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Hodags Outlast Robins in GNC Third Place Game

By Bill Berg Jr, WiPH Staff, 02/12/23, 1:00PM CST

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It was rumored on Saturday at Simek Recreation Center in Medford that we might be watching the last Great Northern Conference Tournament. Back when Antigo and Northland Pines made their push for the creation of the tournament, the WIAA was still playing single-division hockey, and the Robins and Eagles were both legitimate contenders in their sectional.

Now, the Great Northern Conference Tournament and the Division 2 Sectional 2 playoffs are essentially just repeats of each other.

But, rumors of the future certainly weren't in the minds of the players on Saturday as the Antigo Red Robins and Rhinelander Hodags melted the ice on route to a 4-3 Hodag win.

It took just 29 seconds for Leo Losch to get the Hodags on the board. He took a pass all alone in the slot and he tucked one just inside the post and past the outstretched glove of Antigo goalie Nolan Bunnell.

The 1-0 lead held until, with just 48 seconds left in the period, Antigo finally had a clean break out and landed a three-on-one. All three players touched the puck, but it was Owen Dickman who finished the play and knotted the game at one each.

Rhinelander retook the lead in the second on a goal by Cody Everson. The shot came in high, above the cross bar, and was deflected down and into the net. Antigo lobbied hard for the goal to be disallowed for high sticking, but the officials called it a good goal and Rhinelander had a 2-1 lead.

Antigo tied it up shortly there after. In the Antigo end Rhinelander one a faceoff back, but the Antigo winger jumped it before the pinching Rhinelander defenseman could get to it and the Robins had a two-on-one going the other way. Eli Kassler hit Zach Roth with a pass to the slot and it was a 2-2 game.

Sam Schneider would make it 3-2 with time winding down in the second period with a wrist from the slot to the blocker side corner. 

The Hodags extended the lead to 4-2 in the third. Antigo blocked a shot from the point, but the puck shot out to the right side to a waiting Gavin Dennis who buried it before anybody could react. 

After killing off a five-on-three power play, the Robins again cut the lead on a three-on-one, this time it was Kassler to Dickman for the goal.

Unfortunately for the Robins two penalties in the final two and a half minutes prevented them from pulling the goalie and the Hodags held on for a 4-3 win.

"With the short bench that we have, we try to always slow the game down a bit, play a bit of defensive hockey, and then go after the offensive opportunities when they present themselves," said Robins coach Brian Bunnell. "For the most part I think we worked that game plan pretty well."

Nolan Bunnell stopped 37 of 41 in the loss for the Robins. Tyler Kimmerling stopped 18 of 21 in the win for Rhinelander.

"Moving forward to regionals, we get this same game again next week," said Bunnell. "We will work on cleaning up a couple of things this week in preparation for the regional opener, and we are looking forward to matching up with Rhinelander again next Thursday. We really like our chances for a victory in this first round of play-offs."

WiPH Game Summaries