Sports digest

The Northland Pines girls’ hockey co-op, which absorbed the remains of the Rhinelander/Lakeland/Antigo Northern Edge co-op for the 2023-24 season, started the year 0-3, losing three games over two days on Nov. 24-25 in Hartland. 

Northland Pines co-op fell 1-8 to Arrowhead, 1-6 to Lakeshore Lightning and 1-7 to Brookfield. 

In their game against Arrowhead, Lakeland’s Taylor Heleniak scored the lone goal for the Eagles. She had the equalizing goal in the first period to tie the game at 1-1. Mallory Schmidt and Ava Carillo had the assists.

Arrowhead ended up scoring six goals in the first period on 32 shots. From that point on, Northland Pines settled in and allowed just two goals.

“We did learn a lot through (the three games). The first period of the first game was a little rough. I think everyone had bus legs, got off (the bus) on a four-hour drive,” coach Andrea Sergent told The Lakeland Times. 

Heleniak had the assist on the only Northland Pines goal scored by Lilly Beitler against Lakeshore. Northland Pines fared better in the shot department. They were outshot 23-16 by the Lightning.

“The second game we come out we looked very good. We got some new girls in there, we put our second goalie in. Overall, it was a good game,” Sergent said. “We need to figure out who meshes together more than others.”

The final game the Eagles had over the weekend took place on Nov. 25. Rhinelander freshman Reese Retallick scored for Northland Pines with the assist to Heleniak. 

“The third game we were just tired. We put up a good fight, it was a good game,” Sergent said. “We were just that third game we were tired.”

According to data provided by Rhinelander High School, the school has seven skaters participating with the Northland Pines co-op this year — Retallick, Emalee Detienne, Maddie Legrey, Hannah Mueller, Lily Pequet Mia Tulowitzky and Jalyn Zadnik.

“I think we’ll be a pretty competitive team,” Sergent said. “I think we’ll be able to compete with a lot of these bigger teams than we have in the past.”

The Eagles lost at Chippewa Falls/Menomonie 9-2 Friday with Heleniak scoring both goals. Northland Pines was shutout 5-0 by Eau Claire on Saturday.

With the exception of a Feb. 9 game against the Badger Thunder at Lakeland, all of Pines’ home games will be played in Eagle River.