ALL-GNC BOYS HOCKEY - Schaefer, Phillips earn honorable mention in All-GNC hockey vote

ALL-GNC BOYS HOCKEY

For the first time in four years, the Medford Raiders have two representatives on the honorable mention list for the 2023-24 All-Great Northern Conference boys hockey teams.

Senior Isaac Schaefer and sophomore Tucker Phillips earned the recognition for their efforts on the ice this winter. For both, it’s their first All-GNC hockey honor.

Schaefer is one of eight defensemen to earn honorable mention after the two first-team and two second-team selections by the GNC’s eight coaching staffs. Phillips is among 11 forwards who earned mention following the three first-team and three second-team picks.

Schaefer and Phillips were part of a three-way tie as Medford’s leading goal scorers this season with 11. Senior defenseman Cameron Bull was the third Raider with 11 goals. Both Phillips and Schaefer added eight assists to lead the team with 19 points each.

For Schaefer, three of his goals and one assist came during the seven-game round-robin portion of the GNC schedule. He added two assists in the GNC tournament’s seventh-place game, a 6-3 loss for Medford to Northland Pines.

A physical presence defensively and possessing a potent slap shot offensively, Schaefer scored twice and had an assist in a 10-3 GNC loss at Antigo on Nov. 30 and scored during the team’s 7-2 home loss to Rhinelander on Jan. 4.

In non-conference play, Schaefer had a hat trick in Medford’s 6-0 win at the Chequamegon Co-op Jan. 18 and added an assist. He scored twice in an 8-5 loss at the Shawano Co-op Jan. 25.

Phillips scored three of his goals during the GNC’s round-robin part of the schedule and added a fourth in an 11-2 GNC tournament loss to top-seeded Tomahawk. He added assists in GNC tournament losses to Antigo and Northland Pines. His GNC goals came at Antigo, against Rhinelander and in a 5-1 loss at Northland Pines Jan. 9.

The center on Medford’s top scoring line, Phillips had Medford’s lone goal in its 13-1 WIAA Division 2 tournament loss at Amery. He notched two assists on three occasions, including both of the team’s wins over the Chequamegon Co-op and at Shawano.

Medford finished 2-20 overall this winter and 0-10 in GNC games under first-year head coach Klayton Kree.

The GNC season was highlighted by a state tournament appearance by the Tomahawk Hatchets, who beat Mosinee 8-2 in a WIAA Division 2 sectional final on Feb. 24 and then lost to eventual runnerup New Richmond 8-4 in last weekend’s state semifinal in Middleton. The Hatchets went 7-0 in the round robin portion of the schedule, but wound up sharing the over-all GNC championship when Lakeland beat them 2-0 in the tournament title game on Feb. 10.

Mosinee won the third-place game 8-2 over Waupaca to tie the Comets for third place in the final standings. Antigo secured fifth place with its 9-4 win over Rhinelander in the tournament’s fifthplace game. Rhinelander’s 3-2 win over Northland Pines in the consolation semifinals allowed the Hodags to tie the Eagles for sixth place in the final standings.

Tomahawk defenseman Austin Lamer was named the 2023-24 GNC Player of the Year. He had 28 goals and 29 assists in the Hatchets’ 18-9 season. Antigo’s Brian Bunnell was voted as the GNC Coach of the Year.

This year’s All-GNC first team features just two seniors, three juniors and a sophomore. Mosinee senior Gavin Obremski is a repeat first-teamer, joining Lamer as the two first-team defensemen. Senior Grant Kuklinski of Mosinee, a co-Player of the Year last winter, leads the list of three firstteam forwards, joining Antigo junior Eli Kassler and Tomahawk sophomore Jonah Dickens. Kassler was the state’s leading goal scorer with 62 and added 38 assists.

Waupaca junior Gavin Hafferman was voted the GNC’s top goalie after leading the league in goals against average (2.15) and save percentage (.918) during the round-robin portion of the season.