Up Next: Final Regular Season Home Games on March 14-15 vs the Minnesota Wilderness
Billet Appreciation Weekend and Skate with the Windigo after Saturday’s Game
Eagle River, WI, March 10, 2025
Photos: Hunter Hayes (#18) and Braydon Beahm: Felix Haibock andJohn Halverson (#14): goal celebration with Ben Aucoin, Hunter Hayes, Riley Joslin and Braydon Beahm
Weekend Recap: The Windigo returned home to take on the Chippewa Steel. The dominating performance on Friday clinched a playoff berth for the Windigo for the third consecutive season. The loss on Saturday resulted in the Windigo picking up only two points over the weekend. Fairbanks and Anchorage split their series in Fairbanks. The net result is the Windigo retained first place in the Midwest Division standings with 71 points. Fairbanks remains in second with 64 points and Anchorage is in third with 63 points in the standings. Both of those teams have one game in hand over the Windigo Chippewa holds down the fourth and final playoff spot in the Midwest Division with 54 points.
Friday, March 7 – Steel 3 at Windigo 9: The Windigo scored three successive goals to close the first period leading 3 – 0. Alexios Georgaklis opening the scoring by jamming in his own rebound. Nate Farrell and Zach Cline were credited with assists. Rio Treharne added his first NAHL career goal 5 minutes into the contest. Georgaklis carried the puck deep into the offensive zone, drawing a Chippewa defender with him. This left Treharne all alone as he dropped into the middle of the slot. Georgaklis delivered a saucer pass that landed on Treharne’s tape. Treharne’s quick forehander beat Chippewa’s goalie to the blocker side. Treharne returned the favor six minutes later with a similar pass as Georgaklis drove to the top of the crease. Georgaklis initiated the give and go with Treharne, then skillfully corralled the return pass prior to releasing a shot to the back of the net low to the far side. Hunter Hayes continued the scoring barrage six minutes into the second period. Hayes lugged the puck through the neutral zone and dropped it for Beahm, who was planted at the blue line. Beahm passed the puck back to him as he slipped between two Chippewa defenders. Hayes stickhandled forehand to backhand and slipped the puck in the short side. Less than a minute later, John Halverson stripped a Chippewa player of the puck and moved it up ice to Felix Haibock. Haibock carried the puck into the zone and released a pass to Richardson just as he arrived at the far post. Richardson redirected the pass under the sprawling Chippewa netminder. Chippewa scored 7:39 into the middle frame for what turned out to be only a brief intermission in the Windigo scoring parade. Ronnie Hill scored his 12th of the year for the Windigo midway through the second period to put his team up 6-1. Michael Ryan spotted Hill up ice and delivered a long pass that sprung Hill on a breakaway. Twenty-six seconds, Hunter Hayes scored his second of the night with a terrific wrist shot to the short side. Braydon Beahm set up the play with a nice breakout pass to Hayes from along the near boards. John Halverson executed an artful wrap around goal to put the Windigo up 8 to 1 with 4:18 remaining in the second period. Chippewa scored 5 minutes into the final frame to make it 8-2. Hunter Hayes completed his tour du chapeau at 8:45 of the third period. Wyatt Herres made a nice keep in on the offensive blue line and passed the puck down low to Ben Aucoin. Aucoin found Hayes circling into the slot. Hayes released a shot from the inside of the hashmark that was saved. Hayes then buried his own rebound. Chippewa scored at 11:53 of the third period, but that was all they could muster. Lucas Szyszka made 21 saves to earn his 24th win on the season. The Windigo outshot Chippewa 25 to 24.
Saturday, March 8 – Steel 6 at Windigo 3: Saturday’s rematch saw the Windigo jump out to a 2-0 lead just 11 minutes into the game. Braydon Beahm opened the scoring with his 27th goal of the season. Hunter Hayes won a puck battle in along the boards and slid the puck to Beahm, who was parked deep in the corner. Beahm carried the puck to the top of the crease and released a wrist shot to score his first goal in 8 games. Luke Baker scored the Windigo’s first power play goal since February 1. Cashen Naeve faked a slapshot from the blue line, but instead passed the puck to Theodore Richardson in the far corner. Richardson held the puck to draw a defender towards him. Meanwhile, Felix Haibock posted up at the top of the crease, drawing another defender towards him. Richardson passed the puck cross ice to Baker, who was uncovered at the right faceoff dot. The left shotted Baker connected cleanly on the one-timer. The Windigo had scored on only 1 of 26 power play opportunities since February 1. During the lengthy dry spell, the Windigo power play had dropped to 22nd in the league with a 0.1677 PP%. Chippewa scored 18:52 into the game to close the first period with the Windigo holding a 2 to 1 lead. The Windigo held an 8 to 6 shot advantage in the first period. However, during the second period Chippewa peppered Windigo netminder Lucas Szyszka with 14 shots, while placing only 4 shots on Chippewa’s net. Chippewa scored twice (once on the power play) to take a 3 to 2 lead into the third period. Ben Aucoin scored his 11th goal of the season to tie the game 3 to 3 just 4:11 into the final frame. Zach Cline gained control of a loose puck along the boards and fed it deep into the corner to Beahm. Beahm passed it to Aucoin near the top of the faceoff circle. With a Chippewa defender on his left shoulder, the right-handed shooting Aucoin received the pass on his forehand and released it in one motion to find its mark just inside the far post. An unfortunate high sticking infraction by the Windigo resulted in a power play opportunity for the visitors. Chippewa converted on the power play to take the lead, 4 to 3. The Windigo had the opportunity to tie the game once again with a power play opportunity of their own a few minutes later. Unfortunately, Harper Frey was stripped of the puck on the offensive blue line and Chippewa scored short handed on the ensuing breakaway. Chippewa sealed the victory with an empty net goal with two minutes remaining. Lucas Szyszka took the loos in net, making 22 saves. Devin Shakar earned the win for Chippewa, turning away 16 of the 19 shots the Windigo placed on net. Chippewa’s win in the Dome was their first win ever in fourteen visits to Eagle River over the past three seasons.
Coach’s Comments: Windigo head coach John Mitchell offered the following after the weekend series: “The series was very disappointing overall. Of course I was happy with the dominating win on Friday. After jumping out to a two goal lead on Saturday, we took our foot of the gas and lost our composure. Some of our guys let the refs get in their heads and lost focus. We told the guys to be prepared for a big push from the Steel on Saturday. That is exactly what we saw, and our guys didn’t respond appropriately. The Steel are well coached and a team on the rise. They are battling for playoff position, but we need to pick up points available to us at home in order to accomplish our goals this season. We talked about that as a team; hence, my disappointment in our effort on Saturday. Hunter Hayes was phenomenal on Friday and deserved the hat trick. He’s been a great addition for us. Georgaklis had two nice goals as well. It was good to see Beahm end his eight game goal scoring drought. Hopefully, he’ll catch on fire again and start pumping them in. Aucoin’s goal on Saturday was as good as it gets. His release on that goal was pro caliber. Aucoin’s production (8g and 11a in 23 games) has been an added bonus for us. He was held off the scoresheet the first two games after we acquired him, but once he got comfortable in our system, he’s become very productive. We have the talent to score three or four lines deep. If we can do that consistently, we will find success in the balance of the season. We were 1 for 8 on the power play over the weekend. We’ve got to be more productive with the man advantage.”
Up Next – The Windigo host their final regular season home games when the Minnesota Wilderness invade the Dome on Friday and Saturday, March 14 & 15. The series features billet appreciation weekend activities and a skate with the Windigo opportunity after the game on Saturday. Both games will start at 7pm. Tickets are available at the door or at www.wisconsinjuionrhockey.com/tickets.