Wilderness are even on the season

Wisconsin teams swept the Minnesota Wilderness last weekend, with one game at home Friday night and then the team’s first road game Saturday. The losses put the Wilderness at 2-2 on the season.

The Wisconsin Windigo edged the Wilderness at home in Cloquet Friday, 5-4. The loss spoiled Frantisek Netusil’s first two-goal game in his junior career, both in the third period. His 6-on-3 power play goal came with 39 seconds left.

Also scoring goals were Avery Anderson and Cloquet native Karson Young, who recorded his first in his third game at the junior level.

Goaltender Lucas Szyszka earned his third win of the season for Wisconsin, stopping 30 of 34 Wilderness shots. Wilderness goalie Nick Erickson made 34 saves on 39 while suffering his first loss of the campaign.

It was a goal bonanza Saturday night in Chippewa Falls, with the Wilderness taking a 9-5 loss to the Steel.

Minnesota saw four players score their first goals of the season Saturday: River Freeman, Brady Zugec, Nate Murray and Lucas Jendek. Netusil also scored; the rookie from Czechia (aka the Czech Republic) has at least one goal in each of the four games he has played this season.

After the two teams opened the game trading single goals within the first 2:23, Chippewa appeared to take command, scoring two more times before the halfway point of the first period to build a 3-1 lead. Zugec posted the only Wilderness goal in the game’s first 10 minutes.

The Wilderness then appeared to take momentum back as it evened the score at 3 with two goals just 2:46 apart from Freeman and Murray, with Murray’s goal coming on the power play.

Chippewa had different ideas in the second period, pouring it on with four unanswered goals to take a 7-3 lead.

Both squads scored twice in the third, with the Wilderness getting one from Jendek and a power play goal from Netusil.

Minnesota used two goaltenders in the game. Simon Zille started and made 17 saves on 22 shots over 26:05. Erickson finished, stopping four of eight over 33 minutes.

Minnesota has four games this week as part of the NAHL Showcase in Blaine.