November 21, 2022 at 8:29 a.m.
Team preview: RHS boys' hockey
Hodags hope to have pieces to make another deep run
Team preview: RHS boys' hockey
The Hodags are two years removed from winning the GNC tournament and advancing to the sectional finals. Coach M.J. Laggis said he's hopeful, should all the pieces come together, that this year's team can experience similar success.
"I want to see them just be a team and really play hard for each other. The real key is getting on a playoff run," he said. "The year we went to the sectional final, we were outstanding in the conference tournament. We just got better in the playoffs, right to the end. I want to see that kind of a run for these seniors. I want to see them go right to the cutting edge and see what they can do."
The major question mark entering the season for Rhinelander is at goaltender, where the team graduated its top two options from last year in Garrett Kulhanek and Caleb Shefveland. Two juniors - Tyler Kimmerling and Johnny Turek - are jockeying for playing time. The two logged 46 minutes combined in the net last year. Kimmerling stopped 11 pucks on 12 chances and Turek saved both shots he faced.
The two also posted similar numbers in their first simulated action of the season - a scrimmage in Rhinelander this past Thursday against Wausau East/Merrill. Kimmerling made eight saves and allowed one goal while Turek made nine saves and allowed two goals.
Laggis said it will be a platoon situation between the two to start the season, with playing time beyond that earned based on performance.
"They understand that the first five, six, eight games, it's going to be a lot of equal playing time. We've got to see who's doing what," Laggis said. "Some year's you have one guy that's the dominant dog and some years you have some years where guys are splitting more. We'll see what it brings, but both are going to get their chance, for sure."
The good news for both goalies is they have an experienced defensive unit in front of them that should limit the pressure, and an offense that returns eight of its top 10 scores.
Rhinelander brings back a pair of all-conference defensemen in seniors Sam Schneider and Layne Roeser. In addition to being strong at the blue line, the two have a knack for generating some offense as well. Roeser scored 15 goals and had 21 assists last year - and was a big part of Rhinelander's power play with five goals and 14 helpers on special teams. Schneider had eight goals and 19 assists last year.
Fellow senior Cody Everson, junior Dalton Fritz and freshman Carsen Saari round out the defensive unit.
"There's no substitute for seniors. There's no substitute for experience. Sam has as good of hands as you're going to find. Layne Roeser has as good a shot and as confident of a player as you're going to find," Laggis said. "Cody Everson is just rock solid back there as a senior. I feel like we have three really strong guys and Dalton Fritz is definitely fitting right into the mix and coming along nicely."
Rhinelander brings back plenty of offense with its two leading scorers - senior Leo Losch and junior Joey Belanger. Losch tallied 38 goals and 33 assists last year while Belanger had 37 goals and 27 helpers.
"We're trying to get them both to carry a line. I don't know if that's going to be the way we go all year or not but they both are absolutely really good hockey players," Laggis said.
The offense lost its top facilitator form last year in Cal Laggis, who had 44 assists. Junior Gavin Denis (8 g, 10 a) figures to have a larger role along with senior AJ Turek (5 g, 6 a), senior Finn Tulowitzky (8 g, 9 a) and sophomore Zach Edyvean (3 g, 4 a).
"There's a big void left with Cal but, frankly, Gavin Denis is going to fill that void and be right there for us. He's improved a ton for us as well, coach Laggis said. "We feel like we have six pretty darn good forwards. From there we've got to get some other guys to step up."
The Hodags looked strong at times against East/Merrill in this past Thursday's scrimmage - unofficially outscoring the Bluejacks 8-3. Belanger had three goals in the scrimmage and Denis scored twice. Turek, Edyvean and Karter Massey also scored while Losch and Fritz each had two assists.
Rhinelander outshot East/Merrill 45-6 in a pair of 25-minute 5-on-5 sessions, and 19-8 in a 25-minute special teams session that saw the sides split time between power play and penalty kill. East/Merrill had a 8-3 edge in shots over the final 20-minute segment, where Rhinelander skated predominantly its fourth and fifth lines.
"We're moving the puck up ice pretty well. We're not finishing really well, our plays," Laggis said during the scrimmage's intermission. "Obviously, Joey Belanger had a heck of a second period with three goals. We're getting some good movement, some good cycles but, by and large, it's how you finish the play and we're not necessarily finishing really well. We made some weak plays to end the play, turned some pucks over at neutral ice - things you expect in a scrimmage early on."
Rhinelander will be tested out of the gate this Friday when it plays Amery on the opening night of Amery's holiday tournament. The Hodags get the Webster Co-op in Saturday's second day of the event.
Rhinelander's home and conference opener comes Dec. 1 against what figures to be an improved Tomahawk team.
Lakeland won the GNC regular season and advanced to the WIAA state tournament for the second year in a row. Mosinee was the GNC tournament champion. Laggis said he figures those two teams are still the ones to beat in the conference.
"I think Mosinee will be, on paper, the most skilled team. Lakeland is showing that they're playoff-ready every year and I think we have a chance to be right in that mix, too," he said. "I definitely think Mosinee, on a skill level, is probably the team and then maybe Lakeland and I think we're right in that mix."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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