Written By: Ryan Baker, Journalist
Two games down, two notches in the win column for the Minnesota Wind Chill. On May 11, Minnesota took down the Chicago Union 16-14, in a game that came down to the wire.
It was a tough first quarter for Minnesota as they went down 2-0 off the rip, eventually going down 5-2 at the conclusion of the first quarter. Things relatively stayed the same throughout the rest of the first half, as it was hold after hold.
“I think come the end of the second quarter that the pressure we were putting on them defensively started to wear them down a little bit, and they were having to throw more throws to make progress,” said head coach Ben Feldman.
The division rivals went shot for shot, but at the end of the half: Minnesota’s Matt Rehder went up in the air with a crowd in the endzone after 65-yard huck from Chicago at the buzzer and swatted it away.
“That was pretty big to not allow that momentum. That goal would have been pretty crushing headed into halftime. We knew it was only a matter of time before we knew we would start generate some turnovers. We were running 20 deep, and knew we had the second half legs that were going to start to frustrate them and create some offensive problems,” said Feldman.
Problems were most definitely created as the Wind Chill came out on a mission by breaking the Union’s O-line three times in a row right out of half. A switch up in putting Bryan Vohnoutka on defense for some points to create turns seemed to create matchup issues for Chicago. Minnesota outscored Chicago 5-2 in the third quarter to take the lead 11-10.
“It’s hard to play from behind against a good team, especially a team at home with a lot of offensive firepower and a lot of talent. Thankfully, we had a pretty awesome start to the third quarter to flip the game around.”
The fourth quarter started out similarly to the start of the second half for Minnesota. One of Noah Hanson’s three blocks on the day came on the second point of the final quarter that ended up with a Rehder goal that expanded the Wind Chill’s lead to three.
Minnesota was able to expand their lead to 15-11 with about five minutes left in the game, but things started to get a bit shaky. A hold plus two breaks in a matter of three minutes allowed Chicago to close the gap to one. However, a 28-yard score from Josh Klane to Quinn Snider with 42 seconds left seemingly iced the game.
“The nice thing about having scary endings like that with a lot pressure.... those are the types of experiences we need to have to be prepared to be the most successful when it matters against good teams in big games,” said Feldman. “What we learn from those game situations and moments will help set ourselves apart, experience wise, from teams that maybe don’t get those types of situations throughout the course of the year. A little stressful to go through, but thankful with how it ended.. and just an incredible crowd and venue.”
Overall, it was a game that showed persistence and grit from a high-level quad in Minnesota. Klane had a nice game, accumulating 418 total yards. Meanwhile, Rehder continues his success from the season opener with three more goals.
The story was more so on the team as a whole. Playing from behind, correcting wrongs mid-game, and spreading the disc allowed the Wind Chill to begin the season 2-0. Out of their 16 goals, ten different guys scored and assists came from 12 different guys.
The victory marks two home openers spoiled for their opponents, and allows for some momentum next week when they rematch with Pittsburgh for their home opener.
NEXT UP: The Home Opener at Sea Foam Stadium this Saturday at 6:00pm against the Pittsburgh Thunders.. Secure your tickets here!
