April 18, 2022 at 8:08 a.m.
Hodag soccer tames Medford, weather in 9-1 rout
Hodag soccer tames Medford, weather in 9-1 rout
It will not be for the outcome - Ava Lamers scored four goals, Sophie Miljevich and McKenna Brown each scored twice, and the Hodags cruised past Medford 9-1 at Raider Field on Thursday. The game will be memorable for the weather conditions that stole the show for the early-season Great Northern Conference contest.
The game-time temperature was 30 degrees. It felt more like the mid-teens, thanks to a strong westerly wind that gusted up to 35 MPH at times during the match. Light snow also fell before and during the match, partially obscuring the field markings and making for a truly unique and challenging playing experience.
"All of us coaches said it was probably the craziest game we've ever played in," Hodag coach Nathan Bates said afterward. "Between the wind and the cold and the snow, I've never had a game like that. That was a first and I definitely won't ever forget it."
Raider Field, which is oriented in an east-west direction, amplified the challenge for the teams. The wind served essentially as a 12th player for the side that had it at its back. The wind was so strong at times that the ball would not stay stationary when set down for a free, goal or corner kick.
"The girls would be on a breakaway, touch the ball lightly and they couldn't keep up with it because the wind would just push it faster than they could keep up with," Bates said. "The girls were holding for free kicks, like a football game and we're doing field goals."
Rhinelander, with the wind at its back in the first half, raced out to a 6-0 lead. The Raiders got a goal back with the wind in its sails midway through the second half before the Hodags found their bearings against the gale and tacked on three more tallies late in the second half.
Moments after Brown rang the right post on an attempt in the 11th minute, Lamers gathered the clearance attempt and fired from 25 yards into the back of the net to put Rhinelander ahead.
Miljevich, a freshman, netted her first of two goals in the 17th minute as she won a 50/50 ball served forward by Anna Schoppe roughly 30 yards from net, raced in and converted the breakaway chance.
Lamers struck again in the 23rd minute as a ball caromed free just outside the box following a corner kick. She gained control and tucked a shot inside the right post. Brown made it 4-0 in the 25th minute as she got on the end of an Eleanor Steffen send from the back line, split the defense and converted a breakaway chance. Miljevich scored again on a drop from the end line by Lamers in the 33rd minute and Lamers fired in another shot from 25 yards in the 34th minute.
"She had some beautiful shots tonight," Bates said of Lamers, who now has seven goals on the season. "The one that came out, she did a quick turn, opened to space and she just drained it right down from outside the 18. It was a beautiful goal. She was on fire.
"Sophie and Leah (Weigel) both played a great game. McKenna, as always, dominating. She got two in tonight but she had a lot of opportunities. Through balls were pretty tough to work with tonight due to the wind. I feel like if we didn't have the wind tonight, she probably would have put up a large numbers of goals."
Medford tallied its first goal of the night - and first in four games so far this season - in the 57th minute, set up by an Audrey Schiek push outside the box near the right corner. Sierra Tessmann took the free kick, which glanced off Schiek in the box and bounced straight to Madison Clarkson who converted a one-touch finish from roughly 12 yards out.
How the wind affected play was underscored by Medford's attack on Thursday night. The Raiders finished with eight total shots and three on goal - all coming in the second half with the wind at their back.
Bates said the Hodags came out in a more defensive-minded formation going against the wind in the second half, but eventually figured out how to make progress up field. Lamers capped off her night with a goal from 18 yards in the 66th minute that would have sailed well over the crossbar in normal conditions, but the wind knocked it down to the point where the ball grazed off the bottom of the bar and dropped into the net. Brown drove in a shot from the right side of the 18 in the 72nd minute for her team-best eighth goal of the season. Morgan Van Zile finished off the scoring, converting a cross from Miljevich in the 75th minute.
"Once the girls figured it out, we changed it up on the fly again and we started putting some more goals in the back of the net again," Bates said. "It took them a few minutes to get their bearings and, from there, they were on fire. They pressured very, very well again today. I have no complaints. They kept the constant pressure no matter what the weather was doing and they played amazing game."
The Hodags amassed 36 shots in the contest, 17 of which were on frame. Sophomore Mya Krouze made two saves in the win for Rhinelander.
Rhinelander (3-2-0, 1-0-0 Great Northern) kicks off a busy week of soccer tonight at home against Wausau East. From there the Hodags will play games on three consecutive days, hosting Antigo Thursday, traveling to Three Lakes Friday and taking on Merrill at home Saturday.
"The girls are really putting things together as a team the last three games and it seems like they're getting better and better as time goes on," Bates said. "Hopefully, Tuesday, we'll go back out there, continue to do what we're doing and we'll work on Thursday, Friday and Saturday."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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