Hodags score late for 1-0 win; Raiders get win in New London

MEDFORD BOYS SOCCER

Close games with Rhinelander have become the norm for Medford’s boys soccer program in recent years, so it came as no surprise that Tuesday’s Great Northern Conference opener between the teams was decided by one bounce.

That bounce broke Rhinelander’s way, producing a goal by Will Gretzinger with just over 10 minutes that was the only tally in the Hodags’ 1-0 win at Mike Webster Stadium.

Medford head coach Adam Derr said the Raiders prepped hard to be ready for Rhinelander’s tendency to use the long ball and, in this case, the defense was indeed in position.

But Neil Wiegel’s 30-yard boot down the middle of the field skipped off the turf and through an opening, allowing Gretzinger to control the ball and go oneon- one with Medford goalie Cale Schulz. Rhinelander’s defense held over the final 10:37 to push the Hodags to 2-1 overall. Medford fell to 1-1.

“It felt while we were playing like we controlled the ball,” Derr said. “Looking at the stats, outside of the fouls, it was a pretty even game.”

While neither team got a ton of quality shots to score, each team left the field knowing it had some opportunities. Both teams had seven corner kicks that they weren’t able to convert on. Schulz made a handful of saves, including two key ones just under 15 minutes into the game. One was off a head shot by Gretzinger that came off a long free kick by Will Quinn that bounced by a Raider defender and gave Gretzinger the shot from about 6 yards. About 40 seconds later, Schulz dove to his right to deflect a bullet by Quinn from about 15 yards out. Schulz stopped a long, low liner on a free kick at the 16:50 mark of the first half as well.

“Alex Gonzalez played a phenomenal game,” Derr said of his defensive middle. “He was all over the field, plus he got a shot on goal. He played well. Everyone on the defensive end played well.

Cale played very well in goal,” Derr added. “He dove to make a really nice save in the first half and tipped a couple of balls over the net and cleaned up some of the long balls that were loose in front of him.”

Medford’s best scoring chances in the first half came back-to-back in the 27th minute. Off a Nathan Schuld throw-in, Grant Neubauer cut toward the net and got a shot that sailed high. At 26:51, a foul in the box gave Medford a penalty kick. Adyn Gripentrog took the kick, pushing it low to his right, but Rhinelander keeper Barak Rappley made the save.

The Raiders got some good pressure off a corner kick at 38:35, but a shot went just wide of the left post.

“We had our chances. With penalty kicks, unfortunately it happens and they get missed. We know that from last year,” Derr said, refering to last year’s sectional semifinal shootout loss to the Hodags.

Gripentrog got off possibly one of Medford’s hardest shots of the game at the 57:55 mark, which might have had a chance to beat Rappley if it wouldn’t have deflected off another Hodag. The Raiders got a good head shot attempt by Dayne Jacobson off an Aidan Ball corner kick at 62:55, but it got over the crossbar.

“Going into the game we warned the guys about them going over the top and stopping that long ball and really, we did that,” Derr said. “I think we gained a lot of confidence.”

Derr said he could certainly sense how intense this soccer rivalry has gotten while being a part of it for the first time.

“I could see how excited the fans for both teams were for the game, and the players were definitely pumped up,” he said. The rematch is set for Sept. 21 in Medford.

Raider Field will be the site for Medford’s home opener tonight, Thursday, against Northland Pines, who comes into the game at 0-4. The Eagles lost 2-1 to GNC favorite Lakeland on Tuesday. Pines upset Medford 1-0 in last year’s regular-season finale. Antigo is at Raider Field on Sept. 7. Both home games start at 7 p.m.

Medford 2, New London 1

On Thursday, Medford got first-half goals from Gripentrog and Jacobson and allowed just one shot on goal during live play in a 2-1 season-opening win at New London.

The Bulldogs’ only goal came on a penalty kick that tied the game at 1-1 at the 30:14 mark of the first half. But at 36:43, Gripentrog just missed his second goal of the game, banging a shot off the crossbar. But Jacobson, the team’s new senior addition, was there to follow it up and put the ball in the net for what turned out to be the game winner.

“It was good to start out on the right track,” Derr said after winning his debut match in that position. “Overall we played pretty well. There is still plenty to work on. But for the first time playing in a real game and competing against kids the same age, I thought we did really good.”

The defensive and midfield play was a highlight, keeping Schulz from facing any tough shots during his first varsity start in goal.

“I felt we really controlled the game,” Derr said. “They didn’t get a ton of opportunities. Defensively we played well.”

Gripentrog scored the game’s first goal just 15:13 in. It came off a corner kick with the assist coming from Aidan Ball.

Medford had 26 shots total with 13 of them being on goal. The Raiders thought Michael Meyer had added a third goal on a shot that bounced off a post and New London’s goalie, but the officials ruled the ball did not cross the goal line.

Derr credited Gripentrog, Meyer, Jacobson and Ball with strong play in the midfield area and with strong ball possession during the win. Meyer and Ball had a scary collision while both going for a ball, but both came out of it fine. Sophomore Lucas Mahner had a solid outing in the defensive back row and freshman Luke Semrau gave Medford some solid minutes filling in back there as well.

“That was a good experience for him,” Derr said. “He did a good job in there.”

New London fell to 0-2 with the loss having fallen 4-0 to Rhinelander two nights earlier.