Photo by Josiah Phifer
Written By: Ryan Baker, Journalist
After three weeks off, the Minnesota Wind Chill are set to host the Indianapolis AlleyCats in the Central Divisional Championship this Saturday night.
The Wind Chill are aiming for their fourth straight division title, something only four other teams in UFA history have achieved. In their last three Central Division title games, they beat Indy in 2023, Madison in 2024, and last season’s undefeated Chicago team.
This is the third time these teams will face each other this year, with Minnesota winning the first two matchups. However, Indy has improved a lot since their last meeting on June 6, when the Wind Chill won by four points.
Photo by Trent Erickson
Minnesota is as healthy as they’ve been all season. Thomas Shope likely won’t play, and Tristan Van de Moortele is out. The good news is Bryan Vohnoutka, who is questionable, has a real chance of suiting up, according to Head Coach Ben Feldman. If he does, it will be his first game since June 19, when the Wind Chill played the Salt Lake Shred. Otherwise, all the key players are ready to go for a shot at Madison at the end of the month.
The AlleyCats have some injuries too, but Minnesota is prepared for anything they might try. In the first round, Indy put James Pollard on offense, even though he usually only played offense at the end of quarters all season.
“We're ready for whatever combination that they are going to throw on the field at us,” Feldman said. “We know their players pretty well at this point, having gone through two games against them, so there isn’t an issue there.”
Photo by Trent Erickson
Some of the main factors in this game depend on Indy. If the AlleyCats give the Wind Chill short fields or make mistakes, Minnesota could take control quickly. But if Indy stays composed, they can make things tougher for Minnesota.
The Wind Chill will also need to handle Indy’s deep throws throughout the game. Indy has one of the best deep games in the league, while Minnesota has one of the top defenses.
“The Indy offense isn’t going to be afraid to huck it,” Feldman said. “It's a part of their system, but we're not selling out to stop one thing. We'll be more prepared for their instincts and habits after having more footage and time to review them.”
Look for defenders like Justin Burnett, Blake Krapfl, Lukas Ambrose, Noah Hanson, and Paul Krenik to make big plays in the deep space. If Minnesota can apply tough marks and keep Indy’s deep throwers from getting good position and open lanes, it will be hard for the AlleyCats.
Photo by Josiah Phifer
“The way that I'm going to impact the game is to be a constant pressure source,” Ambrose said. “We know what they want and how to prevent that. Being able to make them think twice about something they would normally feel comfortable with at first look is going to be a major goal of our downfield defense. Also, applying a ton of consistent pressure on their handlers with strong marks, which doesn't seem like other teams were giving them.”
In that June 6 game, Minnesota was able to achieve a 71 percent D-line conversion rate for 10 total breaks. Four of them came in the third quarter alone, a staple of this Wind Chill team. The boys know how to run, tire out their opponent, and turn up the heat in the second half of ballgames.
“Our last game against them gives a good perspective on how locked into their offense we are,” Ambrose said. “There are clear cogs in this offense that we have a good pulse on. Staying super cognizant of what [Jake] Felton and [Elliot] Hawkins want and like to do, and make sure we're as prepared as possible to deny and defend those options.”
On offense, Minnesota just needs to keep playing like they have all season. Their offense has a 72.22 percent hold rate, fourth-best in the league, and they rarely turn the disc over, with the second-fewest turnovers in the UFA.
Photo by Josiah Phifer
Top to bottom, this offense is having career years and exploiting the talent they have across the board. Gordon Larson and Will Brandt have chemistry like no other, Noah Coolman is producing with his legs and his arm now, Zach Morton has been one of the most dominating presences in the air, Nate De Morgan has been unbelievable in his first Wind Chill season, and other players like Josh Klane, Leo Sovell-Fernandez, and Kristian Johnson are all playing very well.
“We’re feeling great; I think everyone is loose and excited for the matchup,” De Morgan said. “We definitely all understand the seriousness of the situation and what we need to do to win the game. The key to the game is going to be playing our ball. We need to stay within ourselves, get the crowd involved, and ball out like we know we can.”
Another key factor will be how quickly Minnesota can get their fans at Sea Foam Stadium involved. With over 2,000 spectators per home game on average, the crowd has given the team big energy boosts and helped fuel their runs this season.
“Lots of energy and defensive pressure,” De Morgan said on how to get the crowd involved early. “These go hand in hand with fan involvement! Tons of pressure and energy will lead to breaks and get the fans involved. We need all of our fans for this game!”
Photo by Josiah Phifer
On paper, Minnesota should win this game. They finished 11-1, Indy was 6-6, and the Wind Chill have already beaten the AlleyCats twice. But once the game starts, records and stats don’t matter. Minnesota will need to work hard for all 48 minutes to keep their season alive.
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