Hodag Bantams take 6th at WAHA state tournament

The Rhinelander’s Ice Association’s Bantam (14U) hockey team took sixth out of eight teams at the WAHA Class 3A state tournament held Feb. 21 and 22 in Waupun.

The Hodags lost to rival Antigo 7-4 in the opening round of the tournament before routing Beaver Dam 11-0 in a consolation game on Saturday. 

That gave the Hodags a chance to play for fifth place and the consolation championship on Sunday, where the team suffered a 6-4 defeat to Shawano.

“While the season didn’t end quite the way we wanted, it was still a very successful year overall,” coach Jed Peters said. “Very proud of how the group came together at this state tournament and performed as a team. Nineteen total goals scored, with 11 different goal scorers. Twelve of those 19 goals were assisted. Of the 12 assists, there were nine different skaters credited with those. The team proved they know how to move the puck and work together. Definitely skills that will serve them well as they progress into their future seasons.” 

Antigo jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second period of the opening game before the Hodags scored back-to-back goals to make it a 4-2 contest after two periods. The Robins tacked on two more goals to restore the four-goal lead in the third period before the teams traded goals the rest of the way. 

Gage Chavez had a hat trick for the Hodags in the contest. Evan Rodziczak had the other goal and the Hodags got assists from Will McCone and Max Cahee. The Robins outshot the Hodags 30-28 in the contest. 

Rhinelander blew out Beaver Dam in round two, scoring five times in the first period and three goals each in the second and third. The Hodags outshot the Beavers 59-4 in the contest. The Hodags had 11 different players record points in the game. Chavez had his second hat trick of the tournament, Rodziczak and Ben Gehrmann each had a goal and two assists each, and Alec Pilat added a goal and an assist. Emmerich Crass, Jacob Baumann, McCone, Nash Swartz and Cahee all scored in the contest while Collin Jorata and Sawyer Peters added assists.

The Hodags again had a comeback come up short against Shawano, spotting the Hawks a 3-0 lead after a period in the fifth-place game. Rhinelander got to within 4-3 at the 8:09 mark of the second, but Shawano scored twice more to retake a three-goal lead before the Hodags got the final tally.

The Hodags had goals from four different players in the contest — Baumann, Chavez, Max Miljevich and Nick Schneider. Sawyer Peters, Wyatt Peters and Crass recorded assists. Rhinelander outshot Shawano 50-31.

“It was a large and diverse roster that we took down there,” Peters said. “The group had a pretty wide range of experience with several on the team in their ninth year skating for the RIA, and playing in their fourth consecutive state tournament. While others have only been playing for two or three years total. Even with that, everyone did their part, both on and off the ice.”

Seven members of the state team will age out of the Bantam level next year and are slated to join the high school squad next year. Those players include McCone, Wyatt Peters, Rodziczak, Swartz, Jacob Beran, Pilat and Miljevich. Next year’s freshmen who were born in 2012 will have the option to either stay at the bantam level or move up to the high school team. 

Coach Peters thanked his fellow coaches, the families, the community and the players for helping build a foundation that will support Rhinelander hockey for years to come. 

“The amount of time, talent, and treasure that goes into what many might say is just a game shows just how important, and meaningful, an organization like the RIA and a team like this Bantam group are,” he said. “Really look forward to watching these young athletes continue to grow and develop. Not only as hockey players, but as young adults in our community.”