December 8, 2021 at 2:03 p.m.
Hodag boys' soccer hands out awards
Hodag boys' soccer hands out awards
A trio of juniors took home the team's most valuable player awards. Charlie Heck won the team's overall MVP award while Braden Mork was named the team's offensive MVP and Leo Losch won defensive MVP honors.
Losch also received the team's academic excellence award. Senior goalkeeper Gavin Ostermann was presented with the Golden Glove award and junior Will Quinn won the Hodag Award.
Heck earned second-team all-Great Northern Conference honors as a defender as he helped anchor a back four that allowed 1.7 goals per game in GNC play. Head coach Nathan Bates said Heck's award was earned equally from his play and his leadership on the field.
"It's saw awesome to see his team speeches," Bates said during the banquet. "We love them. The coaches, we just walk away. We know Charlie's going to do his thing. He's going to get the team pumped up and ready to go onto the field and battle. I love his speeches, love his intensity on the field and he's just an all-around great player."
Losch, who received honorable mention in the GNC, was also recognized for his efforts on the Hodags' back line. He has been tasked multiple times over the last two seasons with marking the opposition's best player. Bates said though Losch lacks the years of soccer experience some of his teammates have, he makes up for it with his competitive nature.
"If you see him on the field, he's absolutely a crazy man. He's nuts and I love it," Bates said. "Then when you see him off the field, he's just a great, respectable, nice young man. I think it's amazing that he can turn it on like that and be the competitor that he is. Then he comes off the field and is like, 'Hey coach, how's it going?'"
Mork also received honorable mention in the GNC from his midfielder position this season, and was Rhinelander's leading scoring both in conference play and overall. He finished with eight goals and five assists on the season.
"He's just a killer out there in the field and we're looking forward to another good year next year," assistant coach Adam Wiese said.
Ostermann, a unanimous first-team All-GNC selection at goalkeeper and the conference's defensive player of the year, had 6-6-5 a record this year with a 1.45 goals against average and a .798 save percentage. Bates said Ostermann's award was for his overall body of work over the last three seasons as Rhinelander's starting keeper.
"I don't what to say about you other than I'll miss you," Bates said. "I appreciate everything you've done and you're by far one of the best goalkeepers I've seen come out of this school. It's going to be hard to surpass."
Quinn earned the Hodag Award, given to the one who most embodies the qualities the program represents.
"Will, his dedication, his attitude and his coachability are probably some of the best qualities that he has, in my opinion," Bates said. "He listens. He tries hard and he's always there, putting in the effort. A lot of guys can learn from Will, how his attitude is. He's looking at the glass half full all the time and he's never looking at negativity. He keeps pushing through, even when he gets frustrated, he doesn't ever let it get I'm down."
Rhinelander went 6-6-5 overall on the season and finished tied for third in the Great Northern Conference with a 4-4-1-1 league record. Rhinelander lost to Medford in the WIAA Division 2 regional semifinals on penalty kicks.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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