MIDWEEK PREVIEW: WOODSMEN vs. CYCLONES

MIDWEEK PREVIEW: WOODSMEN vs. CYCLONES

After going 1-1 in its season-opening two-game series against the Rochester Grizzlies last weekend, the Wisconsin Woodsmen return home for a pair of NA3HL games against the Wausau Cyclones. Puck drop on both Friday and Saturday night at the Tomah Ice Center is slated for 7:15 p.m.

WISCONSIN WOODSMEN

• Links: Home | Roster | Stats: Player * Goalie | Schedule
• 2025-26 Record: 1-1-0-0 Overall (2 Pts)

WAUSAU CYCLONES

• Links: Home | Roster | Stats: Player * Goalie | Schedule
• 2025-26 Final Record: 0-0-0-0 Overall (0 Pts)

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• NA3HL Links: Home *  Standings * Schedule * Scoreboard

WOODSMEN-CYCLONES * LAST MEETING:

• Jan. 25, 2024: Cyclones 4, Woodsmen 3
• Series History: Cyclones lead series 16-2-0-0

WOODSMEN * LAST ACTION:

• Sept. 12, 2025 * Woodsmen 6, Grizzlies 3
• Sept. 13, 2025 * Grizzlies 3, Woodsmen 1

CYCLONES * LAST ACTION:

• March 14, 2025 * Grizzlies 3, Cyclones 2
• March 15, 2025 * Cyclones 5, Grizzlies 2
• March 16, 2025 * Grizzlies 5, Cyclones 1

WOODSMEN SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Woodsmen head into their NA3HL weekend series against the Wausau Cyclones sporting a 1-1-0-0 record. … Wisconsin closed out the 2024-25 season with a 24-16-6-3 record, good for fourth place in the NA3HL Central Division standings.
• LAST TIME OUT: The Woodsmen kicked off the 2025-26 season with a split of their two games against the Rochester Grizzlies last weekend — with both teams winning on their home ice. Wisconsin opened the year with a 6-3 win at the Tomah Ice Center, before falling to the Grizzlies 3-1 in the teams’ rematch at the Rochester Rec Center the following evening.
• HOME SWEET HOME: Wisconsin is perfect on its home ice this season (1-0-0-0). The Woodsmen finished 11-8-3-3 at the Tomah Ice Center a year ago, while going 11-8-3-3 on the road.
• SPREADING THE WEALTH:The Woodsmen’s seven combined goals last weekend against the Rochester Grizzlies were scored by seven different players. … Josh Kauppinen, Brandon Slasor, Maxim Lazo, Cole Schrieber, Micah Siben, Ozbej Muzan, and Ty Paulios netted Wisconsin’s seven goals last weekend.
• FRANCHISE BEST: Lazo equaled the franchise record by scoring four goals against the Mason City Toros last season. Nolan Mix originally had set the program record, scoring four goals against the Minnesota Loons on Jan. 26, 2024.
• FRANCHISE BEST II: Hugh Deinema and Patrick Bowser each scored three goals in the Wisconsin 8-0 win over Peoria on Dec. 28, marking the first time in franchise history the Woodsmen had to players scored hat tricks in the same game.
• TOSSING THE HAT: The Woodsmen had a player record three or more goals in a game five times last season. Lazo owned three- and four-goal games, while Deinema, Bowser, and Brandon Laso had Wisconsin’s other three-goal games.
• TURNING UP THE HEAT: With their six goals against the Rochester Grizzlies last Friday, the Woodsmen have now scored six or more goals in a game 11 times over the last two seasons. … Wisconsin erupted for 18 goals in their two-game sweep of the Peoria Mustangs on Oct. 18-19, 2024. The eight goals scored in their 8-1 win on Oct. 18 were the most Wisconsin had scored all season a year ago, only to be two-upped with the Woodsmen’s 10-goal eruption in their 10-7 win the following evening. … The Woodsmen’s 10 goals against Peoria on Oct. 19, 2024 were the most since netting a franchise-record 14 against the Minnesota Loons on Jan. 26, 2024..
• LENDING A HELPING HAND: Kauppinen collected assists on three of the Woodsmen’s seven goals last weekend, while Slasor picked up a pair of helpers. Lazo, Schrieber, Siben, Bowser, and Ethan Foiles also chipped in assists against the Grizzlies last weekend. … Viktor Budik amassed a team-leading and single-season franchise-record 40 assists last season. … Nolan Mix picked up four assists in Wisconsin’s 8-2 win over St. Louis on Nov. 2, 2024, one shy of the single-game franchise record of five, set by Hunter Nelson against the Minnesota Loons on Jan. 26, 2024.
• POINT PRODUCERS: With his goal and three assists, Kauppinen heads into this weekend’s games against the Wausau Cyclones boasting a team-leading four points, one more than Slasor and two up on Lazo, Schrieber, and Siben. … Hugh Deinema closed out the 2024-25 season as the team-leader with a franchise record 62 points (27 G, 35 A).
• BETWEEN THE PIPES: Lleyton Jaschke started both games against the Rochester Grizzlies last weekend, allowing six goals, while finishing with 80 saves — including a season-high 46 saves in last Saturday’s 3-1 loss. … Jaschke heads into this weekend sporting a 3.07 goals-against-average and a .925 save percentage. … Jaschke closed out the 2024-25 season recording 511 saves in 21 appearances, second to Steven Kelley’s team-leading 738 saves in 25 appearances.
• FIRING BLANKS: Kelley picked up the team’s first shutout of the season on Dec. 17, 2024 stopping all 17 shots he faced in blanking the Badlands Sabres 3-0. The shutout marked the second time in as many meetings with the Sabres that the Woodsmen held Badlands scoreless, winning 5-0 in the teams’ NA3HL Showcase meeting during the 2023-24 season. … Kelley added his second shutout of the season with 35 saves in Wisconsin’s 5-0 win over the St. Louis Jr. Blues on March 2, 2025. … Jaschke posted his first shutout between the pipes for the Woodsmen with a 29-save showing against the Peoria Mustangs on Dec. 28, 2024.
• STREAK-SNAPPER I: With their 5-2 loss to the Rochester Grizzlies on Nov. 8, 2024, the Woodsmen had their franchise-record six-game winning streak snapped.
• WHITE-KNUCKLE RIDE: The Woodsmen played 20 games decided by one goal — including 11 that went into overtime and three decided in a shootout — last season.
• FRANCHISE FIRST: After going 0-9-0-1 in its 10 meetings against the Wausau Cyclones during the 2023-2024 season, the Woodsmen picked up their first-ever win against the Cyclones with a 3-2 victory on Sept. 20, 2024, and added win No. 2 with a 6-3 victory on Dec. 21, 2024.

WAUSAU SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cyclones head into their two-game weekend series against the Woodsmen on the heels of a 34-12-3-1 showing a year ago, which was good for second place in the Central Division standings
• LAST TIME OUT: Wausau has not played since dropping its Fraser Cup series against the Rochester Grizzlies on March 14-15-16, 2025. Rochester beating the Cyclones 3-2 in the opener, only to have Wausau answer with a 5-2 victory in Game 2, forcing a decisive third game, which the Grizzlies won 5-1.
• LIGHTING THE LAMP: Jake Garrow closed out the 2024-25 season as team’s leading goal scorer, netting 29 goals. He was one of three Cyclones to score 20+ goals last season, being joined by Connor Dvorak (26) and Landon Bechtolt (23).
• LENDING A HELPING HAND: Garrow also led the team in assists last season, dishing out 32 helpers in 47 games. Jon Kritz was second on the team with 31 assists, followed by Bechtolt (26), and Micah Saxon (25).
• POINT PRODUCERS: Fueled by his 29 goals and 32 assists, Garrow was easily the team’s points leader last season with 61. Dvorak was second on the team with 54 points (26 G, 28 A), while Kriz also broke the 50-point mark (19 G, 31 A). Bechtolt missed joining the 50-point club by one, finishing with 49 points (23 G, 26 A). 
• BETWEEN THE PIPES: The Cyclones used three different goalies a year ago, with Tanner Bonjernoor proving to be the workhorse, compiling a 2.30 goals-against-average and a.914 save percentage in 31 appearances. Dereck Namlick played in 15 games, posting a 2.75 GAA and .900 save %, with Brady Faille notching a 2.83 GAA and .870 save % in eight games. … Bonjernoor posted a team-leading three shutouts, one more than both Namlick and Faille.