R-P Athletics
The red-hot Reeths-Puffer hockey team extended its winning streak to four straight games with a convincing 5-1 victory over the FHN Griffins on Friday on the opening day of the Stan Konrad Memorial Showcase at Lakeshore Ice Centre.
Jaxon Stone had a big game for the Rockets with two goals and two assists while Eli Cuti added two goals and one assist.
Tyler Tindall scored once for the Rockets and added three assists. Connor Stawski and Isaiah Winters each chipped in two assists while goalie Isaiah Van Noord continued his winning play, stopping 41 shots.
Reeths-Puffer, which has now won seven of its last eight games, will play Midland on Saturday on the second day of the Konrad event.
Tindall scored a first-period goal for R-P and the contest was tied 1-1 heading into the second.
Cuti scored on a breakaway on a long pass from Stone early in the second period, putting the Rockets in the lead for good. Cuti added another tally less than five minutes later on a power play and R-P led 3-1 after two.
Stone scored on a rebound less than a minute into the third period, then added another goal with less than six minutes remaining in the game.
R-P Coach Ryan Martin said the Rockets grew a big frustrated in the first period after a series of big saves by the FHN goalie, but kept grinding and found success.
“Between periods, we really talked about the positives and refocused on our team game,” the coach said. “We just felt that the chances we were getting were too good and eventually we would break through on one of them and hopefully the doors would open a bit.
“We were able to score a couple of second period goals that helped relieve some of our frustration, and we seemed to settle in and began playing our game.”
Martin credited Van Noord for his strong play in goal throughout the Rockets’ winning streak.
“Van Noord has come up big in the last four games and really held us in several when we weren’t at our best,” he said. “Our power play has been scoring at a high percentage of late and our penalty kill has been equally as effective.
“Any time you can get a win against a team from the other side of the state, it’s a good win. We don’t get to see them as much and are not as familiar with their players or tendencies, so to open up the Konrad Showcase with a win gives us something to build on for the rest of the weekend.”
