Soccer: Hodag offense erupts in 9-1 rout of Mosinee

MOSINEE — After a frustrating offensive night last Tuesday in a non-conference victory over Waupaca, Rhinelander High School girls’ soccer coach Nathan Bates kept his forwards and midfielders on the field following the team huddle for some extra discussion of how to get the team’s attack on track. 

Whatever was said sure seemed to do the trick on Thursday.

Sophie Miljevich scored three times, Vivian Lamers added a pair of goals and the Hodags made short work of Mosinee, defeating the Indians 9-1 at Edgewood Park in Mosinee.

Miljevich’s final strike ended the evening early via the eight-goal rule in the 72nd minute. Rhinelander (4-0-0, 1-0-0-0 Great Northern) scored four times in the first 20 minutes and, for the first time this season, did not have to deal with a tied match in the second half.

“It was a change for us. The last few games it’s been a second half-type battle,” Bates said. “Tonight we came out on fire right away. It was a different team tonight. The girls showed what they’re capable of doing this evening. I hope it continues throughout the season.”

Bates shrugged off the postgame chat from last Tuesday’s match, in which he said he called upon his forwards and midfielders to work more cohesively in the attack, but the message seemed to be delivered. Five of the team’s goals were assisted and three of others were the result of set pieces created by the team’s consistent pressure. 

“The girls were on point tonight. Tuesday was not our finest moment. High school sports, you know how it goes. It’s up, down, up, down. One night you get the U.S. Women’s National Team and the next night I don’t even know who you get,” he said. “We had a real good talk and a really good practice after that. The girls came back together with high energy at practice. The bus ride here I could tell they were ready to play again, which showed tonight on the field.”

Rhinelander got going early as Sophie Miljevich put Morgan Van Zile on a ball through the middle of the Mosinee defense for a breakaway goal in the fifth minute. Lamers then scored her first of two goals on a rebound following a save off a Leah Jamison shot after a corner kick in the 16th minute. Lamers was at it again in the 19th minute, firing from the top right of the 18 off a cross from Van Zile. 

    Rhinelander’s Ali Birk (21) defends Mosinee’s Kaitlyn Selle (11) during the first half of a GNC girls’ soccer game at Mosinee Thursday, April 11. Birk scored a goal, the first of her varsity career, on Thursday in the Hodags’ 9-1 win. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

Junior Ali Birk then added her first career varsity goal in the 19th minute — an arcing shot from 30 yards over the outstretched arms of Mosinee keeper Morgan Hoernke.

“Ali had a great shot from about 30 yards out. It was a beautiful rainbow,” Bates said. “We told them tonight if they were going to pack the box, we needed to be shooting from outside and we did that.”

Leah Weigel added to the lead in the 24th minute as her corner kick grazed off the leg of a Mosinee defense and inside the right post. The 5-0 lead held until the final moments of the first half when Abby Dhein slipped through the Rhinelander back line and converted on a breakaway chance. 

“It seemed like the defense got slightly complacent there for a little bit there and they fell asleep for about 20 seconds left in the first half,” Bates said. “One slipped through. It happens. It wasn’t the end of the world, but I don’t like seeing it happen.”

It did not take long into the second half for Rhinelander to restore the five-goal margin. Sophie Miljevich got free on a pass up the middle from her younger sister, Ella, and scored on a breakaway in the 46th minute. The elder Miljevich then converted a penalty kick in the 46th minute after Mosinee committed a handball foul in its own box. 

Ella Miljevich scored on a give-and-go from fellow freshman Hayley Schiek in the 48th minute and, after a number of chances to send the fans home early were snuffed out, Sophie Miljevich put an end to things on a breakaway courtesy of a Kinzie Arneson pass in the 72nd minute. 

“Our passing, and just our teamwork in general, tonight in my opinion was phenomenal,” Bates said.

Rhinelander outshot Mosinee 28-4 in the match and had a 17-3 edge in shots on goal. Senior keeper Mya Krouze tallied a pair of saves in the win. 

Next up, Rhinelander takes on Medford in GNC play at home on Thursday. Originally schedule for Medford, the two sides swapped home dates and Rhinelander will now travel to take on the Raiders Thursday, May 9.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].