MIDWEEK PREVIEW: WOODSMEN vs. JR. BLUES

The Wisconsin Woodsmen are back in action this weekend, as the Woodsmen head to the Affton Ice Arena in Affton, Mo., for a pair of NA3HL games against the St. Louis Jr. Blues. The two teams will square off at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, with Saturday’s puck drop slated for 6 p.m.

WISCONSIN WOODSMEN

• Links: Home | Roster | Stats: Player * Goalie | Schedule
• 2025-26 Record: 2-6-0-0 Overall (4 Pts)

1. LOUIS JR. BLUES

• Links: Home | Roster | Stats: Player * Goalie | Schedule
• 2025-26 Final Record: 7-1-0-0 Overall (14 Pts)

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• NA3HL Links: Home *  Standings * Schedule * Scoreboard

WOODSMEN-JR. BLUES * LAST MEETING:

• March 1, 2025: Woodsmen 4, Jr. Blues 2
• March 2, 2025: Woodsmen 5, Jr. Blues 0
• Series History: Woodsmen lead 12-3-0-1

WOODSMEN * LAST ACTION:

• Oct. 3, 2025 * Woodsmen 6, West Bend Power 4
• Oct. 4, 2025 * West Bend Power 8, Woodsmen 3

1. BLUES * LAST ACTION:

• Oct. 3, 2025 * Jr. Blues 7, Peoria Mustangs 1
• Oct. 4, 2025 * Jr. Blues 3, Peoria Mustangs 2

WOODSMEN SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Woodsmen head into their NA3HL weekend series against the St. Louis Jr. Blues sporting a 2-6-0-0 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: Wisconsin split its two NA3HL contests against the West Bend Power last weekend — with both teams winning on their home ice. The Woodsmen beat the Power 6-4 behind Maxim Lazo’s four goals at the Tomah Ice Center last Friday, with West Bend turning the table in the rematch the following evening Kettle Moraine, Wis., scoring five goals in the second period of an 8-3 win. 
• HOME COOKING: Wisconsin has collected both of its wins this season on its home ice, going  2-2-0-0 in four home contests, while dropping all four of its road contests this year. … The Woodsmen finished 11-8-3-3 at the Tomah Ice Center a year ago, while going 11-8-3-3 on the road.
• LIGHTING THE LAMP: Lazo heads into the weekend boasting a team-leading seven goals — no other Woodsmen has scored more than twice this season. Ty Paulitos, Brodie Mich, Tyler Osborne, Tristan Pownall, Jack Dahl, and Jacob Kolker are all second on the team with two goals each.
• SPREADING THE WEALTH:The Woodsmen — whose seven combined goals in its season-opening split against the Rochester Grizzlies on Sept. 12-13 came from seven different players — have already had 15 players find the back of the net this season.
• FRANCHISE BEST: Lazo’s four goals in Wisconsin’s 6-4 win over the West Bend Power on Oct. 3 matched his single-game career high, and equaled the franchise single-game record. … Lazo has now scored four goals in a game twice, having also achieved the feat 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 Wisconsin’s 8-0 win over Peoria on Dec. 28, 2024, marking the first time in franchise history the Woodsmen had two players scored hat tricks in the same game.
• TOSSING THE HAT: The Woodsmen have now had a player record three or more goals in a game six times over the last two seasons. Lazo owned three- and four-goal games last season, while Deinema, Bowser, and Brandon Laso had Wisconsin’s other three-goal games.
• TURNING UP THE HEAT: The Woodsmen have scored a season-high six goals in three of their eight games this season, and have netted six or more goals in a game 13 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: Lazo leads the team with five assists through eight games, one more than Paulios and Brandon Slasor. Josh Kauppinen, Easton Armstrong, and Mix are tied for third with three helpers each, while Cole Schreiber, Bryce Bechen, Myles Bible, and Alexander Elsner have two assists each. … 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: Lazo (7 G, 5 A) sits atop the heap in the Woodsmen points race with 12, six up on Paulios (2 G, 4 A) and seven in front of Slasor (1 G, 4 A). Kauppinen has four points (1 G, 2 A), followed by Armstrong (0 G, 3 A), Mich (2 G, 1 A), Mis (0 G, 3 A), Osborne (2 G, 1 A), Pownall (2 G, 1 A) and Schreiber (1 G, 2 A) with three each. … 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 has appeared in six of the Woodsmen’s eight games in goal, compiling a 4.07 goals-against-average and a .908 save percentage. … Jaschke has stopped 240 of the 262 shots he’s faced in six appearances. … Logan Blahnik has played in two games, boating a 5.87 GAA and .845 save %. … Aidan Vanderweele made his first career start as a Woodsmen against the Wausau Cyclones on Sept. 20, stopping 46 of the Cyclones’ 53 shots. … 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.
• STREAK-SNAPPER: The Woodsmen’s 6-4 win over the West Bend Power on Oct. 3 snapped their franchise record-tying five-game losing streak and put an end to a seven-game losing streak against the Power. 
• STREAK-SNAPPER II: 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: With their 7-6 loss to the Wausau Cyclones on Sept. 19, the Woodsmen have now played 21 games over the last two seasons decided by one goal — including 11 that went into overtime and three decided in a shootout.
• 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.

1. LOUIS SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Jr. Blues enter this weekend’s two home games against the Wisconsin Woodsmen sitting atop the NA3HL Central Division standings with a near-perfect 7-1-0-0 record. 
• LAST TIME OUT: St. Louis picked up a pair of home wins against the Peoria Mustangs last weekend at the Affton Ice Arena. The Jr. Blues opened the two-game series with a 7-1 victory last Friday, before completing the sweep with a 3-2 win the following day.
• HOME SWEET HOME: This weekend’s two games against the Wisconsin Woodsmen are the third and fourth straight home games for the Jr. Blues, who are a perfect 5-1-0-0 at the Affton Ice Arena, while going 2-0-0-0 away from home.
• STREAKING: St. Louis heads into its showdown against the Wisconsin Woodsmen riding a four-game winning streak — with all four wins coming against the Peoria Mustangs. … The Jr. Blues opened the season with three straight wins, before suffering their first — and only — loss of the season, a 6-3 setback at the hands of the West Bend Power on Sept. 20.
• LIGHTING THE LAMP: Caden Lindley has scored a team-leading seven goals through eight games, one more than Jace Jordan and two up on Nicholas Morgan. Teagan Lee and Lonnie Land are tied for fourth on the team with four goals each, followed by Brady Cook with three, and Mitchell Nappier, Jaxson Karandjeff, Jack Reuss, Chase Kozma, Carter Duy, and Jack Plager with two apiece.
• LENDING A HELPING HAND: The Jr. Blues have two players who have already reached double figures in assists through eight games. Mitchell Nappier leads the team with 12 helpers, followed by Joseph Lopiccolo with 11. Eric Denny is one assist shy of reach the 10-assist plateau, with Lee sitting fourth with five assists. 
• POINT PRODUCERS: With his two goals and 12 assists, Napier sits atop the team’s points race with 14, two up on Joseph Lopiccolo. Jace Jordan (6 G, 4 A) has also reached double figures with 10 points, followed by Eric Denny (0 G, 9 A), Lee (4 G, 5 A), and Lindley with nine points each.
• BETWEEN THE PIPES: Travis Visvadra and Aaron Sibert have shared the goaltending duties this season. Visvadra has started five games between the pipes, compiling a 2.20 goals-against-average and .917 save percentage, while Sibert owns a 2.88 GAA and .900 save % in three starts. … Visvadra has stopped 132 of the 143 shots he’s faced, with Sibert allowing just nine goals on 99 shots.