January 27, 2021 at 1:31 p.m.
Wojtusik scores five goals as Hodags advance in GNC tourney
Wojtusik scores five goals as Hodags advance in GNC tourney
Harlan Wojtusik scored five goals, Joe Schneider added a goal and three assists, and the Hodags fended off the Comets 7-5 at the Rhinelander Ice Arena in the first round of the conference tourney.
Once again, the Hodags' top line carried much of the weight. Wojtusik and Schneider accounted for the final six Rhinelander goals. Both now have 24 tallies on the season.
"We did so many good things in the offensive zone," Hodag coach M.J. Laggis said. "Harlan Wojtusik was phenomenal in the offensive zone. I don't have any other way to put it. He had five, and I don't think I'm really stretching this, he probably should have had two more. Holy cow, he was just unbelievable. Joe Schneider, I'm going to say it again. He works as hard as anyone I've ever coached up and down the ice. He never quits."
The biggest play of the night for Wojtusik arguably wasn't a goal, rather a mid-second period check near the Hodag bench. Trailing 3-2 at the time, the check jarred the puck free from a Waupaca player. Schneider picked up the loose puck and scored from the right point to tie the game at three. Wojtusik scored the next three unanswered as Rhinelander took a 6-3 lead early in the third.
"It was a great hit and Joe was just Johnny on the spot, getting on that puck and getting it to the net. Those are the kind of plays we've got to make," Laggis said.
Waupaca did not go quietly, thanks to a three-goal night by freshman Max Gusmer. He scored shorthanded at the 6:30 mark of the third, and again on a 5-on-3 power play at the 11:44 mark of the period, cutting Rhinelander's lead to two on both occasions.
The Hodags staved off a 6-on-4 power play over the final two minutes to move on in the GNC tournament.
The first period played out much like the teams' first meeting back on Dec. 11 in Rhinelander. The Hodags got on the board first thanks to a Sam Schneider one-timer off a Carter Detienne face-off win at the 4:49 mark of the period. Waupaca's leading scorer Eli Bartel answered midway through the period with a pair of goals nine seconds apart to give Waupaca a 2-1 lead.
Wojtusik tied it on the power play 3:49 into the second, but Gusmer put the Comets back in front at the 6:04 mark off a pass from behind the net by Sawyer Mielke created by a Hodag turnover.
"Sometimes it's a case of us shooting pucks into shin. Sometimes its a matter of us getting caught deep and they slip behind us, but it's really been a theme of ours," Laggis said, as turnovers led to no fewer than three Waupaca goals. "I've watched enough tape on Waupaca. I know what their nuances are but they were still effective getting behind us numerous times. They got odd-man rushes and they played capitalistic hockey. When they had chances in front of the net, they buried it."
Rhinelander outshot Waupaca 46-25 in the game. Garrett Kulhanek made 20 saves in the win, which gave Rhinelander a rematch with top-seeded Northland Pines on Thursday. Rhinelander handed the Eagles their lone conference loss, 5-2 in Eagle River back on Dec. 3.
The Hodags, depending on the outcome of last night's game at Northland Pines, which concluded after deadline for today's edition, will either play for first or third in the GNC tournament tomorrow against either Mosinee or Lakeland. The top four seeds in the conference tournament all held serve in Tuesday's quarterfinal games.
Playoff bracket revealed
Late Sunday, the WIAA unveiled the boys' hockey tournament bracket, which looks almost identical to the GNC tournament bracket. That stands to reason, given seven of the eight GNC schools are in the same sectional.
That means Rhinelander, as the No. 4 seed, will face fifth-seeded Waupaca again next Thursday at the Rhinelander Ice Arena when the WIAA tournament commences. The Hodags now have a pair of two-goal wins to their credit over the Comets.
"They're going to be here for real in nine days and we're going to have to play better to beat them a third time, I can tell you that," Laggis said after the game.
Northland Pines, Mosinee, Lakeland, Rhinelander and Waupaca were the top five seeds for both the GNC and WIAA tournaments. Marshfield, the only non-GNC school in the sectional bracket drew the No. 6 seed, followed by Antigo and Tomahawk.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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