Windigo head to Anchorage with a 2-1 series lead in division finals

The Wisconsin Windigo hockey team is just one win away from a Robertson Cup Championship berth as the team is set to travel to Anchorage for a potential two-game stint in Alaska after going ahead 2-1 in the series after three games in Eagle River. 

Wisconsin opened the series with an avalanche of goals in a 5-2 win last Friday night inside the Dome, before battling in a 2-1 overtime loss the following night on Saturday. With Anchorage pulling out that victory, the two squads played a third game in three days on Sunday evening, where the Windigo shut out the Wolverines 4-0 to grab the upper hand as the series shifts.

“We felt that this series was going to be a battle of will and a battle of attrition. It is certainly shaping up that way. I liked our effort all three nights,” said head coach John Mitchell. “Overall, our team speed and relentless forecheck were the difference. It was nice to see Ronnie Hill get rewarded for his efforts with the hat trick on Friday.”

Hill was the highlight of Friday night’s win, posting that hat trick. He didn’t score the first goal of the night, but found the back of the net for three of the final four goals. 

Anchorage silenced the home crowd early, with a goal about five minutes into the contest. 

Braydon Beahm broke the ice for the Windigo to tie things up at 1-1 late in the first period. It was his third goal of the playoffs. The Wolverines scored again shortly after that, putting them ahead 2-1 after one period. The Windigo outshot the visitors 16-8 after the first. 

Hill scored both second-period goals for the Windigo, tallying goals at 5:30 and 16:23, to go ahead 3-2 after two periods of play. Wyatt Herres added some insurance about midway through the third to go up 4-2, before Hill closed things out with an empty net goal. 

Lucas Szyszka got the win with 21 saves in Friday’s win. 

The Windigo dropped game two in overtime, despite Wisconsin holding a 1-0 lead for much of the night. Wisconsin scored a minute into the contest Saturday, and Anchorage scored a power-play goal with less than four minutes left in the third period to tie things up. Wisconsin outshot the Wolverines again, 47-29. 

“We had several great scoring chances, including breakaways, but couldn’t convert. We had many opportunities to win that game in regulation and keep it from going to overtime,” stated Mitchell. 

The team seemed to have a different energy in game three, collecting a shutout in the season’s final home game. 

“Perhaps the bitter taste from Saturday’s loss provided some extra motivation for the guys on Sunday,” explained Mitchell. 

Mitchell said scratching Szyszka Sunday was a last-minute decision, but Beau Altman put together a complete performance in the net. He stopped all 22 shots he faced in the game. 

Wisconsin got on the board late in the first with a goal by Theodore Richardson. Logan Nickolaus took just one minute to score right in front of the crease in the second period to go up 2-0. 

Zachary Cline and Hunter Hayes also scored in the middle frame, putting Wisconsin ahead comfortably 4-0 after the second. Anchorage didn’t go away easily, as it came out strong in the third period, and outshot the Windigo 9 to 3 in the period. 

Game four is set for Friday, May 9, in Anchorage, with a game five set for Saturday if it is necessary. If the Windigo win on Friday or Saturday, they will advance to the Robertson Cup semi-finals to be held in Blaine, Minn., May 16-18. The single, winner-takes-all, Robertson Cup championship game will be held in Blaine, Minn., on May 20.