Union Drop Home Opener to Rival Minnesota Wind Chill
Written by Elise Gan
Photography by Daniel Cohen
CHICAGO — In their 2026 home opener at Lazier Field on Saturday evening, the Chicago Union hosted the Minnesota Wind Chill in front of a loud and supportive home field crowd, enjoying the new Evanston venue for the first time. The Union fell to the Wind Chill in the season opener in Minnesota earlier this month and were seeking revenge in their first rematch of the season. The Union were also seeking their 100th franchise win. Both of those goals were temporarily delayed as the Union fell to the Wind Chill 20-15.
An Exciting First Half
Minnesota wasted no time asserting dominance on their rival’s turf, pushing downfield with speed and precision to score quickly on the first possession of the game. After forcing a turnover on the Union’s first few seconds of offensive control, the Wind Chill appeared poised for a runaway. Halfway into the first quarter, the Wind Chill were up 4-1, but Chicago regrouped and pushed back hard. By the end of the first twelve minutes of play, the Union had tied the game at five, with three assists coming from UFA all-time assist leader Pawel Janas.
In the second quarter, the Wind Chill stuck to their theme of striking first, capitalizing again on a Union turnover to regain the lead. The Union responded with a quick goal before Minnesota went on a three-goal scoring spree. Their well-represented fan-base stood behind them, chanting and raising “D-Fence” signs, acknowledging their team’s defensive strength, as two of their three goals came from Union throwaways. By the last thirty seconds of first half play, Chicago was down 11-7. The Union gave the visitors something to think about at the halftime break as Charlie Vukovic hauled in a 52-yard huck from Michael Finke, making an outstanding one-handed grab for the buzzer-beating score.
A Back-and-Forth Battle
The Union took that last-second momentum with them into the second half, forcing a Wind Chill turnover and scoring the first point of the third quarter on the break chance. Turnovers were a common theme after halftime, as both teams struggled to control the disc. The third quarter ended with the Wind Chill maintaining a four-goal lead at 16-12.
The Union kicked off the fourth quarter quickly with a 63-yard huck from Jack Shanahan to Dylan Nice to make it a three-point game, lifting the Evanston crowd to its feet. But that was the closest the Union would get, as Minnesota pulled away, scoring four additional goals and defeating the Union for the second time this season.
Looking Ahead
After a tough rivalry loss, the Union will regroup before heading to Indiana to face the Indianapolis AlleyCats on Friday, May 29th at 7:00 PM EST. You can catch the action live on watchufa.tv. They will be back at Lazier Field facing the Madison Radicals at home on Friday, June 5th at 7pm. Fans can purchase their tickets ahead of time on the team's online shop.
