Eight Game Road Trip Concludes Regular Season Schedule
Photos: Luke Baker (#19), Alexios Georgaklis (#12), Nate Farrell ( #5), Rio Treharne (#21), and Wyatt Herres (#10) celebrate a goal; Lucas Szyszka (#33) prepares for a shot, Szyszka and Rio Treharne (#21) defend the net; Baker plants himself in front of the net.
Weekend Recap: The Windigo entertained the Minnesota Wilderness in front of large crowds on Friday and Saturday (March 14-15) for their final homestand of the regular season. The weekend was billet family recognition which featured a skate with the Windigo after the game on Saturday. The split earned the Windigo 2 points in the Midwest Division standings where they hold down first place with 73 points. Fairbanks picked up 4 points at home over Springfield, to put them in second place in the divisional standings with 68 points. Anchorage picked up 3 points at Kenai River by virtue of a Friday night win and shootout loss. The Wolverines hold third place with 66 points. Both Fairbanks and Anchorage have one game in hand over the Windigo. Chippewa swept the Jets in Janesville, helping them to solidify their fourth place spot in the Midwest Division with 58 points.
Friday, March 14 – Wilderness 2 at Windigo 1: The opening period was characterized by tight checking with the Windigo mustering only 4 shots on net compared to six by the Wilderness. Alexios Georgaklis got the Windigo on the board 4:40 into the game with a wrist shot from the mid-slot. Georgaklis was set up by Luke Baker and Rio Treharne. Payton Struck tied it up for the Wilderness late in the first period. The Wilderness turned up the pressure early in the second period and found themselves with a power play opportunity 4:40 into the second. Just five seconds later the Wilderness jumped on a rebound of a shot from the point to score their eventual game winner. The Windigo were outshot 12 to 10 in the middle frame. The Windigo killed off four consecutive minor penalties in the third period and gave themselves a chance to tie the game. The Windigo pulled netminder Lucas Szyszka with well over three minutes remaining and created several scoring opportunities that failed to find the back of the net. Szyszka took the loss in net, making 21 saves. The Windigo outshot the Wilderness 11 to 5 in the third period and 25 to 23 in the game.
Saturday, March 15 – Wilderness 3 at Windigo 6: Seeking redemption from their bitter defeat the previous evening, the Windigo played with intensity and determination from the opening faceoff. Braydon Beahm scored his 28th goal of the season just 53 seconds into the game to take an early lead for the Windigo. Beahm tucked in a rebound of a shot from Jackson Ernst. Having just completed his high school season in Minnesota, Ernst was playing in his first game with the Windigo since November 16, 2024. A few minutes later, Alexios Georgaklis put the Windigo up 2-0 with a power play goal. Rio Treharne carried the puck into the zone and dished it off to Georgaklis in the slot. Georgaklis spun around in the mid-slot and released a backhander that found the back of the net. The Wilderness cut their deficit in half when Frantisek Netusil completed an end to end rush. The native of Prague, Czechoslovakia, eluded three Windigo defenders along the way and released a shot that beat Windigo netminder Lucas Szyszka high to the short side. Wisconsin outshot their guests 15 to 7 in the opening period. The Windigo poured on the steam in the second period, scoring three consecutive goals. Hunter Hayes scored his 23rd of the season just over four minutes into the middle frame. Braydon Beahm released a shot from the top of the circle that generated a rebound for Hayes to tap into the net. That goal that chased the Wilderness’ starting goalie from the net. Luke Baker welcomed the visitors’ new goalie to the game by scoring with a shot from the face off dot. Baker scored again 38 seconds later. Treharne picked up a rebound and passed the puck to Georgaklis in the low slot. Georgaklis’ shot caromed to Baker who was parked all alone near the far post. The Windigo outshot the Wilderness 10 to 6 in the middle frame and carried a 5-1 lead into the third period. The Windigo made the most of a power play opportunity mid-way through the third period when Hunter Hayes found Ernst at the top of the far circle. Ernst made the most of the opportunity with a one timer that snuck into the net low to the near corner. Three successive penalties in the last nine minutes of the game, including a five minute major, saw the Windigo playing most of the balance of the game shorthanded. The Wilderness took advantage of the power play opportunities, scoring two goals to bring the final score to 6-3 in favor of the Windigo. Lucas Szyszka earned his 25th win in net for the Windigo, making 15 saves. The Windigo more than doubled the Wilderness in shots on goal by a margin of 39 to 18.
Coach’s Comments: Windigo head coach John Mitchell offered the following after the weekend series: “Friday’s game was frustrating. We lacked intensity, couldn’t seem to connect on our passing, and we passed up on a number of shots that we should have taken. We did mount a strong comeback attempt in the third period. They played a good road game on Friday and kept us from generating quality scoring chances. The intensity we displayed in the first two periods on Saturday is the type of hockey we’d like to see. Our power play finally clicked and that made a huge impact for us. Ernie’s (Jackson Ernst) one-timer was perfect. I also like the way we drove to the net and took advantage of some rebounds. We are capable of winning most games when we play with pace and determination. We’re looking forward to hitting the road and finishing the season strong.”
Up Next – The Windigo embark on an eight-game road trip to conclude regular season competition. First up is the Anchorage Wolverines on March 21. The Windigo then head down the Kenai Peninsula to take on the Brown Bears on March 22. They then travel to Fairbanks for a two game series with the Ice Dogs on March 28-29. The team returns to the lower 48 to visit the Springfield Jr. Blues on April 4-5. The Windigo conclude the regular season by landing in Janesville to take on the Jets on April 11-12. The first round of the playoffs commence the weekend of April 18-19. We will keep you posted as to the playoff schedule once it has been determined. You can watch the Windigo while they are on the road at www.nahltv.com.