November 23, 2018 at 2:46 p.m.
Rhinelander crushes SEaLs 8-0 in hockey opener
Rhinelander crushes SEaLs 8-0 in hockey opener
Abe Laggis recorded a hat trick and the Hodags routed Chequamegon/Phillips 8-0 at the Rhinelander Ice Arena.
Rhinelander, which set a program record for wins in a season with a 16-10-0 campaign a year ago, dominated the game from the opening drop of the puck, outshooting the Screaming Eagles and Loggers (SEaLs) 49-9 in the contest.
"It's a game we should have won and we did win," Hodag coach M.J. Laggis said. "We started maybe a little slow, but we wound up with three in the first. Pretty good effort overall."
Senior Bridger Flory scored off a drop pass from Abe Laggis 2:36 into the opening period and the Hodags (1-0-0, 0-0-0-0 Great Northern) never looked back, putting up two more goals in the first, another two in the second and three goals in the third period.
Laggis, a junior, was credited with three goals and two assists on the night. He scored with 1:54 left in the opening period to give Rhinelander a 3-0 lead, scored again off a Conor Pequet assist 4:12 into the second period and finished off a hat trick in the final seconds of the contest.
"Ten was all over the scoresheet," coach Laggis said, referencing Abe's jersey number. "Abe had a real nice game, had a lot of nice passes and, to be honest, three bullet goals."
Defenseman Sam Tjugum added a goal in the first period and Max Spaulding scored less than a minute after Abe Laggis' second-period goal to give the Hodags a 5-0 lead.
"It's good to get a game under your belt and fun to get a win early. That's a good thing," coach Laggis said. "We really controlled the shots big time. We put a lot of rubber on net. I thought, for the first game and us having a lot of kids out of the lineup, we adjusted well and played pretty hard and got the job done."
First-time scorers
The third period was highlighted by a couple of players recording their first varsity goals. Freshman Cal Laggis scored 4:17 into the period and junior Harrison Shinners scored exactly 1 minute, 15 seconds later.
"Harry Shinners, as a junior, coming out and popping (his) first goal was a really, really good thing to happen tonight," coach Laggis said. "I was happy for him, a nice, hard shot. Cal Laggis, a freshman, got a shot tonight because some guys weren't able to play and he made the most of it. He played really well and had a nice goal. It was really cool to see his first (varsity) goal lifetime."
Family affair
It was all in the family for Cal Laggis, who also collected his first varsity assist Tuesday night. Cal's big brother, Abe, played a role in both of his points.
Cal had the assist on Abe's first-period goal. Cal's goal in the third came on a rebound off Abe's shot from just inside the blue line, though Spaulding was credited with the assist on the play, according to the official scoresheet.
"That reminded me of Cole and Max Spaulding when Max got his first (goal) from Cole," said coach Laggis, Cal and Abe's father. "It was an awesome moment, to be honest with you, and I was really proud of him for doing it."
Pines ahead
The road becomes much more challenging for the Hodags this coming Tuesday as they open Great Northern Conference play at Northland Pines.
The Eagles are the odds-on favorite to win the GNC this year and received honorable mention in the Wisconsin Prep Hockey preseason coaches top 10. Northland Pines ended Rhinelander's season last February with a 10-0 drubbing at the Eagle River Sports Arena in the WIAA regional finals.
"When you talk about playing these guys tonight and Pines (next) Tuesday, you talk about holy cow, we're going to have to play a lot better to compete Tuesday night, that's for sure," coach Laggis said. "I think, for us, it's really good to play them early. Right away, you realize, 'Wow, this is what a top five (team) in the state looks like and this is where we're at,' and you have a measuring stick."
Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Eagle River Sports Arena.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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