December 14, 2018 at 12:54 p.m.
Wojtusik records hat trick, Hodags down Mosinee 6-3
Wojtusik records hat trick, Hodags down Mosinee 6-3
Wojtusik continued to be a Mosinee killer Thursday night, recording three goals, which proved to be the difference in a 6-3 Rhinelander victory in a Great Northern Conference contest at the Rhinelander Ice Arena.
It was Wojtusik's power play goal late in the third period last February, capping off a Rhinelander rally from down two goals, that sent a WIAA playoff game againt the Indians to overtime. The Hodags eventually won that game 5-4. Wojtusik shined on special teams again Thursday night, but this time on the penalty kill. He scored two short-handed goals in the same shift to complete a hat trick and give Rhinelander a 4-2 lead.
"I thought we were very opportunistic tonight," Rhinelander coach M.J. Laggis said. "Harlan Wojtusik, tremendous job on the short-handed goals, a great kill right there by him and Abe (Laggis), a nice hat trick for him."
It was a mixed bag for Rhinelander on special teams. Wojtusik scored twice short-handed, but the team also allowed two power play goals. The first came from Benjamin Lardinois 7:53 into the first to put Mosinee on the board. The lead was short-lived, however, as the Hodags took the ensuing faceoff into the Indians end and Conor Pequet scored from Wojtusik to tie the game just 10 seconds later.
Wojtusik pulled Rhinelander ahead 2:22 into the second period, before Gunner Colbert answered for the Indians at the 9:44 mark.
Mosinee thought it had a chance to take the lead a short time later when Pequet was whistled for a tripping penalty. That's when Wojtusik took over. He scored off an assist from Sam Tjugum at the 11:50 mark and again, unassisted, 40 seconds later - all with the Hodags skating a player short.
"That was an unbelievable turning point in the game where we started to, I don't really want to say take control because it was back to a one-goal game a couple of times, but we started to assert ourselves and played pretty good hockey," coach Laggis said.
A Max Beste goal 17 seconds into the third period pulled Mosinee back to within one, but the Hodags restored the two-goal lead when Freddy Wisner deflected in an Alex Hedberg shot from the point at the 4:41 mark. Pequet finished the scoring on a 2-on-1 with 56 seconds remaining into an empty Mosinee net.
"Conor Pequet had two more and a nice, unselfish play at the end there by Abe dishing that puck to the open net," M.J. Laggis said. "I hope that kind of stuff's contagious where we pass the puck better because we've got to play a little better brand of hockey here down the stretch as we get going."
Rhinelander outshot Mosinee 44-26 in the game. Seth Stafford turned aside 23 shots in victory for the Hodags.
The win moved Rhinelander to 5-1-0 on the season but, afterward, coach Laggis rued the fact that his team was penalized eight times for 16 minutes in the contest. Mosinee finished the night 2 of 6 on the power play after scoring only one power play goal in its first 25 chances of the season.
"I think the thing that's really in my craw right now is the eight penalties that we took in that game," Laggis said. "We just took too many. Granted some of what they called and didn't call the other way was a little out there, but we didn't take care of that end of it and we're not going to win big games in that penalty box."
The Hodags are back home this afternoon to take on Wisconsin Rapids. Faceoff is set for 4 p.m. at the RIA.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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