MUSKEGON – The “Player of the Game” chain that Avery Wolfe-Sabo was wearing Wednesday night, after his team’s big victory, did not mean he was actually the player of the game.
“It was fake,” Wolfe-Sabo said, explaining that he acquired it from an online retailer. “It was from Temu.”
The goal he scored, however, was 100 percent real. It was his first of the season and helped the Reeths-Puffer hockey team post an impressive 9-0 victory over East Kentwood at Muskegon’s Trinity Health Arena.
R-P's Buckey Aney (12) battles along the boards for the puck. Photo/Tyler Lirones
The Rockets built a 5-0 lead during the first period and kept finding the net in the second. The eighth goal came at the 7:40 mark of the second period, which initiated a running clock and the game ended at the end of the period.
R-P improved to 15-7 on the season, extended its winning streak to seven games, and moved within one victory of reaching a big goal.
The Rockets will play Kenowa Hills on Friday night on the road, and a victory would clinch a share of the O-K Conference Fischer Division championship with co-leader Sparta.
R-P beat Kenowa Hills 8-0 in early January in their previous matchup.
R-P's Tyler Cuti (21) races up the ice with the puck. Photo/Tyler Lirones
“We know we’ve got a lot of work to do yet,” said R-P Coach Dustin Langlois. “We really want to go in on Friday and really make a statement."
Wolfe-Sabo’s first goal of the season came at the 10:14 mark of the second period, with assists from Hayden Taylor and Connor Anderson.
“We got pucks deep, we wanted to work, our line was really going today,” the senior said. “We went down low and we worked together, we were communicating. I was able to get to the front of the net and bury it.”
On the other end of the team's points chart, R-P scoring leader Jaxon Stone recorded his second hat trick of the season, scoring goals at the 15:19 and 4:44 marks of the first period. The third came at the 15:10 mark of the second period.
R-P's Avery Freeland (5) looks for a pass. Photo/Tyler Lirones
“I have high expectations for myself every year and every game,” Stone said. “I like to do the best I can to help the team. Points are cool, but I could really care less if I’m leading or not. I'm more worried about the team’s success and winning.”
Stone was really happy to see Wolfe-Sabo’s first goal.
“I was telling him and his line, ‘You guys are going to get one, just keep working,’” Stone said. “He sure did and his linemate got another one, so it was cool for them.”
The Rockets’ remaining goals came from Croix Klint (11:15 first period), Ricky Wiggins (10:40 first period), Elii Cuti (4:50 first period), Jake Lee (8:42 second period) and Taylor (7:40 second period).
R-P's Jake Lee (22) tries to get around a defender. Photo/Tyler Lirones
Coach Langlois credited his squad for staying focused and playing hard until the end, which is sometimes tough to do with a big lead.
“The guys were going,” Langlois said. “We had a couple bad habits the last couple games and we cleaned all that up. We probably only took one minute off from play tonight. Usually, you get a little comfortable after you get a little bit of a lead. We just kept the foot on the gas and kept driving.”
