May 1, 2019 at 2:32 p.m.
Hodag soccer blanks Lakeland, Antigo
Hodag soccer blanks Lakeland, Antigo
A strong first half Monday led to a 3-0 win over Lakeland in Minocqua and the Hodags followed up that performance with a dominant showing at Antigo, dispatching the Red Robins 10-0 Tuesday in a game called in the 67th minute due to the mercy rule.
The wins moved Rhinelander to 4-0 in the GNC - with four consecutive shutouts - as the team remained a half game behind Ashland for the conference lead.
Rhinelander 3, Lakeland 0
The Hodags got all the offensive production they needed in the first half and defeated Lakeland 3-0 Monday night at River Valley Bank Field in Minocqua.
Sisters Kenedy and Payton Van Zile played a role in all three goals and sophomore goalkeeper Kahlie Arneson recorded six saves as the Hodags turned in another shutout.
"The offense in the first half that's exactly what made it happen for us - the offense and the defense too," coach Richard Kotula said. "We shut them down in the first half. I was actually happier about the first half than the second half."
Rhinelander controlled the match, outshooting Lakeland 34-11 overall. Though roughly a third of those shots came in the first half, the Hodags did a better job of capitalizing on the opportunities in the first half.
The scoring began in the seventh minute when the Hodags caught a break against first-year keeper Tessa Tormoen. Jaden Olski crossed the ball into the box for Kenedy Van Zile, who took a shot to the left post. Tormoen made the save initially, but lost the handle of the ball on a cool, misty night, and the ball bounced across the goal line.
Junior Izzy Haverkampf doubled the lead in the 23rd minute, controlling a Payton Van Zile pass just outside the 18-yard box and tucking a shot past a diving Tormoen inside the left goalpost.
The Hodags tacked on one more goal in the 43rd minute as Kenedy Van Zile won the ball on a turnover, raced around a defender on the left sideline, carried the ball into the box and passed to Ella Schiek, who was unmarked and scored roughly six yards from goal.
"The third goal was probably the best goal. That give-and-go was perfectly set up, well placed and a good finish," Kotula said.
Though shots were 23-7 in favor of the Hodags in the second half, neither team found the back of the net. It wasn't for a lack of trying from either side.
In the 54th and 55th minutes, the Hodags were not able to get clean shots off well-placed crosses into the box by Schiek. Several other times in the second, Rhinelander won possession inside the Lakeland box, only to fire a shot directly into a Lakeland defender.
"We didn't score in the second half," Kotula said. "The girls wanted to, but it's something about the will to finish and we definitely need to work on that. Some beautiful crosses from both sides - especially from Ella Schiek - but our forwards need to be hungry to finish and that's something that was missing, especially in the second half."
Rhinelander dodged some bullets, defensively, midway through the second. Freshman Sophia Myshchyshyn got around the Hodag defense in the 61st minute, but fired a shot high, wide left. Myshchyshyn then found Sagen Quale in space in the 68th minute, but Quale took a hurried shot that turned into an easy save for Arneson. Abby Parris got around the defense in the 72nd minute, but Arneson was up to the task on her head-high shot. Erika Intrepidi misfired left on a cross by Quale less than 10 yards from goal in the 74th minute.
"Kahlie definitely came up big for us," Kotula said. "Kudos to her playing in the cold weather. Her full body hurts and I know her feet are frozen but, when we needed her, she came up strong. She shut down some of the great opportunities Lakeland created in the second half.
"Lakeland controlled the ball possession well in the second half. The made some nice runs through the box, staggered passes. It was kind of a hard time for our defenders. We adjusted to it as the game progressed and the defense held up."
Tormoen finished with eight saves in defeat for Lakeland.
Rhinelander 10, Antigo 0
The Hodags scored eight first-half goals and rolled to a 10-0 over the Robins Tuesday at Listle Field.
Haverkampf scored three times for the Hodags. Kat Metropulos added a part of goals on five other Hodags found the back of the net in the rout.
"Overall, a great team effort from starters and bench personnel," Kotula said. "Madi (Losch) and Payton are still nursing injuries and sickness therefore they were not able to contribute today, but our hope is to regain that strength in the near future."
Haverkampf recorded Rhinelander's first two goals - one of an assist from Rachel Steffen and another from Kenedy Van Zile in the ninth and 11th minutes to give Rhinelander a quick 2-0 lead. Ella Schiek joined the party in the 14th minute, finishing a cross from Olski and Kenedy Van Zile made it 4-0 off a Metropulos assist in the 21st minute.
The two flipped roles, with Metropulos finishing a Van Zile pass in the 27th minute. Sophomore Haylee Campbell recorded her first goal off the season on a slotted pass from the touchline by freshman McKenna Brown in the 32nd minute. Emma Hjelle scored off a corner kick that deflected off an Antigo player in the 36th minute and Haverkampf tallied her third in the final minute of the first half to give the Hodags an 8-0 lead.
Rhinelander was quiet early in the second half. Metropulos finally resumed the scoring onslaught in the 60th minute and Emma Roberts ended the game a short time later with the team's 10th goal.
"We rotated a lot of players into different positions to experience opportunities for all the players resulting in multiple goals from seven different players," Kotula said. "Most of the goals have been a result of a good team work, great amount of successful passing and control."
Rhinelander amassed 53 shots, 34 of which were on goal in the match. Statistics complied by RHS did not credit Antigo for a single shot in the game.
"Our defense worked hard not to let any attack happened in our half," Kotula said. "And our attack had a pretty good percentage of shots on the frame which is a good improvement into the games to come."
Schedule swap
Monday night's game at Lakeland was a last-minute change to the schedule after Wausau Newman was unable to play its scheduled game in Rhinelander against the Hodags due to a scheduling conflict. The Lakeland and Wausau Newman dates essentially flip-flopped with Newman taking Lakeland's May 9 date on the calendar.
The Hodags are home this evening to face Mosinee and will round out the week at home against Marshfield on Saturday.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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