October 26, 2020 at 10:02 a.m.
Howard's hat trick sends Hodag soccer to WIAA sectionals
Howard's hat trick sends Hodag soccer to WIAA sectionals
The junior forward scored all three goals as the Hodags defeated Antigo 3-0 in a WIAA Division 2 regional final game at Mike Webster Stadium. The victory earned Rhinelander its first trip to sectionals since 2017 and a rematch with Great Northern Conference runner-up Medford Thursday night at Mike Webster.
Howard scored in the 12th and 40th minutes for the Hodags (12-2-0) and finally finished off his hat trick in the 85th minute on a night where Rhinelander held a 34-11 edge in shots, but struggled to get shots past Antigo keeper Cordell Umland.
"Beau could have probably put seven or eight in tonight. He had plenty of opportunities. He did finish three," Hodag coach Nathan Bates said. "We had a lot of really good looks. We should have finished a lot more. The score should be a lot higher than what it was. But again, the boys' finished it. They won it."
Howard's opening strike came early in the opening half. Joseph Heck sent a cross in from the left side of the penalty box and Howard nodded it home to get the Hodags on the board. Just before halftime, the Hodags raced the length of the field on the counterattack to double the lead. Howard and Charlie Heck worked a give and go through the middle of the Antigo defense. After a Robin defender slipped and fell, Howard got free on a 2-on-1 breakaway and tapped the ball past a diving Umland.
Howard, who now has 13 goals on the season, clinched it late. After Rhinelander keeper Gavin Ostermann stopped Noah Samolinski's long-range free kick attempt, he punted it a way. Howard gathered the ball on a bounce at midfield, split two defenders and fired a shot from the top of the 18 to the top right corner of the goal.
Rhinelander had plenty of rest after ending the regular season Oct. 15 at Medford. Part of that was by design following a grueling 31-day regular season that saw the Hodags play 13 times. Part of that was due to Mother Nature, who snowed out practices for the Hodags this week. Members of the team were among those who helped remove snow from the stadium floor Friday in preparation for Saturday night's playoff contest as well as the RHS football team's impromptu home game Friday night against Stratford.
"This was their first time on the field since last Thursday," Bates said. "There was a lot of sweat equity put in just to get out here and move the ball around. We showed up at 5 o'clock to kind of knock a little bit of the rust off."
"We got enough to finish the game, but it was not our best performance. The boys came out a little lax. They didn't have the fire that they normally do. It's hard to beat the same team three times in a season."
Antigo (0-11-1) managed eight shots on goal against a Rhinelander's defense. The Robins' best chance to score came in the 50th minute when Frank McKenna outflanked the Hodag defense on the left on a quick counterattack, but his 1-on-0 breakaway attempt was stopped by Ostermann, one of eight saves for the Hodag junior in his fourth shutout of the season.
Now, for Rhinelander, the attention turns to Thursday's sectional semifinal game at home against Medford. The Hodags defeated the Raiders in Rhinelander 1-0 Sept. 17 as Hugh Wiese scored the game winner in the 80th minute after Medford's Kale Klussendorf was red carded and sent off in the 75th minute. Medford won the rematch 7-0 in Medford Oct. 15, though the Hodags rested a number of their starters in that game, with the conference title already secured.
Medford advanced with a 6-0 victory over Lakeland on Saturday. Three of those goals were scored in the final two minutes of the match with the outcome already well in hand.
"It's going to be best on best. We're ready for them," Bates said. "They boys want them. Medford had a heck of a game, it sounded like, tonight against Lakeland, but it's not going to be like when they played us on (Oct. 15), I promise you that."
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at Mike Webster Stadium.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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