Photo by Meghan White
Written By: Ryan Baker, Journalist
The Minnesota Wind Chill have cemented the program’s legacy in UFA history after becoming just the fifth team to win four straight division titles.
On Saturday night, the Wind Chill played the Indianapolis AlleyCats for a spot at Championship Weekend. With a 22-20 win, Minnesota now gets another chance after losing in last year’s championship.
Minnesota’s defense kept Indy’s offense from getting comfortable, while their own offense played efficiently and regained possession when needed. Even though the final score was close, Minnesota controlled most of the game.
“It was a stressful game,” Head Coach Ben Feldman said. “We miscued a lot of special team stuff and still got the job done. There are some things that we will watch back and be a little frustrated about. Those guys don't quit. They're able to score fast. They have good athletes.”
Photo by Josiah Phifer
The game started rather sloppily for both sides, with aggressive shots not connecting, but it didn’t stop Minnesota from jumping out to an early lead. On the second throw of the game, Nate De Morgan wound up and sent a deep look to Bryan Vohnoutka that the Indy defender blocked.
It was encouraging to see the team trust Vohnoutka right away, especially since he hadn’t played since June 19. After Indy dropped the disc, Minnesota scored with a pass from Gordon Larson to Vohnoutka.
The opening score was followed by four breaks for the Wind Chill, coming off the backs of a Paul Krenik block in the deep space, a massive layout block from Noah Coolman, and a Cameron Lacy block in the end zone.
This game showed how quickly momentum can shift in the UFA. After Minnesota’s 5-0 run, Indy took advantage of some mistakes and closed the gap to just two points by the end of the first quarter.
“It was a little tough,” Feldman said about Indy closing the gap early in the game. “It felt a little self-inflicted. We knew they were going to go on their run. We went on ours, and good teams are going to do that. It's exciting to have something we need to get better at coming out of this game. It gives leadership something to work on.”
Photo by Darton Weaver
Minnesota continued to struggle right away in the second quarter as Indy tied up the game after scoring the first two points in the second quarter. The break score for the AlleyCats happened after a Noah Coolman drop, but that would be the last time that Coolman would make a mistake in this game.
Between picture-perfect throws and throwing his body around on defense, Coolman produced his best game in a Wind Chill uniform. He ended with four assists, one goal, and two blocks on a perfect 17/17.
“It feels great. “My body has been getting stronger and stronger,” Coolman said. “I started the season, and my knee was a little sore in most of the games, but I've been feeling really good. I've been locking in my mindset, my energy, and really trying to feed the team with all the extra energy I have.”
After Coolman’s second block, he threw the break score to Lacy, putting Minnesota up 8-6. On the next point, Coolman’s former college teammate Lukas Ambrose scored on a diving catch after an Indy turnover, pushing the lead back to three.
Photo by Josiah Phifer
“It's tough being a remote player,” Feldman said about Coolman and Ambrose. “To get up to form and speed and condition, that's tough to do when you're not at practices. They got better and better every game. Coolman getting that early block for us was huge, and they both had really good performances. I hope the best is yet to come. That's why we brought them in here, and I'm excited that they're on our team headed into the Championship Weekend.”
The first half ended badly for Indy, and Minnesota took advantage. After a long scoring drive, the Wind Chill added two more goals in the final two minutes before halftime.
Minnesota started the second half with a five-point lead, which grew after Greg Cousins connected with Coolman for a score. Both teams played a clean, high-scoring quarter, with only seven turnovers spread across three points.
Coolman and De Morgan had identical cross-field hucks that perfectly hit their receivers for their respective scores. Zach Morton was the beneficiary of De Morgan’s huck, laying out and scooping up the disc before it hit the turf. Morton continued his spectacular season, scoring three goals in the third quarter, which brought his total to six on the night.
“It feels incredible to be able to contribute to this team,” Morton said. “It’s just amazing. It's been the highlight of my summer. It's incredible to be part of such an amazing team.”
Photo by Josiah Phifer
With 12 minutes left, Minnesota led 20-14 and started using up the clock to prevent an Indy comeback. They scored their last goal with about seven and a half minutes left, and although Indy scored four straight to end the game, Minnesota’s lead was safe.
“Our message is to stay eye level,” Morton said. “We went on a run and went up on them. Don't go too high. We have to stay grounded. They made a run. They came back. Don't go too low. We have to stay eye level and play our own game.”
Coolman and Morton stood out, but Krenik, Cousins, and Will Brandt also made big contributions. Krenik had two key blocks, Cousins finished with three assists and two goals, and Brandt added two assists, two goals, and nearly 400 yards.
Photo by Josiah Phifer
“It's phenomenal to be out here,” Coolman said about being a part of the team. “All credit to Ben, Max, and Carlos. They've been so supportive. Ben keeps you fired up the whole time. Carlos has great energy. Max is a great mind for frisbee, great mind for offense. It’s nice to have all that support and be able to be brought into something like this.”
The Wind Chill played well, but they know they can keep improving before Championship Weekend. They’ll have time to make adjustments before facing the Austin Sol on August 27.
“I'm looking to get as many chances with this team as I can,” Morton said. “Get as many reps in practices with everybody here and build that chemistry. Keep grinding until we lay it all out on the field come Championship Weekend.”
