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After struggling through a difficult Wisconsin Valley Conference slate last winter, Rhinelander boys’ hockey coach M.J. Laggis is optimistic about his team this season.

A year ago, a young Rhinelander team finished 4-16-1 in the Valley.

“We were close to being decent, but we were just not there yet, so it was a pretty rough season,” Laggis said. “We had a great group of guys in the locker room, but our win-loss record wasn’t what we wanted.”

Laggis believed Rhinelander needed additional ice time, so he scheduled 13 summer league games during the past offseason. The Hodags had a productive summer, finishing with a 9-2-2 mark.

The Hodags lost defenseman Ryan Trembley, who received an all-WVC honorable mention nod to graduation. Other than the loss of Trembley, Rhinelander remains largely intact.

“That’s why we feel we have a chance to be pretty decent,” Laggis said.

One of Laggis’ top summer players was senior forward Matt Zuiker.

“As a forward, he’s going to be a big leader for us,” Laggis said.

The Hodags also welcome back a solid corps of senior forwards led by Billy Michlig, Matt Curran, Tom Dobbins, Cody Justice-Weilby and Brian Bessa.

“They could really be a nice, physical force,” Laggis said. “We’re looking to have them really step it up and be involved. They’ve got to score goals.”

The defense will be led by senior Tyler Henkel, who received all-WVC honorable mention honors last season.

“He’s really a strong kid, excellent defenseman, just outstanding,” Laggis said.

On defense, Laggis will have a physical presence with Sam Huebner, a 6-2, 175-pound junior.

“We have an athletic and physical group of defensemen and we have a group of forwards with a lot of experience,” Laggis said.

Laggis is also excited about a talented cast of newcomers who’ve enjoyed success at the bantam level.

“If we can get this team to meld together and be a group, we can have good chemistry, and (the freshmen) can really help us,” Laggis said. “They could really contribute right now.”

Strengths and

weaknesses

Rhinelander has athletic, offensive-minded defensemen and experienced forwards with scoring ability.

“We have guys who have been around the block for three years now,” Laggis said. “We have guys who know what it takes and know they don’t want to experience what they’ve gone through the last three years.”

After being used as a Valley whipping post the previous three seasons, the Hodags hope to return the favor.

“We have guys with a lot of ice time and you can’t measure how much that means to this group,” Laggis said. “They’ve been in some tough situations. As freshmen, these seniors were out there just getting pounded by people. The upside of that is that three years later, we have a group of seniors who know what they want to do. It’s a matter of executing it.”

In goal, Laggis will start junior Jacob Jackomino who played extensively last winter.

“He’s got to really prove himself this year, he’s got a big opportunity,” Laggis said.

Laggis wants the team’s passing to improve before they begin the season. The Hodags have digested a lot of information since practice opened on Nov. 10, but it’s all in preparation for another tough conference schedule.

Goals

Laggis refers to his team as a “talented underdog.” He thinks Stevens Point, Wausau West and D.C. Everest will battle for the Valley title. He sees the Hodags finishing somewhere in the middle.

“I expect us to be a team that can compete with anyone,” Laggis said. “But based on our previous three years, we have a lot to prove. You don’t win four games the year before and become a conference favorite.”

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