Wilderness Post Decisive Win to Force Game 5
NAHL Minnesota Wilderness

Wilderness Post Decisive Win to Force Game 5

Published on May 9, 2026 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Minnesota Wilderness News Release


Two first period goals from Zachary Homer and 34 saves from Valdemar Andersen propelled the Minnesota Wilderness to a 5-1 victory over the Wisconsin Windigo Saturday night to draw even with the Windigo in the Midwest Division Finals. The series, tied 2-2, moves to Game 5 to determine the division's playoff champion and who will go to Blaine, MN, for the Robertson Cup semi-finals beginning May 15.

Game 5 will be Monday night at 6:15 CDT in Proctor, MN, at the Aspirus St. Luke's Sports and Events Center with all tickets on sale for $5.

The Wilderness also had three players notching their first playoff tallies. Jack Martens, Kevin Lysohir and Caleb Kim helped nail down the Game 4 win with single red-lighters.

Minnesota had to weather a Windigo flurry in the game's opening minutes as Wisconsin tested Andersen who was making his first NAHL playoff start. Andersen held strong and it ended up being Minnesota that would produce the game's first two goals.

3:40 into the opening frame, right after escaping a check by the Windigo's Thomas Quast behind the Wisconsin net, Homer maneuvered to the extended goal line right beside the net and used his long reach to stuff the puck through the legs of goaltender Max Larsson to give the Wilderness a 1-0 lead.

Homer made it 2-0 when he collected a loose puck behind the Wisconsin net and scored by firing it off the back of Larsson. The second goal came with 9:59 left in the first. Talan Blanck and Noah Dziver assisted both markers.

Homer now has seven post-season goals which ties him with Blanck for the NAHL lead and ties the Wilderness record for most goals in a single playoff season.

Jackson Ernst got Wisconsin on the board with a power play goal with 3:12 remaining in the first, but the Windigo celebration did not last long.

Minnesota regained the 2-goal advantage just 36 seconds later. Right after stripping Hunter Friedrich of the puck, Caleb Kim wired the puck from the top of the right circle to a wide- open Jack Martens in the middle of the left circle. Martens responded by launching a one-timer, as he was falling that hit the back of the net with 2:36 left in the frame.

Kevin Lysohir made it 4-1 with marksman-like goal scored toward the end of the second period. From the left circle, Lysohir wristed a shot that slipped into the net just between Larsson and the left post with 6:54 left in the middle frame. River Freeman and Owen Smith gained helpers on the goal.

That would mark the end of the night for Larsson, as Easton Cody would enter the game and go the rest of the way as the Windigo goaltender.

The Wilderness would get one past Cody. A centering feed from Freeman deflected off a defender's stick but wound up in the wheelhouse of a spin-around shot by Kim that went into the net through Cody's five-hole with 9:45 remaining in the third period. Olle Karlsson also gained an assist on the marker which completed the scoring at 5-1.

The Windigo outshot Minnesota in the first period, by a 10-7 count, and again in the second, 15-10. Minnesota had the edge in the third, 11-10.

Meanwhile, Andersen had several splendid saves that kept Wisconsin from gaining momentum. The veteran from Herning, Denmark, extended his right leg to stop a Brayden Severin attempt with 11:39 remaining in the third period. Later, Andersen denied Jackson Ernst from his second tally of the night when Ernst attempted a point blank shot that Andersen trapped underneath his pad with 6:09 on the clock.

The Windigo outshot the Wilderness 35-28. Larsson, over 34:08, stopped 11 of 15 Minnesota shots and took the loss. In relief, Cody made 12 saves on 13 shots over 25:54.

On the power play, Wisconsin finished 1-for-5, while the Wilderness went for 1-for-2.

Check out the Minnesota Wilderness Statistics

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North American Hockey League Stories from May 9, 2026


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