WEEKEND PREVIEW: WOODSMEN SQUARE OFF FOR 2 AT ROCHESTER GRIZZLIES

Feb 5, 2025

The Wisconsin Woodsmen are back in NA3HL play this weekend, heading to the Rochester Rec Center in Rochester, Minn., for a pair of games against the Rochester Grizzlies. Puck drop on both Friday and Saturday night is slated for 7:05 p.m.

WISCONSIN WOODSMEN

Links: Home | Roster | Stats: Player * Goalie | Schedule
2024-24 Record: 19-11-4-3 Overall (45 Pts)

ROCHESTER GRIZZLIES

Links: Home | Roster | Stats: Player * Goalie | Schedule
2024-25 Record: 23-10-3-2 Overall (51 Pts)

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NA3HL Links: Home * Standings * Schedule * Scoreboard

WOODSMEN-GRIZZLIES * LAST MEETING:

Dec. 13, 2024 * Grizzlies 6, Woodsmen 5 (SO)
Series History: Woodsmen leads series 3-1-0-1

WOODSMEN * LAST ACTION:

Jan. 24, 2025 * Power 6, Woodsmen 2
Jan. 25, 2025 * Cyclones 4, Woodsmen 3

WOODSMEN * UP NEXT:

Feb, 14, 2025 * vs. St. Louis Jr. Blues * 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 15, 2025 * vs. St. Louis Jr. Blues * 7:05 p.m.

WOODSMEN SCOUTING REPORT:

FOR THE RECORD: The Woodsmen head into their weekend games against the Rochester Grizzlies sitting at 19-11-4-3 overall, good for fourth in the Central Division standings. Wisconsin is six points behind third-place Rochester and eight back of second-place Wausau.
LAST TIME OUT: Wisconsin dropped both of its NA3HL games over the weekend of Jan. 24-25, falling to the league leading West Bend Power 6-2 at the Tomah Ice Center on Jan. 24, before dropping a 4-3 decision to the Wausau Cyclones at Marathon Park Arena the following evening.
HOME SWEET HOME: Wisconsin is sitting at 7-5-2-3 on the road, while going 12-6-2-0 at the Tomah Ice Center.
JANUARY SWOON: January was not kind to the Woodsmen, who went 2-6 in their eight games during the month — including dropping each of their last five games.
WHITE-KNUCKLE RIDE: With their 4-3 loss to Wausau on Jan. 25, the Woodsmen have now played 14 games decided by one goal — including nine that have gone into overtime and three decided in a shootout.
FRANCHISE FIRST: After going 0-9-0-1 in its 10 meetings against Wausau last season, the Woodsmen picked up their first-ever win against the Cyclones with a 3-2 victory on Sept. 20, and added win No. 2 with a 6-3 victory on Dec. 21.
FRANCHISE FIRST II: Wisconsin’s Oct. 18-19 games against Rochester marked the first-ever meeting between the Woodsmen and the Grizzlies. … The Woodsmen’s two games against the Minnesota Moose on Dec. 6-7, as well as their NA3HL Showcase games against the Mason City Toros and Minnesota Wilderness on Dec. 15-16, were also the first in franchise history.
LIGHTING THE LAMP: Hugh Deinema heads into the weekend leading the team with 21 goals, three more than Joshua Kauppinen, and four up on Nolan Mix. Maxim Lazo is sitting fourth with 16 goals, followed Tristen May-Robinson with 13. … Deinema closed out the 2023-24 season as the Woodsmen’s leading goal scorer with 29 goals in 44 games.
FRANCHISE BEST: Lazo equaled the franchise record by scoring four goals against the Mason City Toros on Dec. 16. The four-goal effort tied Nolan Mix, who tallied four goals against the Minnesota Loons on Jan. 26, 2024.
FRANCHISE BEST II: Deinema and 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.
TRIPLING UP: With three goals by both Deinema and Bowser against Peoria on Dec. 28, the Woodsmen have now had a player record three of more goals in a game five times this season. Lazo owns three- and four-goal games, and Brandon Laso has Wisconsin’s other 3-goal game. … The Woodsmen have now
TURNING UP THE HEAT: The Woodsmen erupted for 18 goals in their two-game sweep of Peoria on Oct. 18-19. The eight goals scored in their 8-1 win on Oct. 18 were the most Wisconsin had scored all season, 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 were the most since netting a franchise-record 14 against the Minnesota Loons on Jan. 26, 2024. … The Woodsmen have now scored 8+ goals in a game three times this season.
RIGHT ON TARGET: The Woodsmen finished with a season-high 67 shots on goal against Peoria on Oct. 19 — including 20 in the first period and 29 in their six-goal second period. … Wisconsin’s 67 shots on goal were the third-most in franchise history and just two shy of the program record of 69, set against the Minnesota Loons on Jan. 27, 2024.
LENDING A HELPING HAND: Viktor Budik has amassed a team-leading and single-season program record 37 assists this season, 11 up on Deinema, who is second on the squad with 26 helpers. The duo are among 11 Woodsmen with 10+ assists this season, being joined by May-Robinson (24), Kauppinen (22), Lazo (20), Mix (18), Charles Murray (16), Johnny Thrasher (13), Slasor (13), Vincent Greene (12), and Colton Holzer (10). … Mix picked up four assists in Wisconsin’s 8-2 win over St. Louis on Nov. 2, one shy of the single-game franchise record of five, set by Hunter Nelson against the Minnesota Loons on Jan. 26, 2024. … Budik led the Woodsmen with 30 assists a year ago, four more than Nicholas O’Brien.
TRIPLE-DOUBLE: May-Robinson enjoyed a rare weekend triple double against Peoria on Dec. 27-28, collecting three assists in each game.
POINT PRODUCERS: With his 21 goals and 26 assists, Deinema sits atop the team’s points race with 47 — just two points shy of his franchise record 49-point season a year ago (29 G, 20 A). Deinema is one of six Woodsmen with 30 or more points, being joined by Budik (7 G, 37 A, 44 Pts), Kauppinen (18 G, 22 A, 40 Pts), May-Robinson (13 G, 24 A, 37 Pts), Lazo (16 G, 20 A, 36 Pts), and Mix (17 G, 18 A, 35 Pts). … Mix’s five-point game against St. Louis on Nov. 2 — scoring once and adding assisting on four others — were a season-high and one-shy of the franchise record.
AMONG THE LEAGUE’S BEST: Budik’s 33 assists this season rank ninth among all NA3HL players, while Deinema’s 46 points have him sitting 13th.
BETWEEN THE PIPES: Steven Kelley heads into this weekend’s games sporting a 3.04 goals-against-average and a .903 save percentage. Lleyton Jaschke boasts a 3.95 GAA and an .882 save %, while Otto Reinhart (3.00 GAA, .881 save %), Andrew Peterson (1.99 GAA, .920 save %), and Kieron Wise (4.12 GAA, .857 save %) have also seen time between the pipes. … Kelley has amassed 519 saves in 17 games, with Jaschke sitting second, kicking out 434 shots in 16 appearances.
FIRING BLANKS: Kelley picked up the team’s first shutout of the season on Dec. 17, 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 a year ago. … Jaschke posted his first shutout between the pipes for the Woodsmen with a 29-save showing against the Peoria Mustangs on Dec. 28.
STREAK-SNAPPER: With their 5-2 loss to Rochester on Nov. 8, the Woodsmen had their franchise-record six-game winning streak snapped.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Wisconsin is now 30-for-148 on the power play (20.2 %). On the flip side, Wisconsin has allowed just 28 power-play goals in its opponents’ 166 PP chances (83.1 %).