November 1, 2022 at 7:21 a.m.
Saved by the horn
Hodags down Rice Lake in PKs, advance to state after horn-induced do-overs
Saved by the horn
The Hodags ultimately prevailed in bizarre penalty kick shootout, 4-3, over Rice Lake in a WIAA Division 3 sectional final Saturday night following a scoreless, overtime draw.
The result came after two kicks - including one that would have sent Rice Lake to state - were nullified after a loud horn, coming from street just adjacent Pug Lund Field sounded in what appeared to be an attempt disrupt the shootout.
The first was a long blast that sounded as Rice Lake's Abdella Chakouri made a kick that would have given the Warriors a 4-3 win in penalties. The blast appeared to distract Rhinelander goalkeeper Cooper Radke as the ball went inside the left goalpost. Officials quickly disallowed the kick and ordered a do-over. This time Chakouri rang a shot off the right post to send the game to extra kicks.
A second, shorter blast occurred just as Kyle Wiese took his shot for Rhinelander in the sixth round of the shootout. The officials again called for a do-over and Wiese converted. Radke then stopped Rice Lake's Sam Jevne to clinch the first WIAA state tournament appearance in the history of the Hodag boys' soccer program.
It was the third straight playoff game that Rhinelander won via a shootout, but Saturday night's bizarre ending left everyone stunned.
"All my years of coaching, which has been a long time, that's the most bizarre game I've had. I don't think I've even had one like that before," Hodag coach Nathan Bates said. "I didn't like the ending, based off the fact of what was going on. It's unfortunate, but I'm happy my boys were able to pull it off. They had a great season. I'm super proud of every one of them. They played their hearts out all year long. I'm very happy that they got to experience this and they get to make a run at state now."
"The unfortunate piece is obviously something outside the complex created that distraction and changes the whole trajectory of the game," Rice Lake athletic director Tim Lipke told reporters afterward. "I've never seen a situation like that in all of my career.
"Lot of frustration, certainly, from the side of the Warriors tonight, for something we had no control over."
Lipke said Rice Lake administration and local authorities were unable to determine the exact source of the dubiously-timed blasts. The search was concentrated to a side street located approximately 100 yards behind the goal into which the shootout was being conducted. Only a couple of chain-link fences separated vehicles parked along the street from the field, and spectators outside the stadium had a clear view of the action inside.
"We talked to every vehicle," Lipke said. "All the people there were Rice Lake fans, as so that wouldn't make any sense either. They're great people, every single car there. It would have made no sense to blow that horn when we were kicking that goal."
The shootout was delayed for roughly five minutes as a search for the offending parties took place. Rice Lake administration remained in the area where the noise appeared to originate from for the remainder of the shootout.
"The horn went off. I didn't know what it was," Radke said. "I think it was a Jeep over there. It distracted me crazily. I just froze. I didn't know what to do because it took me out of my zone. I think it was to help them out but, we got a second shot and we made it count."
The Hodags were in dire straits before the horn-induced reprieves. Rhinelander trailed 2-1 in the shootout after Andrew Henrichs and Braden Mork were both stopped during the first three rounds of the shootout. Radke's stop of Austin Potter at the end of round 3 kept the Hodags' hopes alive.
Mason Shinners, Shane Petrick and Charlie Heck converted for the Hodags during the first five rounds of PKs. Bailey MacDonald, Hayden Walters and Pierce Hastreiter scored for Rice Lake before the situation with the horn unfolded.
Ultimately, the Hodags benefitted from what amounted to a pair of mulligans to advance to state.
"That stuff doesn't come planned but it's the stuff you'll remember forever. The winning teams, that stuff happens to them," said Heck, a senior captain for Rhinelander. "It was honestly luck of the draw that it panned out the way it did, but we knew if we got two chances at it, we weren't going to miss both of them. We had faith in our keeper and he came through."
The ending drama overshadowed what had been a physical, hard-fought match between the sides. Rice Lake outshot Rhinelander 22-19. Both teams had six shots on goal and the game featured 34 fouls and seven yellow cards between the teams.
"Both teams battled hard. Both teams wanted it," Bates said. "They were hungry, both teams were. Our boys are beat up as well as Rice Lake. We've had some pretty rough games in the last week here. I'll give my hat's off to Rice Lake. They tried hard. My boys fought hard and it ended the way it ended."
Rhinelander had the better of play over the first 20 minutes with Jevne making a diving save on a Will Quinn chance from 25 yards in the 19th minute. Jevne had to act quickly again in the 26th minute as Wiese sent in a free kick from 35 yards that bounced off a Rice Lake defender dangerously close to the goal.
The Hodags dodged their biggest bullet in the 48th minute when Radke went out to challenge Sam Borgen for a loose ball to the right side of the penalty area. Borgen got around Radke and the Warriors had three shots inside the box blocked by Rhinelander defenders before putting a fourth chance out of bounds.
After Radke saved his team on numerous occasions during this playoff run, the Hodags repaid the favor.
"It's the least we can do for him," said Heck, who cleared one of the shots in the scrum off the goal line. "He got out of the goal and we just stacked as many bodies away on that shot as we could. We got the ball out of there and that's all that matters."
The end result for Rhinelander - a trip to the WIAA state meet and a promise fulfilled between a group of players and coaches who have come up through the ranks from the U8 level.
"We've seen it all along. They're a special group of kids and turned out to be like my own kids. I'm very proud of them," Bates said as he struggled to fight back tears. "I've been saying since Day 1 that they're special and they'd make it to state some day. My prediction was right. I'm very proud of them."
"It's been our goal this whole time," Heck added. "Senior year we were finally able to put it together. It's impossible to tell how realistic this goal is going into the year, but these boys were all united under one goal. We made it happen and that's what matters at the end of the day."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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