ROCKFORD ATHLETICS I HOME OF THE RAMS

It was another successful weekend of water polo for the varsity Rams. The Rams traveled to the lakeshore to attend the Grand Haven Shootout at the Shores tournament. The Rams were up against some stiff competition and came through with determination, continuing their hot streak. The first game of the tournament was against the Falcons of East Kentwood, who currently are ranked #7 in the state. Kentwood has a pair of athletes who are talented and play a skillful game, which the Rams knew they were going to have to stop. Once the game started, the Rams were held from the major scoring performance they had in previous games. Rockford Connor Geskus struck the back of the net first, but Kentwood didn't see this as a problem. The Falcons quickly came back, and the game was knotted at 1 apiece. At the end of the first quarter, the Rams held a slight 2-1 lead. Once the Rams got their bearings, they kept pushing the game, and Kentwood couldn't keep up. The Rams' defense was tremendous, forcing Kentwood into many mistakes. The Rams gathered a whopping 14 steals in the Game. As the game kept going, the Rams didn't miss a beat. Rockford had 8 different scorers, and 1 of those was even our goalie, Sawyer Artz. Once the game was finished, the Rams handed the Falcons their first loss of the season with a 14-4 victory. Camden Deugaw, who got his first varsity start for the season, showed some spectacular plays and really helped the team continue its excellent play. In game 2 of the shootout at the shores, the Rams faced the Eagles of Hudsonville on Saturday morning. The Rams knew this team extremely well and knew it was going to be a battle from start to finish. From the first whistle, Hudsonville was out of the gate quickly, as they are one of the quicker teams in the state. Hudsonville struck first, but the rams quick came back and kept the game tied at 1 apiece. The Rams got 1 more before the end of the 1st quarter, holding a slight 2-1 lead. Once the second quarter started, it was a defensive battle. Both teams had shots on goal, but Hudsonville was the only one to score in the second. The game was tied 2-2 at half. The start of the second half was no different than the first. It was a defensive battle, and each team was trying to figure out a way to capitalize. Both teams converted 2 times in the third to keep the game knotted at 4-4. Everyone knew the 4th quarter had the potential to be exciting, as the game was close from the start. During the 4th quarter, the Rams scored twice while Hudsonville scored once. The final buzzer sounded, and the Rams were victorious 6-5. The Rams were a defensive force, with 19 steals. The Rams had 3 scorers (Connor-2, Geskus-2, Ward-2). For the final game of the weekend, the Rams faced a strong, physical, and talented Zeeland team. Rockford struggled to get the flow of the game going, as it was a defensive battle. Both teams had many opportunities, but the game stayed close. Before the second half started, the Rams fell behind 4-5, which made them have to regroup and find a different way to score. The Rams' defense held strong, making 17 steals throughout the contest. As the third quarter finished, it was knotted at 5-5. Everyone knew the final quarter was going to be a dandy one. The Rams and Zeeland traded goals and kept it close. Once the final buzzer sounded, the game was tied 6-6. This sent the game into a shootout. The shootout was going to be exciting, as both teams have strong goalies and some exceptional shooters. The rams 3 shooters were Camden Deugaw, Ryan Meyerholtz, and Reese Ward. The Rams lost the coin flip and ended up having to shoot 1st. Camden lines up and hits the first goal, giving a 7-6 lead. Sawyer Artz came into the cage against a strong Zeeland shooter and made a huge block. Rockford's 2nd shooter was Ryan, who berried the ball into the back of the net to give the Rams an 8-6 lead. Zeeland's next shooter hit the back of the net, which brought the score to an 8-7 lead for the Rams. Reese Ward was the final shooter for the Rams, and a goal would ice the contest. Reese lined up, and his shot went soaring over the cage, which allowed Zeeland to have a chance to tie. Zeeland's final shooter was #3 Andrew Pyle, who is a remarkable shooter. As he lined up and rose to shoot, Sawyer Artz tipped it into the crossbar for a miss. This sealed the win for the Rams, 8-7. The Rams finished the shootout but were tested in every matchup. The Rams end the month of August a perfect 12-0 on the season and continue to look forward to more opportunities down the road. Rockford is off this next week from any contest. The Rams will come back into action on Wednesday, September 9 where they will travel to East Lansing to face Mason in a dual game and then go to West Ottawa for a tournament on September 11-12.