Photo by Ariana Golemis
Written By: Ryan Baker, Journalist
This weekend, the Minnesota Wind Chill can clinch the Central Division’s top seed with a doubleheader ahead.
They open the weekend hosting the Chicago Union on Friday night, then travel to Pittsburgh to face the Thunderbirds on Sunday. Two results can clinch the top spot: a Friday win plus a simultaneous Madison loss, or two Minnesota wins if Madison wins Friday night.
“I wouldn't say we are super focused on clinching the one seed, but it is a result of all of the hard work and effort the team has been putting in this year,” Kristian Johnson said. “We have learned in the past not to underestimate opponents. It was not long ago that Pittsburgh beat us in our home opener a few years back; that was the only goal that we did not accomplish during our championship season.”
Photo by Josiah Phifer
Considering these two games are among the easiest matchups they will see all season, it’s not an out-of-the-blue assumption to say Minnesota should walk away from the weekend with a 10-0 record. Even so, crazier things have happened, and Head Coach Ben Feldman understands there’s a history between the two teams.
“I don't know that we're thinking all that much about the level of opponent this weekend,” Feldman said. “Both these teams, in the past, either this season or previous seasons, regardless of their talent on paper, have given us fits. Each of these games is equally valuable as far as what we're trying to accomplish.”
The squads Minnesota will send out for each game look slightly different. First, the players out this weekend include Noah Coolman, Max Hanscom, Bryan Vohnoutka, Thomas Shope, and Tristan Van de Moortele. Then, the players who will play against Chicago but not against Pittsburgh include Lukas Ambrose, Brandon Matis, Sebastian Brauer, and Micah Davis. Finally, the players who won’t play against Chicago but will play against Pittsburgh are Eric Crosby Lehmann and Ellis Newhouse.
Photo by Josiah Phifer
The two outliers are Blake Krapfl, who will be a game-time decision for both games, and Peter Mans, who will get the call in both matchups this weekend.
“There'll be some new players in some new roles on Friday,” Feldman verified. “We're trying to learn more about who fits where. There’ll be some guys in the offensive unit getting opportunities they haven’t had, so it's nice to see that happen. However, our focus is on winning.”
From the outside, this weekend will be about two things for Minnesota. First, it’s a chance to fine-tune areas of the game that have not met their own standard, especially converting break opportunities. Those chances are getting harder to come by, and Minnesota is among the league’s best at doing it, but they would still like that percentage to rise.
Photo by Josiah Phifer
“We have lots of O-line and D-line calls outside of practice to get us locked in for the week ahead,” Johnson said. “It’s a good way of getting all of our brains together to get on the same page ahead of games. Personally, I love to get a throwing session in during the week and visualize during the throwing session throws or spaces I want to attack in games.”
The second is exactly what Feldman emphasized: finding out where some of these other players fit among the lines. With some of their big hitters out, it will be a next-man-up mentality, which Minnesota excels at more than most. Questions like where Davis fits best, whether Mans can be effective at this level, and what the options are if someone goes down during this final stretch or the playoffs will all be clearer by the end of the weekend.
A successful weekend is obviously two wins, but for a team like Minnesota, there has to be more to it. They need to be able to take things away from each game. For the team’s leading block getter, Justin Burnett, a successful weekend looks like: “Continued offensive success and poise, plus increased defensive block generation and conversion. This is the time to hone our systems before hosting Boston.”
The Wind Chill will look to control the pace of play in each game, according to Johnson, and a win against Chicago would complete a clean sweep of them in 2026, just a year after Chicago swept Minnesota in the regular season. Despite that, Minnesota can’t get complacent at any point during these matchups.
“Don't underestimate them, but play our game, our way, and we are confident in the results that will bring,” said Burnett. “It's still one game at a time. Give all our focus and energy to Chicago first, then to Pittsburgh. Fundamentals win games, especially on the back end of a doubleheader with travel.”
Photo by Ariana Golemis
To buy tickets to Friday’s game at Sea Foam Stadium at 7 p.m. CT, go here!
To watch the Friday game, go here!
To watch Sunday’s game at 2 p.m. EST, go here!
Join other Wind Chill fans at the team’s official watch party at New Bohemia in Golden Valley! Each fan in attendance at the beginning of Sunday’s game will have the opportunity to guess the exact score of the contest to win a $350 Wind Chill Digital Gift Card! Two lucky fans have won a gift card at watch parties this season—will you be next?
