June 13, 2025
By Alex Rubin

In a potential preview of the Central Division playoffs, the Minnesota Wind Chill make their way to Breese Stevens Field this Friday night to face off against the Madison Radicals.

Sitting in second place in the Central Division with just a single loss so far this season, Minnesota is one of the most well-rounded teams in the league. The Wind Chill rank in the top four league-wide in both scores and scores against. On the defensive side, the three-headed hydra of James Pollard, Justin Burnett, and Dylan DeClerck present matchup problems for every team in the league. The Wind Chill have knocked down the second most blocks in the league, and punch in the most breaks per game of any team, averaging 11 per game. 

Unfortunately for Madison, the Wind Chill’s strength matches up with a significant Radicals weakness. The Radicals have the third lowest comp percentage in the league, as the team is only completing passes at a higher clip than the winless Bighorns and Mechanix. 

The area of strength that Madison will need to lean on is their red zone defense. Madison has the best red zone defense in the league, holding opponents to a 68 percent conversion percentage within 20 yards of the end zone. That being said, this is an area of the field where strength meets strength. With Will Brandt and Leo Sovell-Fernandez operating in the backfield, Minnesota is second in the league, converting 88 percent of their red zone chances.

The Minnesota defense will need to find an answer for Anthony Gutowsky. The Madison receiver averages 4.2 goal per game, good for fourth in the league, and has scored at least two goals in every game he’s played this season. 

While Minnesota has the on-paper advantage, Madison has the benefit of playing at home in one of the most unique stadiums in the UFA. Breese Stevens Field is known for its festive gameday atmosphere, loud fans, and occasional winds that visiting teams might struggle to adapt to. While Minnesota as a team is no stranger to Breese Stevens, key players like Pollard, Burnett, and Gabe Jagt (who leads the league in offensive efficiency) have yet to play a game there.

The Wind Chill still have a chance to earn the top seed in the Central Division, though with how strong Chicago looks they will feel a lot of pressure to win this game (and every other throughout the regular season). The Union are currently a game up on Minnesota in the standings with a head-to-head win already, so the Wind Chill will need to be perfect or see Chicago slip up if they’d like to host the division championship again. 

Madison is sitting comfortably in the third spot in the divisional standings, with an inside track on a playoff spot. However, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis are both hungry to get back to postseason play too, and nothing is guaranteed in what has been a topsy-turvy UFA season so far. The Radicals will surely want to win every game they can, but even if this game adds a digit in the loss column Madison can test out strategies and sharpen their scouting ahead of a likely playoff rematch.