The Minnesota Wilderness seek to build upon a very successful opening weekend by taking on the Wisconsin Windigo and Chippewa Steel in a set of games this Friday and Saturday.
The Wilderness host the Windigo Friday at Northwoods Credit Union Arena in Cloquet, and will go on the road for the first this season Saturday to meet the Chippewa Steel.
Minnesota goes into the weekend with a 2-0 record after sweeping a home series vs. the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, winning Friday 3-2 in a shootout and Saturday in regulation 4-2. By winning its first two games, the Wilderness has tied the 2014-15 team for the best start in franchise history.
The Windigo and Steel went head-to-head last weekend with Wisconsin coming out on top in both meetings. On Friday, Wisconsin skated off with a 5-3 victory and followed with a 3-2 overtime win Saturday, with both games played at the Windigo home in Eagle River, WI.
Wisconsin relied on solid goaltending and a strong PK in its weekend sweep. The Windigo kept Chippewa scoreless on the power play, killing off all eight of the Steel’s opportunities. Meanwhile goaltender Lucas Szyszka earned victories in both outings.
The Wilderness saw rookie Frantisek Netusil score clutch goals in both games vs. Fairbanks—a tying goal Friday and the game’s first tally Saturday. Avery Anderson and Ben Roulette also finished the series vs. Fairbanks with multiple points, Roulette finished with a goal and assist, while Anderson posted three assists.
Forward Aidan Willis and defenseman Wyatt Kerr lead Chippewa in scoring with each recording two points (one goal, one assist).
Friday’s game vs. Wisconsin has puck drop at 7:15 p.m., while Friday’s event in Chippewa Falls, WI, begins at 6:00 p.m.
Midwest Division standings:
| Place | Team | Games played | Points | This week’s opponent |
| 1 | Wilderness | 2 | 4 | 1 vs. Wisconsin, 1 @ Chippewa |
| 1 | Kenai River | 2 | 4 | 1 @ Chippewa, 1 @ Springfield |
| 1 | Wisconsin | 2 | 4 | 1 @ Wilderness, 1 vs. Fairbanks |
| 4 | Chippewa | 2 | 1 | 1 vs. Kenai River, 1 vs. Wilderness |
| 4 | Fairbanks | 2 | 1 | 1 @ Janesville, 1 @ Wisconsin |
| 6 | Anchorage | 0 | 0 | 1 @ Springfield, 1 @ Janesville |
| 6 | Springfield | 0 | 0 | 1 vs. Anchorage, 1 vs. Kenai River |
| 8 | Janesville | 2 | 0 | 1 vs. Fairbanks, 1 vs. Anchorage |