2-1. That also represented the final score, as the Forest Hills defense repelled several late chances.

Throughout the day, Forest Hills parents collected freewill donations at the gate instead of requiring an admission fee. After all was said and done, the team was able to give nearly $900 to the representatives of the Children’s Healing Center.

“It’s been a pleasure over the past few months to learn about the work the Children’s Healing Center is doing,” said Forest Hills head coach Andrea Shaner. “With so many families from all over coming to Grand Rapids for treatment at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, their building is an important resource where kids can take a much-needed break from the hospital environment and feel as ‘normal’ as possible.”