Hodags take down Raiders in PKs in penultimate regular season game

The soccer rivalry between Rhinelander and Medford once again boiled down to penalty kicks on Tuesday. This time around the Hodags didn’t miss.

Rhinelander converted on all four of its chances in penalties as they won a shootout 4-1 over the Raiders after the sides played to a 1-1 draw in regulation at Mike Webster Stadium. Ironically, both goals in regulation also came from the penalty spot as Aidan Lueder’s conversion in the 58th minute for Rhinelander canceled out a tally by Medford’s Michael Meyer in the 33rd. 

Tuesday’s contest marked the fifth time in the last eight meetings between Rhinelander and Medford that was settled by penalty kicks following a tie in regulation or overtime. It was Rhinelander’s first shootout win over the Raiders since the team’s playoff run to the WIAA state tournament in 2022. 

“I’m sick and tired of going to penalties with Medford. I’m not going to lie,” Hodag coach Nathan Bates said with a wry smile after the game. “It was great, but I’m sick and tired of going to penalties with them. It was good to finally get the win on there.” 

Tuesday’s result was a role reversal from the teams’ first meeting of the season Sept. 3 in Medford. That night Medford took the shootout 3-0 after the teams went scoreless through regulation.

This time, the Hodags were on target with all of their chances and had Medford keeper Cale Schulz on the back foot. 

    Rhinelander’s Aidan Lueder attempts a penalty kick during a shootout in a GNC boys’ soccer match against Medford at Mike Webster Stadium Tuesday, Oct. 15. Lueder converted in the shootout and also scored a penalty kick in regulation for his first career varsity goal. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Lueder, Michael Schiek, Gavin Ostermann and Asher Rivord all made good on their chances in the shootout. All four kept the ball on the ground and, with the exception of Ostermann who went to the right post, fired home to the left side of the goal.

Meanwhile, Meyer missed high for Medford in the first round of the shootout. Hodag keeper Barak Rappley then denied Grant Neubauer in Round 2. Though Dominic Fennell found the lower right corner to keep the Raiders alive in Round 3, they didn’t get to their fourth shooter after Rivord’s finish clinched the shootout win for the Hodags.

“We were on point tonight with our penalties shots. Barak had a good save in there,” Bates said. “It’s something we’ve been working on all season. We started off the season pretty rough with that, but the growth that we’ve had over the year, I’ve been waiting for it and it’s finally starting to show through the last couple of games.”

Medford got on the board first as Schiek’s feet became entangled with Medford’s Dominic Fennell while both players were going after a loose ball at the top left corner of the 18-yard box. The officials whistled Schiek for a trip and Meyer converted the penalty kick chance to the top right corner past Rappley.

“Mikey was going for the ball and he clipped the kid’s ankles. It was unfortunate, but it happened. I’m glad to see the boys didn’t shut down and quit after that. They continued to play,” Bates said.

Rhinelander had a few good chances early in the second half, including a hard shot by Lueder that Schulz made a diving stop on to the near post in the 54th minute. A few minutes later Rivord got behind the back line and was taken down from behind by Medford Levi Zuleger roughly 10 yards from goal. Lueder tucked the penalty kick inside the right post to square the match.

“Asher plays his heart out every game. He sacrifices himself sometimes to the point of too much, but it’s great to see the heart he gives every game,” Bates said. “He went in there and was trying real hard. He drew the foul, which got us on the board.”

Both teams dodged bullets over the final 20 minutes to send the game to penalties. Schulz made a kick save on a Rivord chance in the 61st minute and then watch and open look from Schiek sail just over the crossbar a few moments later. 

Medford’s Hayden Spangler got behind the defense on a counter attack in the 63rd minute, but hesitated pulling the trigger on an 1-on-0 chance against Rappley less than 10 yards away. Rappley was up to the task when Spangler finally fired directly at him. Meyer had another chance from inside the box in the 71st minute, which Rappley knocked away. 

Though Rhinelander outshot Medford 16-9 in the match, both teams were credited with seven shots on goal.

“I felt like we dominated for the majority of the game,” Bates said. “I felt like we had pretty good possession and put the majority of the pressure on. Medford did have a couple of great opportunities. Barak had some great saves. All and all, I felt like the guys went out with a great game tonight.”

Though the tie left the Hodags (4-8-2, 3-4-1-1 Great Northern) vulnerable to dropping to fourth in the final GNC standings — pending Rhinelander’s game at Northland Pines and Mosinee’s tilt at Medford on Thursday that concluded after press time — Bates said his team is finally beginning to find some form at the end of the regular season following a string of six straight losses.

“The last two games, in my opinion, have been the two best games we’ve had all season as a team,” he said. “They’re moving the ball well. They’re actually starting to show that they’re starting to play together as a team, which is really, really nice to see.”

The Hodags ended up as the No. 6 seed in their WIAA Division 3 playoff regional and will travel to third-seeded New London to open the tournament next Thursday. Rhinelander opened the regular season with a 1-0 loss to the Bulldogs at Mike Webster Stadium on an Oswin Menez goal in the 75th minute with the Hodags down a man after Hart Hokens drew a red card in the 60th minute.

“I’m pretty excited to play them again,” Bates said. “We had a pretty good game with them to start off the season. Unfortunately we had a red card, which I think cost us the game but, all and all, I’m excited and hopefully we can go out there and put them away.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].