FRUITPORT - So the Spring Lake girls soccer team really is that good.
The Reeths-Puffer squad came into Thursday’s Division 2 district championship game hoping to give the powerful Lakers a run for their money, and perhaps pull off a stunner.
That seemed possible in the first 20 minutes of the game, when the Rockets managed to mount some offense and outshoot the Lakers.
But Spring Lake, which is ranked No. 1 in the state for a reason, took control in the final 20 minutes of the first half and the entire second half.
In the end Reeths-Puffer fell 5-0 and finished the season with a very nice 13-6-3 record, but no trophy to show for its efforts.
R-P's Billie Tryska, left, moves in on the Spring Lake goal. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Spring Lake got a big boost from junior standout Ella Andree, who scored three goals, all in the second half.
“They are relentless,” said Reeths-Puffer coach Kody Harrell about the Lakers. “I think the biggest thing they have is their speed and endurance.”
The first 20 minutes were exciting for Rocket fans, who watched their team get three of the first four shots on goal and keep the ball largely in the Laker zone.
But Spring Lake is not a team that can be held in check for long. The Lakers started dominating play at around the 20-minute mark of the first half, and the goals started coming.
R-P's Grace Goodell (2) tries to move the ball past a charging Laker. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Ava Halvorsen and Kyle Shelton both found the back of the R-P goal, giving Spriing Lake a 2-0 halftime lead.
“Both first half goals were on our mistakes, and you can’t make mistakes because they have girls who know how to win,” Harrell said.
Andree took over in the second half, scoring three consecutive goals to secure the district title for the Lakers.
“I thought we did a great job shutting down Andree in the first half,” Harrell said. “But when you’re down by two with 40 minutes left in your season you have to change the formation and adjust, we did that, and she was able to get in behind us with more space.”
The Rockets finished the season as one of the best runner-up teams in the area, if not the state.
R-P goalie Ava Klopp (pink jersey) gets tangled up with a Laker attacker. Photo/Jeremy Clark
They finished in second place in the O-K Green conference in the regular season, were runners-up in the conference tournament, and runners-up in the district tournament.
The team will say goodbye to a large group of seniors – including Sophia Hekkema, who set a new single season school scoring record with 23 goals this year – but will return a solid group of players who gained valuable experience this spring.
“It was a very special senior group,” Harrell said. “We have great memories to build from and we have 13 players returning. I’m looking forward to seeing where things go over the next few seasons.”