March 25, 2019 at 5:02 p.m.
Hodag hockey enjoys another strong year
Hodag hockey enjoys another strong year
The Hodags, however, were able to mostly match those lofty expectations, finishing six games above .500 for the second straight year, and moving into a third-place tie in the Great Northern Conference.
A 7-1 playoff loss at Stevens Point marked a similar end to the 2018-19 - with lopsided regional final losses to a team ranked in the top 10 overall in the state - but the Hodags took another step toward establishing itself as one of the better hockey teams in the Northwoods.
Here are five key storylines from the season.
UPS & DOWNS
It was not quite to the extent of last year - when Rhinelander won seven straight games to start the season before proceeding to drop their next seven - but the Hodags had their share of ups and downs during the course of the season.
Following a 5-1-0 start, the Hodags dropped three of their next four games, followed by a stretch where they won seven of eight. Rhinelander followed that up with a three-game skid before winning two of their final three games.
There were several highlights over the course of the season, one of which was winning a four-team holiday tournament at the Rhinelander Ice Arena with matching 4-1 wins over Baraboo/Portage and Sheboygan. Rhinelander also earned its first win over Antigo since 2009, beating the Robins 3-2 in the Langlade County Multi-Purpose Building in Antigo Jan. 15 to secure the No. 3 seed for the inaugural Great Northern Conference tournament.
On the flip side, the Hodags lost to a Pacelli team with only nine skaters on Dec. 20 and had trouble finishing games late in the season. The Hodags fell to Lakeland 3-2 on a goal with less than five seconds remaining in overtime on Jan. 8. In the team's final three losses - at Waupaca, at Antigo (Jan. 30) and at Stevens Point - the team surrendered 15 third-period goals.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Rhinelander's power play and penalty killing units were generally strong suits this season for the team. Rhinelander finished the season at nearly 29 percent on the power play (24 of 84) and more than 84 percent on the penalty kill (80 of 95).
All five members of Rhinelander's top power play unit had multiple power play goals this year, led by Conor Pequet with five. Abe Laggis did most of the facilitating on special teams with 10 power play assists.
But, like the rest of the team, the special teams play went in streaks. The Hodags were 39 percent on the power play and 90 precent on the kill in their 15 wins, but those splits dropped to 16 and 74 percent, respectively, in the team's nine losses.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
The Hodags had a strong core of seniors this year, led by the line of Freddy Wisner, Bridger Flory and Hunter Hicks - who combined to score 23 goals this season. Defensively, Sam Tjugum earned honorable mention all-GNC honors, while Brandon Kolasa and Alex Hedberg helped form a solid defensive core for the team.
During the team's banquet earlier this month, coach M.J. Laggis thanked the senior class for helping to re-establish success within the Hodag hockey program. The team totaled 31 wins during their junior and senior seasons - the most of any two-year span in program history.
"This group with the seniors, and I'm including all these guys, they're a part of having a really nice winning record their junior and senior year and I'm really proud of what they brought to our team and to the locker room," he said.
YOUNG CONTRIBUTORS
While the seniors were steady, Rhinelander's top scoring line was comprised of underclassmen with junior Abe Laggis, and a pair of sophomores in Pequet and Harlan Wojtusik. They were Rhinelander's top three scorers during the course of the season and Pequet's 18 goals led the team.
"When he was going, we were going," M.J. Laggis said of Pequet, who was voted the team's MVP. "He scored a lot of big goals. When you're in the right spot all the time and have the puck on your stick, that's not an accident. That's him being a goal scorer and being in the right spot."
Abe Laggis led the team in total points (35) and assists (23). Wojtusik had 10 goals and 16 helpers on the season.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Pequet-Laggis-Wojtusik line will be back to anchor the team next year and the Hodags expect improvement from an underclassman line of Jake Losch, Max Spaulding and Harrison Shinners, which began to produce late in the season.
In goal, the Hodags will have a four-year starter in Seth Stafford, who will look to improve upon a career .861 save percentage and 3.31 goals against average.
Danny Zuiker, who was one of Rhinelander's top defensemen this year, will be back but the team's other blue liners will be relatively inexperienced. J.C. Adams and Konnor Kennedy saw some time at defense this year.
Coach Laggis said he's hoping to see a jump from some of his players to help fill the voids left by this year's graduating class.
"I'm going to challenge some of those kids who were bubble-type guys about what they can do their senior year, or their junior year, or their sophomore year. There's certainly a lot of good stuff in the room," he said.
What's more, the Hodags hope a drop to Division 2 next year - the first season the WIAA has gone to two divisions in boys' hockey - will further enhance the team's postseason aspirations.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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