RHS soccer overwhelms Antigo in 13-0 win

Something predictable happened Tuesday afternoon as the top offense in the Great Northern Conference went up against the league’s worst defense. 

The end result was a 13-goal barrage in the first half as the Rhinelander High School girls’ soccer team downed Antigo on the road. 

Four Hodags recorded multiple goals and 10 different players got on the scoresheet as the match was called at halftime with the Hodags well over the eight-goal differential that triggers the goal rule at the 60-minute mark.

Rhinelander (7-3-0, 4-0-0 Great Northern) simply overwhelmed Antigo from the start. 

“Antigo, they try really, really hard but, at the end of the day, The girls outskilled them all over the field,” Hodag coach Nathan Bates said. “They’re a very, I believe, young program on top of it. Jerome (Jones) took over the helm as the head coach. He’s trying to get the program built back up again. But, tonight, our girls went out there and it was business as usual. They pressed really hard tonight they were doing a lot of really good runs, through balls, a lot of slot backs, shooting from outside the 18 again as we have been. So, all in all, they had a very, very good showing again this evening.”

Sophie Miljevich led the attack with three goals and three assists. Ella Miljevich and Vivian Lamers scored twice each while sophomore Gabby Wanta added her first two goals of the season. 

Rhinelander outshot Antigo 25-0 in the contest and put 20 shots on goal. 

“They worked on a lot of the good stuff tonight,” Bates said. “There was nobody being selfish. The girls were passing the ball really, really well and doing the things that we’ve been asking of them. It looked really good again tonight.

“It was really nice to see all the girls spread the wealth. Sophie had a great night again. As a team though, myself and (assistant coach) John (Weigel) are extremely pleased and happy with how the girls are playing soccer this year.” 

Sophie Miljevich got the scoring started in the third minute off an assist from Lindsey Hoerchler. The Miljevich sisters — first Ella, then Sophie — scored 32 seconds apart in the fourth minute before Wanta got on the board with tallies in the 13th and 18th minutes. 

Bates said Wanta is becoming a useful wild card for the team who can give the squad solid minutes both in the attack and on the back line. 

“She’s been doing good. I mean, even defense she’s a forced to be reckoned with when we put her back there,” he said. “We put her up at offense and up she wreaks havoc on every team that we play with her speed and aggression. She’s really coming into herself and we’re really excited to see what the next couple years have to show us with her.”

Hoerchler continued the onslaught, making it 6-0 in the 22nd minute. Ella Miljevich scored in the 23rd minute and freshman Jordan Manske notched her first career varsity goal in the 24th minute.

Lamers added goals in the 28th and 38th minutes, Sophie Miljevich completed her hat trick in the 31st minute, Kiley Pooch scored in the 35th minute and Ella Heck recorded her first goal of the season in the 37th minute. 

Additionally sophomores Becca Brost and Addison Bates recorded their first points of the season, tallying assists in the match. 

“It was nice to be able to get Jordan some play time at the varsity level this evening, to have some good success,” coach Bates noted. “We got Gabby in there for a couple goals this evening as well, which is really nice to see her. She’s starting to really come into herself and play some good soccer. Ella Heck had a really nice shot tonight with a nice goal. Hayley Schiek had some good opportunities. (Addy Bates) had some assist this evening and some good opportunities.”

Antigo did not record a shot in the match. 

The Hodags were set to close out the first half of conference play at home against Northland Pines Thursday night in a game that concluded after press time for today’s edition. The team has a bit of a lull before returning to action in back-to-back non-conference road games at Shawano and Ashland next Thursday and Friday. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].