October 20, 2017 at 12:41 p.m.
Racing by the Raiders
Four goals in first 20 minutes propel Hodags to regional finals
Racing by the Raiders
Jonus Sabani scored twice and the Hodags blitzed the Raiders for four goals in the opening 20 minutes, which proved to be the difference in a 4-0 victory in a WIAA Division 3 regional semifinal game at the RHS soccer fields.
The Hodags needed two goals in the final 20 minutes last week to defeat the Raiders 2-1 and finish the GNC slate at 10-0-0. It was a much different start this time around for Rhinelander (15-3-2), which will now host Clintonville Saturday in the regional finals.
The scores came in bunches for the Hodags. Sabani and Richie Triplett scored 31 seconds apart in the seventh minute. Later, Sabani and Matthew Von Oepen scored twice in a 22-second gap between the 19th and 20th minutes.
"We came out strong," coach Dan Millot said. "We had some high pressure early on in the game. We did control a large part of this game compared to last week. I thought we improved."
Sabani, the Hodags' leading scorer, set up his own opportunity when he drew a foul against Medford's Andy Poetzl inside the penalty area off a threatening run from the right flank in the seventh minute. Sabani cooly struck the penalty kick and beat keeper Brady Hupf to the left post.
Moments later, the Hodags were on the board again as Triplett chipped a ball from the edge of the 18-yard box that glanced off Poetzl and caromed into the goal.
Sabani made the Raiders pay for another defensive gaffe in the 19th minute as Poetzl misplayed a high service into the box by Martin Hoger. The ball bounced over Poetzl's head. Sabani gained possession and did the rest from nearly 12 yards away.
Daniel Ritchie served another deep ball moments later that Von Oepen got on the end of and fired home from near the top of the 18.
"I thought our counterattack caught them off guard," Millot said. "We didn't finish as many opportunities as we would have liked off of it, but we really attacked hard and we got some nice chances."
The Hodags' play tapered off following the torrid start, but their lead was never in serious jeopardy. The Raiders mustered only three shots on goal and their best scoring opportunity went awry in the 53rd minute when Sam Hallgren misfired on an open net after beating keeper Josh Randolph to a long ball into the box.
"It was just nice to have that consistency through the first half," Millot said. "We gave them three shots in the first half. The second half I tried a new formation a little bit - not really happy with the way that worked, but we had to try it. We gave them a few more opportunities in the second half that I wasn't necessarily pleased with but, in the end, 4-0, clean sheet, that's important to us."
Thursday's game was played out in front of the high school. All subsequent playoff games for the Hodags through the sectional semifinal round will be played there as well with field work being done at Mike Webster Stadium. Millot said the change of venue played into the Hodags' hands Thursday. The RHS soccer field is a full, regulation 75 yards wide, opposed to the roughly 63-yard width inside the track at Mike Webster.
"They pack their defense in, even inside the width of the penalty box, and they didn't bring their defenders out wide until the very last minute," he explained. "We were able to exploit the outsides a little bit more and move the ball down the flanks."
Just like the previous Thursday's meeting, the playoff contest proved to be a physical affair. The Raiders amassed 16 fouls, including a couple of bookings late in the proceedings. Medford's Cooper Wild was yellow-carded for unsporting behavior in the 84th minute and Poetzl was given a straight red card with 24 seconds remaining when he tackled Ritchie from behind with Ritchie on an unabated run with the ball toward the Medford goal.
The Hodags will take on fourth-seeded Clintonville at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The Truckers and Mosinee played 110 minutes of scoreless soccer resulting in a 0-0 draw Tuesday. Clintonville advanced by winning a penalty kick shoutout 3-1.
"I don't know Clintonville at all," Millot said. "My feeling is we need to worry about our game."
The Truckers come in with a 10-5-7 record.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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