The Fruitport soccer team does not get flustered when opponents jump out to early leads.

The Trojans just stay calm. dig a little deeper and find a way to win, like they have all season.

The latest example came on Tuesday night when Fruitport recovered from an early deficit and beat Marquette 4-2 in a Division 2 regional matchup at Gaylord High School.

Marquette scored first, then Fruitport responded by racing to a 3-1 halftime lead.

Marquette scored first in the second half to make it a one-goal game, but the Trojans answered very quickly with a goal to put the victory on ice.

The No. 1 ranked Trojans, 20-0-1 on the season, now advance to play Forest Hills Northern in the regional championship game on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Cedar Springs High School.

The regional title game is also the state quarterfinal round.

The Trojans’ ability to calmly respond to all challenges has become a trademark for the team, according to head coach Dan Hazekamp.

Fruitport pulled off a similar comeback a week ago, overcoming a 1-0 halftime deficit to beat Spring Lake 2-1 in districts.

“I think it’s kind of in this team’s DNA right now,” Hazekamp said. “We might take a punch and go down, but we don’t ever quit or implode on ourselves. We are able to work through adversity, and tonight was a great example of that.

“That’s what good teams do – find a way to recover and come back stronger.”

Saturday’s regional final at Cedar Springs will present a chance for the Trojans to redeem themselves.

They advanced to the regional finals last year, also at Cedar Springs, but fell to Grand Rapids Christian 1-0 in a thriller of a game.

The Trojans know playing Forest Hills Northern will be a tough assignment, but they also know they are capable of winning and taking their state tournament run at least one step further this season.

“Forest Hills Northern is a really solid program,” Hazekamp said. “We’re going to have our hands full, but we’re ready. We respect everyone, but we’re not afraid of anyone.”

Fruitport fell behind early when Marquette scored a goal with about 17 minutes left in the first half.

The Trojans responded quickly, however, when Ryder Merkins worked the ball to Isaac VanderMolen, who found the back of the net with about 12 minutes remaining in the half.

“That was a real positive for us,” Hazekamp said. “It got us back in the game and gave us some great energy and momentum.”

The Trojans took the lead for good about five minutes later when Nathaniel Cribley-Cotto scored following a corner kick, with an assist from Davis Johnson.

Fruitport went up 3-1 with about two minutes left in the half when Jyles Smith scored, with an assist from Hudson Hazekamp.

Marquette made things a little uneasy again with a header goal about 12 minutes into the second half, but Fruitport answered about two minutes later when Sam Krueger scored on a long, high free kick from about 40 yards out.

Fruitport outshot Marquette 10-5. Goalkeeper Logan Werschem played well and got the win for the Trojans.

Hazekamp credited his team’s defensive back line for another strong performance, and gave special mention to midfielder Jayden Booker for playing a great game.

“He played about 70 of the 80 minutes tonight and had a real solid effort,” the coach said about Booker. “He helped hold us together in back and defended one of their best players. He was real strong on the ball all night.”