MUSKEGON — A long scoring drought cost Reeths-Puffer a chance to take complete control of the O-K Tier 3 Conference race last Thursday night, and the Rockets lost a 13-12 heartbreaker to Jenison.
The defeat ended a nine-game win streak for R-P and knocked the Rockets into a first-place tie in the league with Jenison. The Rockets previously beat the Wildcats on the road.
Jenison ripped off a 10-0 run over a nearly two-quarter span as R-P was unable to get many scoring threats.
“It wasn’t even so much the offense, it was just getting from defense to offense,” R-P coach Josh Robidoux said. “What’s frustrating tonight is that they were making some mistakes that we knew they shouldn’t have made.”
The Rockets’ offensive struggles, Robidoux said, were as frustrating as in any game this season, not least because of the stakes of the game.
However, Kyler Brainard finally ended the R-P drought in the final minute of the third quarter. The goal was the 100th of his varsity career, an impressive milestone for a player who’s been around the program for many years.
“He’s a great player, comes from a great family that has invested a lot into this lacrosse program,” Robidoux said. “He’s a kid that’s worked hard for years now. He’s been on varsity since he was a freshman. He got to play with his brother (Caden). He was always a pass-first player. He’s unselfish.”
The goal sparked the Rockets, who’ve displayed a knack for comebacks this year, to storm back into the game. R-P went on an 8-1 run starting with Brainard’s goal, with Cooper, Cohen Beck and Brooks Johnson contributing.
R-P twice got within a goal, but the Wildcats were able to hang on. At one point the Rockets appeared to be on the verge of a tying goal, but Jenison was able to knock the ball loose and prevent a clear shot.
“They don’t care that they’re down by eight goals, because they find ways to make it close somehow,” Robidoux said of his team. “That’s an admirable trait for a team, but that admirable trait isn’t going to keep us playing at the end of the year. We’ve got to find a way to convert it, too, and get those wins every time.”
