Written By: Ryan Baker, Journalist

The 4-0 Minnesota Wind Chill is one of four unbeaten teams in the league and hosts the Indianapolis AlleyCats Saturday night in UFA’s Game of the Week.

It’s going to be a hot one. With temperatures north of 85 degrees, rising humidity, and the turf field at Sea Foam Stadium baking in the sun, players will have to work extra hard to get through this one.

Minnesota will get an extra boost from the fans at Sea Foam Stadium as the home opener hosted over 2,100 people, a new attendance record for the Wind Chill.

With Indy coming off its first win of the season last week, it is starting to look like what most people thought it would be before the season began. Saturday night should be much closer than the teams’ last matchup, in which Minnesota handled the AlleyCats easily, 21-13.

The Wind Chill are sporting their deepest lineup thus far this season with the return of college stars Nate De Morgan and Thomas Shope last week, and they also welcome back Justin Burnett, who posted three goals and three blocks in the previous game against Indy.

De Morgan had a phenomenal 2026 debut, with five assists and four goals, adding to the offensive group's versatility.

“The offense definitely felt like we got a boost,” Noah Coolman said. “It’s super helpful to have another multifaceted player out there. That kind of player helps everyone else exploit their own match-ups over the course of a game.”

Leo Sovell-Fernandez and Kyle Suelflow will also return to the field after missing last week, and Tristan Van de Moortele will play in his second game back from injury in 2026. With the college players, the returns from injury, and week-long hiatuses, Head Coach Ben Feldman had some tough choices to make.

Guys like Jordan Taylor, Brandon Matis, and Bret Bergmeier won’t be suiting up in the second home game this season, but are listed as dressed, while Blake Krapfl and Owen Suelflow are listed as out. Those decisions are only going to get harder as we get deeper into the season.

It’s tough to compare the last game between these two to this one for several reasons. First, the lineup changes already discussed. Second, the conditions were very windy in the first one, and this weekend will likely be more about heat than anything else. Finally, the team chemistry on both ends. De Morgan and Shope smoothly slid into their respective lines for the Wind Chill, and Indy looks stronger in that regard.

“Every game that they have, they're going to improve as a team,” Feldman stated. “We'll have a much tougher challenge on Saturday as opposed to our first game down in Indianapolis.”

On defense, Minnesota will have to prevent Elliot Hawkins from repeating the damage he did last week, when he recorded 15 assists against Chicago. A likely matchup for him could be Paul Krenik, Lukas Ambrose, or Burnett.

“He's a very good player and changed the dynamic of their offensive attack,” said Feldman. “There have been a lot of conversations about what we can do to avoid him throwing 15 assists against us.”

“If you’re going to limit a player like him, you have to make him work harder for his touches and make it harder for him to get into a power position,” Ambrose stated. “At the same time, your downfield defense has to do a better job of closing windows and making looks harder for him, which Chicago's defense was not doing.”

A big theme from Ambrose on defense is about being more physical and applying more pressure. Against Madison, they made it difficult for the Radicals to advance beyond midfield, but they didn’t register many blocks.

On offense, the team will look to replicate or come close to last week's success against Madison. Minnesota posted numbers that put the game near the top of franchise history offensively.

Keeping the focus through the heat and getting players like Will Brandt and Coolman going early is crucial to their flow and consistency for the rest of the game.

A win this weekend, heading into their West Coast trip 5-0, would give them a lot of cushion in the division. Since this is the last game between these two teams, a sweep of Indy would add flair to their 2026 season.

For tickets to Saturday’s 6 p.m. CT game at Sea Foam Stadium, go here!

To watch the Game of the Week, go here!