MUSKEGON TWP. – The Reethe-Puffer soccer team started the season on quite a roll, posting a 6-0-2 record after its first eight games.
Then the Rockets ran into a buzz-saw in the toughest part of their schedule, losing by identical 3-0 scores to Spring Lake, Mona Shores and Holland. The last two losses cost them a shot at the O-K Green conference title.
But the conference tournament has arrived, which means a fresh start for the talented Rockets. They got off to a good start on Tuesday by posting a 5-1 victory over Wyoming in the first round of the tournament on their home field.
The Rockets improved to 8-5-4 on the season, and will play Holland in the semifinals later this week.
[1]“It’s all about the kids and their mindset and attitude,” Reeths Puffer Coach Kody Harrell said about the tough three-game stretch his team endured. “They are a great group of guys who understand the bigger picture.
“We are really young, but I am excited about our group of young guys who play big roles. For them to be able to grasp the concept of building for the next game is remarkable.”
The game got off to a rapid-fire start. R-P’s Nick Clemens opened the scoring with a goal less than three minutes into the game, with an assist from Isaac Ritsema.
Less than a minute later, Wyoming junior Cristian Diaz scored the equalizer. But before the applause could die down, R-P super sophomore Liam Smith scored on a pass from Ashton Carpenter. With 36 minutes left to play in the first half, the Rockets led 2-1.
[2]“They are a quick team that can score,” Harrell said about Wyoming. “When we played them earlier in the season, the game started almost the exact same way. Three goals were scored in eight minutes. Sometimes responding to a response is harder than responding in the first place. I was happy that we battled through that adversity.”
Ashton Carpenter doubled the lead with a goal with 25:59 left in the first half. Less than five minutes later, Carter Sibson added a goal with an assist from Jordan Moreira.
Daniel Goodell finished off a Liam Smith pass with 35 seconds left in the first half to cap the scoring. The second half was scoreless.
Gage Hopkins recorded six saves in goal for the Rockets, who outshot the Wolves 14-7.
Coach Harrell gave special credit to senior captain Darren Patterson, who switched from his normal striker position to a defensive position, to reinforce the Rockets’ defensive corps.
“Darren Patterson has been huge for us,” Harrell said. “I don’t know if he ever played outside back in his life. He is the biggest story of our team, going from an attacking mid winger position to a far less sexy position.”
“The center backs made me feel welcome,” Patterson said about his transition to defense. “They made it clear what my responsibilities are and made the change easier.”
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