FRUITPORT – Facing the state’s No. 1 ranked team, along with nearly 90-degree heat, nobody would have been stunned if the Fruitport girls soccer team had quietly ended the season with a shortened mercy rule loss on Tuesday.
But the Trojans stuck it out and lasted the full 80 minutes in a tough 8-1 loss against powerful Spring Lake in a Division 2 district semifinal matchup at home.
“It’s a testament to the girls,” said Fruitport coach Chris Belasco about his team’s effort. “It’s a credit to what we’ve been doing. A lot of it has been mental this year. This is a rivalry game for the girls, and they know how tough they are. I think we’re making the steps towards the better side of it, but it’s still a big step to climb up.”
Just 8:53 into the game, Spring Lake took a 1-0 lead when Clara Saunders knocked in a loose ball.
[1]Just five minutes later Phoebe Ryan scored on a rebound to give Spring Lake a 2-0 lead.
That lead was extended when Ada Halvorsen scored on a long distance shot midway through the first half.
Just one minute later, Ella Andree took her turn finding the back of the net to make the Laker lead 4-0.
At that point the outcome really wasn’t in doubt, and a quick run to an eight-goal rout that would have ended the game early seemed entirely possible.
But the Trojans kept battling, refusing to end their season until the clock expired all the way.
[2]Following a Spring Lake turnover, Fruitport junior Mallory Smith gathered the loose ball and dribbled in before ripping a shot to get the Trojans on the board with 14:30 left in the opening half.
Two minutes later Halvorsen scored her second goal of the night, extending the Laker advantage to 5-1.
Everyone expected that lead to grow with 10 minutes left in the first half when Spring Lake had a penalty kick, which is usually a pretty automatic goal.
But Fruitport’s junior goalkeeper, Riley Kettel, made a fantastic save on the kick, and the score remained 5-1 at halftime.
“It was great,” Belasco said about the save. “She stepped up big. It was a big save and to come down with it was really good. She’s had a tough season, facing the tough opponents we do, so it was a great save for her.”
[3]In the second half, Spring Lake got goals from Lauren Cavalier, Andree, and Halvorsen, who capped off a hat-trick.
Fruitport ended its season with an 8-10-2 record, but the Trojans competed all the way to the end.
“That’s a tough team,” Belasco said about Spring Lake. “They’re number one for a reason, and they showed it today. But I think we dug deep and played tough overall.”
Seven Fruitport seniors played their final game.
“It’s a talented group,” Belasco said about the outgoing players. “Two of them are moving on to play more soccer, and they probably all could. But it’s a good leadership group and they brought tenacity and led in everything we did. It’s a bittersweet moment to see them go.” 
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