Shutout ends Hodag soccer’s season

MINOCQUA — Outshooting the opposition does not guarantee victory in soccer, neither does having the majority of the possessions or taking the lion’s share of the corner kicks. 

Ultimately, the only metric that matters is the number of balls put into the opponent’s goal — something the Rhinelander High School girls’ soccer team again found out the hard way on Saturday afternoon. 

Josie Wentland’s free kick goal in the 47th minute was enough as Lakeland knocked its rival out of the WIAA tournament, defeating the Hodags 1-0 in a WIAA Division 3 regional final in Minocqua.

Rhinelander doubled Lakeland’s shot count in the game, 18-9, and the T-Birds had a paltry three shots on goal in the match to the Hodags’ 10. Yet Wentland’s free kick got past Rhinelander keeper Mya Krouze and that, ultimately, ended up being the deciding factor. 

It was another bitter pill for the Hodags (12-3-4) to swallow. Despite outshooting Lakeland in all three meetings this year, Rhinelander settled for a tie and two losses to their nemesis.

“It sucks to beat a team, but lose on the scoreboard,” Hodag coach Nathan Bates said. “You can win a game and not win on the scoreboard, and we have beat this team all season, unfortunately, it hasn’t been on the scoreboard.”

    Rhinelander goalkeeper Mya Krouze attempts to save a free kick by Lakeland’s Josie Wentland during a WIAA Division 3 girls’ soccer regional final game in Minocqua Saturday, June 1. Wentland scored on the play, the lone goal in Lakeland’s 1-0 victory over the Hodags. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Contact between Lakeland winger Bobbi Lee and Rhinelander outside defender June Chiamulera drew a foul roughly 30 yards from the Hodag goal on the left side of the box. Wentland arched the free kick over the Hodag wall, over Korzec leaping attempt to block it and underneath the crossbar in the top right corner. That gave Lakeland a lead it would ultimately protect, despite a fervent Rhinelander attack down the stretch. 

“It stings bad. It was the same exact thing as last game,” Bates said, referencing a 1-1 draw with Lakeland on May 21 where the T-Birds’ goal came on another Wentland free kick. “It was a foul from pretty much the exact same spot. That one hurt. It hurt. 

“With those high lofters like that, it’s hard to judge. Obviously, it was just a bad angle for (Krouze) and it went in.” 

Rhinelander appeared to have a golden opportunity to draw level in the 60th minute as GNC co-offensive player of the year Sophie Miljevich slipped between Lakeland defenders and raced in on a 1-on-0 breakaway. Miljevich pulled the trigger outside the 18-yard box and fired the shot directly into keeper Ava Eventuates chest, snuffing out the opportunity.

“She kicked it right at the goalkeeper. It happens. It happens to a lot of players,” Bates said. “At the end of the day, it’s something they have to shake off where they get nervous and they think they have to kick when then do instead of bringing in an little closer and getting a better opportunity.”

Rhinelander had shots from outside the 18 by Mia Tulowitzky and Mollie Arneson covered up in the final 10 minutes, and saw its last best chance to tie the game go awry in the 72nd minute. Ella Miljevich took a hard shot from roughly 10 yards out on which Evenhouse made a diving save. The rebound caromed to freshman Lindsey Hoerchler who misfired high from point-blank range with Evenhouse scrambling to get back into position. 

“My girls pressed hard to the end. We had Lakeland on their toes the whole game. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t get one in the back of the net,” Bates said.

Rhinelander controlled a defensive-minded first half. The Hodags narrowly missed pulling ahead in the 28th minute as Sophie Miljevich beat Evenhouse on a shot from 25 yards, only to see the ball carom away off the left goalpost. Lakeland did not register a shot on goal until the 37th minute — which also came via a Wentland free kick. 

“They only had one striker up top the majority of the game. They didn’t get a whole lot of opportunities on us. After that, though, they dropped everyone back like I knew they would,” Bates said.

While disappointed with the result, Bates was quick to credit the effort this team put forth on Saturday and over the course of the season. 

“I felt like we gave 110% the whole entire 80 minutes,” he said. “Every girl out there left everything they had today. They wanted it bad. I couldn’t have asked for anything more out of them. I’m very proud of all of them. They had a great season. They had a great run.”

Rhinelander 3, Shawano 1

    Rhinelander’s Sophie Miljevich possesses the ball during the second half of a WIAA Division 3 girls’ soccer regional semifinal game against Shawano at Mike Webster Stadium Thursday, May 30. Miljevich assisted on all three goals in the Hodags’ 3-1 victory. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

The Hodags got to Saturday’s regional final contest thanks to some well-played corner kicks Thursday night, as they defeated the Shawano Hawks 3-1 in the tournament opener at Mike Webster Stadium. 

Rhinelander overcame committing an own goal in the 20th minute. The Hodags scored all three of their goal off of Sophie Miljevich corner kicks, with each one being deflected into the net by a different player. 

“All season, it seems like it’s been one of our better years for corner kicks. The girls have been really well with them, but they were deadly tonight for sure,” Bates said. “(Sophie’s) been working pretty hard at them, doing a lot of practice. The girls have been working hard on their corners and set pieces. She brought it home with them tonight. She did awesome.”

Misfortune struck for Rhinelander as Becca Brost tried to clear a Shawano cross into the box but partially missed and inadvertently redirected the ball into her own goal. That deficit stood until late in the first half when Sophie Minervic corner found Tulowitzky in traffic on the back post and she drilled home the shot to tie the game in the 40th minute.

“It changed the momentum of the game,” Bates said. “The girls didn’t come off the field upset and feeling down because we had an own goal on ourselves. We came off pretty confident and fired up, which showed in the second half.”

Hoerchler scored the go-ahead goal for Rhinelander in the 60th minute as she used her chest to knock home a corner kick. Ella Miljevich won a scrum in traffic to put home another corner just two minutes later. 

Rhinelander outshot Shawano 36-10 in the game. Krouze made four saves in the win.

Wrapping up and looking ahead

It was a tearful huddle Saturday for the Hodags while Lakeland celebrated with the regional plaque on the opposite end of the field. Bates said it will be particularly difficult to bid farewell to his seniors — Krouze, Morgan Van Zile, Leah Jamison and Emma Chiamulera.

“I’m proud of all of them. I’m going to miss them,” he said. “They’ve been really big contributors to this program the last four years. I, honestly, couldn’t have asked for better seniors to have on the team. They led the team very, very well, were positive to all of our underclassmen. It’s going to be hard losing them.”

That being said, the Hodags will have three of the top five scorers in the GNC returning with the Miljevich sisters and Vivian Lamers. Bates said the team is eager to reload going into next season.

“We have a lot returning. We have a very young squad, which is pretty cool to see,” he said. “The girls will start back over again, getting ready for next year. I think our program’s going to be pretty strong here for quite a long time and we’ll be here again.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].