*Photo contributed by Juan Carlos Wood – @shotsbyjcw on Instagram
This past weekend, the Wisconsin Windigo played their final home series of the 2025-26 regular season. In their pair of showdowns against the Springfield Jr. Blues, the Windigo delivered in the clutch two consecutive nights, winning in a shootout Friday and in overtime Saturday. The wins were a big step forward for Wisconsin, who is looking to bring playoff hockey to Brookfield in the team’s inaugural season in Southeast Wisconsin.
Friday, March 20
Final Score: Windigo 3, Jr. Blues 2 (SO)
In the opening battle of the weekend, the Windigo fought from behind to send the game into overtime before seizing the moment in the shootout. The game could be characterized by each team going on a run, with the Jr. Blues starting off strong before the Windigo dominated the second period.
To place the first tally on the scoresheet, Springfield’s Brady Turner scored a power-play goal to put the Jr. Blues up 1-0. The goal was Springfield’s only attempt in the first period out of 14 shots on goal that made it past Windigo netminder Easton Cody, who made multiple saves worthy of a highlight reel to keep Wisconsin in contention. The Windigo were docked with four penalties in the first and needed to make adjustments heading into the next period.
Moments after the first intermission ended, the Windigo made it clear that they were ready to flip the script. Less than two minutes into the second period, Wisconsin center Josh Sardo found the back of the net to level the score. The tally was Sardo’s 15th of the season, which placed him second on the team in goals. On the goal, assistant captain Riley Joslin and winger Sutton Verot picked up the helpers.
Four minutes later, the Windigo made their lone mistake of the period, and Jr. Blues winger Niko Laus capitalized to put Springfield up 2-1. The Jr. Blues were outshot in the second period 17-5, but managed to keep at least a share of the lead or more during the entire frame.
Near the end of the second period, the Windigo continued to pile shots on goal until winger McCarthy Richardson came through with a power-play tally. The goal was his seventh of the season and his sixth with the Windigo, bringing his point total in Wisconsin up to 14 across 18 games played. On the play, blueliner Thomas Quast and winger Peyton Mithmuangneua recorded the assists.
The third period left the score unchanged, leading to the third consecutive game between the two sides where the outcome would be decided halfway through the third period or later. Despite close calls for both sides in overtime, the second shootout between the two teams this season would follow the buzzer. One of the contest’s close calls was a spectacular clearance off the line from Devin Berg, who saved the Windigo from going 3-2 down with a diving effort in the goalie crease.
To open the shootout, Cody made an excellent save against Springfield’s Aaron Martikainen, who shot the puck at full speed just a few feet away from Cody’s glove. In response, Joslin slotted the puck into the back of the net to put the Windigo up 1-0, marking his second shootout tally of the season. Despite Springfield’s Drew Berres scoring to tie the shootout, Windigo winger Jackson Ernst stepped up to the task, scoring the team’s second attempt to take a 2-1 lead. Following a miss from Jr. Blues forward Lukas Wallinheimo, Ernst’s tally would result in the game-winner, giving him his second go-ahead tally in a shootout this season.
Friday’s win would put the Windigo one step closer to securing a playoff spot in the Midwest Division, and it was the team’s second win in a row against the Jr. Blues. In net, Cody ended up making 28 saves on 30 attempts, and he raised his record to 14-12-0 through 27 appearances on the year.
Saturday, March 21
Final Score: Windigo 3, Jr. Blues 2 (OT)
In Wisconsin’s last home game of the regular season, the Windigo sent the team’s faithful fans home with another thrilling win. The game saw five goals, 18 penalties, a fight won by Windigo winger Ryan Mottau and strong defensive play from both sides.
Contrary to Friday’s contest, the Windigo got off to a strong start when team captain Alexios Georgaklis tallied a power-play goal midway through the opening period. The goal was his team-leading 17th tally of the season, which tied his number of goals through 66 games a year ago. His twine finder was assisted by Richardson and Quast. The Jr. Blues would respond late in the period with their own power-play goal to level the score at one after the first.
In the second period, Mithmuangneua got the crowd on their feet early with an incredible goal less than a minute into the stanza. Windigo blueliner Cal Grilz rifled a waist-high pass towards Mithmuangneua, who turned on the puck and redirected it on target to find the back of the net. The highlight-reel worthy twine finder was Mithmuangneua’s fifth goal of the season and his 32nd overall point. His goal was also featured as the No. 4 entry in the NAHL Top Plays of the Week. In addition to Grilz, Windigo center Aidan Hickok registered an assist on the play.
Despite the Jr. Blues receiving seven penalties in the third period, they would record the lone goal of the frame to tie the contest at two apiece. This would ultimately lead to the fourth consecutive game between the two sides where the outcome would be decided halfway through the third period or later.
It wouldn’t take long for a hero to emerge for the Windigo, and it ended up being a familiar face. Just under a minute and a half into the extra period, Ernst took the puck from the boards towards the crease before slotting the puck past Jr. Blues’ netminder Amir Valiullin, securing the series sweep for the Windigo. Ernst’s twine finder was his third game-winning goal of the season and his 15th overall tally.
In net, Wisconsin goaltender Max Larsson played a pivotal role in the victory, earning him the game’s third star of the night. He turned aside 23 of 25 shots on net and earned his ninth win with the Windigo this season.
Standings
With the pair of late wins, the Windigo have a 32-19-2 record through 53 games this season. They currently rank third in the Midwest Division and trail the second-place Fairbanks Ice Dogs by one point. With two games in hand on Fairbanks, the Windigo have a path to the No. 2 seed in the division if they can outplay them the rest of the way. The two sides have a series scheduled in Fairbanks on April 3 & 4.
The Windigo also maintained their spot in the NAHL Power Rankings. Wisconsin currently ranks 10th overall and third in the Midwest behind the Minnesota Wilderness (4) and Anchorage Wolverines (8).
Up Next
The Windigo are set to hit the road for the final three weeks of the regular season. Next weekend, they will fly to Alaska for the start of their two-week trip, where they’ll play all three teams from the nation’s 49th state. The Windigo will face off against the Kenai River Brown Bears on Friday, March 27 before travelling to Anchorage for one game against the Wolverines on Saturday, March 28.
Puck drop for both games is slated for 7:30 PM AKDT. 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.
