*Photo contributed by Juan Carlos Wood – @shotsbyjcw on Instagram
This past weekend, the Wisconsin Windigo hosted the Fairbanks Ice Dogs for two hard-fought battles. In the end, the Windigo would lose both games, falling short in the first contest 5-2 before losing 3-0 in the latter match of the series.
Friday, Oct. 3
The Windigo fell to the Fairbanks Ice Dogs in a high-scoring affair Friday by a score of 5-2. After second-year Ice Dogs forward Oliver Barna scored two goals in the first period, Wisconsin scored two of their own in the second frame. Just over four minutes into the period, second-year forward Jackson Ernst tallied his first goal of the season. His twine finder brought his career totals with Wisconsin to 15 goals and 33 points.
After the Ice Dogs got their third tally, Windigo newcomer Payton Mithmuangneua scored in his debut with the team. Mithmuangneua’s first game with Windigo marked the start of his third campaign in the NAHL. In his previous two stints in the league, he tallied 51 points across 69 games with the St. Cloud Norsemen.
The Ice Dogs would seal the win in the third period with two more goals. Outside of Ernst and Mithmuangneua, second-year Windigo defenseman Michael Ryan was the additional star of the game for his effort and assist on Mithmuangneua’s goal.
In net, Easton Cody drew the start for Wisconsin and faced a barrage of shots throughout the night. He ended the game with 36 saves on 41 attempts.
Saturday, Oct. 4
In game two of the series, the Windigo were shut out for the first time this season as they fell to Fairbanks 3-0. The game was level at zero until the 29-minute mark with both teams limiting the other’s chances in the offensive zone. Fairbanks would get two goals in the second period and one in the third, including a power-play goal from Barna.
Windigo rookie goaltender Max Kogler played in net for the team and his 32 saves in net earned him 1st Star of the Game honors. Wisconsin rookie defensemen Jordan Stange and Cal Grilz were also rewarded for their efforts as the second and third stars respectively.
Standings
After the weekend slate, the Windigo currently sit in sixth place in the NAHL Midwest Division standings. Fairbanks jumped up to third place and trail the division-leading Minnesota Wilderness by seven points.
Up Next
The Windigo have their sights set ahead on four decisive games against the Janesville Jets across the next two weekends. Before traveling to Janesville in two weeks, the Windigo will host the Jets on Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11.
Puck Drop for Friday’s contest is set for 5:45 PM Central Time. Tickets can be purchased on the team’s website. If you can’t make it in person, all Windigo home games can be streamed on NATV. Visit nahltv.com for more details.
