Reeths-Puffer hockey battles Mona Shores to tie in high-intensity game

MUSKEGON — In front of a big and loud crowd Saturday at Trinity Health Arena, Reeths-Puffer and Mona Shores played a high-intensity game that ended in a 5-5 tie.

It was a Sailor home game, and their home arena is Lakeshore Sports Center, but the game was moved to R-P's home arena to accommodate the crowds.

The final period featured five goals, two lead changes and three tying scores, but the biggest play of the game was a save; goaltender Huck VanDyke turned back a penalty shot by Shores' Eli Habetler in the final minutes of regulation to preserve the tie.

It was sweet redemption for VanDyke, who earlier in the period gave up an unexpected goal on a long shot from the blue line by Cullen Conrad to tie the game 4-4.

"Huck is always lights out," R-P coach Dustin Langlois said. "One bad goal here, but as soon as that went in, he knew that was on him, and he knew that we had his back. We knew that we were going to get another one. We weren't panicking at all. We knew that they were going to come our way and we just had to keep doing our job. "

True to their word, the Rockets (5-2-1) did get another one with 2:20 to go, tying the score again after the Sailors took the lead just over a minute prior. Jordan Benkert put in the tying score. That preceded VanDyke's dramatic penalty shot save; the Sailors were awarded the penalty shot after officials ruled a Rocket defender inhibited a breakaway.

VanDyke's save was just the last piece in a very impressive overall performance by the Rockets' penalty-kill unit, which did not allow any goals despite seven Shores power plays.

"When you take as many penalties as we have in the past year and a half, you've got to tighten that up," Langlois said, noting that excessive penalties were a problem for the team last season. "We put in a new system last year...and we changed it up a little bit this year. This year, not being as aggressive, clogging up the middle more, has definitely been helping keep pucks out of the net."

Part of the reason for all the penalties could've been the emotionally charged physicality of the game, not unexpected given the rivalry.

"Most of these guys had never played in front of a crowd like that, so they're gripping their sticks a little bit harder and not really going with the flow of the game," Langlois said. "They're always a tough team, but it's that crosstown rivalry. It doesn't matter how good each team is, each team is going to show up to play each other 100 percent."

Rocket star Ayden Hartzell was injured in the second period on a hit the R-P bench deemed excessive, which likely did nothing to douse the emotion. Luckily, after having to be helped from the ice, Hartzell did return to play in the third period.

The Rockets responded well to the play, scoring a goal within a minute of it to take a 2-1 lead, with Eli Cuti credited for the score.

"That's the big thing with our boys. As soon as he went down, they were like, 'This one's for you, Hartz. We're going to get it back for you,' and they did," Langlois said. "This team's coming around, and to see them have each other's backs like that, and then retaliate in a way that put the puck back in the net, (was great). Retaliation, going out and headhunting and all that, that's not going to get us anywhere. We would have been long gone if we didn't have good composure."

While the game was the second straight one the Rockets did not win after a tough loss to Kenowa Hills in which R-P outshot the Knights by a huge margin, Langlois is not concerned about a negative trend. The Rockets now get a break before facing Caledonia Jan. 3.

"There's a lot of things that we did right," Langlois said. "I think it was a good week. Sometimes a loss and then a tie gives you a little kick in the butt. We'll use this as fuel. We had a loss and a tie doing the right things. It is what it is. Hopefully we can use this as momentum and fuel to go ahead and push us over that little hump."

R-P had five different players score in the game - Hartzell, Benkert, Cuti, Hayden Taylor and Sheldon Frederick. Hartzell and Cuti each had an assist as well, and Tyler Cuti and Hunter Fritz had two assists each. VanDyke made 23 saves.