September 7, 2026
Cloquet, MN
For immediate release
The only exhibition weekend of the 2026-27 Minnesota Wilderness season resulted in one win and one loss as they
took on the Austin Bruins in a home-and-home series.
Minnesota was victorious in game 1 Friday night, 4-1, at Wessman Arena in Superior, WI. Austin responded with a
3-1 victory Saturday night in Austin, MN.
The Wilderness next moves on to the regular season. The new campaign kicks off this weekend with two games in
Brookfield, WI, vs. the Wisconsin Windigo. The first game will be Friday, Sept. 11, followed by game 2 on the
following Saturday. Both contests will be played at the Ponds of Brookfield and will start at 6:15 p.m.
Friday night: Wilderness 4, Austin 1
Three third period goals propelled Minnesota to victory in the series opener.
Seven players from the 2025-26 season skated in the contest for Minnesota, including Kevin Lysohir, who finished
with two goals.
The Wilderness used two newcomers in net. Axel Kylin, who began his junior career last season in Sweden,
guarded the Minnesota cage over the game’s first 31:11 making four saves on five shots. Rookie Tobias Trieskey
claimed the win playing 28:49 and kept the Bruins scoreless on 12 shots.
After a scoreless first period, Austin’s Brett Ludvigsen gave his team the game’s first lead 4:51 into the second
frame. The Wilderness responded with Lysohir notching his first goal of the contest on a snipe from the left circle
with 8:12 left in the second stanza. Jack Martens assisted on Lysohir’s tally.
Early in the third period, the Wilderness took the lead to stay after Vladislav Tsapko fired a puck that just slipped
past Austin goaltender Everett Payie. Alfred Carlsson and Brandon Vislay gained helpers on the goal scored at the
3:34 mark.
Lysohir followed with his second of the game with 4:08 left on a pass from Alfred Carlsson. Kash Crawford
completed the scoring with an empty-net goal with 2:35 on the clock.
Payie went the distance for the Bruins, stopping 19 of 22 Minnesota shots.
Minnesota outshot Austin, 22-18.
Neither team managed to post a power play goal. The Wilderness had three chances while Austin finished 0-for-5.
Saturday: Austin 3, Wilderness 1
Minnesota went with a much younger lineup Saturday, with only three returning players suiting up.
After falling behind 2-0, the Wilderness broke through in the final stanza with its first power play goal of the pre-
season.
Dominic Anthony scored on a shot from the right circle after receiving a pass from Tsapko while on a 2-man
advantage at the third period’s 4:57 mark.
Anthony’s goal followed tallies from Hudson Routh and Hugo Thulin in the first and second periods, respectively,
that put Austin in front through the first 40 minutes.
Minnesota would not score again in the game. Austin added one more on the power play with 1:21 left in
regulation from Brett Ludvigsen.
On the man-advantage, both squads finished 1-for-4.
Austin outshot the Wilderness, 34-22.
Minnesota used one goaltender for each period. Trieskey started the contest by making 11 saves on 12 shots
playing the first period. Sam Trnecka entered the game in the second period and stopped 12 of 13 Bruins shots.
Kylen skated in the third period and had eight saves on nine shots.
The Bruins split netminding duties between Dilans Birkens and Hayden Demaso. Birkens started the contest and
kept Minnesota scoreless on nine shots. Demaso took over in the middle of the second period and fended off 12 of
13 Wilderness shots over 32:55.