RHINELANDER – Brandyn Dahlquist and Joe Zuiker each had a goal and an assist and Marcus Thorsen made 28 saves, but the RHS Boys Hockey Team did not have enough gas to muster a third period comeback as they fell at home to Waupaca 4-2.
The Hodags scored twice in the second period and had the game tied at two until the Comets scored with Bjorn Asher with 16 seconds left in the period. Rhinelander was outshot 14-5 in the final period as Waupaca controlled the play against tiring Hodag legs.
“That's the problem when you try to live with two lines,” said RHS Boys Hockey Coach M.J. Laggis. “We just don't feel like we have enough speed and handle the puck well enough to use that (third) line in a rotation. We're just trying to work those kids in with the other lines. We've got to find a way to get them more ice, because we need to rest legs. We didn't have enough legs in the third.”
Rhinelander sacrificed using a third line this week by making the decision of moving Thorsen back to goal, where he played a season ago. Thorsen improved from Thursday night's game at Northland Pines, which is a good sign heading toward the playoff game at SPASH Tuesday night.
“Marc Thorsen was about 87 percent (on saves),” Laggis said. “He's close to where we want him to be. If he can be 90 percent this coming Tuesday, that would be a really big lift for us and give us a chance to play well.”
Waupaca led 1-0 after the first period, but the Hodags tied it up shorthanded with a Zuiker goal midway through the second period. Waupaca retook the lead a minute later, but the Hodags tied it again with Dahlquist with 4:03 left in the second.
Asher finished with a hat trick for the Comets. Waupaca was without top player and UW-Madison recruit Brad Navin, who was lost for the season last month with a knee injury. Still the Hodags left Saturday feeling good about their performance, after getting beat 13-1 in Waupaca in the third game of the season.
“I thought we battled really hard. I feel like we're real close,” said Laggis. “We had an opportunity to win that game. But that's a team that beat us earlier in the year 13-1. We turned a 12-goal deficit into a two-goal game.”
Rhinelander pulled Thorsen in the final minute of the game, but could not put home a goal with extra attacker. The Hodags were outshot 32-14 for the game.
Rhinelander travels to seventh-seeded Stevens Point for the playoffs on Tuesday night in a 7:00 PM faceoff from K.B. Willett Arena.
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BOX SCORE: Rhinelander vs. Waupaca – Saturday, February 12, 2011
WAP 1 2 1 – 4
RHS 0 2 0 – 2
RHS Scoring: 2-7:09 Brandyn Dahlquist (Joe Zuiker) SH; 2-12:57 J. Zuiker (B. Dahlquist, Lucas Michlig).
Shots on Goal: R 14; W 32.
Saves: R – Marcus Thorsen 28; W – Zach Martin 12.
Rhinelander (3-15-0, 3-11-0 GNC) at Stevens Point, 2/15 (HodagSports.com)
Waupaca (17-5-2, 9-4-1 GNC) vs. Shawano, 2/15
