Hodag soccer outlasts Shawano, Washburn in opening matches

The Rhinelander High School girls’ soccer team opened its season with a pair of victories on Thursday and Friday, but their non-conference opponents made them work for both results.

The Hodags settled second-half ties with the final two goals both nights to earn a 4-2 win over Shawano in the Hodag Dome on Thursday and a 2-0 win over Washburn Friday at Mike Webster Stadium.

Though Rhinelander (2-0-0, 0-0-0-0 Great Northern) seemed on the back foot at times early in both second halves, the Hodags responded to start the season off well.

“I’m very proud of the whole team in general,” Hodag coach Nathan Bates said following Friday night’s win. “They’ve got great energy and great team chemistry this early in the year. I think they’re going to have a good season this year if they can continue to put the pace on like they’re doing.”

    Rhinelander’s Sophie Miljevich is chased by Shawano’s Madison Miller (4) and Kyla Dove (3) on a breakaway chance during a non-conference girls’ soccer game against Shawano in the Hodag Dome Thursday, April 4. Miljevich scored three goals as the Hodags won their first two games of the season. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

On Thursday night, the Hodags squandered an early 2-0 as the Hawks drew level in the 45th minute. Shawano appeared to have taken the lead in the 53rd minute, but Trinity Popelka’s breakaway goal was negated by offsides. Moments later, the Hodags launched a counter attack as Sophie Miljevich sent a drop pass to her younger sister, Ella, and the freshman converted from 15 yards to put Rhinelander up 3-2 in the 54th.

“It was a fast transition, which we’ve been working a lot of,” Bates said. “When they did that tonight with our slotted-back passes and our transition, we put good goals in. When we decided not to, it didn’t work out so well for us.”

The Hodags then dodged a bullet in the 65th minute as a foul committed by freshman June Chiamulera inside the Rhinelander 18 resulted in a Shawano penalty kick, but Popelka’s chance to tie the match sailed high and wide right. 

Senior goalkeeper Mya Krouze denied a hard shot by Popelka with a diving save to the left post to preserve the one-goal lead in the 76th minute and Sophie Miljevich put the game away to with a finish to the upper left corner of the goal in the 78th minute.

“Mya had a great save, full extension. It was a beautiful shot there and she came away with a huge save,” Bates said. “She did a great job today. Last week, she didn’t get a lot of test (in the scrimmage) but this week she did and she did a good job. 

“It could have been a tie game, for sure today, or a lot close than what it was. We had a couple of moments that stopped from happening, but their goalie also made a lot of big saves tonight, too.”

Rhinelander raced ahead early in Thursday’s match. Leah Weigel sent a ball up the left flank to Morgan Van Zile in the eighth minute and Van Zile’s cross found Sophie Miljevich in the middle to give Rhinelander the early lead. Freshman Vivian Lamers doubled the advantage in the 17th minute on a shot from outside the 18 on the right flank that rainbowed over keeper Brynlie Boyles and into the back of the net.

Shawano responded in the 30th minute as Popelka scored on a rebound after Madeline Pyatskowit was denied on a point-blank chance. Pyatskowit tied it for Shawano in the 45th minute as she gathered a loose ball on a scrum in the box following a close-range chance by Darcie Erdmann.

“We started off really, really strong and, for whatever reason, the girls got flat midway through the game,” Bates said. “I don’t know why they did, but they did and we got kind of sloppy. Toward the end of the game, they decided to pick it back up again and start doing what they know how to do.”

On Friday, it took exactly 58 minutes for the Hodags to break a scoreless deadlock. Van Zile split the defense on a through ball from Ella Miljevich and made a composed finish on her breakaway chance to give the Hodags the lead.

“It was a great pass. Mo read it really well. Ella made a great pass to it and it was a great, beautiful shot,” Bates said.

Sophie Miljevich, the top returning scorer from last year’s squad, collected her third goal in two games in the 66th minute, depositing a free kick from 40 yards out into the upper left corner of the net. 

“We told Sophie settle down there for that free kick outside, ‘Settle down, take your time.’ When she does, she had a great shot and a lot of power from far out,” Bates said. “She put one in the back of the net for it.”

    Rhinelander’s Vivian Lamers sends the ball up field past Washburn’s Sieanna Sandor during a non-conference girls’ soccer game at Mike Webster Stadium Friday, April 5. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

The Hodags dominated the first half on Friday. The Castle Guards did not record a shot over the first 40 minutes as the teams played to a scoreless draw. That changed early in the second as Washburn applied its best pressure of the night. Krouze denied a chance from Lily Vasser in the 47th minute and then stopped a free kick chance from Sieanna Sandor in the 48th. Krouze finished the night with four saves, all in the second half.

“The first half I felt like we had the better end of the play,” Bates said. “The second half, I’d say the first 15-20 minutes or so we were definitely in a little bit of a lull there it looked like. Then it seemed like they got tired and we got a second wind and we were able to wear them down and put a couple of goals in.”

Rhinelander outshot Shawano 35-13 on Thursday and Washburn 22-6 on Friday to come away with the season-opening wins. The Hodags started three freshmen in both games and had three more see minutes. Bates said, especially in the attack, the key will be getting all of his players to work in unison as the Hodags try to replicate last season, when they had the No. 1 offense in the GNC.

“When they work up there together, they work well. When they’re not doing individual stuff and they’re working together as a team, I don’t think there’s anybody better in the conference than the group that’s up there,” he said. “The biggest thing right now is just trying to make them all the time work together as a unit instead of individuals.” 

The Hodags are back in action tonight as they host Waupaca at Mike Webster Stadium. Rhinelander will begin Great Northern Conference play on the road Thursday night at Mosinee.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].