Any way you slice it, the Fruitport girls soccer team took a huge step forward this season.

The Trojans did not do a lot of winning over the past few years, posting a 4-11-4 mark last season and an 8-10-2 record in 2023.

But with the infusion of a group of talented freshmen, and the leadership of seasoned upperclassmen, Fruitport turned it around this spring, posting a 13-7 record and winning the O-K Silver conference championship.

Unfortunately the great turnaround season came to an end on Tuesday when the Trojans lost a 2-1 heartbreaker to Allendale, a former conference rival, in the Division 2 district semifinals at Coopersville High School.

All of the scoring came in the first half. The Trojans battled hard to get the equalizer in the second half, and had several good chances, but could not get the goal they needed to stay afloat.

“We did have some close calls,” said Fruitport head coach Kyle Hall about the second half. “We just didn’t get anything in the back of the net. Allendale had a couple of chances as well. Our keeper, Ava Powell, made a great save on a breakaway.

“We made some adjustments with about 12 minutes left. We threw everything we had at it. We were able to press them but couldn’t come away with the equalizer.

“Give credit to the girls. They left everything on the field. Both teams were exhausted at the end of the game.”

Allendale scored the first goal about 15 minutes into the contest.

The Trojans tied the score with about 15 minutes left in the first half, when Myla Parker found the net with an assist from Alexa Sweet.

Allendale pulled ahead with a goal about eight minutes before halftime and went to the break with a 2-1 lead.

Both teams threatened in the second half, but the score stood and the Trojans were eliminated from the state tournament.

It was a continuation of a really tough end to a great season for Fruitport.

Last week the Trojans lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to NorthPointe Christian in an overtime shootout in the O-K Silver tournament championship game.

They had already clinched the overall conference title, however, so that loss did not prevent them from claiming their trophy.

The Trojans had a few tough losses all season, particularly in the beginning, but never let the disappointment keep them down.

They started out with a 1-3 record, leaving a lot of people assuming that another sub-.500 season was coming.

But they responded with an impressive eight-game winning streak that set them on the path to the conference title. The Trojans were dominant in O-K Silver play, finishing with a 9-1 record.

“We look at everything we accomplished as far as our short-term goals,” Coach Hall said. “A culture change sort of set in, thanks to the senior group we had and their leadership and what they did for the program going forward. I think it will pay dividends for years to come.

“We’re going to hit the offseason extremely hard. Our goal is still to improve every day, even though we’re not in season. I think the future is very bright.”