ALLENDALE – Last year the Reeths-Puffer boys soccer team waited until the conference tournament to play its best games of the season.
This year the Rockets think they’re hitting their peak just as the state tournament begins, and they supported that theory with an impressive 3-0 victory over Allendale on Thursday in the opening round of Division 2 districts.
“It means everything,” said R-P junior Liam Smith, who scored two goals in the victory. “It’s a great start to the postseason. I’m excited for the seniors.”
R-P's Liam Smith, who scored two goals, heads up the field with the ball.
Reeths-Puffer head coach Kody Harrell believes his Rockets are finding their stride at the right time.
“It feels really good,” he said. “One of the things we talked about is that winning is contagious. Losing can be contagious too. We play a really tough schedule, so we want to challenge our guys to play good soccer in mid-October, and that’s the biggest thing for us. Over the last two weeks it’s kind of shifted in our favor.”
Reeths-Puffer now advances to the Division 2 district semifinals at Coopersville on Monday to play Ludington at 5 p.m.
The Rockets didn’t waste much time on Thursday showing just what they’re capable of.
Just 4:08 into the game, sophomore Nick Clemens found the back of the net to give R-P a 1-0 lead.
R-P's Liam McHugh throws the ball inbounds.
Smith scored his first goal of the night with 18:01 left in the first half to extend the Rocket lead to 2-0, which held up until halftime.
Reeths-Puffer had a 6-1 advantage in shots on goal in the opening 40 minutes.
Smith ripped a free kick just 5:13 into the second half that found the right corner of the net, making the score 3-0.
“It felt good,” Smith said about the free kick goal. “It relieved some pressure. A two-goal lead is always the hardest lead. It was nice to get that. I saw the goalie go completely to the other side and stuck with it.”
The teams went scoreless the rest of the game and Reeths-Puffer finished with a 9-2 advantage in shots.
Reeths-Puffer's JT Fansler (4) moves the ball out of the Rockets' zone.
R-P goalie Gage Hopkins posted the shutout.
“We had a lot of scary moments,” Harrell said about the game, which was played in wet and cold conditions. “It’s a credit to Allendale. They have a lot of speed and some really tenacious guys. But hats off to my guys. They cut off angles and stayed disciplined. It’s probably one of the most impressive clean sheets we’ve had in my time as a coach.”
In their semifinal game on Monday, Reeths-Puffer will face a very good Ludington team that comes in with a record of 18-1-1. The Rockets beat the Orioles last year in districts and Ludington is sure to be out for revenge.
“Kris (Anderson) is a really good coach,” said Harrell about what he expects out of the Orioles on Monday. “I have a lot of respect for him. I know they’ll come after us. They’re really good at give-and-gos. They’re really good at moving after their passes.”