SPRING LAKE – Senior Meah Bajt has been a phenomenal scorer all spring for the Spring Lake girls soccer team, but she had no idea just how well her season has been going.

The day before the district semifinal game, Spring Lake coach Becky May told her she was six goals short of breaking the school record for goals in a single season.

The Lakers took to the field against Reeths-Puffer on Tuesday, and it was no surprise that Bajt played her heart out. She totaled six goals against the Rockets, setting a new school record of 38 goals in a single season.

The Lakers defeated the Rockets 6-1, outshooting Reeths-Puffer 15-6. Spring Lake now advances to the district championship game against Whitehall on Thursday.

“We were hoping for a win tonight, and a big win is even better,” May said. “In the playoffs, every game matters, and wins like this only give us more confidence for Thursday.”

The Lakers opened up the scoring quickly, with sophomore Clara Saunders passing to Bajt for a goal with 30:58 left in the first half. Not even two minutes later, senior Eryn Bouwhuis assisted on Bajt’s second goal with 29:17 on the clock, giving the Lakers a 2-0 lead.

Bajt maintained momentum for Spring Lake, scoring twice more in the first half. She first broke through the Reeths-Puffer defense to sneak the ball past senior goalkeeper Tessa Lamphere with 19:39 left in the half, and mirrored the goal 13 minutes later with 6:58 to go.

With a 4-0 lead at halftime, the Lakers were playing a completely different game than their first game against the Rockets.

“Last time we played Reeths-Puffer, they scored first, and we had to get our heads in the game,” May said. “I challenged them to start fast, and they really did. We were able to take them out early, and by the time the possessions equaled out they were already down by four.”

Junior Sophia Hekkema finally put the Rockets on the board with a goal with 25:31 left in the game, cutting the Lakers’ lead to 4-1. Hekkema tied her own single-season school record of 22 goals, which she established last season.

Spring Lake did not allow the Rockets to score again, locking down on defense. Bajt scored with 16:29 left in the game, assisted by Madilynn Boerger, giving the Lakers a 5-1 lead. As the game wound down, Bajt kicked in a pass from Reese Shelton to give Spring Lake a 6-1 lead and officially break the Spring Lake record for most goals in a season.

“It’s really awesome earning this,” Bajt said. “A lot of credit goes to my teammates. The balls they send me are great. Everybody worked for this tonight.”

Spring Lake improved to 15-2-1 for the season, while Reeths-Puffer finished the year with a 13-8 record.

Reeths-Puffer’s season might be over, but the Rockets already have their eyes on next spring. With two seasons of scoring 22 goals under her belt, Hekkema will be a dangerous asset for Reeths-Puffer in the coming season.

“In addition to Hekkema returning, we’ve got 14 other players returning as well,” said Reeths-Puffer coach Kody Harrell. “We’re looking to get off to a hotter start next year. This is my first year in the program, and my philosophy of play is different than what the girls are used to. It may be a little overbearing, but I know they have the skillset for it.”

While the district championship game is the most immediate challenge, the Lakers have their eyes on a bigger prize. Having fallen just one game short of a Division 2 state title last season, the Spring Lake girls are ready for another try.

“I think we have a shot at it,” May said. “We’ve got enough dangerous kids that it keeps any team we play on edge. Our team is very directional and very goal-focused. I would not want to play against us.”