MUSKEGON TWP. - They say you can throw the records out in rivalry games, and the Reeths-Puffer girls soccer team has demonstrated that twice this season against a strong Mona Shores squad.
Unfortunately the Rockets have come up just short of a victory both times.
R-P fell to the Sailors 2-1 earlier in the season, then gave it another brave attempt on Tuesday before falling 2-0 at home.
The Rockets clearly matched up well with Mona Shores, despite the difference in records and the way each team's season has been going.
R-P's Chloe Brainard kicks the ball past a Sailor. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Mona Shores improved to 9-3-2 overall and 4-2-1 in the O-K Green conference standings.
Reeths-Puffer fell to 3-11 overall and 2-5 in the conference.
R-P withstood an early attack from the Sailors without giving up a goal, then controlled play for much of the rest of the game.
The Rockets ended up outshooting the Sailors 9-8.
R-P's Maddilynn Dyer (2) breaks up a play with her foot. Photo/Jeremy Clark
R-P's undoing came in the final minutes of each half, however. Mona Shores' first goal came in the final minute of the first half, and its final goal came with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game.
That was a sign of some fatigue, according to R-P head coach Kody Harrell.
"The last 15 minutes have been our Achilles heel all season," said Harrell, whose team came into the game with two wins in its last three outings. "Look at the first game against Shores, and the games against Caledonia, Grand Haven and West Ottawa, all one-goal games we just could not close out. We work out tails off, but the lack of conditioning really affects the zip we have on our balls.'
R-P senior co-captain Reese Tryska said the Rockets are not done fighting, despite another disappointing loss.
R-P's Jaslynn Kops. Photo/Jeremy Clark
"We are right there with these good teams," she said. "We just have a little bit to correct, we have to get stronger, and attack stronger, especially late.
"We are focused on building for districts, we are trying new things and tonight proves we can do it. My message to my team is to keep playing, keep believing"
Mona Shores controlled the game in the opening minutes, putting up the first five shots on goal.
R-P weathered the storm, however, and started to control the ball more as the first half wore on.
Kops tries to work the ball past a defender. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Jaslynn Kops beat two Mona Shores defenders to get a breakaway in the first half, but her scoring effort was thwarted by Sailors keeper Abby Buikema.
The Sailors got on the scoreboard in the last minute of the first half when Ella Charland found the mark, and Mona Shores went to halftime with a 1-0 advantage.
The Rockets kept up the pressure for most of the second half, with an early shot by Kops hitting the crossbar of the Mona Shores goal and bouncing away.
But again they failed to score, and Mona Shores put the capper on the win with 9:23 left in the game with a goal by Ella Kinney.