MUSKEGON TWP. - The Reeths-Puffer hockey team got a taste of competition at the highest level last season, and while the outcome was not in the Rockets’ favor, the experience whetted their appetite to go back for more.
R-P ran a hot streak all the way to the Division 1 state semifinals last season before it ran into superpower Detroit Catholic Central and lost 8-0.
The Rockets believe they have more than enough weapons back this year to have another great season, and make another long run in the state tournament.
They are even more optimistic because they will be competing in Division 2 instead of Division 1, where the competition will still be stiff, but probably not quite as tough as Division 1.
R-P's Tyler Tindall (7)
Second-year head coach Dustin Langlois is very confident in his team, and doesn’t mind setting very high goals for the Rockets., who will open the new season on Tuesday with a road game against Grand Rapids Christian.
“You look around the locker room and see the talent, and the grins on their faces, and you know they are ready to go,” Langlois said. “They know what they are capable of. We are a state championship-caliber team. As long as we put in the work and grind it out every day, we should be just fine.”
R-P’s season was certainly exciting last year, particularly after a slugging start that didn’t indicate they were any sort of candidate to make the state Final Four.
They started out 2-4, began to pull it together by winning six of the next nine games, then posted an impressive 12-game winning streak that took them all the way to the state semis.
R-P's Eli Cuti
Langlois said the early struggles had to do with the players adjusting to his style as he settled in as the new head coach.
“I told (R-P Athletic Director Cliff Sandee) not to judge us until January last year,” he said. “It was all about implementing our system and doing things our way. We knew it was not going to come right away. We had some growing pains, we learned from them, figured out what we were doing wrong and made adjustments.”
The highlight of the long winning streak was a thrilling 4-3 comeback win over Rockford in regionals. R-P trailed 3-1 with less than two minutes remaining in regulation, then collected miracle goals from Eli Cuti and Jaxon Stone to force overtime, then won the game with a goal by Avery Freeland in the second OT period.
The Rockets went on to beat Sparta 6-2 to win a regional championship, then beat Forest Hills 7-3 in the state quarterfinals before falling to Detroit Catholic.
“We obviously saw what the pinnacle was like last year and what you have to do to get there,” Langlois said. “Now we will move to Division 2 and face some different competition this year.
R-P's Connor Anderson
“The trophy (in Division 2) looks the same. It’s all about who you face in the playoff run. We will still have a few good teams from private schools to battle through.
“We’re going after the big dogs this year. I want other teams to have a big red X on their schedules when they see us coming. Let’s go. Bring it.”
The Rockets lost eight seniors from last year's team to graduation, including some very good ones, including Stone, who was the leading scorer.
But they also have a lot of great players coming back, including senior forward Tyler Tindall, who was fourth on the team in scoring last season with 17 goals and 14 assists.
“You can’t knock that kid’s talent,” Coach Langlois said about Tindall. “He’s going to give you consistent minutes and consistent goals. He’s the ultimate competitor, and he has the vision and makes the plays.”
R-P's Buckey Aney (12)
Also back is junior forward Eli Cuti, a talented playmaker who totaled seven goals and a team-high 34 assists last year.
“He has the best hockey IQ on the team,” Langlois said about Eli Cuti. “That guy can see through walls and read a play.”
Cuti's brother Tyler Cuti also returns after recording 9 goals and 9 assists last season. Providing even more depth will be forward Buckey Aney, who had 6 goals and 6 assists.
Langlois is expecting breakout years from two forwards – senior Ayden Hartzell (7 goals, 8 assists last season) and sophomore Hayden Taylor (3 goals, 6 assists as a freshman).
The coach said Hartzell was a good player last year who simply had too many penalties.
R-P's Ayden Hartzell, with the puck.
“If he can stay out of the penalty box he can replace a lot of the points we got from Jaxon Stone last year,” Langlois said.
The back line will be anchored by four strong defensemen – senior Gavin Pastotnik, junior Connor Anderson (7 goals and 13 assists last year), junior Kaeden Benner and senior Hunter Fritz.
Benner and Anderson will be team captains this year, along with Tindall and Eli Cuti.
Fritz is an interesting story, cracking the lineup as a senior after failing to make the team as a junior.
“He put in the work in the offseason, and we knew we had to have him as soon as we saw him this year,” Langlois said. “He has a great shot from the point and great footwork. He will be in the top four (defensemen).”
The Rockets talk strategy during a game last season.
Goaltending is expected to be a major strength for the Rockets with the return of junior Huck VanDyke, who started last season sharing the duties between the pipes, but ended up being the starter and putting up great stats.
VanDyke finished with a 12-2-1 record, stopped 304 of the 336 shots he faced, and posted a great 1.98 goals against average.
“That kid played lights out in the state tournament,” Langlois said. “If it weren’t for all of his saves against Detroit Catholic Central, we would have lost 38-0. He has thinned down and put on some muscle. He wants to play at a higher level and he’s putting in the work to do it.
"He is going to be one of the top goalies in the state this year, guaranteed.”
