Photo by Rich Moll
Written By: Ryan Baker, Journalist
After a week off from frisbee activities, the UFA divisional championships are inbound, and the Minnesota Wind Chill are standing face-to-face with their biggest test of the season.
This Saturday, they will have to enter enemy territory in hopes of taking down the undefeated Chicago Union. While Minnesota is used to being the underdog, they aren’t used to being the underdog within the division. Chicago has earned itself the home-field advantage and the last two weeks off. Conversely, the Wind Chill are coming off a dominating performance in the first round of the playoffs against the Madison Radicals.
“Chicago is a pretty talented group. They didn’t have that much time off. We’ve been in that position for the last two years, and teams usually come out ready to go. They are well coached, so I’m expecting them to be ready for the game and prepared just like we are,” said head coach Ben Feldman.
Photo by Trent Erickson
Feldman’s group is going to have to be prepared more than at any other time this season. They are going head-to-head with a team that has outscored them 41-26 in their two matchups this year. Those two games exposed the weakness of the Wind Chill’s lackluster offense, but things have changed since then.
The offense has looked a lot crisper since the 4th of July breakdown against the Union. In their most recent game, the Wind Chill posted a 75% hold rate against the Radicals, who boast one of the better defenses in the league.
“Our offensive approach has been significantly reformed since the last time we played Chicago. Previously, we were playing into their hand by abandoning our throwers and letting them poach easily. We just need to present easier options and make the reads simpler for each other,” said Gordon Larson.
Photo by Trent Erickson
For the offense to operate at its highest level, they will need Larson to replicate the game he had from last year’s divisional championship game, when he had four assists.
“If I just keep getting open and giving my teammates easy options, it will all come pretty naturally. Whether or not I tally a stat isn’t actually important, though. If I do my role as a distributor and facilitator from the first throw, it will make it easy for us down the whole field,” said Larson.
Additionally, Minnesota will need to unlock Will Brandt. Brandt has been playing well this season, averaging 243 throwing yards a game, but there has yet to be a game where we see Brandt truly take over and minimize his mistakes. This needs to be that game for Minnesota to walk out with a win, especially against a defense that converts breaks nearly half the time.
Photo by Trent Erickson
On the other side of the disc, the Wind Chill are going to be faced with attempting to stop arguably the best player in the league right now. Daan De Marrée has made his transition to the UFA look easy, and showed that after having a quiet game in the two’s first game, but in the second game, put up over 550 total yards, two assists, seven goals, and two blocks.
However, Minnesota is in a prime spot to slow him down. Two weeks ago, we saw Paul Krenik hold the leading UFA goal scorer, Anthony Gutowsky, to zero goals, which limited Madison’s capabilities to stretch the field. If Krenik can resemble a performance anywhere close to that, we could see an upset this Saturday night.
“Daan is a great two-way threat. He never really stops moving, he can go under and deep with pretty equal ability, so guarding him is a unique challenge. I think it’ll be a great matchup and I’m excited to do my best to limit him through hard defense and putting in work to run with him,” said Krenik.
Photo by Norman Timonera
De Marrée is just one player in an incredibly high-octane offense that makes very few mistakes. Minnesota is going to have to produce blocks because they can’t bank on the Union making a ton of errors. In the seven games Minnesota has had against winning teams, they are averaging just over 10 blocks a game. If they can surpass that mark, they will put themselves in a great position to advance to championship weekend.
“I think our defense is one of the best in the league. I think we’ve proven that time and time again, so it’ll just be a matter of who can show up to play this weekend. I think playing against Madison was a great test and set us up perfectly for the Chicago matchup,” said Krenik.
Looking at all of the evidence from the season and the first two matchups between these two teams, if both teams play at the top of their game, Chicago will most likely come out with this one. However, if Minnesota can throw a wrench in the game just a couple of times, the Wind Chill could definitely return to the final four.
Photo by Trent Erickson
“We didn’t play our best game in the first two matchups, and we have to play a very good game against a very good team to have the outcome that we want. It comes down to performing when it matters. We’ve learned a lot and have adjusted. I’m confident going into Saturday that if we play a really good game, we can beat anyone. That’s what we are after,” said Feldman.
To purchase tickets to the 6 p.m. CT Central Divisional Championship in Evanston, IL, click here!
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