NORTON SHORES - The Reeths-Puffer girls soccer team has played a very difficult schedule to start its 2024 season.
Although the Rockets dropped their first three games, they showed a lot of fight, especially for a team with eight new starters.
That determination translated into a positive result on Tuesday night when the Rockets scored a late goal to earn a 1-1 draw on the road against rival Mona Shores.
The Rockets celebrate Alyssa Herbert's goal. Photo/Mitchell Boatman
Reeths-Puffer’s Alyssa Herbert found the back of the net on a rebound with 1:07 to play to knot the score and help the Rockets get out of the losing column for the first time this season.
“I’m just really proud of the girls’ resilience,” said R-P Coach Kody Harrell. “We have played really good teams. At the high school level you do that to challenge your girls, hoping you’re not killing confidence. I’m really proud, for how young the team is, that they didn’t let that kill their confidence.”
Despite not scoring until the final 67 seconds of the game, R-P had several scoring chances that narrowly missed.
A pair of Rocket shots caromed off the crossbar, while another went just wide of the net. Additionally, a Rocket goal was waived off for offsides around the midway point of the first half.
Gracie Callender looks for an open teammate on a throw-in. Photo/Mitchell Boatman
Harrell said the scoring chances are a sign of increased confidence for the largely inexperienced Rockets.
“Shores is a great team with a very good back line, but we’ve already played some really good back lines,” he said. “So now our girls are realizing we can score against good teams, against strong back lines.
“It’s not just one, it’s not just two, it’s four, five or six girls in those attacking positions that are ready for their names to start getting in the box score. The opportunities are coming and they’re coming in bunches for different girls.”
Irelyn Niklasch and Coach Kody Harrell watch the action. Photo/Mitchell Boatman
Tuesday’s game was the O-K Green conference opener for teams. Overall Reeths-Puffer now sits at 0-3-1 on the season while Mona Shores is 3-1-1.
Both teams went scoreless in the first half, which featured the disallowed goal for the Rockets. Mona Shores finally got the real scoring started with 31:01 left in the second half on a goal by Ava Freye on a breakaway.
That lead held for 30 minutes, but R-P evened the score when Herbert crashed in and redirected a blocked shot into the net.
Sophomore Sara Carlson and senior Brenna Ackerman shared goaltending duties for the Rockets, with Carlson playing the first half and Ackerman the second. Harrell said both have been strong in practice recently and played well on Tuesday.
Grace Goodell keeps the ball in play along the sideline. Photo/Mitchell Boatman
Carlson made eight saves and Ackerman had four.
“They’ve both done really well in the last couple weeks,” he said. “The strategy there is really just to reward both girls in a big game and show them, in a game like this, that we’re willing to play both of them. I think that will be something we do going forward, to reward them for their efforts and build confidence in both of them.”
The Rockets will next take the field on Thursday against Holland at home. 
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