Scoring spurts cost Hodag soccer in back-to-back defeats

The Rhinelander High School boys’ soccer team is starting to find some offensive pressure, but defensive lapses cost the Hodags in back-to-back games played at Mike Webster Stadium last Saturday and Monday.

Four goals in the first seven minutes of the second half on Saturday proved decisive as Wausau East defeated the Hodags 5-0 in non-conference play. Rhinelander allowed three goals in a matter of less than 3 1/2 minutes early in the second half Monday night as it lost 8-0 to Mosinee in Great Northern Conference play.

The Hodags, by the numbers, had their two best offensive games of the season in the contests against East and Mosinee, but struggled to finish their scoring chances. That wasn’t an issue for their opponents, as Rhinelander dropped to 0-5-0 on the season. 

“We can play with all these teams in spurts. Not 40 minutes, not 60 minutes, not 80 minutes. We can play with them in spurts,” Hodag coach John Vojta said afterward. 

Rhinelander has been outscored 30-0 so far on the season and Vojta said he’s still trying to find the right combination that will allow things to begin to click for his inexperienced side. 

“We’ve moved guys to different positions. We’ve changed formations. We’re going back to the drawing board,” he said after Monday night’s loss. “It’s gonna be fundamentals, man-marking, fitness. My midfield disappeared in the 50th minute tonight. I had no center midfield, and then (the) floodgates opened.”

Mosinee 8, Rhinelander 0

    Rhinelander’s Aiden Lueder attempts to dribble around Mosinee’s Coltyn Fjeldsted during the first half of a GNC boys’ soccer game at Mike Webster Stadium Monday, Sept. 8. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Shawn Sowadski scored four times and added an assist Monday night to lead Mosinee to a convincing win over the Hodags. 

Sowadski had Mosinee’s first three goals — strikes in the third, 15th and 27th minutes that all came about in similar fashion. Each time Sowadski outflanked the Hodag defense on the left wing, crashed into the box and fired a hard shot past keeper Caden Ehrhardt inside the right post. 

Vojta said the Hodags were aware of Sowadski’s scoring prowess, but were ineffective stopping it on Monday. 

“I gave them the whole pregame report. No. 15’s (Sowadski) gonna step over right foot, push it left. He’s going to hit it or cross it,” he said. “I told them five times, and by the time he had a hat trick, maybe they started to believe me. Not taking anything away from him. He’s a good player. Quick, quick feet, and could hit the ball. It’s just frustrating that we can’t make the adjustments with the information we’re giving them.”

Austin Bohman added a rebound following Ehrhardt’s save of a Joe Southworth chance in the 31st minute to give Mosinee a 4-0 lead at halftime. 

The floodgates opened for the Indians in the second half, mainly the result of set pieces off corner kicks. 

Jordan Feit made a perfectly-timed run to meet a Sowadski corner kick for a one-touch finish from close range in the 46th minute. It was nearly a carbon copy for Mosinee in the 48th minute but, this time, Southworth had the corner and Cameron Kuklinski headed it home. After a Southworth goal in the 49th minute, Sowadski put the finishing touches on his four-goal night in the 53rd minute, putting away another corner kick by Southworth. 

“Trust me, we’ve been working on man-marking both coach Taylor (Siegmeier) and coach Nathan (Bates) have been working on man-marking and it’s gonna take time. It’s just not sinking in,” Vojta said regarding the breakdowns in corner kick coverage. 

The stat lines were surprisingly close, given the final margin. Mosinee held a slight 20-18 edge in total shots and a 12-9 advantage in shots on goal. 

Rhinelander had a number or scoring chances in the opening half. Roan Childs got one-on-one with the last defender in the 10th minute, only to have his shot from 15 yards blocked by said defender. 

Mosinee denied freshman Henry Bonardelli on a shot to the right post in the 17th minute, and Aiden Lueder on a breakaway chance in the 20th. Lueder had another look off an indirect free kick moments later that Mosinee was able to smother. 

“Should have been 2-2 at halftime. I don’t know what else to say,” Vojta said regarding the missed first-half scoring chances.

Ehrhardt made four saves in the loss for Rhinelander. 

Wausau East 5, Rhinelander 0

It was a similar story for Rhinelander on Saturday as Lucien Nkoranyi scored three times in Wausau East’s four-goal barrage to begin the second half, which gave the Lumberjacks the breathing room necessary to cruise to a 5-0 win. 

Lucien Nkoranyi converted on a breakaway chance in the 43rd minute, flicked in a Nuradin Hassan cross with his heel in the 44th minute and converted another breakaway chance in the 47th. Connor Davis added a rebound goal in the 44th minute as the Lumberjacks pulled away.

“We played with Wausau East too, another good team, but three guys missed their assignments. You know, you can see it right in the film, and it ends up in the back of the goal,” Vojta said.

Peter Nkoranyi had the lone goal of the first half as he found space at the top of the 18 off a Ben Young and placed a shot in the top left corner of the goal in the sixth minute.

The Lumberjacks outshot Rhinelander 27-12 in the match and had a 17-4 edge in shots on goal. Junior Eric Parish made the start in goal for Rhinelander against Wausau East and tallied 12 saves in the loss. 

Rhinelander’s best scoring chances came later on in the second half. Kamden Kostrova was denied on a good left-footed strike from the top of the 18 in the 59th minute. Charlie Johnson missed wide right on a free kick chance in the 70th minute. 

Up next

The Hodags traveled to Medford Thursday for a GNC match that concluded after press time for today’s edition. Rhinelander is back home tomorrow to face Shawano as part of a triangular meet with Lakeland. Rhinelander and Lakeland will not play each other during the meet, though Vojta said there’s a chance both teams could play a second game on Saturday, should a fourth-team join at the last minute. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].