June 21, 2021 at 8:51 a.m.
Hodags fall to top-seeded Sauk Prairie in sectional semis
Hodags fall to top-seeded Sauk Prairie in sectional semis
Katelyn Fishnick scored twice, Alexis Klemm added a goal and two assists and the top-seeded Eagles defeated the Hodags 3-0 Thursday in the regional final round.
The Hodags knew they were up against it Thursday against a Sauk Prairie team that has yet to concede a goal this season. The Eagles put the clamps on the Hodags' offense, too - holding Rhinelander to just three shots. But Rhinelander did something only three other teams have been able to do this year, limit Sauk Prairie to three or fewer goals.
"We knew it was a big task to ask out of the girls. They gave it 100%. That's all I can ask out of them," Hodag coach Nathan Bates said. "They played tough, they played physical and there's one thing they don't ever do is ever quit. I'm extremely proud of them for that. Our kids are tough and they fight and fight and fight."
Fishnick, Sauk Prairie's leader with 25 goals scored, was able to burn the Hodags a couple of times in the contest. Klemm sent through a pass that put Fishnick on a breakaway in the 26th minute, and she did the rest, beating Hodag keeper Kahlie Arneson to the low right post to put the Eagles ahead 1-0.
That's the way the score remained until the 69th minute when Fishnick was there on the back edge of the six-yard box to finish a cross from Klemm and double the lead. Klemm tacked on one more goal in the 73rd minute, scoring off a rebound after Arneson made two saves in short succession from point-blank range.
"She's a great player," Bates said of Fishnick. "She's skilled. She's fast and she's got a hell of a shot on her. She's a great player. I'd put her up there with some of the top players I've seen."
Roughly two-thirds of Sauk Prairie's 38 shots were taken in the second half - and the Eagles had two goals disallowed due to offsides over the final 15 minutes. Part of that was due to a helpful breeze at their back and part of it was due to a Hodag team that tried to dedicate more numbers into the attack in a last-ditch effort to get on the board.
"With 20 minutes left in the game we decided we were going to switch it up and change formation," Bates said. "I knew it was going to be a weaker, defensive-sided formation, but we needed to try to get some offensive attacks going. We did what we could. Hat's off to Sauk Prairie. They have a heck of a team."
Even then, offensive chances were hard to come by for Rhinelander. Despite a strong wind at their backs, the Hodags did not muster a shot until the final seconds of the first half when Ella Schiek sent a shot wide from roughly 40 yards.
Kat Metropulos registered Rhinelander's only shot on goal, a send from 20 yards in the 52nd minute that one-hopped to keeper Erelyn Apel.
"We had a couple of opportunities there, some bad touches here. I think if we could have gotten a little more offensive, (forward) McKenna (Brown) had them up top for sure," Bates said. "We just couldn't get it. They're a great team all around. They move the ball well, got a tough defense and got a tough offense."
Arneson made 11 saves in her final high school match for Rhinelander. She was one of seven seniors who suited up for the last time on Thursday.
"I'm going to miss all of my seniors. It's a great group of girls and I had a lot of fun with them this year," Bates said.
Thursday's game was delayed by approximately 30 minutes as thunderstorms passed though the area.
Though the Hodags finished 6-7-2 overall - the program's first sub .500 season since 2009 - the team did manage to make it to the sectional round of the WIAA tournament for the sixth time in the last eight seasons. That was all with Bates taking over as interim coach only days before the first game after Richard Kotula was forced to step down due to health concerns.
"We had some success. We had some ups. We had some downs. All and all, winning a regional championship this year was a pretty good thing to go and beat a team like Marshfield," he said. "I'll be back. It's been a good year. It took a while to get going but we did it. It took a little bit to get going and understand my style, but we ended the season strong."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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