Hodag hockey drops pair of close contests

A young Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team struggled to close out a pair of close games to end last week.

Rhinelander gave up four unanswered goals, including three in the third period, to drop their Great Northern Conference opener at Antigo 6-4 Thursday night and then couldn’t find the equalizer in a 2-0 loss to Oshkosh in non-conference play Saturday at the Rhinelander Ice Arena. 

The Hodags, who are skating two-and-a-half lines and four defensemen due to low numbers and injuries, have struggled in the third period so far this season. Rhinelander has been outscored 8-1 in the final period through four games. In the team’s three losses the Hodags have either had a lead, were tied or were within a goal in the third period of all three games.

Even on Saturday, though Oshkosh’s third-period tally was an empty-netter with 33 seconds remaining, the Ice Hawks outshot the Hodags 13-5 in the final stanza.

“It’s the third game in a week. We are not in the kind of condition that we need to be in based on how small we are for numbers,” Hodag coach M.J. Laggis said after Saturday’s loss. “We’re low on numbers and that’s no excuse. You got one guy playing, you know, half (power) at best with an injury. You got another guy out of the lineup that you need. So you’re really playing short-staffed and we’re going to have to get in the best possible condition that we can.” 

Antigo 6, Rhinelander 4

The Red Robins were also short-handed on Thursday, with five players scratched from the lineup, including top scorer from last year Eli Kassler. Regardless, with only nine skaters active, Antigo had more in the tank down the stretch than Rhinelander. 

“I think the thing that’s just frustrating is just kind of like, you know, you get to that point where it’s time to put the game away at 4-2 and score that next goal and take control and we’re just not able to do that at this point,” Laggis said. “We self-destruct. We make plays that we shouldn’t make.”

Tables turned against the Hodags late in the second period while trying to take a 4-2 lead to the locker room. Rhinelander lost a defensive zone face-off which led to a Carson Rhode goal with 31 seconds left in the frame. Moments later, defenseman Zach Edyvean was given a double minor for roughing as the result of a scuffle in front of the Hodag net. 

Antigo cashed in on that power play with a Jack Siegman goal 1 minute into the third period to tie the game and got the go-ahead goal by Owen Dickman with 8:19 remaining in regulation. 

“That’s just how fast it can slip away in a high school hockey game, like that,” Laggis said.

Liam Burt added an insurance goal with 3:55 remaining. The Hodags pulled goalie Asher Rivord for an extra attacker a short time later, but were unable to draw any closer. 

“We’re really not built to play that way,” Laggis said. “It’s not like we’re three lines solid and deep. We’re trying to get everything we can out of everyone you know so that’s a tough way for us to play, from behind needing to score and then needing to score two goals no less.”

Drake Nelson continued his strong start to the season for the Hodags, recording his first career hat trick. He started the scoring 2:36 into the contest and added another at the 12:07 of the first that gave Rhinelander a 2-1 lead it took to the first intermission. 

Nelson scored his third of the night at the 10:37 mark of the second, putting the Hodags up 3-2. He has a team-leading six goals through four games this season.

“Drake Nelson had a hat trick tonight and plays really opportunistic hockey. He really does a nice job around the net and has good hands. That was a real bright spot tonight,” Laggis said. “We did do some good things tonight. We got pucks to the net and we did outshoot them. We had some nice situations where a low shot by Van (Tulowitzky, a little shot hard shot by Karter (Massey) and Drake Nelson right there to pick up rebounds and score.”  

Freshman Carson Plehn picked up his first career goal at the 13:13 mark of the second, giving Rhinelander a 4-2 advantage. 

Special teams ultimately proved to be the difference in the game. In addition to Siegman’s game-tying goal on the power play, both of Antigo’s first two goals came short-handed on breakaways by Burt in the first period and Ian Brittenham in the second. 

“When we get on the power play, and we slow down is what we’re doing,” Laggis said. “So, as coaches, we’re trying to find ways to simulate having to run the power play at a much faster pace, but yet not panic and we’re not doing that right now.”

Rhinelander outshot Antigo 40-26. Rivord stopped 20 shots in the loss. 

Oshkosh 2, Rhinelander 0

    Rhinelander’s Asher Rivord dives to cover the puck ahead of Oshkosh’s Dayton Briski during the third period of a non-conference hockey game at the Rhinelander Ice Arena Saturday, Dec. 7. Rivord made a career-high 35 saves as the Hodags fell to the Ice Hawks, 2-0. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Rivord made 35 saves on Saturday, but did not get any offensive support as the Hodags were shut out for the first time this season. 

Afterward Laggis said he was frustrated with how the endgame scenario played out for Rhinelander. Drake Nelson was taken to the box for a hook with 3:41 remaining and, after killing off the penalty, the Hodags were unable to get a stoppage to call timeout and set-up the last-minute scenario.

Rivord eventually left his station with just over a minute to play, but the Hodags were unable to set up a forecheck with the extra attacker and William Beck scored the clinching goal on an empty net.

“I’m big on, probably 1:40 left in the game, pulling your goalie and giving yourself time and a chance, and doggone it, we just couldn’t get it together based on how the way that unfolded,” Laggis said.

Brennon Kraft scored unassisted for the Ice Hawks 14:19 into the first period. That ended up being the lone blemish against Rivord, who posted a career-high for saves on Saturday. 

“Asher, he came up with some big saves. He really did,” Laggis said. “He was scrambling, and came up with pucks. If he could play like that, consistently, you know, that that’d be big for us.”

Rhinelander had scoring chances, generating 17 shots in the first period alone and 32 shots overall for the contest. 

“I’ll tell you, we were in breakaway formation there, I think, on our end at least a couple of times,” Laggis said. “We had just point-blank chances and shot right into them. You score a couple of those goals and it’s a different game.”

Up next

The Hodags are bracing for their toughest test of the season as defending GNC co-champion and WIAA state qualifier Tomahawk comes to the RIA on Thursday night. The Hatchets are off to a 4-0-0 start and dispatched Waupaca 10-0 in their GNC opener this past Thursday in Tomahawk.

“They’re as good as it gets and they’ll likely be in that state title game, in all likelihood, in Division 2,” Laggis said. “They’re very skilled and they’re good. They’re big, they’re strong, they’re fast, they shoot the puck, they score a lot of goals and they’ll let you know about it, so they’ll be very challenging.”

Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. at the RIA.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].