*Photo Contributed by Juan Carlos Wood – @photosbyjcw on Instagram
In the opening weekend of the Midwest Division Finals, the Wisconsin Windigo took charge and won the opening pair of games against the Minnesota Wilderness. Both games came down to the wire, but the Windigo were able to navigate their way through the late-game situations to take an imposing 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
Friday, May 1
Final Score: Windigo 4, Wilderness 3 (OT)
Game 1 marked the first time Wisconsin and Minnesota have faced off since early February. The two sides had extremely successful runs of play against each other in the regular season, with the Windigo claiming a 5-3 advantage in the series headed into the playoffs.
However, Minnesota had won each of the last three meetings against Wisconsin, and their momentum carried over into the first period of Game 1. They would score twice in the opening period, including a power-play tally from Zach Homer for his 43rd total goal of the campaign. Wisconsin would be outshot 18-8 in the first, and would face an uphill climb for the remainder of the contest.
When faced with this adversity, the Windigo chose not only to climb, but to do so quickly. Within the first 80 seconds of the next period, the Windigo had tied the game at two apiece. The first tally was a long shot from assistant captain Ryan Mottau, who deked past two Wilderness defensemen before launching the puck into the top-right corner. The goal was his 15th of the season and helped him secure his second straight game with a goal. He was assisted by his linemates, center Jacob Miller and winger Brendan Finley.
Just 19 seconds after Mottau’s goal helped turn the tide, winger Peyton Mithmuangneua kept the momentum with the Windigo. After claiming possession of a loose puck, he created space for himself out towards the left faceoff dot before unloading a strike that he placed top-shelf past Minnesota goaltender Ryan Gerlich’s glove hand. Mithmuangneua’s goal was his first of the playoffs and his fourth point across six playoff games. His linemates on the top unit, winger AJ Bongiorno and co-captain Alexios Georgaklis, would record the assists on the play.
Wisconsin’s success wouldn’t taper off after the two quick goals to start the second. Less than six minutes later, the Windigo would claim their first lead of the game. After rookie winger Sutton Verot forced a turnover in the team’s defensive zone, he played the puck forward to blueliner Thomas Quast. With a quick maneuver past a Minnesota defenseman, Quast found a shooting lane and buried the puck in the top-right corner to put the Windigo up 3-2. Quast’s tally marked his second straight game with a goal, and it raised his seventh goal total to seven on the year.
The Windigo’s strong turnaround didn’t occur solely on offense, but the team played sound defense from the second period onwards. Anchoring the team’s defensive efforts was goalie Max Larsson, who made his sixth consecutive start for the Windigo. He put together one of his best games of the season, stopping a career-high 44 shots on goal en route to his second consecutive win.
The third period would be another close frame, with each side placing double-digit shots on net. Minnesota’s captain Avery Anderson would tie the game midway through the stanza, ultimately sending the game to overtime.
With the NAHL’s overtime rules mirroring the NHL’s format, the game would go to a five-on-five, sudden-death, 20-minute period. Friday’s contest was Wisconsin’s first overtime game of the postseason and Minnesota’s second. That extra experience wouldn’t help the home team, however, as the Windigo would have a hero present himself just under 12 minutes into the extra period.
After Windigo center Josh Sardo took the puck past three Minnesota defensemen, the Wilderness briefly forced a turnover. A second later, Bongiorno took the puck away from Minnesota’s Jackson Reeves and led the puck back to Sardo, who one-timed the puck from beyond the two face-off dots into the top-right corner. Sardo’s game-winning goal was the sixth of his Windigo career, which is currently tied for third all-time in game-winning tallies. The OT-winner was his 19th total goal of the campaign and helped Bongiorno record his second assist of the night. Bongiorno is currently tied for the team lead in playoff points with five.
Even though the Windigo have forced many teams into defensive clashes over the last few months, Game 1 ended as an offensive battle. The two sides would combine for 84 shots on net, forcing both netminders to make more than 30 saves (Larsson – 44, Gerlich – 33).
Saturday, May 2
Final Score: Windigo 3, Wilderness 2
Less than 24 hours later, the Windigo kept their foot on the gas pedal to win their third consecutive playoff game. Game 2 would be more of a defensive-minded game, but Wisconsin put its offense on full display when push came to shove.
Instead of each team going on runs of scoring like in Game 1, the two sides alternated goals across the first two periods. Minnesota would strike first for the second straight night near the midway point of the opening period. It would be scored by Green Bay-native Bryce Dahl, who was a healthy scratch in Game 1.
Before the end of the opening period, the Windigo would answer Minnesota’s first goal with a power-play tally. After rookie blueliner Henry Steele launched a shot from distance, Windigo center Aidan Hickok redirected the shot into the back of the net. The power-play goal was Hickok’s first goal of the playoffs and his ninth total twine finder of the season. Steele picked up his 17th assist of the year and Quast notched his 27th helper on the play.
In the second period, the pair of goals would be scored in the front half of the frame. Just over two minutes into the period, Wilderness winger and University of Wisconsin-Madison commit Talan Blanck put the home team back in front. However, the hot hand for the Windigo would strike again within the next six minutes. Just seconds after Windigo blueliner Devin Berg took hold of the puck and threaded the needle on a tight pass to Mottau, the veteran winger showcased a filthy toe-drag before firing the puck into the back of the net. Mottau’s game-tying tally was his 16th goal of the season and elevated his goal streak to three games. Berg recorded the lone assist on the play, marking his first point of the postseason.
The third period would be the first of the game where one team was kept off the scoreboard. It would be the Wilderness who failed to score, largely due to a strong defensive effort by the Windigo. Spearheading the defense was Larsson, who recorded his third consecutive win in goal. He made 29 saves in the contest with 13 stops in the final period.
With over six minutes shaved off the clock in the third, the Windigo had a hero arise for the second straight night. After Berg launched a pass up the ice to Hickok, he played the puck to his left towards veteran winger Beau Kralovec, who had nothing but space on the left wing. He came through and converted a wrist shot just under the glove of Gerlich for the go-ahead goal.
Kralovec’s game-winning tally tied him with Sardo for most on the team this season (5) and tied him for third all-time in game-winning goals (6). Hickok recorded his fifth point of the postseason on the play, which is tied for the team-lead with Bongiorno. Berg’s second assist of the game led him to being the lone Windigo skater with a multi-point game Saturday.
While Game 1 saw a handful of penalties, tensions were constantly on the rise in Game 2. The contest ended with 17 total penalties split close to even among the two sides (Wisconsin – 16 PIM, Minnesota – 18 PIM).
League News
Across the NAHL, the four division finals are all taking place. While the East and Central Division are tied at one game apiece, the Lone Star Brahmas took a 2-0 lead in the South Division Finals over the El Paso Rhinos. If Wisconsin and Lone Star both win one more game to advance to the Robertson Cup Semi-Finals, it would set up a rematch between the two sides after clashing at the same event a season ago.
Additionally, multiple yearly awards have been distributed across the league. On the NAHL Midwest All-Division Team, second-year Windigo defenseman Declan Burns was honored as one of the two blueliners. Burns has been a force offensively this season with 26 points across 39 games. On behalf of the Windigo organization, congratulations Declan for another great season!
Up Next
The Midwest Division Finals will shift from Proctor, MN to Brookfield, WI, where Games 3 and 4 are set to be held. Game 3 is slated for Friday, May 8 at 6:35 PM CDT. If the Windigo take the win, then the series will be over. If the Wilderness win, Game 4 will be held Saturday, May 9 at 6:35 PM CDT. If Game 5 is necessary, the two squads will travel back to Minnesota for the final matchup of the series on May 11.
Tickets for the game can be purchased using this link. 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.
