WEEKEND PREVIEW: WOODSMEN SQUARE OFF FOR 2 AT ST. LOUIS JR. BLUES

Feb 26, 2025

The Wisconsin Woodsmen are back in NA3HL play this weekend, heading to Affton, Mo., for a pair of contests against the St. Louis Jr. Blues at the Affton Ice Rink. Puck drop on Saturday is set for 3:30 p.m., while Sunday’s rematch has an 11:30 a.m. start time.

WISCONSIN WOODSMEN

Links: Home | Roster | Stats: Player * Goalie | Schedule
2024-24 Record: 21-15-4-3 Overall (49 Pts)

LOUIS JR. BLUES

Links: Home | Roster | Stats: Player * Goalie | Schedule
2024-25 Record: 14-21-6-1 Overall (35 Pts)

LIVE ON THE WEB:

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NA3HL Links: Home * Standings * Schedule * Scoreboard

WOODSMEN-JR. BLUES * LAST MEETING:

Feb. 14, 2025 * Jr. Blues 6, Woodsmen 5
Feb. 15, 2025 * Woodsmen 5, Jr. Blues 4
This Year: Woodsmen lead series 4-1-0-1
Series History: Woodsmen leads series 10-3-0-1

WOODSMEN * LAST ACTION:

Feb. 21, 2025 * Power 8, Woodsmen 3
Feb. 22, 2025 * Power 8, Woodsmen 3

WOODSMEN * UP NEXT:

March 7, 2025 * vs. West Bend Power * 7:15 p.m.
March 8, 2025 * at Rochester Grizzlies * 7:05 p.m.

WOODSMEN SCOUTING REPORT:

FOR THE RECORD: The Woodsmen head into their weekend games against the St. Louis Jr. Blues sitting at 21-15-4-3 overall, good for fourth in the Central Division standings.
LAST TIME OUT: Wisconsin had no answer for the Power’s high-octane offense, as league-leading West Bend dealt the Woodsmen a pair of NA3HL setbacks last weekend in Kettle Moraine, Wis. The Power scored seven third-period goals in beating the Woodsmen 8-3 last Friday, before scoring six unanswered goals over the game’s final two periods in posting a second straight 8-3 victory over Wisconsin the following evening
HOME SWEET HOME: Wisconsin is sitting at 8-8-2-3 on the road, while going 13-7-2-0 at the Tomah Ice Center.
IN NEED OF A REBOUND: With their back-to-back losses to league-leading West Bend last week, the Woodsmen have managed just two wins in their last 10 games.
STREAK-SNAPPER: With their 5-2 loss to Rochester on Nov. 8, the Woodsmen had their franchise-record six-game winning streak snapped.
STREAK-SNAPPER II: With their 6-4 victory over the Rochester Grizzlies on Feb. 7, the Woodsmen put an end to their season-high five-game losing streak.
WHITE-KNUCKLE RIDE: With their 6-5 loss and 5-4 win over the St. Louis Jr. Blues on Feb. 14-15, the Woodsmen have now played 17 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 26 goals — having scored the game’s first goals in both contests against the West Bend Power last weekend. Nolan Mix is sitting second on the team with 19, followed by Joshua Kauppinen and Maxim Lazo with 18 each. Tristen May-Robinson (15), Vincent Greene (122), Brandon Slasor (10), and Viktor Budik (10) have also reached double figures in goals this season. … 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.
TOSSING THE HAT: 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: Budik has amassed a team-leading and single-season franchise record 40 assists this season, 11 up on Deinema, who is second on the squad with 29 helpers. The duo are among 13 Woodsmen with 10+ assists this season, being joined by May-Robinson (26), Kauppinen (26), Lazo (23), Mix (20), Charles Murray (18), Johnny Thrasher (16), Slasor (15), Greene (14), Justin Funk (11), Colton Holzer (11), and Daniel Svozil. … 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 26 goals and 29 assists, Deinema sits atop the team’s points race with 55 — breaking his franchise record of 49 points a year ago (29 G, 20 A). Deinema is one of six Woodsmen with 40 or more points, being joined by Budik (10 G, 40 A, 50 Pts), Kauppinen (18 G, 26 A, 44 Pts), May-Robinson (15 G, 26 A, 41 Pts), Lazo (18 G, 23 A, 41 Pts), and Mix (19 G, 20 A, 39 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 39 assists this season rank 10th among all NA3HL players, while Deinema’s 26 goals rank 20th, while his 55 points both rank 21st.
BETWEEN THE PIPES: Steven Kelley heads into this weekend’s games sporting a 3.39 goals-against-average and a .896 save percentage. Lleyton Jaschke boasts a 4.35 GAA and an .870 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 637 saves in 20 games, with Jaschke sitting second, kicking out 533 shots in 19 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.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Wisconsin is 34-for-171 on the power play (19.8 %). On the flip side, Wisconsin has allowed just 32 power-play goals in its opponents’ 187 PP chances (82.8 %).