One more for the home fans

When Rhinelander High School’s Emalee Detienne and Mia Tulowitzky skated off the Rhinelander Ice Arena following a game against Brookfield Jan. 21, 2023, little did they know how long it would be until they could compete again at their home rink. 

A lot changed over the course of 744 days. The Northern Edge co-op that Detienne and Tulowitzky were a part of folded following the 2022-23 season and the skaters who remained merged with the Northland Pines co-op, which almost exclusively practices and competes at the Eagle River Sports Arena. 

On Monday night, however, the two Rhinelander seniors got one final curtain call in front of their home fans.

The game didn’t play out as the Eagles would have hoped as they were blown out 11-0 by the Fox Cities Stars super co-op that features a roster of players from 13 different schools in the Fox Valley. Yet for the two, it served as a bit of closure for a hockey journey was a lot more winding than they expected when they first laced up their skates as youths. 

“It was really nice getting to be in our old locker room and there was so many memories that happened there and it just felt great to be here again, for the last time,” Tulowitzky said after the game. 

Added Detienne, “It was pretty scary to go out there and play in front of all of our home fans. I was really nervous, but I was also really excited to get back on our home ice again. It was just fun getting back out there one time before the season’s over.”

    Emalee Detienne talks with goalie Jalyn Zadnik during a break in a girls’ hockey game between Northland Pines and Fox Cities at the Rhinelander Ice Arena Monday, Feb. 3. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Detienne and Tulowitzky are the lone seniors on the Northland Pines co-op and the program, just like it did for Lakeland senior Taylor Heleniak last season, gave the two one final home game. The contest was supposed to take place back on Dec. 19, but was postponed due to inclement weather. 

That just made the wait a little longer, and the moment a little more poignant.

“Unfortunately, you know, when you got the co-op, it’s tough because you don’t get to play (at home),” Eagles coach Jeff Stebbeds said. “Some of your fans at normally there aren’t able to travel and make it and watch you play all the time. So yeah, this is big for them to be able to come home and enjoy this play in front of them tonight. Unfortunately, the results were what they were tonight, but nonetheless, they skated hard for them.” 

The game itself was one-sided. The Stars (12-10-0) scored four times in the first period, three times in the second and four more in the third and dominated the shot count 60-4. The Eagles (4-17-0) simply didn’t have the fire power to keep up. Monday’s loss marked the 13th time Northland Pines has been shut out this season, and the fifth time in the Eagles’ last six games.

“They are a well-oiled machine and that’s where we want to be someday, but we’re just so young,” Stebbeds said. “You’re going up against a crew like that, they’ve been together probably all the way through youth and stuff like that. That’s where we want to be, that’s why we’re here and that’s the goal we want achieve is get to that point.”

All four Rhinelander High School skaters who suited up for the contest also got the start in front of the home fans — Detienne, Tulowitzky, junior goalie Jalyn Zadnik and sophomore forward Reese Retallick. 

    Mia Tulowitzky plays a puck in the defensive zone ahead of Fox Cities’ Alexis Process during the second period a girls’ hockey game between Northland Pines and Fox Cities at the Rhinelander Ice Arena Monday, Feb. 3. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Detienne, Tulowitzky and Zadnik, along with Antigo junior Ella Koca, are among the few remaining links to the Northern Edge co-op which consisted of Rhinelander, Antigo and Lakeland. Even as the Edge finished their 2022-23 season talks were already underway between school activities directors about the team’s future due to projected low numbers moving forward. By that April it was official. The Edge was no more as the participating schools joined the Northland Pines co-op. 

Tulowitzky and Detienne said it took some time to get used to the change.

“Probably the hardest thing is the drive,” Tulowitzky said,  as Rhinelander skaters have to load up in a district-owned van and travel to Eagle River for practices and games. “We have to drive an hour every night, which is hard, and we can’t just like get on the ice right away. We have to wait and which is hard.”

Detienne added it was also difficult at first to assimilate with a team that, for most of her playing career, had been one of the Northern Edge’s chief rivals.

“We had to meet a lot of new people, but it was fun,” she said. “It was just real bumpy up first, but we ended up getting together and getting a real good team bond. Probably the most rewarding thing is just the memories that we’re making at Eagle River and all the experiences we’ve got from that.” 

Detienne and Tulowitzky have seen plenty of ice time this winter as two of the top defenders on the Northland Pines squad. Tulowitzky had a goal and two assists on the year while Detienne has one goal. 

“We have two good seniors,” Stebbeds said. “They always work hard for us, are great kids and it’s going be sad to see them see them go after this season because they are a fun group to coach and a really good kids to work with.”

Retallick has also seen plenty of action. Her five points (2 goals, 3 assists) are second-most on the team this season. Zadnik has made three starts as the Eagles’ backup goaltender, going 0-3 with a 6.51 goals against average and a .853 save percentage. 

The Eagles were right back at it Tuesday night against another tough team, losing 8-0 at fourth-ranked Hayward. Pines has three more games remaining in the regular season, against Beaver Dam this Saturday in Antigo, at Wisconsin Valley Union next Tuesday against the Badger Lightning in Eagle River Feb. 14. The WIAA tournament will begin the following week. 

“We want to be that dangerous team come playoff time. We want to try and upset somebody in the playoffs here and turn some heads right at the end of the season, or just before the playoffs here and maybe get a better seeding or something like that,” Stebbeds said. “But, just a typical young team that will just play hard for us. Whenever you get that effort out of the girls like that, it makes you a dangerous team to play in the playoffs.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].