Sports Digest

Rhinelander Youth Wrestling to kick off Dec. 8

The Rhinelander Wrestling Club will kick off its youth wrestling program for the 2025-26 season Monday, Dec. 8. 

The youth wrestling program is for boys and girls in grades 4K to 5. Registration will take place during practice. The first two sessions are free. The cost for the season is $50 per child or $75 per family. 

Practices will take place Mondays and Thursdays through Feb. 26 in the James Williams Middle School balcony. Wrestlers are asked to enter through Door 14 at the back of the middle school. Wrestlers in 4K, kindergarten and first grade will practice from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and wrestlers in grades 2-5 will practice from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. 

For more information, visit the Rhinelander Wrestling Club’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/RhinelanderWrestlingClub.

Northland Pines co-op drops girls’ hockey opener

The Northland Pines girls’ hockey co-op dropped its season opening contest to Chippewa Falls/Menomonie 5-2 on Nov. 25 in Chippewa Falls. 

The Sabers led 1-0 after a period. The Eagles tied it less than a minute into the second period on a power play goal by Northland Pines freshman Mya Renkes, but the Sabers scored twice in the period and added another goal midway through the third before Pines freshman Ayla Shepherdson scored to make it 4-2.

The Sabers outshot the Eagles 53-20 in the contest. Lucy Nowak, sophomore goalie from Northland Pines, made 48 saves in defeat. 

“So our first game was against a perennial tough team in the state,” Eagles coach Jeff Stebbeds said. “This was their third game already of the season, so they have had time to see what was working and not working already after a few games. This was our first, so now we get to go back to the drawing board and fix what needs to be fixed.”

The Northland Pines co-op includes skaters from seven different schools — Antigo, Hurley, Lakeland, Northland Pines, Norway (Mich.), Rhinelander and Three Lakes. Rhinelander has two skaters on the team this year, junior Reese Retallick and freshman Lena Chiamulera. 

The Eagles (0-1-0, 0-0-0 Wis. Valley) will play in Rhinelander Friday, Dec. 5 as they hosts the Cap City (Middleton co-op) Cougars. Face-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Rhinelander Ice Arena. It will be the lone game in Rhinelander for the team this season, which plays the majority of its games at the Eagle River Sports Arena.