After a heartbreaking loss Friday (Dec. 19), the Minnesota Wilderness bounced back Saturday (Dec. 20) to gain its first victory of the 2025-26 season over the Wisconsin Windigo.
In game 1 of the weekend series at the Ponds of Brookfield, Wisconsin (17-12-1) was victorious 3-2, despite the Wilderness never trailing until the final 81 seconds.
In game 2, Minnesota dominated the first period and delivered a strong finish to the 2025 portion of its regular season schedule with a 6-2 victory. It’s the first Minnesota win in six meetings with the Windigo and it ensures the Wilderness will enter the second half of the season in first place of the Midwest Division.
Minnesota spent the entire weekend without top scorer Noah Dziver, who was out due to injury. Rookie standout Kevin Lysohir also missed Saturday’s game because of illness.
The Wilderness (19-7-2) and the rest of the Midwest Division will be off next weekend. Minnesota returns home for its next three games beginning Jan. 1 with a New Year’s Day contest vs. the Chippewa Steel at Northwoods Credit Union Arena in Cloquet. That will be followed by a 2-game series vs. the Kenai River Brown Bears on Jan. 2-3.
Friday: Windigo 3, Wilderness 2
The Wilderness held the lead two times Friday night, but a late rally propelled Wisconsin to its fifth straight victory in the season series between the two rivals.
A third period power play goal from Aidan Hickok was the clincher for the Windigo. Hickok scored with 1:21 on the clock to give Wisconsin its first lead of the game.
The loss snapped Minnesota’s 5-game winning streak.
Olle Karlsson and Max Edwards struck for the Wilderness, while Valdemar Andersen suffered the defeat in net, stopping 21 of 24 shots.
The Wilderness outshot the Windigo, 31-24. Easton Cody recorded the win, making 29 saves.
Karlsson made it 1-0 for the Wilderness when he flung a shot from just outside of the Windigo blue line toward the Wisconsin net. That shot caught Windigo goaltender Easton Cody out of position, and it struck the back of the net in the first minute of the 2nd period. River Freeman gained an assist on the marker which was Karlsson’s fourth of the campaign.
Andersen was sharp especially over moments of the 2nd period. The veteran netminder denied the Windigo’s McCarthy Richardson on a breakaway and made two point-blank saves when Wisconsin entered the Wilderness zone on a 4-on-2 opportunity.
Early in the third period, officials waved off a goal from Zach Homer that would have made it 2-0. Homer skated in the offensive end on the left side and fired from just below the left circle with a shot that went in over Cody’s left shoulder. But after reviewing the replay, the officials disallowed the goal due to the net’s right post being dislodged.
Shortly after, the Windigo tied the game thanks to a tally from Declan Burns.
The Wilderness jumped back in front with Max Edwards notching his first goal as a junior hockey player. Edwards converted on a centering feed from Landon Cottingham to make it 2-1 with 8 minutes left in the final frame.
Wisconsin countered quickly, with Jackson Ernst striking just a 1:09 later to tie the contest at 2.
Only one penalty was called in the entire game, and it led to the Windigo gaining the contest’s only power play, in which they converted to be the game winning tally from Hickok.
Saturday: Wilderness 6, Wisconsin 2
The Wilderness finally shook the Windigo monkey off its back by getting goals from six different players.
River Freeman, Lucas Ryen, Andrei Gudin, Avery Anderson, Logan Nagle and Anthony Capello each notched single goals. Anderson and Gudin each added two assists to post 3-point games.
Others with multiple points were Ryen, Freeman and Capello, who all added one assist, while Max Edwards contributed with two helpers.
Bryce Dahl finished with one assist.
Freeman kicked off a 4-goal first period for the Wilderness when he struck 5:40 into the opening frame. Freeman fired in a one-timer after receiving a pass from Edwards to give the Hermantown native eight goals on the season.
A power play goal from Ryen doubled the Wilderness advantage when he redirected a centering feed from Anderson to post his sixth tally of the season.
Minnesota then pumped in two more just 1:38 apart toward the end of period 1. Gudin made it 3-0 when he swooped in on a breakaway and fired in his own rebound when Windigo goaltender Easton Cody denied his initial attempt. That tally with 3:40 left was Gudin’s 5th of the season.
Anderson closed the Wilderness’ first stanza scoring when his shot from the left circle went into the net between Cody and the right post with 2:02 left. Freeman assisted on the marker which was Anderson’s 7 th of 2025-26.
In the 2nd period, Minnesota picked up right where they left off with a red lighter just 25 seconds into the frame. Nagle converted on a centering feed from Gudin to fire in his 3rd of the season. Landon Cottingham assisted on the tally that gave the Wilderness a 5-0 lead.
Wisconsin came alive in the 2 nd half of the 2 nd period when Jackson Schroeder and Joshua Sardo scored to cut Minnesota’s lead to 5-2 going into the final period. They then ramped up the intensity in the third period by outshooting the Wilderness, 13-9, but would not get any closer.
Ryan Gerlich came up strong in the final 20 minutes to help secure the victory. For the game, the Windigo outshot Minnesota, 24-23, and Gerlich finished with 21 saves.
Gerlich got help from his teammates who put the final stamp on the game thanks to Capello’s goal. In just his 2nd game with the squad after being acquired from the Lone Star Brahmas, Capello deposited his first with the Wilderness and sixth overall thanks to a 2-on-1 where he converted after receiving a pass from Edwards. Ryen also gained an assist on the marker which came with 3:33 left in the final frame.
On the power play, Minnesota finished 1-for-1, while Wisconsin went 1-for-4.
Easton Cody suffered the loss in net for Wisconsin, making 18 saves on 24 shots.