September 22, 2017 at 2:58 p.m.
Soccer: Hodags blast Antigo 10-0
Soccer: Hodags blast Antigo 10-0
The Hodags scored in the opening minute, and again in the second, as they went on to rout the last-place Red Robins 10-0 at Listle Field in Antigo. The game was called in the 67th minute when the Hodags invoked the 10-goal mercy rule.
"I'm definitely pleased," Hodag coach Dan Millot said. "You get a shutout. People get playing time. We get out of there healthy. That what's most important."
Jonus Sabani finished with four goals in the match. He put the Hodags on the board less than a minute into the game, finishing a pass from teammate Matthew Von Oepen. Daniel Ritchie converted a Joseph Schmitz service less than a minute later and the blowout was on from there.
Freddy Wisner added a penalty kick goal in the 13th minute after Antigo committed a handball foul inside its own penalty area following a Hodags' corner kick.
Sabani made it 4-0 in the 26th minute off a Martin Hoger thrown in. Von Oepen scored in the 31st minute off a pass from Hunter Hicks and Quinn Werner tucked a shot just inside the left goal post in the 40th minute to give Rhinelander a 6-0 advantage at halftime.
Though the game was decidedly in Rhinelander's favor, the Hodags' play tapered off in the first half following a torrid start. Millot said he challenged his team at halftime.
"We set the tone early with two goals in less than two minutes and then we just decided to hit the keeper a lot with the ball. That kind of plagued us for a little bit," he said. "Tonight we were actually lazy on defense. You get into that routine, you're winning the game and you kind of fall asleep."
The Hodags responded in the second half as Sabani finished his hat trick in the 49th minute and scored again in the 60th to put the Hodags ahead 8-0. Richie Triplett scored in the 65th minute and Darin Bloomquist, who typically plays outside defense, finished the contest with his first goal of the season a couple of minutes later.
"We came out in the second half with a little more determination than what we finished the first half with," Millot said. "I think that was (evident) scoring the goals as quickly as we did. But they were nice goals in the second half. Nothing was rushed. It was good passes, well-placed goals. Some of the goals were by players who don't get the opportunity to score, or see the offensive end (typically)."
Rhinelander outshot Antigo 35-5 in the match. Hodag keeper Josh Randolph recorded two saves in the shutout. Rhinelander (10-2-2, 6-0-0 Great Northern) remained two games ahead of Northland Pines in the conference race with four games to play. The Eagles defeated Lakeland 3-2 Thursday in Eagle River.
The Hodags venture outside the GNC this coming Tuesday for their annual Hammer Game rivalry match against D.C. Everest in Weston.
"We're going to be up for that game," Millot said. "We're going to give them a good game and we'll see what happens, try to bring the Hammer home."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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