MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP – There’s always something to be gained from giving a good team a good game – but a loss is still a loss.

Fruitport girls soccer coach Chris Belasco knows that the time for encouraging losses is quickly passing. The Trojans will compete in the O-K Blue conference tournament starting next week, then will head to districts, when a defeat would spell the end of the season.

Fruitport traveled to Reeths-Puffer on Tuesday for a non-conference matchup and played a good Rockets team to a halftime tie, but the game unraveled for the Trojans in the second half and they ended up losing 4-1.

The loss was difficult for the Trojans, who had gone five straight games without a victory before Saturday, when they beat Montague 3-0.

Fruitport goalie Riley Kettel dives to make a save against R-P’s Sophia Hekkema. Photo/Jeremy Clark

They were hoping to make it two in a row on Tuesday, and gave it a good try, but came up short.

Fruitport, now 5-7-1 on the season, will visit Whitehall on Thursday before opening conference tournament play on Monday.

“Our seniors understand what’s coming up,” Belasco said. “Hopefully their leadership will take over and we will play a little more physical and more toward the game plan.

“We could definitely make some noise (in districts). I think we’re about to that peaking point and we’ll come together.”

Fruitport’s Alexa Hanson-Wilbur, who scored the Trojans’ lone goal. Photo/Jeremy Clark

Fruitport had a number of good scoring chances in the first half against R-P but failed to get any shots past Rocket goalie Ava Klopp.

Trojan goalie Riley Kettel kept the game scoreless with a very big play about midway through the first half. Reeths-Puffer standout Sophia Hekkema broke in alone on goal with the ball, but Kettel came out of the net to meet her, dove and literally took the ball off from Hekkema’s foot before she had a chance to shoot.

Hekkema scored about 10 minutes into the second half, breaking in along again and giving the Rockets a 1-0 lead.

Fruitport evened things up a few minutes later with a goal by Alexa Hanson-Wilbur.

Fruitport’s Mallory Smith controls the ball in front of an R-P player. Photo/Jeremy Clark

R-P took control for good with just under 12 minutes left in the game when Hekkema got another breakaway and scored again from close range, giving the Rockets a 2-1 lead.

Taeah Rensberger and Tryska added insurance goals for the Rockets down the stretch.

Reeths-Puffer outshot the Trojans 7-4.

“We had a few injuries and we rotated some players, and maybe some girls weren’t fully aware of their responsibilities,” Belasco said. “Reeths-Puffer is a good team, we knew it was going to be a good physical game, I think we just had some miscommunication and mismatches.”