Title shot gone, but Raiders gaining momentum at right time

MEDFORD BOYS SOCCER

The Medford Raiders did their part Tuesday to remain in contention for a share of the Great Northern Conference soccer championship, but the Mosinee Indians didn’t and that leaves second place as the best the Raiders can do.

After a sluggish first half, the Raiders found the net three times in the second half to defeat winless Antigo 3-0 in the afternoon hours. In the evening, the Raiders closely followed the Mosinee/Rhinelander matchup, hoping the Indians could steal a win. But the Hodags got a game-winning goal with just under four minutes left to secure a 3-2 win and the outright GNC title.

Rhinelander comes to Medford tonight, Thursday, to finish the regular season with a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Hodags are 8-1 in conference play and 11-1 overall. The Raiders (6-3, 7-3) have clinched at least a share of second place and would earn it outright with a win tonight.

“We’re disappointed; the boys were pretty bummed,” Medford head coach Nate Bilodeau said of Rhinelander’s clinching win. “The hard part now is keeping them focused to win (Thursday). Realistically, tomorrow’s game is a snapshot of the sectional semifinal game. It could very well boil down to us and Rhinelander again. And it’s going to be played in Rhinelander. Let’s take (Thursday’s) game seriously, let’s stick it to them. We need to come out of there with a win because that would be a huge confidence booster for us. Conference is out of reach so let’s change the focus to the playoffs and let’s come prepared.”

The Raiders didn’t quite come out how they wanted on the grass of Antigo’s Listle Field Tuesday and found themselves tied 0-0 after 45 minutes. It’s not the first time Medford has had a sluggish first half and Bilodeau said the time has come to end that trend.

“I hate saying a second-half team because I think that’s a poor excuse for our team mentality and our team’s strength because we really are a 90-minute team,” he said. “It’s frustrating when we come out slow, we come out flat and we take 45 minutes to really gather our concentration and really execute on our game plan because I know we’re better than that.”

The good news was the floodgates opened, somewhat at least, once the first ball found the net three minutes into the second half. Silas Wipf gained control at midfield and passed up the right side to Colton Gowey. Gowey centered to Gage Neubauer, whose pass to Aaron Schield was broken up. The ball, though, found its way to Kale Klussendorf. His shot deflected high into the air off an Antigo player’s foot, was midjudged by Antigo goalie Cordell Umland and found the upper left corner of the net.

Six minutes later, Zach Rudolph was tackled just outside the 18-yard box and the Raiders were awarded a direct kick. Schield drilled it, fitting it inside the right post for a 2-0 lead.

“Aaron just bent it right around the wall and put it in the back of the net,” Bilodeau said. “It was a great shot.”

After many missed scoring opportunities in the half, senior defender Ty Baker got his moment in the limelight when he slid into the striker spot. Quinton Tlusty fed Rudolph who sent a beautiful through ball to Baker who made the shot with about 10 minutes left.

“We really do have to focus on capitalizing on those opportunities because literally the game and season is on the line now,” Bilodeau said. “It’s making sure that everyone’s at full strength and making sure that everyone understands the fact that if we don’t win, we go home. Seniors especially, each game could be our last.

“Defensively we were pretty sound,” he added. “We didn’t really allow too many opportunities for them to even get a shot off. It was another shutout for Brady Hupf. Brady is statistically the best goalie in the conference right now. He’s only allowed three goals all season.”

Medford carries a five-game winning streak into tonight’s showdown with Rhinelander. The Raiders should be at full strength again Thursday when senior captain Owen Wipf returns from a three-game absence.

In the revamped WIAA post-season, Medford is now playing in Division 2 and drew a two-seed in its six-team sectional half-bracket. The Raiders will host an Oct. 24 regional final against sixth-seeded Hayward or third-seeded Lakeland. The winner is likely to have to go to Rhinelander for an Oct. 29 sectional semifinal.

Medford was hoping for a rematch with Lakeland after losing to the T-Birds twice during a week when they were hit hard by quarantines and injuries.

“It’s funny how these things work out,” Bilodeau said. “All season I told the boys I really wanted a fair shake at Lakeland. They’re a good team, there’s no question. They move the ball well and they have that freshman, Yaroslav Myshchyshyn, who’s a stud. He’s going to give us problems for the next three years. I would really like to have a full strength team to play against them.”

Medford 1, Pines 0

On Thursday, the Raiders got their first win at Northland Pines since a 4-3 victory in 2016 and the program’s first season sweep over the Eagles since 2015 with their 1-0 win.

The game’s lone goal came on a pretty play midway through the second half.

“Colton Gowey brought it down the right side and beat the wingback, so he was on an angled run toward the goal,” Bilodeau said. “Then he just played it right across the front of the goal to Gabe (Felix) on the back side and Gabe put it in the back of the net. He was standing on basically the goal line. It was just a perfect ball and Gabe found himself at the right spot at the right time.”

It was Felix’s third goal in two games.

Hupf and his teammates pitched their third shutout of the year. Two of those are against the Eagles, who Medford also beat 3-0 in the season opener.

“The goalies from both sides had phenomenal games,” Bilodeau said. “There were shots from both teams that I thought for sure were goals and the goalies both made phenomenal saves. Brady and Colby Kruse, both of them just had great games. Hat’s off to both keepers.”

While moving to 6-3 overall, the Raiders played just their second game of the year on natural grass and Bilodeau said, just like an Oct. 1 win at Mosinee, it was noticeable.

“It was a close game,” he said. “Play- Soccer

ing on grass is just something that we’re not used to, unfortunately. It took us 45 minutes, the first half, to really figure it out and feel comfortable on that pitch. The second half was definitely a much better half for us. We possessed the ball a lot better. Our passes were a lot crisper and cleaner. Playing on grass, everything is just slower. Unfortunately it took our team 45 minutes to figure that out.”

The result eliminated Northland Pines from championship contention in the conference. The Raiders and Eagles shared the GNC title a year ago. At the time, it kept Medford’s hopes of a title share with Rhinelander alive.

“We’re finding ways to win,” Bilodeau said. “That’s good. I’m proud of the guys for doing that. It’s a win or go home situation right now. We have to continue to win these games and put ourselves in the best position to win conference.”

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