MUSKEGON TWP. - Kyler Brainard recently became Reeths-Puffer’s all-time single-season scoring leader for a reason – because he scores a lot of goals in bunches, just about every game.
When that happens, the Rockets usually win.
When he’s not scoring – which is very rare – victory becomes far more uncertain.
Brainard did not score in the first half of Thursday night’s Division 2 regional lacrosse tournament opener against Jenison, and R-P was left with a worrisome 4-4 tie at halftime.
But keeping Brainard off the scoresheet for an entire game is too much to expect from any opponent, and Jenison is no exception.
R-P's Carson Cooper (10) goes airborne to battle for the ball. Photo/Tyler Lirones
The senior exploded out of his mini slump with three straight goals in the third quarter, then another in the fourth, propelling the Rockets to an exciting 11-6 victory over the visiting Wildcats.
Brainard’s four goals put him at 61 for the season, far surpassing the old record of 51 set by Evan Moskwa in 2019.
Reeths-Puffer, now 12-4 on the season, moves on to play either powerful Forest Hills Northern or Coopersville (they play each other on Friday) in the regional semifinals a week from Friday.
“It’s tough,” said R-P Coach Josh Robidoux when asked how the offense functions when Brainard is not scoring. “We hit the post probably four times in the first quarter alone, and two of those shots were his.
“But he’s a leader of our team, guys look to him, and when he is hot other guys start making plays. Once he gets that first goal under his belt, it starts everything. It’s the spark that gets the offense going.”
R-P's Owen Greiner (12) races past a defender. Photo/Tyler Lirones
Thursday’s victory provided a degree of revenge for the Rockets, who came into the game with a chip on their collective shoulder.
Two weeks ago they were alone on top of the O-K Conference Tier 3 division standings and appeared primed to win the championship.
Then they lost a 13-12 heartbreaker to Jenison, the two teams finished tied for first place, and Jenison was awarded the championship based on a goals-allowed tiebreaker formula.
Now, after Thursday’s result, both teams have something to show for their efforts. Jenison has the conference trophy, but the Rockets are still alive in the state tournament while the Wildcats are done for the year.
"It feels sweet, it feels great,” Robidoux said about getting back at Jenison. “I feel we should have beaten this team throughout the season, but they are tenacious. I’ll give props to them for that. They know how to show up and how to fight. But we were confident, we knew what we were capable of, we had each other’s backs and we played really great.”
R-P's Ian Wright (right) uses his stick to slow a Jenison attacker. Photo/Tyler Lirones
Brainard was not the only offensive hero for Reeths-Puffer.
Sophomore Cohen Beck scored two goals in the first half, helping to keep the Rockets afloat when Brainard was not scoring.
He then scored the final two goals of the game in the fourth quarter, helping the Rockets nail down the victory after Jenison started to rally.
“Cohen scores key goals,” Robidoux said. “He played phenomenal. He scored when we really needed him to score tonight.”
Jenison opened the scoring in the first quarter, then the Rockets responded with goals by Beck and JT Fansler to take a 2-1 lead into the second quarter.
R-P"s Luke Callender (28) tries to get by a defender. Photo/Tyler Lirones
Both teams were bogged down by penalties in the second quarter, when Jenison had a 3-1 advantage and tied the score 4-4 by halftime.
R-P’s only goal of the quarter came from Beck.
The Rockets gave themselves a big boost midway through the second when multiple penalties were called on an R-P player at the same time, leaving them a man short for a full 2:30.
Reeths-Puffer managed to get through the shorthanded situation without giving up a goal, which was pretty amazing in a high-scoring game like lacrosse.
The contest turned in R-P’s favor in the critical third quarter. 
Carson Cooper (10) looks for a pass. Photo/Tyler Lirones
Luke Callender opened the scoring for the Rockets with 7:52 remaining, then Brainard exploded for three consecutive goals late in the quarter, and suddenly Reeths-Puffer led 8-4 heading into the fourth.
Jenison scored the first two goals of the fourth quarter to make the score 8-6, but Brainard added another goal and Beck scored twice more down the stretch to put the victory on ice.
“I missed a lot of shots I usually hit,” Brainard said. “I was getting in my head a little bit, but there was a lot of game left and I felt like we turned it around.
“We got our revenge tonight. We got the last laugh. But props to them, they were playing pretty good defense on me.”