November 28, 2018 at 1:33 p.m.
Eagles size up Hodags
Eagles size up Hodags
The Hodags did all they could to give Pines a game Tuesday evening, drawing within two goals in the third period before the Eagles tacked on a couple of late goals to defeat Rhinelander 6-2 at the Eagle River Sports Arena.
Lochlan Siegmeier had a hat trick for the Eagles (2-0-0, 1-0-0-0 Great Northern), including a short-handed score with 6:20 remaining which proved to be the back-breaker for the Hodags (1-1-0, 0-1-0-0 GNC).
Still, it was a far cry from what happened to Rhinelander the last time it was in the Dome in Eagle River. Northland Pines blew out the Hodags 10-0 in a WIAA regional final last February, and Laggis said his team fared well Tuesday, considering they were without last year's leading goal-scorer Freddy Wisner (knee) and top defenseman Danny Zuiker (illness).
"I think we played exceptionally hard, given our situation being short-handed and having lines shook up and people out of position, but you've got to give them credit," he said. "They're a very good hockey team. They move the puck well. They're very fast. They're physical to some extent and they play a gritty game.
"Give them credit, they're a very good team and I think we have a chance by the end of the year to be a heck of a team ourselves."
Seth Stafford stood tall in the face of pressure most of the night in the Rhinelander cage. He turned aside 35 of the 41 shots that came his way and the Hodags scored twice on the power play to make things interesting down the stretch.
Trailing 4-2, the Hodags appeared to have a golden opportunity following a fracas in the defensive zone that saw Northland Pines' Tyler Hunt pick up a double minor and Jack Rhode draw an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Rhinelander, however, could not convert on the 5-on-3 opportunity and then Siegmeier delivered a dagger. He stole a puck that Max Spaulding couldn't handle on the blue line for the Hodags and went the rest of the way for a short-handed goal.
"We just made a mistake. We handed a puck to them and they buried it," Laggis said. "It wasn't the reason we lost the game. It was just a mistake and you've got to learn and grow from it. It was an unforced turnover and those are the things we want to eliminate."
Pines put an onslaught on Rhinelander's net from the opening drop of the puck, outshooting the Hodags 19-4 in the opening period. The only goal for their efforts, however, came on a Harmon Marien rebound 9:11 into the period. Otherwise Stafford, the Hodags' junior netminder, was solid.
"Seth Stafford played valiantly all night long," Laggis said. "He really did. He has a couple there he'd want back, no doubt. But, by and large, he battled hard, made some big saves and we played hard in front of him."
Pines quickly pushed the lead to 3-0 early in the second period. Siegmeier beat Stafford glove-side 2:59 into the period and then Brady Snedden scored unassisted, capitalizing on a Hodag turnover just as a Rhinelander power play was expiring.
It was an up-and-down night for the Hodag special teams, which was burned by giving up a couple of odd-man rushes while on the man advantage, but Rhinelander scored both of its goals against a Pines unit that killed off more than 90 percent of its penalties a year ago.
Conor Pequet cut the lead to 3-1 at the 9:14 mark of the second, firing into the net from the point off a Harlan Wojtusik pass. After Siegmeier made it 4-1 early in the third, sophomore Jake Losch recorded his first varsity goal, scoring on the power play 2:35 into the period.
"It was nice to see Jake Losch get his first career goal and what a place to get it in," Laggis said, with reverence for the history of the Eagle River Sports Arena. "You always want to get it in a win, but what a great spot for him to get a goal. Then Conor just hung in there and took a good shot."
Freshman Zach Maillette added a goal for the Eagles with 1:01 remaining, tipping in a shot from the point by Gunnar Schiffman.
Northland Pines outshot Rhinelander 41-15 for the game.
The Eagles received honorable mention in the latest Wisconsin Prep Hockey coaches poll and Laggis said he was proud of the way his team hung in during the contest.
"You measure yourself against a definite top 10, or more, team in the state. They are, and maybe more than that," he said. "They're very good and I thought we battled hard. We have a long way to go in terms of doing a lot of little things right from faceoffs to neutral ice coverage to catching passes to getting shots on net, a lot of those little things. Pines does those things very, very well.
"When you play those types of teams you've got to learn and grow and get better from it."
Rhinelander will be back in action this Tuesday against Medford at the Rhinelander Ice Arena.
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