Eagle River, WI | 2/3/24 | Jacqueline Hixssen
The Anchorage Wolverines have been swept for the first time in four weeks at the hands of the Wisconsin Windigo after a long fought battle resulting in a 5-2 loss.
The Windigo opened the game with a fast goal coming in within a minute after puck drop. Jackson Stimple quickly leveled the score 50 seconds later with an unassisted goal for Anchorage.
Wisconsin took the lead again in the 13th minute but was shortly lived as the Wolverines again reacted quickly and kept themselves in the game. Jack Darby found Tai Ushio who bounced the puck past the netminder evening the score at 2-2.
The two teams had fresh goalies in tonight, with Vaughn Makar inbetween the pipes for Anchorage and Linards Lipskis in net for Wisconsin.
Both teams ripped few shots throughout the first, with Anchorage rattling off eight shots on and Wisconsin getting six, both draining two.
After a scoreless first half of the second frame, Wisconsin turned the pace and zipped two past Makar in just under four minutes, ultimately resulting in Liam Beerman relieving Makar in net for the rest of the contest.
The Anchorage Wolverines started the final period aggressive, immediately opening the frame with a shot from Kade Shea that barely missed the net, hitting the post and going towards the boards.
Wisconsin tallied their last goal of the night at 13:02 in the final period, when Logan Nickolaus grabbed a near sided snipe set up from Zachary Cline.
Anchorage’s Fedya Nikolayenya was inclined to a penalty shot after Will Schumacher stole his shot by holding, unfortunately for Anchorage, Lipskis denied the attempt.
While the score may reflect Wisconsin’s domination, it was barely that. The two teams spent even time in each other’s defensive ends, with Anchorage trailing Wisconsin by only eight total shots.
The two teams are not scheduled to see each other again during regular season. With both teams placed high in the Midwest Division, a comeback feat could be in the future for the Anchorage Wolverines.
Next week, the Wolverines continue their road trip to Chippewa Falls, WI to face off against number five in the midwest division, the Chippewa Steel.
