Late surge sends Antigo past Hodag soccer

The Rhinelander High School boys’ soccer team had aspirations of either its second tie or first win of the season in the second half Tuesday night, but Antigo had other ideas and slammed the door on those notions with a late flourish.

The Robins scored three times in the final 16 minutes of regulation to defeat the Hodags 4-1 at Mike Webster Stadium. 

For the Hodags (0-9-1, 0-5-1-0 Great Northern), Tuesday’s game represented a common theme through the first half of the Great Northern Conference schedule. They can play with opponents at times, but struggle to put 80 minutes together. 

“I mean, we dominated possession. To be honest with you, I think we out-played them,” Hodag coach John Vojta said. “They’re a good team and found a way to find the back of the goal. We couldn’t do that.”

Ultimately Rhinelander’s inability to clear away loose balls in dangerous areas proved to be the difference in the match. 

Josh Zanayed was there for a rebound after Rhinelander goalkeeper Caden Ehrhardt saved, but couldn’t corral, a Diego Flores Martinez free kick in the 35th minute to put the Robins ahead. 

Antigo’s final two insurance goals also came from point-blank range. Ryker Wissbroecker cleaned up a loose ball after Ehrhardt deflected a cross into the box in the 75th minute. The Hodags were unable to clear a corner kick in the 78th minute and Cooper Kautza finished a Scott Hagerty cross in traffic for the finisher. 

“We just can’t clear a ball out of the back. And I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but two of those, if not three of those, were about one yard off the goal line when they got put in,” Vojta said. “It’s balls that we didn’t clear properly. We cleared them literally two yards in front of us to the other team. I mean, they buried it in the back of the net. Those balls should be out to midfield, no problem.”

    Rhinelander’s Henry Bonardelli and Antigo’s Liam Burt (13) go up for a header during the first half of a GNC boys’ soccer game at Mike Webster Stadium Tuesday, Sept. 23. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Rhinelander tied the game in the 59th minute on its first goal of the season that did not come from the penalty spot. Junior Asher Rivord took a pass up the left flank from freshman Henry Bonardelli and fired a shot from 20 yards just inside the right post. 

“Asher finished a great ball there, he buried it near post, and I thought as soon as we saw one go in, we’d see two go in,” 

Unfortunately for the Hodags, Antigo was the next to see the ball go in. Alex Brittenham won a 50-50 ball for the Robins at the edge of the attacking third, dribbled around a Hodag defender to the top of the 18 and fired a shot inside the right post past Ehrhardt. 

Antigo finished the game with a 27-18 edge in total shots and a 12-10 advantage in shots on goal. Ehrhardt made eight saves in defeat. 

Though Rhinelander scored only once, the team had plenty of other opportunities. Kamden Kostrova grazed a shot off the top right corner of the goal frame in the 18th minute and then had a chance from the top of the 18 with the Antigo keeper out, only to see his shot deflected by an Antigo defender wide left. 

Owen Evers, who has Rhinelander’s only other goal this season, was denied on a close-range chance in the 46th minute and twice in the second half, and Antigo was up to the task on long free kicks that were put on frame by Charlie Johnson. 

Rhinelander took on Waupaca Thursday night in a match that finished after press time for today’s edition. The Hodags begin the second half of GNC play on the road at conference-leading Lakeland this coming Tuesday. 

With six games left in the regular season — all against GNC opponents — Vojta said the goal if to play better the second time through the schedule and steal a win or two along the way.

“The one thing I got to look forward to is we got nothing to lose,” he said.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].