The Minnesota Wilderness rebounded from a Friday night defeat to the Chippewa Steel to unleash a relentless attack Saturday night that resulted in a 6-1 victory.
For the second time this season, the Wilderness fired more than 50 shots on the Steel net while scoring in all phases of the game: even-strength, power play and short-handed. Noah Dziver led the winners with a 3-point night, recording two goals and one assist, while Talan Blanck also scored twice.
For Dziver, it followed an historic Friday contest where he became Minnesota’s all-time leading scorer when he assisted on Zach Homer’s first period goal. That helper gave Dziver 113 points in his Wilderness career, surpassing the previous mark of 112 set from 2016-19 by Luke Dow.
Chippewa would go on to win Friday night’s game, in Cloquet, 3-1. Minnesota made sure that was the only “W” the Steel would celebrate in the 12-game season-series, as the Wilderness triumphed for the 11 th time against Chippewa in 2025-26.
Saturday’s victory, in Chippewa Falls, WI, also made history as the Wilderness earned its 39th victory (with a record of 39-10-4) on the season, which ties the franchise record set in 2014-15.
The Wilderness, who have already clinched a playoff spot and the Midwest Division regular season title, have six chances remaining on the regular season schedule to add to their win total. Their next two contests will be their final home games on the docket, as they host the Springfield Jr. Blues this Friday and Saturday at Northwoods Credit Union Arena in Cloquet with puck drop both nights at 7:15 p.m.
Friday: Chippewa 3, Wilderness 1
After the Wilderness scored on the power play early in the first period, the scoreboard was all Chippewa as the Steel skated away with a 3-1 victory.
Zach Homer’s goal 3:44 after the opening face-off turned out to be the only Minnesota marker. Homer scored on a wrister from the right circle, with the assist going to Noah Dziver and rookie Matt Hauser. For Homer, it was his 36 th goal of the season; for Dziver, it was his franchise record-breaking 113th point; and for Hauser it was his first point in his Wilderness career.
The Steel tied the game when Nate Hart scored with 1:12 left in the first frame. Carter Seto and Mason Johnson followed with tallies in the third period to complete the scoring.
Minnesota dominated in shots on goal with a 34-16 advantage. Goaltender Zach Stahl stood strong making 33 saves to lead Chippewa to the win.
Valdemar Andersen suffered the loss making 13 saves.
The Wilderness were whistled for only one minor penalty in the contest and kept Chippewa off the scoreboard on its lone power play opportunity. After Homer’s first period tally, the Wilderness were scoreless on four additional man-advantage chances.
Saturday: Wilderness 6, Chippewa 1
The Wilderness held nothing back Saturday, as they outshot the Steel 55-13, tying their season-high in shots on goal. From the mid-point of the first period until the final horn, they pumped 45 shots on the Steel net, compared to seven for Chippewa on the Minnesota net.
Despite that dominance, it was not until the latter stages of the first period before the Wilderness finally broke through to light the lamp. Joe Luger broke a scoreless tie with his third goal of the season. From right in front of the left post, Noah Dziver fed the puck to Luger as he was positioned at the right post for a back-door tap-in with 1:12 left in the first frame.
Minnesota then followed that late first period goal with an early second period marker. Talan Blanck notched an unassisted tally immediately after winning a face-off. From the left circle, Blanck scored on a snapshot just 2:43 into middle frame.
The Wilderness deposited its next four goals on special teams.
On the power play with 8:51 left in the second period, Zach Homer’s 37th of 25-26 made it 3-0. Assists on the goal went to Matt Hauser and Theo Kiss, but an honorary helper could go to Dziver. After an initial shot from Homer missed and the puck bounced off the end boards toward the blue line, Dziver dove and stretched his stick to keep it in the offensive zone. He then delivered a pass to Kiss along the left wall, who relayed it to Hauser in the slot, who then sent it to Homer in the right circle where he completed the play.
The third period started with two goals from Dziver just 2:17 apart.
The veteran first struck on a short-handed breakaway 4:09 into the frame, with an assist going to Avery Anderson who started the play when he forced a turnover at neutral ice.
Dziver then notched his 26th of the season on a 5-on-3 power play when he one-timed a pass from Hauser past goaltender Max Kogler to make the score 5-0 with 13:34 left in regulation time.
Minnesota added a third red-lighter on the man-advantage when Blanck fired in a rebound of a shot from Kevin Lysohir with 7:33 on the clock. Blanck’s deflected off of a defender’s stick and into the Chippewa net for his second of the game and 25th of the season.
Chippewa finally got on the board when Mason Johnson scored with 6:34 remaining to spoil a shutout bid for Wilderness netminder Ryan Gerlich.
Gerlich finished with 12 saves, while Kogler stopped 49.
Gerlich has won six straight and has points in a team-record 14 consecutive games.
The veteran from Nisswa, MN, made his biggest save in the first period, while the game was still scoreless. As a loose puck slid across the Wilderness blue line, it appeared Steel forward Carter Seto was about to retrieve it and go in one-on-one on Gerlich, but the Wilderness netminder had other plans. He raced out of the net to the left circle where he sent the puck to the left boards. Unfortunately, it went directly to Seto’s teammate Henry Hlinka who tried to toss the puck into the emptied net. His shot, however, was denied as Gerlich extended his goalie stick to make a remarkable save with 2:32 left in the opening stanza.
On the power play, the Wilderness finished 3-for-6, while Chippewa went 1-for-4.