Wilderness Force Split in Windigo Series After Record-Setting Goaltending Performance
March 4, 2025 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Minnesota Wilderness News Release
Valdemar Andersen made 49 saves Saturday night to lead the Minnesota Wilderness to a 4-1 victory over the Wisconsin Windigo. His performance set a new team record for goalie saves in a single game, and allowed Minnesota to split the weekend series.
The Windigo (33-11-3) won Friday's opener, 5-3.
The weekend set closes out a 6-game home stand for the Wilderness (21-22-4) where the squad finished 3-3. Next, Minnesota goes on the road for its next four games, beginning with a 2-game series at Janesville to meet the Janesville Jets.
Friday: Wisconsin 5, Wilderness 3
The Wilderness took the lead three different times in Friday's opener, but could not contain the Windigo who scored four of its five goals in the second period.
Noah Dziver and Jakeb Lynch led Minnesota with three points, with each finishing with one goal and two assists.
Special teams played a big part as Minnesota scored twice on the power play on six opportunities, but also gave up two short-handed goals.
Zach Homer opened the scoring with his 20th of the season late in the first period. Homer rifled in a shot from the slot with 2:19 left in the frame as assists went to Dziver and Lynch.
The Windigo bounced back early in the 2nd when Hunter Hayes scored at 1:06.
A power play goal from Lynch put the Wilderness back in front. Lynch fired in his 15th of the campaign on a rebound of a River Freeman shot that rang off the crossbar at 3:09. Dziver also assisted on the tally.
The two squads then combined for three goals in a span of 1:02.
It started with the Windigo re-tying the game thanks to Cashen Naeve converting on a short-handed breakaway at the 10:06 mark.
Dziver then helped Minnesota recapture the lead with his 14th of the season on a one-timer from the left circle on the power play. Freeman and Lynch earned helpers on that goal which made the score 3-2.
The Windigo tied the contest a third time after a marker from Ben Aucoin that came with 8:52 left in the middle frame.
Luke Baker then put Wisconsin ahead to stay when he scored his team's second short-handed tally of the game with 5:23 left in the second period.
Harper Frey added one more for Wisconsin 2:09 into the third period to make the score 5-3.
Nick Erickson turned aside 37 of 42 Windigo shots to take the loss in net for the Wilderness. Wisconsin finished with a 42-30 advantage in shots. Lucas Szyszka was the winning goaltender with 27 saves.
Saturday: Wilderness 4, Wisconsin 1
Andersen began his historic night in goal with a busy first period, as the Windigo had six shots on goal registered in the first five minutes. Wisconsin set a new record for shots by a Wilderness opponent in a non-overtime game, as the Windigo outshot Minnesota, 50-25.
Yet, it was the Wilderness who scored the only first period goals.
With 6:53 left, River Freeman posted his fifth of the season when a rebound found him camped out all alone near the left post that allowed him to slip the puck between the post and Wisconsin goaltender Beau Altman. It was Freeman's fifth goal of the season in his second game since returning to the team after completing his high school hockey season with the Hermantown Hawks. Payton Struck and Nate Murray assisted on the goal.
Ben Doll then made the score 2-0 just over 5 minutes later. From behind the Windigo net, Caleb Kim was able to deliver a pass to the front of the net where Doll was able to fire in his fifth of the campaign. Logan Nagle also assisted on the marker which came with 1:36 left in the frame.
That was followed by a 2nd period where the Windigo executed a vicious attack on the Minnesota net, putting up 22 shots, compared to five for the Wilderness. Andersen stepped up his game as well, making 21 saves, with Ben Aucoin scoring what ended up being Wisconsin's only goal of the night. Aucoin's tally came with 3:45 left in the middle stanza.
Minnesota finished the scoring with two empty-net goals late in the third period. Ryan DeAngelis made it 3-1 with his first career junior hockey goal with 1:24 left, and Luke Margenau fired in his fifth of the season with 1:12 remaining.
On special teams, neither team scored as both squads had four chances.
Altman made 21 saves to take the loss in net for the Windigo.
North American Hockey League Stories from March 4, 2025
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- Wilderness Force Split in Windigo Series After Record-Setting Goaltending Performance - Minnesota Wilderness
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