MUSKEGON TWP. - The Reeths-Puffer lacrosse team’s offense is starting to come around.
Now if the Rockets could find a way to slow other teams down, more victories could be on the way.
R-P scored nine goals on Thursday night – its second highest total of the season – but still fell well short in a 19-9 loss to Grand Rapids Christian at Rocket Stadium.
The Rockets are now 2-6 overall on the season and 2-4 in O-K Rainbow Tier 3 conference play.
R-P's Cohen Beck (2) unleashes a shot. Photo/Nick Fuller
The positive news for the Rockets has to do with the offense, which has started to put more consistent pressure on opposing goalies over the past few games.
The top stars on Thursday were sophomore Garrison Niklasch and senior Cohen Beck, who both scored three-goal hat tricks.
R-P head coach Josh Robidoux had high praise for Niklasch, who missed all of his freshmen season due to an injury last year.
He said the sophomore created a lot of offense for the Rockets on Thursday by winning faceoffs, and showed what he can do when he had chances to score.
“Niklasch had a phenomenal game,” Robidoux said. “He’s not somebody who is afraid to take it to the net, and now he’s figuring out when to take those opportunities.”
R-P's Rohan Moyer (15) moves the ball up the field. Photo/Nick Fuller
Robidoux is also encouraged that Beck – who holds the R-P team record with nine goals in one game last season – is starting to score a lot again after a slower start this spring.
Beck has scored six goals this week, including three on Tuesday in a loss to Holland Christian.
“I think other teams know he is a guy who can score, and they had his read, but he’s been doing a great job the last few games of going to his off hand and scoring,” the coach said. “It also makes it easier for him when teammates are finding their dodge. That takes opponents’ eyes off from him for a moment, and he can find his shooting space.”
Unfortunately the R-P offense never had a chance to keep up with GR Christian on Thursday, because the visitors were able to score early and often throughout the contest.
Beck and Blake Kiel (3) celebrate a goal. Photo/Nick Fuller
Bad first quarters have been a problem for the Rockets all season, and that was the case again on Thursday, when the Eagles grabbed a quick 5-1 lead.
Niklasch scored R-P’s only goal in the first 12 minutes.
“Five goals in the first quarter again,” Robidoux said. “That's just too much to come back from that early, with where our offense is right now. There were just a lot of mistakes on defense.”
The R-P offense came alive in the second quarter and made a game of it for a while.
Niklasch scored less than two minutes into the quarter, and Blake Kiel found the net less than a minute later, and suddenly the score was 5-3.
R-P's Hunter Adams (6), who scored a goal in the game. Photo/Nick Fuller
The Eagles followed with a goal, then Beck scored his first of the night with 5:22 left in the half, making the score 6-4.
GR Christian scored the last three goals of quarter, however, and led 9-4 at halftime.
The Eagles took control by scoring four of the first five goals in the third quarter and led 13-5 with about 8 ½ minutes remaining. Overall GR Christian had a 6-4 goal advantage in the third and led 15-8 headed into the fourth.
Hunter Adams and Kiel scored the first two R-P goals in the third quarter, then Beck scored the last two.
The visitors had a 4-1 edge in the fourth quarter. Niklasch scored the Rockets’ only goal.
R-P Coach Josh Robidoux instructs the team. Photo/Nick Fuller
“That’s where teams have been getting us – we will score one or two in a row and they will score three or four,” Robidoux said. “It adds up quick. It really deflates our offense, and they end up making mistakes.”
Robidoux said the R-P defenders are good athletes who have shown improvement, but their mental game is still a work in progress.
“They are overpursuing their matchups and not analyzing opposing players’ tendencies,” the coach said. “There are a few guys who don’t have that lacrosse IQ yet. We have very athletic players back there, but they have to figure that out.”
The Rockets will return to action on Tuesday when they host Jenison.