*Photo Contributed by Juan Carlos Wood – @photosbyjcw on Instagram
Over the weekend, the Wisconsin Windigo won their third and fourth consecutive games to open the calendar year with a series sweep over the Springfield Jr. Blues. The win streak marks their longest since the team’s five-game win streak that began Nov. 21 and carried into December.
Friday, Jan. 9
Final Score: Windigo 4, Jr. Blues 1
In the series opener, the Windigo extended their win streak to three games with a convincing victory across the back half of the game. After a scoreless period to open the weekend, the Jr. Blues struck first with a goal from their captain, Zach Howard, to take an initial 1-0 lead. From that point on, the Windigo would shut down Springfield’s offense with a big help from goaltender Easton Cody, who recorded 31 saves by the end of the game. At the end of the contest, the team’s starting netminder grew his record to 10-7-0 with a .903 save percentage through 18 games this campaign.
Just over two minutes after the Jr. Blues scored, Windigo winger Will Doherty tied the game off a feed from center Josh Sardo. Minutes later, top-line left winger Brendan Finley netted his team-leading 11th goal of the season to give the Windigo a 2-1 lead. The goal was Finley’s 20th overall point of the season, becoming the team’s second active player to reach that mark.
After maintaining their one-goal lead for over 20 minutes, Wisconsin would double the advantage when left winger Ryan Mottau scored a goal near the back post off a crisp pass from right winger Max Bennett. The goal for Mottau came just days after he announced his commitment to continue his hockey career at the collegiate level with the Connecticut College Camels. The assist was Bennett’s second of the game, which marked his third multi-point game across his first nine outings with the Windigo. During the same play, Sardo also picked up his second helper of the game, bringing his point total up to 15 over his last 11 games.
To cap off the big win, Doherty lit the lamp against an empty net to score his second goal of the night and place the finishing touches on a 4-1 win. The goal was his sixth of the season and he was assisted by both of Wisconsin’s co-captains, Declan Burns and Alexios Georgaklis. With the three-goal victory, the Windigo became the third team in the Midwest Division to reach 20 wins on the season.
Saturday, Jan. 10
Final Score: Windigo 2, Jr. Blues 1 (OT)
While Friday’s contest was more of a one-sided affair on the scoresheet, Saturday’s game came down to the wire. Just two goals in regulation marked the lowest combined total between the Windigo and their respective opponent this season. The game was fought to the nail and resulted in the fifth trip to overtime for the Windigo this season.
Prior to the extra period, the Windigo struck first in the opening period when Georgaklis cleaned up a loose puck on a power-play and buried a shot into the top shelf. The goal was his 10th of the season, making him the second player on Wisconsin’s active roster to reach the double-digit goal mark this season. He was assisted by forwards Aidan Hickok and Jackson Ernst.
After a scoreless second period, the Jr. Blues leveled the score with seven minutes remaining in the third when left winger Logan Sutton scored the team’s second goal of the weekend.
In overtime, it took just 78 seconds for Doherty to cement the weekend as his best in Windigo colors thus far. The right winger entered the ice as Georgaklis maneuvered up the left wing. With a sharp pass from the team captain, Doherty did the rest and buried the goal for his third twine finder of the series. The tally was his seventh of the season and 14th overall point. The assist helped Georgaklis conclude his birthday weekend with three points, bringing his season total up to 34 through as many games this season.
In net, Max Larsson made his second start for the Windigo and he impressed again, making 27 saves throughout regulation and overtime. He now holds a 2-0-0 record with a .942 save percentage and a 1.49 GAA across his pair of appearances.
Standings
Following the weekend series, the Windigo are up to a 21-12-1 record through 34 games this season. Their record places them third in the Midwest Division standings, just three points behind the second-place Fairbanks Ice Dogs. With the pair of losses, Springfield now has an 18-12-5 record through 35 games this season and are in fourth place.
Since last week, the Windigo have jumped up one spot to No. 9 in the NAHL Power Rankings. They now trail the Midwest Division-leading Minnesota Wilderness by three spots and Fairbanks Ice Dogs by two.
Up Next
The Windigo will look to continue their win streak when they hit the road for a road series with Springfield. The two squads will play their third and fourth consecutive games against each other on Friday, Jan. 16 and Saturday, Jan. 17, respectively.
Puck Drop on Friday, Jan. 16 is set for 7:05 PM CST. If you can’t be there in person, all Windigo home and away games can be streamed on NATV. Visit nahltv.com for more details.
