June 14, 2021 at 1:20 p.m.
Surviving the Tigers
Hodags overcome last-second goal, defeat Marshfield on PKs to win regional title
Surviving the Tigers
The Rhinelander senior goalkeeper had just watched the game-tying goal slip through her hands in a regional final match against the Tigers. Then, as her teammates came to comfort her, a thought crossed her mind.
"My team just lifted me up so much and I knew all needed was one save to change the course of the score in the PKs. That's what I did," she said.
The Hodags overcame the shock of giving up the tying goal with one second left in overtime to win a penalty kick shootout 2-0 and advance in the WIAA tournament.
Kat Metropulos broke a scoreless tie 19 seconds into extra time for the Hodags, which stood until Marshfield's Kate Schilling made one final desperation attack on goal that Arneson deflected, but watched trundle slowly across the goal line one second before the Hodags would have secured the victory.
Rhinelander responded in the shootout, however. Ella Schiek and McKenna Brown converted on their chances while Marshfield missed all four of its attempts as the Hodags advanced in a wild contest.
"It was just a crazy game all around, but I will give it to the girls, they didn't quit once the whole game," Rhinelander coach Nathan Bates said. "We told them before the game whoever had the most heart was going to win and I think my girls had the most heart today."
Deadlocked after 90 minutes of regulation time, the Hodags launched a surprise attack on the Tigers off the opening kickoff in overtime. Ella Schiek push the ball quickly up field for Brown, who slotted it through two defenders for Metropulos. The senior did the rest, rolling the ball past Clara Allar for the game's first goal.
"We kind of changed up the formation a little bit there and kind of caught Marshfield off guard by putting more attackers up top, and less midfielders. It worked like we thought it would, for once," Bates said.
Added Metropulos, "It was really Ella and McKenna who weaved the ball in between them. It was just the right placement. It was a little more through to McKenna and it was just right there, one touch and in. Our momentum just went up from there."
However, there is no sudden victory in WIAA playoff soccer. The Hodags needed to play the final 19 minutes, 41 seconds of extra time without conceding a goal. They made it 19 minutes, 40 seconds.
Schilling had a chance in the 96th minute that rang off the crossbar, and Arneson tipped a Schilling shot over the goal in the 103rd minute. The Hodags thwarted off a corner kick in the final minute and cleared the ball away, but Marshfield was able to center the ball to Schilling for the equalizer.
Arneson admitting to having deja vu moment after Marshfield scored the tying goal. The Tigers scored with 23 seconds left in regulation to defeat Rhinelander 2-1 when the teams played in Rhinelander May 24. That was not the moment Arneson recalled, however.
Her mind flashed back to May 4, when the Hodags opened the season by winning a penalty kick shootout 4-2 over Mosinee.
"The first thing I thought of after they scored that goal and I knew we were going into a shootout is the fact was that one save I had in that first shootout in the first game is what altered the thing," she said. "That just kept going through my mind. I just need one save and my team will do the rest."
Arneson was right. She made one save in the shootout, and her teammates gave her some help. What she didn't count on was some friendly woodwork that helped keep Marshfield off the board.
After Gwyn Lowry put one off the crossbar in round one, Schilling rang a shot off the left post. Schiek finished low left and Arneson made a stop on Abby Kilty going to the left side to give Rhinelander a 1-0 lead after round two.
"It was more important than ever," Schiek said of her make. "We've been practicing it. It was really nice. We really put them in when it counted."
Ava Santerme stopped Ava Lamers' slow roller for Rhinelander before Hayden Berger rang the crossbar in round three. Brown finished to the top right corner in round four, forcing Abigail Ongna to make to extend the shootout. When the freshman's attempt struck the crossbar, the Hodag celebration began.
"I knew she was going that way and I knew if it didn't hit my hands, it would hit the post," Arneson said before adding, with a chuckle, "I love those things. I don't know. They changed the course of the PKs."
Play was even throughout the entire match, with Marshfield holding a slight 24-20 edge in total shots and 13-12 edge in shots on goal.
Rhinelander had the best look in the first half in the 13th minute as Schiek found room 15 yards out, but Allar tipped the ball and made a save. Marshfield nearly got on the board in the 23rd minute, but Arneson was able to jump in front of a cross by Courtney Meyer before Kilty could redirect it from the back post.
Arneson made 12 saves in the match, including a diving stop of a Schilling shot in the 53rd minute. She came up big again in the 63rd minute as Marshfield fired three shots on goal in short order. Arneson stopped them all.
Rhinelander hung with Marshfield in the second half and overtime on Saturday, something it could not say in the May 24 loss in which the Tigers controlled the second half and came back from a 1-0 deficit.
"I think we had a healthy team this time, to be honest with you," Bates said. "Last time we had some injuries going on with some our key players. We've been giving them a lot of breaks, trying to take it easy and rest them up. The whole team was healthy today. The last few games we've been doing really well and I'm super proud of them."
Rhinelander now faces top-seeded Sauk Prairie on Thursday in the sectional semifinals. When asked to describe the No. 8 team in Division 2 and champions of the Badger North Conference, Bates described Sauk Prairie as "Ashland on steroids."
"They're tough. We've watched some of their stuff and they've been killing it all season," he said, comparing them favorably to the GNC-champion Oredockers. "We're going to go out there, play, have fun and play the best we can. We're going to give it our all for Sauk Prairie and see what happens. Whatever happens after this, it's OK. We've had a great season here with these girls."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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