January 29, 2020 at 1:26 p.m.
Hodag hockey uses fast start to bury Ashland 7-1
Hodag hockey uses fast start to bury Ashland 7-1
The Hodags racked up five first-period goals and cruised to a 7-1 victory over the Ashland Oredockers at the Bay Area Civic Center.
Conor Pequet had a hat trick for the Hodags (8-11-0), who won back-to-back games for only the third time this season, and first time since back-to-back wins over Tomahawk in late December and early January.
"I thought our kids just jumped out early," coach M.J. Laggis said. "We had a good bus ride. We got here, we warmed up and it was a good, focused locker room. We talked about stringing two wins together and that happened tonight. We jumped on it early."
Rhinelander's top line of Pequet, Harlan Wojtusik and Joe Schneider was virtually unstoppable. The three combined for five goals and seven assists in the contest as the Hodags sent the game to run time midway through the third period.
"We made that move putting Joe Schneider with those guys and it did two things - it added a tenacious work ethic that Joe Schneider had and it brought even more speed to that line," Laggis said.
"It's a really good line. I know I've been singing his praises, but I can't say enough about what Harlan Wojtusik does for us all over the ice and Conor Pequet just has big games and, when he does, it's a huge lift for us. That's just been a really good line," Laggis added.
Pequet got things started, tipping home a Wojtusik shot from the point, 9:46 into the first period and the floodgates opened from there against Ashland goaltender Zach Morris. Wojtusik scored his team-leading 26th-goal of the season on a 2-on-1 breakaway at the 11:40 mark and then Pequet scored again at the 14:09 mark on a play eerily similar to his first goal, tipping home another Wojtusik shot on the power play.
Rhinelander added two unexpected goals in the final minute of the first period. Defenseman JC Adams, dumping a puck into the zone from the red line not only put his shot on net, but beat Morris to the top right corner at the 16:20 mark. Ten seconds later senior Konnor Kennedy scored his first goal of the season to give Rhinelander a 5-0 lead after a period.
"The old adage you put the puck on the net (and good things will happen)," Laggis said of Adams' half-ice attempt. "That worked out good. I was happy JC shot it and that was one of those shot in the arm goals, kind of a freebie, and that felt good. Usually we're not the beneficiary of those kinds of goals."
Ashland controlled much of the second period and got on the board at the 12:43 mark as Cade Huotari fired a shot in from the point that beat goalie Seth Stafford through the five-hole. Ashland nearly scored again roughly a minute and a half later as Tanner Nelson fired a shot that appeared to beat Stafford top shelf, but the officials deemed the puck hit the crossbar, not the back of the net, and did not award the goal. Pequet finished off his hat trick with 55 seconds remaining in the second to give Rhinelander a 6-1 lead.
"I did not thing we played a good second period. When we went into that locker room up 5-0 coach (Joe) Pequet and I were all over those guys about not laying down, not playing half-speed and we did," Laggis said. "We came out, our wings were high and everybody was long. Everybody wants to score the next goal and, what happens when you do that is you give up a goal and almost give up another one. I really thought that late goal was a good back-breaker. We made a really nice play and buried it. That helped get us momentum leaving the period."
Schneider scored 7:45 into the third to account for the game's final goal.
Rhinelander finished with a 23-12 advantage in shots on goal. Stafford made seven saves in eight chances before giving way to Caleb Shefveland with the Hodags up six with eight minutes remaining. Shefveland made four saves down the stretch for Rhinelander.
"Seth Stafford has not been in the net for a while and I was happy that he got back in there and played well," Laggis said. "Then Chevy (Caleb Shefveland) got in there the last eight minutes there made a couple of dandy saves in this own right."
Rhinelander will look to carry the momentum into the GNC tournament as the No. 6 seed when it travels to take on third-seeded Mosinee this coming Tuesday. Mosinee won the first meeting 5-2 Dec. 16.
"We've got to go back there, set our course and try to win a hockey game in a tough building. I'm excited about the opportunity," Laggis said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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