Photo by Rich Moll
Written By: Ryan Baker, Journalist
It’s been 277 days since the Minnesota Wind Chill suited up at their home field, and a lot has happened since the Division Championship win at Sea Foam Stadium.
A title has been brought to the state, rings have been presented, and major offseason acquisitions have headlined Minnesota’s time since then. However, none of that will matter when those lights turn on for the home opener against the Chicago Union this Saturday night.
The Wind Chill are coming off of an incredibly dominant win last week over the Indianapolis AlleyCats, while the Union will be making their 2025 season debut. Despite being Chicago’s first game of the year, expect this matchup to be a dogfight to the end.
Photo by Meghan White
This is one of the biggest rivalries in the UFA, given the 17-17-1 series record between the two. A reinforced championship team versus a new-look Union with sky-high expectations could produce some of the best games we have ever seen between the two teams.
As far as the logistics of each roster, notable impact players Dylan DeClerck and Sam Berglund are both questionable. Both didn’t suit up last week, and warmups will determine their availability ahead of the game. For Chicago, some big names won’t be playing in their season debut, such as Victor Luo, Nate Goff, Nate Astrom, and Paul Arters.
“The Union roster is very deep. They can be missing some really good players and that group of 20 is still very talented. It’s their first game, so hopefully we can use that to our advantage on Saturday,” said head coach Ben Feldman.
If you remember last year, we saw a very similar schedule with Minnesota hosting their home opener a couple of weeks into the season. Minnesota is hoping to right some wrongs after dropping their home opener in 2024 to the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds.
“There’s been a lot of chatter around the Union roster, and our guys are motivated. Last year we struggled at home. There’s a sense of needing to make things right at home and doing that for our fans,” said Feldman.
Last year, Minnesota went 2-1 versus the Union, dropping one game at home. Two players who excelled in the Central Division rivalry last year were Josh Klane and Noah Hanson. Klane, through the three games, put up seven assists, four goals, and over 1,000 total yards. On the other side of the disc, Hanson had six blocks in two games against the Union last year, including the game-sealing block in the June matchup.
Photo by Rich Moll
“It's important to not get too hung up on individual blocks. Sometimes they come your way and sometimes they don't. I have a lot of trust in the playmakers around me, and if we all do the little things right, we're all going to eat. Regardless of who ends up getting the actual stat, it's usually a reflection of the collective effort from my teammates. We're all hungry, and I expect our home crowd to be extra fuel to the fire on Saturday,” said Hanson.
It’ll be the first time new additions will be playing in front of their home crowd, and there is a lot of anticipation behind how much they can impact the game versus a much better opponent. James Pollard notes the difference in crowds between his old team in Phoenix and the reigning champs.
“It felt awesome. Once warmups started, it felt like just another UFA game. I think it will hit deeper this Saturday when we play at home for the first time. I know the stands are usually packed and it will make for a great environment. For Phoenix, unfortunately, all of the biggest crowds were away games. It will be nice to have a huge crowd fully supporting us at home,” said Pollard.
“First of all, hats off to Max [Hanscom]. To go +4 with three blocks in your UFA debut is insane. I hope the league takes notice because they were sleeping on him as an addition in the preseason," said Justin Burnett.
The Wind Chill need to start fast. The first quarter could very well determine the outcome of the game. The Union have acquired the most hype out of any team in the UFA throughout the offseason, so shutting that down out of the gate could shake Chicago’s mental.
This game is a collision course for two squads with major expectations. It’ll be a matter of who can land the first major punch.
Tune in this Saturday at 6 p.m. CT to watch the champs return to Sea Foam Stadium!
To watch the game, click here!
To buy tickets, click here!
