MUSKEGON — Reeths-Puffer and Canton were so closely matched but someone had to win, and Canton won in a very long shootout, 3-2, at the Stan Konrad Hockey Showcase Jan. 10.

The game took place at the Lakeside Sports Centre and after regulation and an overtime period, they went into a shootout, which became a classic.

It was in the shootout where Canton finally broke through with the winning goal.

Afterward, Rockets’ Head Coach Bill Zalba said, “Both teams played a quick turnaround game, played hard.”

“It came down to a shootout,” Zalba said. “It was fun to watch it; they don’t get to do that too often so I’m glad they get to do that.”

“They’re a good team over there, well coached, worked hard and we just came out on the short end of the shootout,” Zalba said.

Zalba also said that this is the first time he has ever been in his coaching career, saying that shootout went almost as long as a normal overtime.

But it was the Rockets who got the scoring started in the first period when Tyler Cuti scored at 16:03.

Dominic Switzer and Hayden Taylor drew the assists.

Taylor would also draw the two penalties on the Rockets in the first period, an elbowing two-minute minor at 11:44 and a two-minute minor for hooking, at 0:57.

Canton’s Cameron James drew a two-minute minor for interference at 14:21.

The Rockets extended their lead in the second period to 2-1 when Tyler Cuti scored at the 8:01 mark.

But Canton got on the scoreboard at 8:01 when Will Schley scored an unassisted goal.

There were no penalties in the period.

Late in the third period, Dylan Parrish of Canton tied the game, 2-2, with assists given to

Sam Spirl and Gavin Simmons drew the assists.

The period was penalty-filled for both teams.

For the Rockets, Eli Cuti was penalized for two minutes for holding at 9:58; Connor Anderson was given a two-minute slashing call at 7:59 along with Canton’s Simmons, also two minutes for slashing.

And at 0:13, Jordan Benkert of the Rockets was whistled off for two-minutes for slashing.

At 12:56 of the third period, Canton’s Zack Vandefifer received a five-minute major for tripping/clipping/leg checking/slew footing and was ejected from the game at the same time.

Then Brody Kocurek of Canton was sent to the penalty box at 12:34 with a two-minute slashing penalty.

Gavin Simmons found the penalty box for the second time in the game when he was given a five-minute major for slashing at 10:14.

Then, at the 5:33 mark in the third period, Canton’s Will Ott was assessed a two-minute minor for interference.

The hard-fought, evenly matched battle ended 2-2.

There was no scoring in the overtime period, but the Rockets’ Kaden Benner served a two-minute minor for slashing.

The shootout was a classic, and Eli Cuti, Taylor, Anderson all scored for the Rockets.

But Cameron James, Matthew Falkenberg and Brody Kocurek all scored for Canton, as well as John Nickel, who delivered the winning goal.

Bear VanDyke took the loss in goal for the Rockets.