January 30, 2017 at 2:12 p.m.
Corralling the Comets
Hodags upend Waupaca 3-2 for first GNC win of season
Corralling the Comets
The Hodags won for the third time in their last four games Saturday and undoubtedly picked up their biggest win of the season to date, holding off Waupaca for a 3-2 triumph at the Rhinelander Ice Arena.
After a few close shaves, the Hodags (5-10-0, 1-8-0-0 Great Northern) finally got their elusive first Great Northern Conference win of the season and, more importantly, appear to be gaining momentum down the stretch.
"It's a good head start to the rest of our season, finishing it off with I think like seven or eight more games," senior defenseman Logan Wild said. "It's good to see our team collectively come together and get a few wins in a row here."
In a lot of ways, Saturday's win resembled Rhinelander's non-conference win two nights earlier against Pacelli, right down to the identical final score. The Hodags once again had a player net his first career varsity goal, again led 3-1 in the third period only to give up a late tally and withstand a mad rush at the end.
"Waupaca, we've had a couple real nail-biters with them and it always comes up the wrong way at the end," RHS boys' hockey coach M.J. Laggis said. "Instead of just floundering and flopping around in our zone like we did in Waupaca last year when they tied it up, what did we do? We went down and played the last 25 seconds in their end. That's how you want to finish a game and I'm really proud of them."
Despite being outshot 10-1 in the third period, the Hodags made their lone shot of the period count as Matthias Schneider sprung Bridger Flory free on a 2-on-1 breakaway into the Waupaca zone. Flory did the rest, beating Ryan Kocovsky top shelf for a power play goal that put the Hodags ahead 3-1 with 6:20 remaining.
"Matthias Schneider made a phenomenal pass to Bridger Flory and he buried it for his first ever," Laggis said. "What a big one it was, it turns out to be a game-winner."
Waupaca (10-8-0, 6-4-0-0 Great Northern) got back to within one with 1:52 remaining on a Max Menzies snipe from the slot. The Comets had a sustained forecheck on the ensuing faceoff, but once the Hodags broke it out to center ice with about 30 seconds remaining, they never let Waupaca back into the offensive zone.
"The shift we got scored on, we didn't have to say anything on the bench," Laggis said. "Every kid was talking immediately about we're not doing this and every kid immediately was talking about chipping it out of the zone and making the right play. This might sound crazy, but with 40 seconds left, even though it was in our zone, I started to feel confident we were going to make a play, I really did. We did at the end. I think Bridger Flory was the lead dog down there on that last forecheck and he was just frantic down there forechecking. That's contagious and that's how you've got to play."
Junior Cody Pratz made his second straight start in goal for Rhinelander and came up big again, making 26 saves in the victory. Laggis said he wants to have an open competition for the starting job between Pratz and freshman Seth Stafford in hopes of having both netminders up their games.
"Cody Pratz had a great game in goal and, I'll say again, I want goalie competition," Laggis said. "I want both these two guys to have wins down the road here - both Seth and him. He played with confidence and that's what it takes. I'm a big believer in two goalies battling each other in a healthy way and pulling for each other. I think that makes better goaltending. I think that makes better defense and I think that just makes a competitive atmosphere. That's what makes it fun."
Laggis also credited the play of his defensive unit, which held Waupaca to only two goals.
"Logan Wild, being sick all week, played his guts out tonight," he said. "Dylan Roeser was fantastic. Matthias Schneider played excellent and Danny Zuiker, as a freshman defenseman is playing above his head. We got some good stuff going."
Rhinelander jumped on the board with 16 seconds remaining in the first period as it executed a fly play off a defensive zone faceoff. Flory won the draw back to Dylan Roeser, who sent it long to Cole Spaulding for a breakaway goal. Waupaca responded quickly, however, taking the puck right back to the Rhinelander end and tying it on a Eugene Pliska rebound with 3.6 seconds before intermission.
The Hodags took the lead for good at the 13:32 mark of the second as Brandon Kolasa put home a point-blank chance off a nice pass from the corner by senior Tyler Blomdahl, but the second was underscored by the goal that wasn't called. Earlier in the period, Waupaca appeared to have taken a 2-1 lead on a shot that beat Pratz through the five-hole, but referee Dan Pudlo - having lost sight of the puck - blew the play dead before it crossed the goal line.
It was the kind of lucky break the Hodags weren't getting earlier in the season when they lost three one-goal games. Rhinelander has now won three of the last four, all by a single goal.
"Those are the kind of games they can go either way," Laggis said. "You can win them or lose them. Earlier in the year, those were games that we were losing. I'm thinking about Green Bay United. I'm thinking about the one-goal loss in Mosinee. We got to find a way to keep going. We can't be content."
The Hodags hope the momentum can carry over with seven games to play over the final two weeks of the regular season. Rhinelander hosts Tomahawk Tuesday night at the RIA looking to atone for a 3-2 overtime loss Dec. 15 at SARA Park.
"We're looking forward to that," Roeser said. "We're looking forward to Tomahawk (on Tuesday), bringing it back to have a battle with them and hopefully keep rolling through to win some key games."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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