Wind Chill Win Big In Return To The National Sports Center
By: Tanner Jurek
The Minnesota Wind Chill got a big win after falling in a one-possession game to the 5-0 Madison Radicals last week, the Minnesota Wind Chill, now 2-2, took care of business at their traditional home venue beating the Detroit Mechanix 34-17 in a dominant performance.
General Manager Ben Feldman talked about the home win. “After having three straight games be decided by one point, I am really glad we were able good to secure a more comfortable victory for the home crowd.”
The Story Of The Game
The story of the game was the dominant display put on by the Wind Chill. 19 players either threw or caught a goal. Nearly everybody was getting on the board. The Wind Chill were never down and the game was never really close. Unlike last week, which was a back and forth offensive battle, the Wind Chill were able to easily generate turnovers which turned into a lot of easy break opportunities. The Wind Chill put a diverse set of offensive weapons on display and Detroit didn’t have many answers.
The First Quarter
Drones allowed at NSC Stadium today! The first highlight comes early in this game! Jimmy Kittlesen completes the bookends with a nice sky over the defender to make it 2-0 to the Wind Chill! pic.twitter.com/qPzstVruGv
— Minnesota Wind Chill (@mn_windchill) May 12, 2018
The Wind Chill came out hot with a quick 4-0 run and didn’t look back. Defensive execution gave the Wind Chill plenty of chances and the quarter ended 9-4. Jimmy Kittleson got the second break of the game with a sweet sky.
The Second Quarter
The Wind Chill used the momentum they took from their dominant first quarter performance and didn’t let up throughout the second quarter. Jason Tschida threw a hammer to Tony Poletto to make the score 15-6.
Tony Poletto catches the hammer from Jason Tschida to make the score 15-6! pic.twitter.com/je2YfewLKj
— Minnesota Wind Chill (@mn_windchill) May 12, 2018
A couple points later, Jordan Taylor was able to smartly drag his foot in the back of the end zone to stay in bounds and make the score 16-7.
Jordan Taylor somehow keeps his feet in on this grab! Take notes kids! 16-7 Wind Chill lead! pic.twitter.com/8FrZPjInFl
— Minnesota Wind Chill (@mn_windchill) May 12, 2018
The Wind Chill led 19-10 at halftime.
The Second Half
The Wind Chill sustained their dominance throughout the second half. They kept their foot on the gas and continued to play well. The defense continued to generate and convert on turnovers.
Charlie McCutcheon says no to this huck! pic.twitter.com/Q2b6LstLtG
— Minnesota Wind Chill (@mn_windchill) May 12, 2018
Another strong quarter put the Wind Chill at 24-13 heading into the fourth quarter. A couple great plays from Jason Tschida and Colin Berry kept the crowd excited as it started to drizzle.
Look at Jason Tschida getting up there with that vertical! 30-17 Wind Chill! pic.twitter.com/zvvpVFjx0k
— Minnesota Wind Chill (@mn_windchill) May 13, 2018
Colin Berry with the beautiful layout grab! Then stands up and delivers the assist! pic.twitter.com/jiyKjUmKvT
— Minnesota Wind Chill (@mn_windchill) May 13, 2018
The Wind Chill finished the game 34-17 in the first game of the Wind Chill’s season that wasn’t decided by one point.
Kautz Makes 2018 Wind Chill Debut
Josh Kautz of National Champion, University of Minnesota Grey Duck fame made his 2018 Wind Chill debut on Saturday. On 14 defensive points, Josh racked up a goal and a block and was +2 on the day.
Looking Ahead
The Wind Chill have had a difficult schedule to start the season. Things start to get easier in the coming weeks. The Wind Chill will hope to build on this game going forward as the playoffs get closer.
“We’ve invested a lot of time and energy into elevating our game experience this season, and I hope our fans are seeing that come to life through our first 3 home games this year.” General Manager and part owner Ben Feldman said. The Wind Chill have added a lot of cool things to the game day experience that should certainly give the fans a great game day experience.
Next weekend, the Wind Chill will complete their first doubleheader weekend of the year and will head to Pittsburgh to take on the (record) Pittsburgh Thunderbirds before heading to Detroit in a rematch against the Mechanix. The following week, they’ll come home to face the (record) Indianapolis Alleycats in the AUDL’s game of the week on the stadium network. That game will be streamed and available on television in some markets. Find out how to watch it here!
