Hodag soccer inches closer to GNC title

The Rhinelander High School girls’ soccer team is potentially one win away from taking home at least a share of the program’s first Great Northern Conference title since 2018.

The Hodags got there with back-to-back shutout wins Monday and Tuesday, defeating Medford 4-0 on the road before coming home and blanking Antigo 9-0 at Mike Webster Stadium.

The wins kept Rhinelander (11-4-0, 8-0-0-0) unbeaten, and un-scored upon, in GNC play. They also kept the Hodags three points clear of Lakeland at the top of the GNC standings after the T-Birds knocked off Northland Pines 1-0 in Minocqua Tuesday night. 

Rhinelander went into Thursday’s game at Northland Pines, which concluded after press time for today’s edition, with a chance to lock up a share of the GNC title with a regulation victory over the Eagles. Regardless of that result, Rhinelander can wrap up the conference title outright with either a regulation or shootout victory at home against Lakeland next Thursday.

“We’re going to do our best. I mean, we’re going to go out there and take care of business like we have all season,” Hodag coach Nathan Bates said after Tuesday’s win. “The girls are pretty fired up, so I’m hoping to bring that conference championship back home.”

Rhinelander 4, Medford 0

    Rhinelander’s Sophie Miljevich maneuvers past Medford’s Mallory Richter for a shot during the second half of a GNC girls’ soccer game in Medford Monday, May 19. Miljevich scored the opening goal for the Hodags in their 4-0 win over the Raiders and then scored three goals Tuesday in Rhinelander’s 9-0 victory over Antigo. (Matt Frey/Star News)
  

The Hodags had goals from four different players Monday night as they inched past Medford on the road. 

Rhinelander didn’t score until the 33rd minute, but found another goal in the final moments of the first half to take a 2-0 lead to halftime. Two more goals in the first 23 minutes of the second half gave the Hodags plenty of breathing room.

“It took us a little while, but, I mean, the girls were being patient. We were passing the ball really, really well, and opening things up,” Bates said. “We went over that with them quite a bit this season and telling them, you know, don’t force things, make them happen. Tonight, they were very patient and they kept moving the ball around until the opportunities presented themselves. And then when they did, the girls capitalize on them.”

Sophie Miljevich broke the seal for the Hodags as she took a through ball from her younger sister, Ella Miljevich, up the right flank and fired a shot from 10 yards inside the right post. 

“Sophie was able to bring the ball down and in and just finish it, I mean, it started from our defensive line back and worked its way all the way up the field and able to finish a very, very nice ball,” Bates said.

Freshman Jordan Manske scored her second goal of the season with 14 seconds remaining before halftime. She was stationed on the back post for a cross from Lindsey Hoerchler in a 2-on-0 situation after a key defensive win at the half-line by Mia Tulowitzky gave the Hodags an opportunity for one final first-half attack.

“That was beautiful. Jordan was right where she was supposed to be,” Bates said. “She came flying back up and got on the back post to do the follow-up and she was right there and beautiful. It was amazing. She did a great job. We’re very, very proud of her for it.”

Hoerchler scored in traffic off a corner kick for the Hodags in the 46th minute. She was there for a rebound after Medford’s defense deflected a header attempt by Vivian Lamers off a Sophie Miljevich corner. Ella Heck rounded out the scoring in the 63rd minute, cashing in on a rebound after Medford made an initial save on a hard shot by Sophie Miljevich. 

“Ella Heck did a great job following up off that rebound again tonight,” Bates said. “We stress with the girls heavily. Make sure you’re following up all the shots because a lot of times the hard shots pop away from the goalie. And if you’re there, I mean, it’s an easy goal. Ella Heck did a great job following that shot up tonight and got one right in there.”

The Hodags outshot the Raiders 19-2 in the game. Rylee Mickevicius made two saves in the win.

Rhinelander 9, Antigo 0

    Rhinelander’s Hayley Schiek looks to pass the ball between defenders during the second half of a GNC girls’ soccer game against Antigo at Mike Webster Stadium Tuesday, May 20. Schiek recorded three assists in Rhinelander’s 9-0 win over the Red Robins. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

Similar to Monday’s game, it took the Hodag offense a little while to get going on Tuesday, but there was no stopping it once it found a rhythm. 

Lamers scored four times, all in the second half, and Sophie Miljevich added a hat trick in Rhinelander’s 9-0 romp over Antigo at Mike Webster Stadium.

Bates said the affects of back-to-back games — caused when the Medford game was moved from May 15 to Monday due to the threat of severe weather — played a role in the sluggish start but, eventually, the Hodags had their way with the last-place Robins.

“Unfortunately, we started a little bit slow tonight. I mean, girls are a little bit tired from last night. We didn’t get home until 11 o’clock and whatever, but no excuse,” he said. “They started a little bit slow tonight. Then they knew that they didn’t have to try as hard as they should have, and kind of frustrates me a little bit, but they came in together, they pulled together and started working our passing game again. I mean, lots of shots on goal, and we were able to finish the game.” 

Sophie Miljevich once again had the opener for Rhinelander, scoring in very similar fashion to her goal the night before in Medford. She took another through ball from Ella Miljevich and cashed in on the right-flank chance. The two sisters hooked up for another goal in the 35th minute and the Hodags twice cashed in on corner kicks. The first came in the 23rd minute as Kiley Pooch tapped in a Lamers header on the near post. The last came with two seconds remaining before halftime as Alexis Smith kneed home a Sophie Miljevich corner on the back post. 

“We’ve been doing a great job all season, and the girls seem like they really have it figured out,” Bates said of the team’s recent effectiveness scoring off of corner kicks. “Sophie and (Leah Weigel) been putting some really good balls in there for them to finish. We’ve had a lot of success this season with it, which is great to see. In years past, we haven’t had that kind of success. So it’s a great thing to see.”

Lamers went on a tear in the second half as the Hodags got the margin beyond the eight-goal threshold for the goal rule to kick in at 60 minutes. She scored from a Weigel cross in the 49th minute, again from a Hayley Schiek cross in the 51st minute and once more on a Schiek through ball in the 55th. 

Sophie Miljevich completed her hat trick by finishing off a cross from Pooch moments later and Lamers rounded out the scoring off one more cross by Schiek in the 56th minute. 

Bates said Schiek’s ability in the midfield has freed up the Hodags to be more dynamic in its attack.

“She did a great job again last night as well against Medford, I mean, she really held the middle very well and distributed the ball extremely well,” he said. “And having Ella (Miljevich) on the outside really seems to be working well with getting a lot more through balls and working the corners and having some more offensive power back there.”

The Hodags outshot Antigo 43-1 in the game, but the one shot the Robins got was nearly an early mishap that almost led to Rhinelander’s first conceded goal in league play. 

Larken Paff got behind the Hodag back line and collided with goalkeeper Emalee Detienne as the two tried the play the ball at the top of the 18-yard box. Both Paff and the ball got by Detienne, but by the time Paff could catch up with it, she could muster only a weak shot wide left from a tough angle near the end line. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].