MUSKEGON – Even well-conditioned athletes put on a lot of weight during the long months of inactivity since COVID hit the nation.
Aldony Mendez, always a big scorer for the Muskegon Risers, said he’s been working all season to drop the pounds that he put on over the past two years, when the Risers played very little soccer due to the pandemic.
But the weight has been coming off for Mendez, and the goals have been piling up again.
That was very much the case on Saturday night, when Mendez scored four goals to lead the Risers to a dominant 15-7 victory over the Cincinnati Swerve at Mercy Health Arena.
“I was off for a little bit and gained a few pounds, but I’m getting back in shape now,” said Mendez, 29, who came into the game with five goals on the season and left with nine. “I like to score goals, and I’m getting back to being myself again.”
[1]The Risers’ 15-goal explosion was very welcome news, considering the team has had numerous season-ending injuries to key players in recent weeks, including high-scoring Ryan Zietlow.
Coach Ben Ritsema said his team has been trying to handle the injury curse with a next-man-up approach, and lots of players were that next man up on Saturday.
Leading scorer Miguel Flores, Brandon Dinsmore and James Dutcher each had two goals, while Adam Knight, Colin O’Keefe, Brandon Edwards, Henry Spees and Jacot Potts also found the goal.
“Henry Spees, James Dutcher, those are defenders who are scoring,” said Muskegon Coach Ben Ritsema. “The guys are just starting to recognize when to attack and where to attack. We are 10 games into the season now, and the guys are starting to figure out where to go and what to do.”
The victory was a huge step for the Risers in their bid for a playoff spot in their first full season in the Major Arena Soccer League 2. They are now 5-5 on the season and have 15 points in the standings, good for second place in the Great Lakes Division.
[2]Muskegon how has a nine-point lead over third-place Chicago in the standings, and the top two teams in the division make the postseason.
The Risers have two regular-season games remaining, against Cleveland at home on March 5 and Cincinnati on the road on March 12.
The Risers have played a few more games than Chicago and Cincinnati, the teams behind them in the division, but as Ritsema pointed out, Chicago is playing undefeated division leader Cleveland twice this weekend, while Cincinnati has to play Cleveland four more times.
That means the Risers’ playoff hopes are in pretty good shape.
“We probably need three more points to seal it, but we may already have enough points,” Ritsema said.
[3]While the Risers’ offense was in high gear, the defense was also very stingy, holding Cincinnati to 18 shots on goal in the game, and just four goals through the first three periods.
“I am really happy with our team defense,” Ritsema said. “We gave up a couple of late goals, but we are getting better at recognizing the opponents’ attack. I emphasize that at practice, before the games and at halftime, and it’s starting to sink in. We know we can score. We just have to commit to that defensive effort, and it’s starting to happen.”
Muskegon goalie Akani Myambu did not have to stop a ton of shots, but he made several spectacular saves before exiting in the fourth quarter to give some playing time to backup Michael Vollmer.
“He made some outstanding saves, particularly in that first quarter,” Ritsema said about Myambu. “He has grown more than any other player this year. He tried out for the team, we didn’t really know who he was, he didn’t know the game at all, and we had to teach him. But he just keeps getting better and better.”