June 10, 2020 at 11:10 a.m.
The Lost Season: RHS girls' soccer
Hodags miss out on opportunity to build chemistry, success
The Lost Season: RHS girls' soccer
Yet head coach Richard Kotula saw some things in his first year at the helm that he wished to change going forward.
"One of the goals the coaches wanted to accomplish was to create a bit of a better chemistry all together," he said. "Last year was a successful year. Yes, we did well. We were seeded No. 1 (in the regional). We finished second in the conference. We got the regional game. Unfortunately, we couldn't go on more, but that's part of life. Sometimes you succeed. Sometimes you fail."
In a way, Kotula said the team has been burdened by its own success. Indeed the 2010s will go down as the most successful decade in program history. The team won at least 11 games each season and never had a losing record during the decade. Overall, the team was 154-54-11 in the 2010s with six conference championships, six regional championships and two trips to the WIAA state tournament.
"It creates a lot of pressure on coaches. It creates a lot of pressure on those kids, those high schoolers," Kotula said of the program's tradition of excellence. "With that pressure, there's a frustration if something doesn't go according to plan. Everyone has that high expectation. It comes from multiple levels. This year we wanted to talk to the team and help the team to eliminate that pressure by creating a bit of a different atmosphere than to just strive for that perfection that everyone is almost expecting. They are still high school players. They are not professional players. We are here to get better. We are here to help each other - as a team, as players, as student-athletes, but we are also here to have fun. That's one of the things that we wanted to really elevate more than anything else, to help the kids to enjoy the friendship that they have, to enjoy a little bit more team (bonding)."
Though the Hodags had a number of key cogs to replace from last year's squad, Kotula said he was hopeful he would see similar results on the field this year. However, just like all other spring prep sports teams, the Hodags never had the opportunity to fulfill that potential due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are five storylines from the season that would have been for the Hodags.
Fortifying the defense
The biggest question mark entering the season for the Hodags would have been its defense after mainstays from last year's defensive core - Emma Hjelle, Brooke Mork and Payton Van Zile - graduated. All three earned all-conference honors last year for a Hodag side that finished second in the GNC, conceding only six goals in 10 conference games.
"Those three defensive players from last year were definitely a big loss and something that we, as a team, would seen how we could have filled those gaps," Kotula said.
Of the players who would have been tasked with a larger role in the back, Kotula mentioned senior Madi Losch, junior Abbey Henrichs and sisters Rachel and Eleanor Steffen - a junior and sophomore, respectively.
"This year was going to be a rebuilding year in that defensive line, but I felt that it was very much a doable task for everyone to do that," he said.
However the back line would have looked, the group would have been responsible for keeping pressure off returning unanimous first-team All-GNC goalkeeper Kahlie Arneson who excelled last year as a sophomore, going 9-5-0 with a 1.42 goals against average and a .806 save percentage in all competitions.
"Kahlie definitely would be one of biggest strengths in the back," Kotula said. "Her experience, her leadership, would also help us to train the new defensive people ahead of her to create a strong unit."
Strong up top
Though the Hodags would have been without two of their top five scorers from last season, Kotula was confident in the weapons his team was bringing back - both in the midfield and in the attack. Overall, six players who scored multiple goals last year were set to return, led by senior Izzy Haverkampf, who recorded a team-high 33 points a year ago with 14 goals and five assists.
"Izzy Haverkampf for sure, she was the leading scorer last year and I'm 100% sure she would have continued in that drive," Kotula said. "Her life is soccer. She would have definitely been a huge asset to our team this year."
Junior Ella Schiek was the second-returning leading scorer on the squad, with six goals and a pair of assists last year. Junior Gwyn Lowry, who was voted the team's top midfielder last year with five goals and three assists, was back along with senior Marisa McGuire, who Kotula said would have been a steadying force in the middle.
"She's not the scorer, but she created great opportunities for others," Kotula said of McGuire. "She rarely lost the ball possession and she controlled the ball. It was such a big thing. Marisa is actually a good example of what we would have to be striving for this year."
In addition to those players, Kotula said he was looking forward to several other players contributing to the attack, including juniors Kat Metropulos, Houston Mathwig and Haylee Campbell; and sophomores McKenna Brown and Audrey Schiek.
"With ladies up front having the skills and the talent to finish, or to create finishing opportunities, having a number of those players makes the team very dangerous," he said.
The seniors
Kotula said three seniors - Haverkampf, McGuire and Losch - would have made a significant impact on this year's team from their positions in the front, middle and back of the Hodags' formation.
Haverkampf will have an opportunity to play collegiately. She announced back in February that she will be competing for Northland College in Ashland.
"Izzy is such a great example of someone who has dedicated. Her whole family has supported the program for such a long time," Kotula said. "It shows because she has been very successful throughout her whole career."
Kotula added both McGuire and Losch would have been key in their roles as well.
"I thought (McGuire) would be a great, great addition to our midfield this year," he said. "Her good sportsmanship and leadership style would help the team chemistry, which we definitely need to work on as well.
"Madi, I think she would have really shined this year. It's interesting to look at the stats from last year (Losch had no goals and one assist). Perhaps you don't see too many numbers, but on the defensive side, you don't see those numbers. You don't see the numbers for how many times you take away the ball from somebody else, or intercept a pass or deny the scoring opportunity that was out there for the other team. Madi was one of the key, key players last year."
Additionally, Kotula noted two seniors who had played previously but were not scheduled to be on the roster this year - Kenedy Van Zile and Lisa White.
Van Zile was a first-team all-GNC player last year and was second on the team in scoring (six goals, five assists) a year ago, but chose to focus on track and field this year. White was Arneson's backup in goal, seeing limited action last year, but was unable to go this year due to lingering injuries, according to Kotula.
"Kenedy is a great athlete. She came through an amazing basketball career and definitely would have been a great asset this year as well," Kotula said. "She deserves to be mentioned, even though she was not going to be playing this year. She is a great soccer player and has done a lot for this program.
"Lisa was a great athlete, a great player and definitely will be missed even though she was not planning on playing, she would have given the program a lot of her work ethic."
Same old foes
As has been the case the past two years, Ashland likely would have stood in the way as the Hodags took aim for their seventh conference title in nine years. The Oredockers edged Rhinelander for the last two conference titles, and were set to return seven all-conference players off last year's squad that qualified for the D3 state tournament, including GNC offensive player of the year Claire Custer.
"Conference-wise, Ashland was a team that was on our mind, very talented with multiple players that have the skills and experience playing, great program as well, very well-coached," Kotula said. "Looking at the players that had received all-conference, there were a lot of names from Ashland there, and they're returning players. Ashland would have definitely been a team that we would have been working on to play a challenging game again."
Kotula added Northland Pines and Lakeland would likely have been in the mix as well, along with Medford - which upset Lakeland last year in the D3 sectional semifinals before bowing out to Ashland in the sectional final.
The conference race would have had added weight for the Hodags this year. After one year back up in Division 2, the Hodags were slated to drop down to D3 again this season in a half-sectional that would have included conference foes Antigo, Lakeland, Medford and Mosinee. Ashland was assigned to the other half of the sectional and could have been a sectional final opponent for the Hodags, if they progressed that far in the tournament.
What's next?
The Hodags will try to get a jump on next year while saluting the seniors next month during an abbreviated season. Practice is currently scheduled to begin July 1 and the season will culminate with a games against Lakeland and Three Lakes July 15 and 16.
That practice time would be valuable, considering that everyone is essentially missing a season of action. Players who were sophomores last year will be the team's senior leaders next year.
"If there was an opportunity to play this summer, we would at least get a taste of it to see if we could create it in the short time before we play games and something that we would definitely strive for next year as well," he said.
Rhinelander will have a number of players back, but will have to fortify all levels of the formation with the graduation of Haverkampf, McGuire and Losch. Fortunately for the Hodags, Kotula said there is an energy from the underclassmen.
"There is a bright future and there is an opportunity for us to step up to the plate. The freshman class that was coming in, there are multiple players that I was looking forward to seeing play," he said. "They also have that drive. They're pumped up to play and they definitely would have made a huge impact this year as well. I'm sure they will be prepping for next year to show as sophomores what they would have done as freshmen."
Like it will be for several other sports, Kotula said the Hodag Sports Complex, currently under construction, will give the players a greater opportunity to train and refine their skills in the offseason.
"Having the opportunity to have open gyms and opportunities to play in the dome, it's something very exciting," he said of the inflatable dome that will include a turfed field that can be used for soccer. "I think that's on everyone's mind as well, to see there's a future, there's a bright future. With all the snow that's usually on the ground, it gives us a bit of an advantage to have the opportunity to continue to working on this sport and be ready for the next season, for the girls to have the opportunity to do something and have fun doing it as well."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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