Weekend Recap: After dropping two games on the road in Springfield the previous weekend, the Windigo sought redemption as they traveled to Alaska to take on the Kenai River Brown Bears. Going into the weekend the Windigo had a 6-5-1 (OT loss) record, while the Brown Bears were 5-6-1.
Friday, October 20: Windigo 4 at Kenai River 6: Windigo co-captain Max Martin opened the scoring just 1:06 into the contest with a shot from the top of the circle that dribbled through the goalie’s pads. Mario DiMaggio and Braydon Beahm assisted on the play. Kenai River responded less than 2 minutes later to tie the game. Windigo assistant captain Tyler Grahme scored his 5th goal of the season after winning an offensive zone draw. Will Schumacher fed the puck to Everett Pietila, who cycled the puck down low and then fed it back to Grahme parked at the faceoff dot. Grahme’s quick release beat the netminder high to the short side, to give his team the lead again. Martin (from Beahm and Leo Eperjesi) scored his second of the game with a wrist shot from the high slot that beat the goalie low to the glove side, giving the Windigo a 3-1 lead just 38 seconds into the second period. Kenai River responded with two goals to finish the middle frame with a 3-3 tie. Martin completed his hattrick with a power play goal at 6:29 of the third. Erick Comstock and Will Schumacher were credited with the assists. Kenai River responded with 3 consecutive goals to seal the victory. Two of those goals came on the power play, after a questionable 5-minute major was charged to a Windigo player late in the game. Windigo goaltender Linards Lipskis took the loss in net with 20 saves. The Windigo placed 26 shots on Kenai River’s net.
Saturday, October 21: Windigo 5 at Springfield 0: Windigo forward Adam Timm scored his 2nd goal of the season 16 minutes into the game to put the Windigo up 1-0. Timm worked a give-and-go with teammate Luke Baker and redirect Baker’s shot into the net. Jacob Jastrzebski was credited with the second assist on the play. Braydon Beahm jumped on a rebound off of a shot from Max Martin and deposited the puck in the back of the net to put the Windigo up 2-0 just 1:34 into the second period. Will Schumacher continued the onslaught by the Windigo, scoring his 12th of the season with a wrist shot from the mid-slot. Tyler Grahme and Everett Pietila earned the assists on Schumacher’s goal. Grahme closed out the scoring in the second period with a beautifully executed power play goal. Max Martin’s precision pass found Grahme all alone on the far post, allowing for an easy re-direction into the net. Schumacher continued his hot hand, scoring 1:38 into the third period. Tyler Grahme won an offensive zone faceoff back to Windigo defenseman Trent LeDrew, who shot the puck on net. Schumacher pounced on the rebound and fired the puck into the far side of the net. Windigo goal tender Linards Lipskis earned his second shutout of the season, turning away all 22 shots Kenai River sent his way. The Windigo generated 36 shots on Kenai’s net during the game.
Coach’s Comments: Windigo head coach Blake Hietala shared the following after the weekend series: “We were poised to win the game on Friday, but undisciplined play, inconsistent team effort protecting the puck in our zone, and an unfortunate 5-miniute major in late in the third were too much to overcome. It was a shame to see Martin’s hattrick go to waste like that. I was much happier with our effort on Saturday. We made some adjustments and were able to execute clean zone exists that ultimately ended in scoring chances. Our transition game and team defense contributed to the win. It was great to see our power play click they way it did. We have been moving the puck consistently well on the power play all season and it’s great to see that puck movement translate to goals.”
Up Next: The Windigo conclude their 7 game road trip with 3 games versus the Anchorage Wolverines on October 27-29. They return home for a series November 3-4 versus the Chippewa Steel. Saturday, November 4 is Youth Hockey Night. All youth hockey players will gain free admittance if they wear their youth hockey team jerseys to the game. Home game tickets are available online at www.wisconsinjuniorhockey.com/tickets or at the door. Limited reserve section access tickets are available for $15. General admission is $10.