There are lots of high school hockey teams in Michigan that would love to have Reeths-Puffer’s goalie problem.
Finding one great goalie is hard enough, and the Rockets just happen to have two.
On any given night, R-P coach Ryan Martin can start senior Tanner Bonjernoor or junior Isaiah Van Noord and know the job will be done very well.
Both are third-year varsity goalies with the experience, skill and confidence to keep the Rockets in just about any game – and sometimes they dominate the game.
Van Noord, who has been on the varsity squad since his freshman year, currently has a 4-1 record with a very nice 3.10 goals against average and one shutout. He has stopped 230 of 250 shots on goal this season.
R-P senior goalie Tanner Bonjernoor
Bonjernoor, a team co-captain who played travel hockey prior to joining the R-P varsity as a sophomore, has a 3-3 record with a 3.00 goals against average. He has stopped 141 of 154 shots on goal.
“They’ve both played very well and have both made some very big saves,” Coach Martin said. “It gives the boys on the team a lot of confidence, knowing that if they make an error, there are two guys back there who can bail them out. That allows them to play freer and less uptight.”
The two goalies have very different styles, but they both play extremely well in their own unique way, according to Martin.
“I believe Tanner operates more on his competitiveness,” the coach said. “When there is a mad scramble in front of the net, he’s going to battle and dig and find a way to make a save. Isaiah relies more on his technical skills. Tanner might not look as pretty out there at times, and Isaiah may look more technically sound, but they are both at the top of their games and they’re both very capable.”
R-P goalie Isaiah Van Noord
So how can having that type of depth at such an important position possibly be a problem, you might ask.
It’s simple. Great goalies want to play every game, and when there are two, one is always going to feel a bit shortchanged.
Coach Martin has handled the situation this season with a simple rule – if the Rockets win, the goalie who played in that victory will usually get to play the next game, as well.
That can create some mixed feelings for both Bonjernoor and Van Noord, because they obviously want their team to win, but they also want to get in the games.
The good news is that the competition has forced Bonjernoor and Van Noord to mature, become better teammates and work together as a goaltending tandem.
“It’s been kind of tough for both of us,” Van Noord said. “We’re on the same team and working for the same goal, but we both want to be playing every game. But once we get to the higher levels of hockey it’s going to be like this, anyway, so it’s been kind of like a stepping-stone. We have already been through it, and we know how to work together.”
Bonjernoor (29) gets ready for a faceoff against Grand Haven. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“We’ve really learned to support each other in games,” Bonjernoor said. “We both know that at practice we’re competing for the same spot, but it’s a healthy battle for both of us. At the end of the day, when Isaiah is playing I want him to be at his best, because I want to win – but I also want to play.”
While spending some games on the bench has been hard on both goalies, they both understand that the situation has been a blessing in disguise.
They know the intense competition they have with each other has been very healthy, for them and the team. Part of the reason they are both great goalies is that they’ve been constantly challenging and pushing each other for the past three seasons.
If it weren’t for that competition, R-P might have zero great goalies instead of two.
“When you have two kids chasing the same spot, you are pushing each other and pushing yourself,” Bonjernoor said.
Van Noord makes a save against Kenowa Hills. Photo/Joe Lane
“Ever since that first season, we’ve both worked really hard on getting better and it keeps happening,” Van Noord added.
The other thing that makes the situation easier is the winning, which is a new and exciting experience for all the Rockets this season.
Last year Reeths-Puffer struggled to a 6-18-1 record and both Van Noord and Bonjernoor had to face a constant blizzard of shots on goal.
This year the team is a lot better, with an 8-4 overall record and a 2-2 mark in conference play heading into Wednesday’s matchup against Caledonia at Muskegon’s Trinity Health Arena.
The Rockets have a roster comprised of veteran players who continue to mature and improve, an infusion of good players from other schools who compete for R-P under a co-op agreement, and some young first-year guys who have really made a difference.
Van Noord gets ready to make a stop earlier this season. Photo/Joe Lane
“With more new people, I think there’s more energy and drive than in past years,” Van Noord said.
“The talent and the effort is more spread out on the team,” Bonjernoor said. “I think a lot of the comeback victories we’ve had have really brought up our team morale.”
Having a better team in front of them also makes life easier on the goalies. They know they can have a bad moment or two, give up a few goals and the team can still pull out a win.
“We’re not as nervous or worried about what will happen if we give up a goal,” Bonjernoor said. “We have a team that will put us back on our feet.”
“It’s very nice to have people who can score,” Van Noord added. “If one or two go in, we have people who can get that back for us.”
On the flip side, both goalies say the difficult 2021-22 season, when they faced a ton of shots and a great deal of pressure, was very good for their development.
“There were lots of games where we both faced plenty of shots,” Van Noord said. “You never know what your potential might be if you are never forced to play your best. Those games allowed us to show what we are really made of.”
