If there is one thing Minnesota sports teams are known for, it’s breaking the hearts of their fans. Unfortunately, the Minnesota Wind Chill are not immune to this phenomenon, as they put up one of their best seasons in recent years only to fall once again to the Chicago Union.
In what became the Minnesota Wind Chill’s 2022 season finale, they looked nothing like their regular-season roster. Where they had dominated in forcing and capitalizing on turnovers, they struggled to even hold on to the disc, let alone put together any semblance of on-field chemistry that could successfully score a break point. In fact, Minnesota had one of their worst statistical games of the year, completing just 91% of their passes — tied for the second fewest all year. They also had a hold percentage of just 59% in the game, making it difficult to accomplish much at all.
“Everyone was bummed,” said head coach Ben Feldman. “We got outplayed. We played one of our worst games in one of our key moments.”
Consistently, this year and in the past few seasons, Minnesota cannot seem to figure out how to take down their Chicago opponent. The Chill regularly force their fewest turnovers against the Union, and typically score their fewest break points. Time and time again the Wind Chill find themselves asking: How do you score a break point against a team who offers virtually no opportunities?
The Wind Chill seem to be facing their own version of the Detroit “Bad Boys” that Michael Jordan and the Bulls had to take down before building their dynasty. The Union have regularly stepped on the toes of the Chill, putting up a stacked roster made up of players like Pawel Janas (who broke the all-time AUDL record of career assists during the game), Ross Barker, Sam Kaminsky, Kyle Rutledge and Jeff Weis.
Slowly, however, it seems that the Minnesota boys are finding key elements that will help them push past the Union and make it to a well-deserved Championship Weekend spot. In fact, the Wind Chill’s 2022 season was one of the best for the franchise. While a first glance at their record may suggest otherwise, underlying components and gameplay are telltale signs of a team who is building, preparing and nearly ready to strike and make their way to national recognition.
A Dominating Defense
The Wind Chill’s 2022 season was hallmarked by a better-than-expected defense. While historically their offense has been an impressive show of force and talent, Minnesota’s D-line was dominating on the field, every point. Ben Feldman was actually surprised at just how impressive the team’s defense turned out, especially compared to their typical offensive success.
It might not be surprising that the Wind Chill — who consistently do provide some of the better defenders in the league — had a good defense this year. But what was surprising is that they had one of the best defenses across all of AUDL this year. Throughout much of the 2022 season, the Minnesota Wind Chill held top slots in the main defensive categories. They finished with the third most blocks (158), behind only the Shred (172) and Empire (161). The Wind Chill absolutely thrived in converting on defense in 2022, with a league-leading 36.09% of defensive points resulting in a goal for the Chill.
A large part of this success was how the team built their defense this season.
“Everybody was cruising, [we had the] right guys in the right situations,” said long-time defensive pillar, Dylan DeClerck. “We were doing everything that a good team does.”
Those “right guys” helped form a hybrid-esque, malleable defensive line that acted as a defensive line when the team didn’t have the disc, but could quickly switch to an offense-aligned machine on a turnover. Perhaps the best illustration of the Chill’s defense in action is through the free-agent signings of Abe Coffin and Sam Ward.
Putting the Pieces Together
“[They were] very, very good,” said DeClerck of his new defensive teammates. DeClerck noted that the team wasn't sure just how good either of them were, given the fact that they came from another division altogether. But in the end, the duo exceeded the team’s expectations.
These two additions to the team proved to be major pieces of the puzzle the Wind Chill are working to put together. While they did not necessarily play a lot of points on the same line, Coffin and Ward are perfect examples of just how well the team operated, and what pieces the Chill may be looking for in the coming years.
Coffin’s role was primarily as a playmaker on defense, setting up the line’s success with his glorious hanging pulls. With plenty of hang time, Coffin’s pulls pushed opposing offenses deep into their own endzone, which allowed Minnesota’s defense to set up for a counterattack.
Minnesota was then situated to effectively cause pressure and force a turnover. Then Coffin or similarly skilled Wind Chill defenders could quickly pick up the disc, execute timely cuts that emulated a seasoned offense, and finally convert a break point.
In the same vein, Ward’s specialties came in his speed and full-field confidence. With five blocks and nine goals with the Chill this year, he was always finding the disc downfield. Ward was invaluable for the team who needed a bit more speed and the ability to force turnovers this year. By pairing him with teammates such as DeClerck, Rocco Linehan or Bret Bergmeier, Ward filled in where he was needed and made a huge difference in a pestering, hybrid defense.
On the other hand, Coffin managed 13 blocks and 20 assists as a Wind Chill defender this year. Abe Coffin has traditionally been a more offense-aligned player, playing the majority of his points on offense in past seasons. And that is exactly why he fit in so well with Minnesota’s defense this season. Of course, Coffin’s full-field pulls were vital in the team’s defensive set-up, and he didn’t stop there. He followed through with huge plays and added his offensive experience to a line who needed a more veteran playmaker to step up. Whereas the Chill has plenty of offensive players to lead during their respective points, they needed an experienced captain who could command the disc on turnovers. Coffin filled in nicely on his new team and in a new role.
Whether or not they were working the disc on the same line didn’t matter; Coffin and Ward were instrumental in getting the team break point after break point and absolutely shutting down opposing teams’ offenses. These two players were key pieces whose roles were clear-cut and paramount for Feldman and the Wind Chill.
Rounding Out Success
As the team continues to put the pieces together and work toward a dynasty of their own, they will likely need to use more players of Coffin’s and Ward’s caliber and hybrid skills. It makes sense, then, that the team is looking to players like Paul Krenik, Marty Adams and Bret Bergmeier. Feldman was impressed at the season all three of these guys had in 2022, and is keenly aware of their talent on all sides of the disc.
“[Krenik has] a lot of potential,” said Feldman. “Most likely he’ll be an offensive player, but matchup-wise it makes sense to have him play defense.”
Krenik played just about half his points on offense and half on defense in 2022, but clearly his impact was felt on offensive opportunities. With nine assists and 14 goals, Krenik found himself getting a lot of touches downfield and in the end zone. His skills complemented the talents of rookie Marty Adams, who has been described as a “release valve” for handlers facing pressure. Adams and Krenik were able to see more play time deep into the season as injuries took over the starting lineup.
An underrated component of the 2022 campaign for these two is the fact that they each got valuable playoff experience this year. With a taste of the AUDL postseason, they will be more equipped to step up as leaders and playmakers in the future. The Wind Chill hope to continue to invest in and build around players like Krenik, Adams and Bergmeier, who will bring valuable experience and skill to a team with a lot of promise.
Bret Bergmeier is another under-the-radar player who had a 2022 season to be proud of. Coming off a muted 2021 campaign, he showed much improvement offensively, and had huge moments on defense.
“[Bret] earned his keep,” said Feldman. Bergmeier showed up big on the field in 2022, with big throws and big plays in big moments. The team will certainly look to retain his talent and keep this success going next year and beyond.
The Wind Chill’s entire makeup this year seemed to be built like these players, with flexibility and adaptability at the top of their minds. This hybrid nature and ability to excel on an offensive or defensive point is so critical for future success and for the team to continue to establish themselves as a serious contender.
Building a Dynasty
If the Wind Chill want to achieve success on a national stage, they need to of course take down the one team who has been the bane of their existence for multiple consecutive seasons: the Chicago Union. Fortunately for the Chill, they are making huge strides and putting the right pieces together. If they can find their rhythm on offense next year, and can maintain their prolific, hybrid defense, then they can easily be seen as true contenders for the final four and get a coveted spot in Championship Weekend 2023.
The team is looking forward to the return of key injured players, including Jimmy Kittlesen, Rocco Linehan, Colin Berry and hopefully even Nick Vogt. Big signings are already taking place, with the team announcing the return of Abe Coffin to the lineup in 2023. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see who else the Wind Chill will target for next year. Feldman noted how the team is keenly aware of the skill around the league, and they are working hard to find valuable propositions to get players coming to the team. As the offseason discussions continue, we will keep our ears to the ground and await any word from the team in this regard.
In the meantime, we will continue to watch Sea Foam Stadium highlights, share thoughts and news, bask in the glory of broken records and electric crowds, and will reminisce on the 2022 Wind Chill season.
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