MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP - There’s only so much even a great goalie can do against a powerful team like Mona Shores.
Reeths-Puffer keeper Ava Klopp played a tremendous game on Thursday, holding the Sailors to a single goal under heavy pressure in the first half.
She also stood tall near the end of the game, when the score was tied 1-1.
Klopp made a great save near the Rocket goal line with about six minutes left, preserving the tie. She came out of the goal two minutes later, barely beat two Sailor attackers to the ball, and kicked it away to avoid another dangerous situation.
R-P's Taeah Rensberger (11) races a Mona Shores player to the ball.
But Mona Shores finally found the mark with 1:38 remaining when Ava Freye got a shot past Klopp on the wide side of the net.
The Rockets couldn’t answer in the short time remaining and came away with a heartbreaking 2-1 loss against their biggest rival in a game with big conference championship implications.
Reeths-Puffer fell to 6-2-3 overall and 4-1-1 in the O-K Green conference standings. Mona Shores improved to 7-1-1 and 4-0-1.
“Ava has been amazing, and all four of our defenders played the full 80 minutes tonight,” said R-P Coach Kody Harrell. “They did so many good things tonight. Shores would have scored more than two goals, for sure, if they hadn’t done the things they did for us.
“You’ve got to score more than one goal to beat a team like Shores.”
R-P's Sophia Hekkema, right, works the ball toward the Mona Shores goal.
Mona Shores is now the only undefeated team in O-K Green play, while the Rockets have one loss. R-P has only one regular season conference game remaining – Tuesday at Holland – and can only hope the Sailors lose once to allow them a share of the regular season title.
Even if that doesn’t happen, the conference tournament is right around the corner, and everyone will start with a clean slate.
Harrell admitted it was very difficult to lose once again to a Mona Shores team that has dominated the Rockets for years.
“It is tough,” said the coach, who added that it’s been about eight years since R-P has beaten Mona Shores in girls soccer. “It’s the big rivalry game, a big game in the conference, and we were right there.”
But Harrell also looked at the bright side - the simple fact that his team has reached the point where it can give Mona Shores a great game that goes down to the wire.
R-P's Irelyn Niklasch, left, boots the ball toward the Sailor goal box.
“We’ll take some moral victories - at least it’s a step in the right direction,” the coach said. “We are doing things we have not done in a few years. We lost to Shores 5-0 last year.
“Who knows? In a few weeks we may end up being co-champs with our rival. We would still be champions.”
Mona Shores controlled the ball for the first and latter part of the first half and had a 5-3 edge in shots on goal, with numerous scoring opportunities.
The Sailors’ speedy Shay Norden opened the scoring just over five minutes into the game when she stripped the ball away from a Rocket in the R-P end, worked her way around several defenders and scored into an open net, after Klopp had come out to try and stop the play.
The Rockets failed to get any good scoring chances in the first half and were fortunate to only trail by one goal at halftime.
R-P Coach Kody Harrell, right, gestures while watching the intense action.
“We were always just one pass away,” Harrell said about the frustrating first half. “We had the ball in their end a lot, but never really had a clear scoring chance.”
The second half was a different story, with R-P outshooting the Sailors 4-3 and creating more good chances in the Sailor zone.
R-P’s Alyssa Herbert tied the game in dramatic fashion with a goal five minutes into the second half. The first two Rocket shots were blocked from close range before Herbert finally knocked in a rebound and tied the game 1-1.
“We adjusted to what they were giving us, but we were still stuck in moments playing a lot of defense and got tired legs,” Harrell said about the second half.
The score remained tied until the Sailors applied some late pressure and finally got the winning goal from Freye with 1:38 remaining.
Harrell credited several Reeths-Puffer defenders - Alyvia Ackerberg, Mallorie Messer, Chloe Brainard and Grace Goodell - for playing a strong game.
