Hodag Highlights: Basketball, hockey

BOYS BASKETBALL

Conference leading Medford basketball team came to Rhinelander to take on the Hodag boys Tuesday night. The Medford Raiders came out hot and at one point held a 25-point lead in the first half. The Raiders made 10 three-point shots in the first half, scored 46 in the half and held the Hodags to 21 points.

In the second half the Hodags played better defense and held the Raiders to 18 points and again scored 21 for a final score of 42-64. 

Leading the way for the Hodags was James Heck with a career-high 17 points followed by Will Gretzinger with 10.

BOB MAINHARDT PHOTOS

James Heck worked his way to an open spot in the lane and made the shot for two of his career-high 17 points.

Will Gretzinger scored two of his 10 points on a breakaway layup in the first half.

Jordan LeGere makes a pass in the lane to James Heck under the basket. Heck made the shot in the lane.

Braden Mork drives the baseline in the second half. Mork scored six points in the loss.

Kyle Brown shoots a three in the second half. Brown made the only three-point shot for the Hodags as they shot 1-for-15 as a team.

HOCKEY

Thursday night the RIA was the site of the Hodags last regular season home game as Rhinelander hosted the Wausau East/Merrill co-op team.

The vast majority of the game took place on the East/Merrill end of the ice as the shots on goal went heavily in the Hodags favor with a 67-7 advantage in that category.  The Hodags scored more goals than E/M had shots. The final score was 8-0. Joey Belanger scored three times in the game, Leo Losch scored twice, Zach Edyvean, Finn Tulowitzky and Gavin Lorman each scored a goal. Lorman scored the final goal of the game with his first varsity goal. Johnny Turek got the first shutout for the Hodags stopping all seven shots he faced.

BOB MAINHARDT PHOTOS

Joey Belanger scores the first of his three goals during a penalty kill in the first period.

Zach Edyvean tapped the loose puck toward the net and it bounced around and found its way into the net with 4.3 seconds remaining in the first on a power play. The goal gave the Hodags a 3-0 lead.

Leo Losch gets the puck by the East/Merrill goalie Jake Furrer for the first of his two goals and a 4-0 lead.

The seven seniors were honored before the start of the game; Gavin Lorman, Layne Roeser, Leo Losch, Sam Schneider, Cody Everson, AJ Turek and Finn Tulowitzky.

Gavin Denis with his arms up and Leo Losch who is hugging Gavin Lorman celebrate Lorman's first varsity goal and the Hodags eighth with 7:47 left in the third period.

Hats on the ice were seen after Joey Belanger scored his third goal of the game completing the hat trick. In the old hockey tradition, hats were tossed out on the ice.

Save number four for Hodag goalie Johnny Turek who only had to make seven saves in the game for the shutout.