COMSTOCK PARK - No, the Reeths-Puffer lacrosse team didn’t get all of its players back over the last two days.
The Rockets fielded the same lineup on Wednesday that they did on Monday – but the results couldn’t have been more different.
On Monday R-P, down six players due to injury, illness or early spring break, had a very tough time and lost to Grand Rapids Catholic Central by a whopping 14 goals.
But on Wednesday the Rockets rebounded and showed what they are capable of – even without their missing teammates – soundly beating Kenowa Hills 12-5 in a game played at Comstock Park High School.
Teammates congratulate R-P's Ian Wright after he scored a goal.
“We are missing four very key players, and we’re down six total, but tonight we definitely played better,” said R-P Coach Jake Kovalcik, whose team improved to 2-1. “We got a lot of little things situated. We did a lot of little things wrong on Monday and I’m glad we got it turned around.”
The Rockets featured a balanced scoring attack, with seven different players finding the net.
Leading the way was senior Seth Parker with three goals, followed by Kyle Huff, Kyler Brainard and recent junior varsity call-up Owen Greiner with two goals apiece.
“Seth moves around the (goal) crease unbelievable for us,” Kovalcik said about Parker. “That’s his favorite spot. We tease him that he never likes to learn the plays, he just likes to run around the crease and get open.”
R-P goalie Gavin Wright tracks the ball as it nears the net.
The balanced scoring is what Kovalcik got from his team in its season opening victory over East Kentwood last week and hopes to see all season.
“We got a lot of guys who are able to play different positions for us, on offense and defense, and it helps a lot having multiple guys who can score,” the coach said.
R-P also benefitted from a strong goaltending performance by sophomore Gavin Wright, who made several big saves early in the contest while the Rockets were getting their offense untracked, then kept it up as his team took control of the game.
“Gavin played out of his mind,” Kovalcik said. “He made some really good saves. Last year he was a first-year goalie playing on JV, now he’s starting for us on varsity and he’s been playing great.”
R-P's Kaeden Bitely (3) and Evan Loveland (11) defend against Kenowa Hills.
The Rockets took some time finding their game and Kenowa Hills controlled the ball for much of the first quarter.
R-P finally broke a scoreless tie when Avery Wolfe-Sabo found the net with just four seconds left in the first quarter, and the Rockets led 1-0 heading into the second.
Kenowa Hills tied the score early in the second quarter, then the Rockets started penetrating the Knights’ defense and getting close-range shots, and the goals started coming in bunches.
Ian Wright and Huff scored within a minute of each other, Parker scored two straight goals, Greiner added two in a row, and the Rockets led 7-1 at halftime.
R-P's Seth Parker (right), who led the Rockets with three goals.
Connor Stawski and Brainard scored in the third quarter and R-P led 9-3 heading into the fourth.
Huff, Brainard and Parker finished things off with goals in the final 12 minutes.
The Rockets will now get a long layoff during spring break before returning to action on April 11 at home against Spring Lake.
