FRUITPORT – Fruitport’s Mikayla Belasco was not feeling well on Thursday morning, but you certainly could not tell by Thursday night.

The Trojan senior exploded for three goals and an assist, helping the Fruitport girls soccer team post a convincing 6-0 victory over Coopersville at home in the opening round of the Division 2 district tournament.

“I was a little sick this morning and I think I slept for 10 hours,” Belasco said.

“She was pretty fired up tonight,” added her dad, Fruitport head coach Chris Belasco. “She was not feeling too good this morning, but a nice nap and medicine helped her out.”

Belasco’s big night helped the Trojans maintain their recent momentum, which has come at the right time of the year.

Fruitport started the season with a very promising 3-0 record, then hit a major bump in the road, going 2-9-2 during a difficult 13-game stretch.

The Trojans started coming around again over the past week or so, winning the last two games of the regular season as they warmed up for districts, then racing past Coopersville in the first round of the tournament.

“We have been working a lot on the mental side of the game and some new tactical things,” Coach Belasco said. “We are trying to get the girls to play a little differently and it’s taken some time, but it’s starting to show.”

The Trojans, now 8-9-2 on the season, will face a major test next Tuesday when they host rival Spring Lake, the No. 1 ranked team in the state, in the district semifinals.

Fruitport lost to the Lakers 8-0 earlier in the season, but the postseason tournament offers a fresh start, and the Trojans are taking full advantage.

“From the last time we played the Lakers until now we have talked a lot about mental strength,” Coach Belasco said. “The girls know it’s a rivalry game with a lot of mental things that go into it. We have done a lot since then to get us ready for them.”

The Trojans opened the scoring with 26:52 left in the first half with a goal from Belasco on a shot that went off a Coopersville player’s foot.

Kendal Kolberg increased the advantage to 2-0 with 18:48 left in the opening half. Mallory Smith was credited with an assist.

The Trojans led 2-0 at halftime.

Alexa Hanson-Wilbur added an early second half goal off a corner kick from Belasco with 36:08 left.

Belasco scored her second goal of the game with 23:20 remaining to increase the Trojans’ advantage to 4-0.

Smith added a goal four minutes later to give Fruitport a 5-0 lead.

Belasco closed out the scoring with her third goal of the night with 6:10 left in the contest.

“It feels good to come out and overcome those brick walls and break through them and be able to perform,” the star of the game said. “We had some injuries early this season and now we are full strength. which will help us out.

“We need to play a better mental game against Spring Lake to be successful.”