GNC title hopes end for Hodag soccer prior to PK win vs. Pines

The Rhinelander High School girls’ soccer team’s chances for a Great Northern Conference championship were officially dashed moments before they took the field Thursday night in the penultimate game of the regular season. The reasons the Hodags will finish as runners-up to Lakeland in the conference for a third year in a row were put on display in the 80-plus minutes that followed.

An early mistake led to the Hodags conceding a goal and Rhinelander’s struggles to put balls in the back of the net despite consistent pressure continued in a 1-1 draw with the Eagles at Mike Webster Stadium. 

The Hodags have lost only once in GNC play, a 1-0 defeat to Lakeland at home April 30. Had that been the Hodags’ only blemish in league play, they would have entered this afternoon’s regular season finale at Lakeland with a chance to split the conference title with the T-Birds. However, Thursday marked the second time Rhinelander has been taken to penalty kicks in conference play. They lost a shootout to Medford back on April 18 and though they took Thursday night’s shootout, 3-1, the three points they surrendered by not winning those games in regulation ultimately sealed their fate. 

Lakeland clinched the conference title outright by moving to 9-0-0-0 in league play with a 2-0 victory over Medford earlier Thursday.

“Lakeland they got the conference and we’re No. 2,” Hodag coach Nathan Bates said. “We knew that was where it was going to end tonight. I didn’t want to lose, and we didn’t lose, but at the end of the day, we already knew what conference was. I’m focused more now on the playoffs and seeing where we’re at there.”

Bates said he did not inform his team of the Lakeland result —which went final minutes before kickoff — until after Thursday’s game, but still the Hodags found themselves on the back foot after getting caught out by a Northland Pines counterattack in the 18th minute. The Eagles stole a throw in deep in their own end of the field and sent the ball along the right flank to Zoe Anderson, who split a pair of Hodag defenders and beat goalkeeper Mya Krouze on a 1-on-0 chance. 

“The first half the girls started off slow,” Bates said. “Once Pines got a goal we picked up the pace on things. After that I felt like we had a lot of opportunities and their goalie had some really good saves. Can’t be disappointed in my girls, they played well. They just came out a little bit slow tonight.”

    Rhinelander’s Morgan Van Zile possesses the ball against Northland Pines’ Aleena Ryan during the second half of a GNC girls’ soccer game at Mike Webster Stadium Thursday, May 16. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

The Hodags drew level early in the second half. Freshman Ella Miljevich won a throw in away from Northland Pines at the edge of the attacking third and crossed the ball into the box for senior Morgan Van Zile, who met the ball at the edge of the 6-yard box for a one-touch finish in the 43rd minute.

From there, the Hodags had numerous chances to take the lead but — as it did in the draw to Medford and the loss to Lakeland — failed to convert. Van Zile had a contested look inside the box later on in the second that sailed just over the crossbar. Freshman Vivian Lamers had a chance from 28 yards out stopped by keeper Isabella Chuckel. Leah Jamison put a shot off the right post with less than 10 minutes remaining and neither Lamers nor Sophie Miljevich could get a foot on a Van Zile cross near the edge of the 6 in the final minutes.

Pines also had a late chance to steal the win. Grace Plank missed wide on a point-blank chance with less than five minutes remaining and defender Mia Tulowitzky cleared away a rebound chance by Pines’ Ava Gaetano on the back post. 

“Pines played a lot better this time. In my opinion they’ve turned around quite a bit,” Bates said. “On paper, their goalkeeper tonight’s the MVP. She had some really big saves there. I can’t complain. The girls played well the second half.”

Rhinelander took a commanding lead early in the shootout as Sophie Miljevich, Lamers and Ella Miljevich all beat Chuckle inside the right post while Pines failed to put two of its first three chances on frame. Anderson missed high, Plank converted to the left side and Sydney Sarkauskas missed wide left. Jamison was denied on a chance to end the shootout as Chuckle stopped her look to the right side, but the shootout ended after Sarah Nagel rang her attempt off the crossbar in the fourth round for Pines.

“I guess it was kind of fun to end it like that, a little exciting,” Bates said of the additional conference point the came with the shootout win. 

Rhinelander outshot Northland Pines 16-5 in the match. Krouze made two saves in the draw.

The Hodags (11-2-3, 6-1-1-1 Great Northern) head into today’s regular season finale against Lakeland with not much other than pride on the line against their bitter conference rival. Not only is the GNC race decided, WIAA tournament seeding was set on Sunday, after press time for today’s edition.

“Not a whole lot on the line. Obviously, there’s a rivalry. We want to beat them, but there’s really not a whole lot riding on it,” Bates said. “We’re going to know where it ends (in terms of seeding) before it happens. We’re just going to go out there for good measure and try to put them away.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].