Marshfield hosted the regional final between the hometown Tigers and the Rhinelander Hodags. The last time the two teams met the game was moved from Mike Webster Stadium to the Hodag Dome due to a storm and theTigers defeated the Hodags by scoring a goal in the last 30 seconds of the game to break the tie and win 2-1.

Saturday in Marshfield the game was scoreless for the whole 90 minutes forcing two 10-minute overtime periods.

The Hodags scored in the first 19 seconds of the first overtime and kept the Tigers off the scoreboard for the rest of the period. The second overtime was very close as teams traded spending time on each other’s ends of the pitch.

As the 10-second countdown was announced Marshfield had control of the ball. Kate Schilling launched a long shot that bounced off Hodag keeper Kahlie Arneson and went into the Hodag net with two seconds left to tie the game at one forcing a shootout.

Each team picked five players to take shots on goal from the penalty kick line. Rhinelander shot first and then alternated with Marshfield for shots on goal. Neither of the first shooters for either team could make the shot. Second up for the Hodags was Ella Schiek and she kicked it past the Tigers goalie and made the score 1-0 Hodags. The second shot by Marshfield was turned back by Arneson. Both third shooters missed and then Rhinelander’s fourth shooter, Makenna Brown, put the ball to the right of the Tiger goalie before she could get to the ball making the score 2-0. If the next Marshfield shooter misses, the game belongs to the Hodags. The fourth Tiger shooter kicked the ball into the post and out to make the Hodag girls the Regional champions. The next game for the Hodags is Thursday at Sauk Prairie in the sectional semi-final.

Bob Mainhardt photos.

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The team hoists the Regional Championshop plaque. The girls were greeted back in Rhinelander by a police and fire escort from Brown Street to the high school.