MUSKEGON TWP. - The Reeths-Puffer soccer team was not just dreaming in late August, when it stunned a lot of people by playing traditional power Byron Center to a 1-1 tie on the road.
The Rockets did the same thing in an intense rematch on Tuesday night, playing the Bulldogs to another 1-1 draw – until the fatal final minutes of the game, that is.
R-P gave up two goals in the final nine minutes and fell 3-1 to Byron Center in a big O-K Green conference game at R-P’s Eric Marcil Field.
The trouble for the Rockets was that they gave Byron Center too many great offensive opportunities, and didn’t generate enough of their own.
R-P's Evan McHugh tries to steal the ball. Photo/Daniel Dunn
R-P was outshot 12-3 in the game, and that’s rarely a recipe for success against a high-quality opponent.
“I think Byron Center did a good job with our counter-attacks,” said R-P head coach Kody Harrell. “Whenever we won the ball at midfield, they were right there.
“It’s true that defense wins championships, but we have to score more than one goal in a game. Our attacking players really have to take some responsibility to generate more chances, because our back line has been doing a ton of work.”
The good news is that the loss did not knock the Rockets out of the O-K Green championship race - but it certainly didn’t help their cause, either.
R-P's Landon Damm in a header battle with an opponent. Photo/Daniel Dunn
R-P is now 4-2-1 in conference play, which puts them in a tie with Byron Center for second place. First place Caledonia is now 5-1-1 after tying Mona Shores on Tuesday.
The Rockets have three O-K Green games remaining, starting on Thursday at Mona Shores, in the annual Causeway Cup rivalry contest. R-P beat the Sailors in a 1-0 cliffhanger earlier this season.
The game could prove to be a must-win if the Rockets hope to remain in the race for at least a share of the conference crown..
“I am not going to say we’re out of this,” Harrell said. “I told the team tonight, let’s really focus on the conference now, and there’s no better place to start than the Causeway Cup game on Thursday. We don’t control our own destiny, but we’re still in the thick of it.”
R-P's Kam David goes for the ball. Photo/Daniel Dunn
Byron Center set the offensive tempo for most of the first half on Tuesday, outshooting the Rockets 5-1.
The Bulldogs scored the only goal of the first half with 22:16 remaining, when Noah Schueler took a pass in front of the net and trickled it past R-P goalie Evan McCollum.
The Rockets pulled even about 10 minutes into the second half, when senior London Carpenter took a nice pass from Evan McHugh and blasted a high, hard shot from just outside the box into the net.
R-P’s Jax Sieplinga started the scoring play by stealing the ball and getting it to McHugh.
McHugh gets pulled to the ground by an opponent. Photo/Daniel Dunn
McCollum did a great job before and after the R-P goal, making a pair of amazing diving saves to keep the Bulldogs from scoring again.
Byron Center finally broke through, however.
The Bulldogs reclaimed the lead with just under nine minutes left when Kaden King broke in alone on the R-P goal and bounced a shot off the post and into the net.
The visitors put the win on ice when Ricky Anelli scored with a long shot from a very tough angle, far to the left of the Reeths-Puffer goal.
