The Reeths-Puffer hockey team started getting its offense revved up in its final two games at the Grand Rapids Northview tournament over the weekend at Griff's Ice House in Hudsonville.
The highlight came on Saturday when the Rockets exploded for 58 shots and beat Fenton 7-0.
Reeths-Puffer took control with four goals in the first period, from Buckey Aney, Tyler Tindall, Eli Cuti, and a second goal from Aney.
Eli Cuti
Connor Anderson and Jaxon Stone scored in the second period while Tindall got his second goal in the third.
Ayden Hartzell had two assists while Aney, Cuti, Anderson, Dewey Modaff, Klint Croix and Connor Stawski each had one.
Huck VanDyke got the shutout in goal for the Rockets.
"It still wasn’t our best game, but we are definitely on the right track,” said R-P Coach Dustin Langlois. “Our guys are going into the uncomfortable areas and winning puck battles. And it’s not just a couple guys, it’s everyone. Even the lower minute players are stepping up. Their hard work may not end up on the scoresheet, but they deserve the same amount of credit.”
Jaxon Stone
On Friday the Rockets lost their second game in the tournament, 4-3 to Kalamazoo in a game that ended in an overtime shootout.
Kalamazoo took a 2-0 lead late in the second period, then Stawski put the Rockets on the board with a slapshot goal from the point. Assists went to Stone and Eli Cuti.
Reeths-Puffer tied the game 2-2 early in the third period on a goal by Anderson, assisted by Avery Freeland. Kalamazoo regained the lead, then Cuti scored, with assists from Stone and Tindall, to send the game into overtime at 3-3.
Conner Anderson
Each teams had six shots in the OT shootout, and Kalamazoo scored the only goal on its last attempt to win the game.
The Rockets lost despite having a massive 55-26 advantage in shots on goal.
"We ran into a hot goaltender,” Coach Langlois said. “We had a ton of chances with our 55 shots, we just struggled to get pucks past him. We finally started playing the way we wanted, pucks in their zone and us pressuring and griding pucks out of the corners.”
Reeths-Puffer is now 3-4 on the season.
