Reeths-Puffer girls soccer coach Kody Harrell has been saying all season how his players never quit, no matter how tough things became at times.
And things were definitely tough in the closing seconds of Tuesday's Division 2 district semifinals, when the Rockets were losing by four goals and were about to be shut out by Spring Lake.
But the team kept playing hard, the referee gave the Rockets a penalty shot with one second left on the clock, and Jaslynn Kops buried it, giving R-P one more goal to end the season.
It made no difference in the end, of course, because the Rockets lost 4-1 to the Lakers, the defending state champions, and ended the season with a 7-13 record.
R-P goalie Sara Carlson dives to make a save. Photo/John Willoughby
But Coach Harrell said it just showed what he has been saying all along - his girls do not give up.
"I think it was just a nice testament to the girls playing all the way to the end," Harrell said. "Jas had a lot of good moments in the game, so it was nice to see her rewarded with that goal. I was just happy we could get that shot off."
Spring Lake jumped in the lead in the opening minutes on a fluke goal, when an R-P defender tried to clear the ball and it hit the shin of a Laker and went into the net.
"Just an extremely unlucky, super sloppy goal," Harrell said.
R-P's Jaslynn Kops leads the charge down the field. Photo/John Willoughby
The Lakers scored once more in the first half to take a 2-0 lead. then added two more in the second half to earn a berth in Friday's district championship game.
The Lakers had a 14-7 advantage in shots on goal.
The loss ended what had been a very nice resurgence by the Rockets in the final weeks of the season.
They started out with an 0-7 record, and were 1-9 after their first 10 games.
There was a lot of bad luck involved, with the Rockets losing six of their first 10 games by only one goal.
R-P's Ella Siembida handles the ball as a defender approaches. Photo/John Willoughby
That sort of thing can be enough to ruin a team's confidence, but Harrell's players just kept showing up ready to battle in the next game.
That approach paid off in the end, when the Rockets posted a very nice 6-3 record in the nine games prior to Tuesday's loss.
That included four straight wins headed into the Spring Lake game, including a 3-1 victory over Coopersville in the first round of the district tournament.
"I think, in addition to a formation change and a couple position changes, that the girls showed a lot of growth and really battled," Harrell said. "It's just a really good group of kids who never got down with the losses or lack of success. They always kept their heads and chins up, and that obviously paid dividends toward the end of the year."
R-P's Wren Tryska brings the ball up the sideline. Photo/John Willoughby
Harrell thinks the late-season success will carry over to next season, when 14 of 21 players are eligible to return, including many of the better players on the team.
"I think that confidence and excitement could really carry us into an exciting season next year," the coach said. "Mallorie Messer, Ashley Bradley and Abby Hill have been on varsity since their freshmen year, and will be fourth year. Jaslynn Kops and Ash David just finished their sophomore year.
"We have a lot of good talent coming back, for sure. We have seven of our top 10 players coming back."
Even if next year produces a lot more wins, however, Harrell said he will always remember the 2025 squad for its tough mental approach to the season.
"I am just really proud of how they battled with the intense schedule and quick turnarounds between games." Harrell said. "They were really coachable. They taught me something every week.
"They gave me a new passion and love for the game. I love the sport as a coach now more than I ever did as a player. They really made it fun."