Spring Lake soccer comes from behind to tie in season opener

Aug. 19—SPRING LAKE TWP. — As season openers go, there aren't many better ways to get the competitive juices flowing.

Spring Lake's boys soccer was knocked out by East Grand Rapids in a regional final last year, and the rematch on Wednesday night lived up to the hype. Jonathon Deal's goal midway through the second half helped the Lakers earn a 2-2 tie against the Pioneers in the first match of both teams' seasons.

"There's a lot we're still learning about ourselves, but we wanted this challenge," coach Jeremy Thelen said. "We know we can't stay at this level, we have to build, but we'll take the result."

The senior's rebound tap-in midway through the second half was due reward for a strong performance after the break. After falling behind a couple minutes following the restart, the Lakers were more dangerous and had chances to earn a winning goal.

Shots on goal were hard to come by for both teams on a hot day that only really became comfortable in the closing minutes. With most of the game played in midfield, some early-season rust was on display, but both teams also proved that there's a chance they could meet up again deep in the state tournament if things bounce the right way.

"It's not like we forgot about last year," senior Keegan Fritsche said. "We know they're a great team and if it happened again, we'd be pumped up for it."

Fritsche opened the scoring at the midway mark of the first half, running onto a pass from Link Dephouse and tapping a low shot around the oncoming Pioneer goalkeeper. The play started with a long kick from Laker goalie Aidan Parker, but Kole Pattyn retrieved a loose ball and squeezed a pass into Dephouse with plenty of defenders lurking.

"They're really good with their pressure, and that definitely hurt us," Fritsche said. "We know we can get better, we can get the ball on the ground and pass around more than we did."

Eight minutes later, EGR had a response. A foul outside the penalty box gave the Pioneers' Eamonn Burns the chance to take a shot on target, and he sent a right-footed shot high and just over Parker's outstretched arms to tie the game.

The Pioneers had a little extra momentum to close the half, but a Spring Lake defense anchored by Jaxson Tober did their part to limit scoring chances. It took just four minutes for East Grand Rapids to sneak into the lead, as junior Logan Becker had a long pass rolled into his path. His first-time shot from the edge of the box seemed to catch the Laker defense by surprise, and it rolled into the bottom-left corner for the lead.

Parker was alert to tip a shot onto the crossbar 10 minutes later, and Porter Saunders had a shot saved as the momentum started to swing Spring Lake's way. With 23 minutes left, their hard work started to pay off.

Conrad Bush had a free kick bounce off the Pioneer wall, but had a lane to take another shot at goal. A spinning shot was directed right at the East Grand Rapids goalkeeper, but it bounced off his hands and into Deal's path. With the net open, the midfielder calmly passed the ball in to tie the game.

"That's such a big goal for him," Thelen said. "He's a guy that we ask for some defensive work, and for him to get in the right position and score, hopefully he builds from there and gets some confidence."

If either team was going to find a winner in the second half, it was probably going to be the Lakers. Sophomore Isaac Rudd had a shot saved after good short passing outside the box, and Deal almost added a second goal with a minute to go, a smart low save keeping the teams tied.

A high-intensity start to the season will leave both teams ready for a third matchup should it happen in late October.

"It's really good to come in and play a tough team," Dephouse said. "Usually, you're not playing a team that strong at the start of the season, but I was happy how we fought and earned the tie."

Spring Lake's start doesn't get much easier, with a home game against Grand Haven set for Friday night. The Buccaneers are still putting the finishing touches on their new soccer field, which means they'll start their season on the road. Kickoff in the varsity match is set for 6:45 p.m.

You can email Kyle at kturk@grandhaventribune.com or find him on Twitter @KyleTurkGHT.