January 19, 2022 at 1:24 p.m.
Hodag hockey powers past Medford
Hodag hockey powers past Medford
The Hodags went 5-for-7 on the power play - including three goals on a major power play in the third period - as they defeated Medford 9-0 at the Simek Center.
The game proved more competitive than the team's non-conference matchup the previous Saturday, which was won by Rhinelander 14-3 in the championship game of the East/Merrill tournament. Yet the Hodags had more than enough in the tank to claim the win, thanks in large part to what they were able to do on special teams.
"We worked hard on our power play," coach M.J. Laggis said. "It's been kind of a challenge this year with less bodies working on the power play the way we usually do. We've actually kind of made it a small-area and we work on our power play in a real tight space. We just started doing it a couple of weeks ago. We can pressure it harder and make it feel more game-like and cramped. Then you get in a game setting and it feels wide open. That's worked. That's helped us. We had good movement and we created a lot of shots and a couple of real pretty goals."
Leo Losch scored three times for Rhinelander (11-4-0), Joey Belanger scored twice and Cal Laggis had a goal and four assists. Garrett Kulhanek recorded 26 saves in a shutout as Rhinelander moved into a tie for second in the GNC, thanks to Antigo's 6-4 upset win Tuesday at Mosinee.
Belanger and Losch did the damage for Rhinelander in the first period. Belanger scored on the power play at the 7:41 mark to put Rhinelander on the board, Losch added a tally at the 10:58 mark and then Belanger scored short-handed at 12:03 to give Rhinelander a 3-0 lead after one.
Losch added to the lead just 45 seconds into the second period and Finn Tulowitzky added a goal at the 7:03 mark to give Rhinelander a 5-0 lead.
Medford followed with some of its best hockey, outshooting Rhinelander 11-9 in the second, but could not get past Kulhanek.
"There was about a seven-minute stretch in the second period were I thought they were controlling the tempo of the game and really working hard. They had a few good opportunities," coach Laggis said. "Garrett Kulhanek made 26 saves on the night and had a nice shutout and a well-deserved shutout. That wasn't a four-shot shutout. He made some saves."
Rhinelander put the game away following a Colby Bull checking from behind major late in the second period.
Losch, Layne Roeser and Cal Laggis all scored on the extended power play in the first 3:23 of the third period. Carter Detienne added another power play goal with just more than one minute remaining.
Belanger's two goals gave him a team-best 26 on the season while Losch got to 21 goals and 22 assists on the year with his five-point effort. Cal Laggis scored his 10th goal of the season and brought his team-leading assist total to 24.
"Leo had some nice goals. Joey Belanger has been all over the place and is producing points for us," M.J. Laggis said. "I got to say the same about Cal. He had a five-point night and those guys have been all over the ice - power play, penalty kill - making plays and playing full speed. That's a really, really good thing for our team."
Rhinelander outshot Medford 42-26 in the contest.
Following Tuesday's events, the Hodags find themselves right back in the thick of the race for the No. 1 seed for the Great Northern Conference tournament. Lakeland (5-1-0-0) vaulted into the lead with a 5-1 victory at Northland Pines while Mosinee and Rhinelander (4-1-0-0) sit tied for second, and Antigo and Waupaca are tied for fourth (3-2-0).
Rhinelander faces both Mosinee and Antigo next week but first has a non-conference matchup at home against Shawano on Saturday afternoon.
"Not looking past Shawano, but next week is just enormous with the way things have shook out in the GNC," coach Laggis said. "You've got Antigo and Mosinee and then you've got Hayward on the schedule. A lot will be told. There's a lot of teams in the GNC now with one loss, a couple with two losses and we're one of the ones hanging in there with one loss, but we've got two big opponents coming."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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