MUSKEGON - That old penalty problem is haunting the Reeths-Puffer hockey team again.
And it couldn’t have returned on a worse night, when the Rockets were facing rival Mona Shores in a big local bragging rights game at Trinity Health Arena.
R-P was called for a lot of penalties early in the season, and too much time in the box cost them a number of games they probably could have won. The issue seemed to be under control in recent weeks as the penalties declined and the victories increased.
Then came Wednesday’s game, when Reeths-Puffer was whistled for six penalties – including one very poorly timed five-minute major – and gave up four power play goals. In the end it all resulted in a painful 6-3 loss in front of a big crowd in downtown Muskegon.
Tyler Tindall (7), who scored R-P's first goal. Photo/Tyler Lirones
“It definitely keeps rearing its head,” said R-P Coach Dustin Langlois about the penalties. “I think it’s finally settling into these kids that we are shooting ourselves in the foot. In order to be successful we’re going to have to eliminate those penalties and just flat out work harder.
" We have a really talented team, but sometimes we lean more on talent than work ethic. That will have to be reversed for us to have success.”
The game was a struggle from the beginning for the Rockets, who fell behind 3-0 after the first period.
The Sailors collected their first power play goal from Zach Liebrandt with just under eight minutes remaining in the first to take a 1-0 lead.
R-P's Eli Cuti celebrates his goal. Photo/Tyler Lirones
They got another power play goal from Eli Habetler with 1:51 left in the first, then finished the period with an even-handed goal by Ethan Ring.
The troubles continued just a minute and a half into the second period when Mona Shores extended its lead to 4-0 on a goal by Quinn Addicott.
R-P rediscovered its game at that point and started peppering the Mona Shores goal with shots. The Rockets finally broke through with a goal by Tyler Tindall with 7:40 remaining in the second period, then made it 4-2 with a goal by Eli Cuti just over a minute later.
Then the penalty curse resurfaced again, at the worst possible time. An R-P player was called for checking from behind, a five-minute major, and suddenly the Rockets lost their momentum while they tried in vain to kill off an extra-long Mona Shores power play.
R-P's Ayden Hartzell (16) moves the puck up the ice. Photo/Tyler Lirones
The Sailors cashed in with just under two minutes left in the power play when Ring scored his second goal of the game. Mona Shores led 5-2 headed into the final period.
Jaxon Stone scored for R-P in the third period, making in a 5-3 game, but then the Sailors finished things off with yet another power play goal from Habetler.
“We told the guys before the game, we want you to be aggressive without being reckless,” Coach Langlois said when asked about the five-minute major penalty. “It was one of those plays where you want to make a big hit, then the guy turns his back and it bites you in the butt. Nobody felt worse than our guy who got the penalty.
“We were finally getting some momentum, moving the puck around and finding open areas, but then we backed ourselves into the same corner again.”
R-P's Avery Freeland (5) looks for a pass. Photo/Tyler Lirones
The Rockets went into the game hoping to settle a lot of old scores with the Sailors, who have been the most successful high school hockey team in the area in recent years. They thought they had a good chance, with Mona Shores riding a four-game losing streak, but poor play at key moments cost them their opportunity.
“Everybody in our room knows we could have won,” Langlois said. “But it’s one of those things. I think we have the more talented team, but hard work outweighs talent. I think this loss is going to stick with a lot of these guys. It won’t be taken lightly. It’s going to leave a black eye and it’s not going to go away. Hopefully we will use it as fuel.
“There’s a chance we could play them again in regionals. After the game I told the boys, we need to prepare for when and if we do.”
