Some media person from somewhere in Michigan published predictions for Saturday’s Division 1 state hockey quarterfinal games and said Reeths-Puffer would lose to Forest Hills Northern /Eastern.
That was despite the fact that the Rockets recently beat that team, in the last game of the regular season.
Instead of letting the media’s lack of respect get them down, the Rockets used it as a motivator. They printed out the prediction, put it up on the locker room wall, and became more determined to prove the so-called expert wrong.
Then they went out and did that in style, rallying from a pair of one-goal deficits to beat Forest Hills 7-3 at Ferris State University. Senior Jaxon Stone led the way with two goals.
The Rockets extended their winning streak to 12 straight games and earned a berth in the state Final Four.
The Rockets react to their state quarterfinal victory.
They will play in the Division 1 semifinals next Friday in Plymouth, Michigan against a team to be determined after a seeding meeting on Sunday. The opponent could very well be No. 1 ranked Detroit Catholic Central, but there’s no way to tell for sure until the seeds are determined.
The winner of Friday’s two semifinal games will meet in the state championship game in Plymouth next Saturday.
Obviously Detroit Catholic Central is very well regarded, but the Rockets have proven that they are not afraid of anyone, so highly-ranked opponents should probably be wary.
“We point out those (negative media predictions) and use them as fuel,” said R-P Coach Dustin Langlois. “They had us losing today, but people always doubt us and we always rise to the occasion. We like to put a foot in the mouths of any doubters we have.”
R-P's leading scorer Jaxon Stone, who had two more goals on Saturday.
The Rockets don’t let the doubters bother them, just like they don’t let deficits bother them.
They showed that in the first round of regionals, when they overcame a two-goal deficit late in the game, forced overtime and beat Rockford. Then they did it again on Saturday, when Forest Hills pulled ahead twice in the first period and led 2-1 headed into the second.
The Rockets were not concerned. They outscored their opponents 3-0 in the middle period and cruised to a surprisingly easy victory.
“We’ve been doing it all year – we’re just used to it,” Stone said. "It’s never a situation we want to be in, but we always find ourselves winning in the end. Nothing is going to bring us down. We are never out of it. That’s just our mindset.”
Coach Langlois thinks the comeback victory over Rockford in regionals, when the Rockets scored two tying goals in the final two minutes in a desperate situation, gave his team a lot of extra confidence.
R-P's Buckey Aney battles along the boards. Photo/Joe Lane
“Once you win a game like that, you ride high,” the coach said. “These guys are just comfortable in their own skin and are buying into everything we preach.”
The first period did not go particularly well for the Rockets.
Forest Hllls took a 1-0 lead before R-P’s Hayden Taylor scored to make it 1-1.
Forest Hills scored again before the end of the period and led 2-1 heading into the second.
Reeths-Puffer turned up its offensive attack in the second period, getting unanswered goals from Tyler Tindall, Jaxon Stone and Tyler Cuti and led 4-2 heading into the third.
R-P's Avery Freeland gets ready to pass the puck. Photo/Joe Lane
R-P’s Aiden Hartzell’s third period goal made it 5-2, Stone scored again, then Forest Hills answered with a goal to pull within three.
The Rockets finished off the scoring with a goal by Cole VanDyke.
Huck VanDyke got the victory in net for Reeths-Puffer, which improved to 20-7 on the season.
“We have no doubt we will be in the (state) final,” Langlois said. “The way we are playing right now, we can compete with anyone. We are ready to go out there and win another trophy.”
