February 19, 2016 at 4:42 p.m.
RIA bantams, squirt Bs heading to state
RIA bantams, squirt Bs heading to state
The RIA's bantam team survived a pair of double overtime games to advance while the association's squirt B team won a home game last Sunday to qualify.
The Hodags bantams (19-9-3) played in Antigo on Sunday and took on Lakeland in a semifinal match.
A pair of goals by Abe Laggis gave the Hodags a 2-0 third-period lead until the Hawks rallied to tie the game and send it to overtime. Neither team scored in the first overtime. With 21 seconds remaining in the second extra session Harrison Shinners scored off an assist from Bridger Flory to send the Hodags to the championship game.
In a reverse of the semifinal game, the Hodags trailed Merrill 2-0 in the third period of the championship game before staging a comeback. Scores by Laggis and Harlan Wojtusik 27 seconds apart in the final three minutes of regulation sent the game in overtime. Laggis netted the winning goal a little more than three minutes into the second overtime.
The squirt Bs (3-8-2) advanced with a 4-1 win over Marshfield Feb. 14 at the Rhinelander Ice Arena. Alexander Aguirre had a hat trick for the Hodags. Zach Edyvean also scored in the championship game.
The RIA's other youth teams were knocked out during the playdown weekend. The Hodag peewees fell to Marshfield 8-2 and squirt As lost to Merrill 3-2 in the championship game after defeating Lakeland 5-1 in the semifinals.
The Hodag bantams will play in the WAHA 3A state tournament March 5-6 in Sheboygan while the squirts will play in the 3B state tournament March 5-6 in Amery.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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