Minnesota Wind Chill ultimate is BACK! The 2023 season opened on the road in Indianapolis against longtime divisional thorn in their side, the AlleyCats. While it was just the first game in a 12 game season, I think we can look at how it shook out to get a good read on what the rest of the Chill’s season will look like.
The game started out different than fans desired. After a few hard points, the Chill ended the first quarter trailing 5 to 8.
Part of this rocky start was the different path both teams took to get to this game. Minnesota was working with their first game with a very fresh, young roster. The offseason saw a significant change to the Minnesota roster, and with this came an adjustment period where the team needed to find their groove. Not to mention the AlleyCats were already one game into their season, whereas Minnesota was coming in cold.
With all this in mind, the Chill knew going into the second quarter that they would have to battle. And battle they did, eventually leaving Indianapolis with a 21-23 victory.
Berry at the Helm
One key piece to the Wind Chill’s success came in the form of Colin Berry, who rejoined the team as a captain after missing most of last year due to an injury. By the end of the fourth quarter, Berry had racked up three assists and four goals. As I said, this game was reflective of what we can expect from the Chill in the 2023 season, and Berry will continue to show his strengths on offense and defense, filling in whatever role Minnesota needs him at.
Berry commented that the team knew that their approach this year needed to be different. “For our season to go how we want, we need to compete in the 4th quarter of every game.”
This echoes a similar sentiment head Coach Ben Feldman discussed on the “Let’s Chill” podcast; he and the team are approaching the 2023 season hungry and ready to elevate their game, with their eyes on the biggest fourth quarter of them all— championship game held at TCO Stadium in Minnesota.
Slowly But Surely
While their eyes are on championship weekend, the Wind Chill know that the road ahead is long. This game against Indy showed that other teams are just as hungry for the title. With the central division as wide open as it is, and teams around the league sharpening their rosters, Minnesota is ready to battle and work to get where they want.
The team relied on its defense in the first quarter to keep the lead as low as possible, and relied heavily on it later in order to bring the team up to pace with the Alleycats. Berry remarked: “What put us in the position to win was that our defense made the Indy offense work their butts off almost every single point.”
At this point it’s no surprise that Minnesota has a stellar defense that can show up in big ways when they need to. But what many have noticed from previous years and previous dropped central division titles, is that our offense has been lacking. Going into 2023 with a fresh and promising roster, the coaching staff knew the offense would need a few changes. The Chill were able to add some impactful players to the roster, returning a couple veterans and signing a few rookies that are all looking to make a big impact on O-Line this year.
Notable Players
Star player for the Wind Chill this game (and every game), was Josh Klane. He led the game in assists and throwing yards with 5 and 452, respectively, and managed to keep a 95% completion rate all the while. Klane is looking deep this year for talents such as Marco Dregni who had five goals and 445 receiving yards.
Teammate Colin Berry had a lot to say about Dregni’s success in game one:
“He’s been a great player for years. Marco’s legs and work ethic won him every race he found himself in throughout the night. He was playing low risk when he had the disc, and then running hard once he got rid of it… For Marco, to perform like that on a big stage when we really needed him is fantastic to see. I think he is just getting started.”
A Strong Season Ahead
Rewatching the game as I write this, it’s clear to see that the team as a whole is just getting started.
After the game, in reflecting on the Wind Chill’s win, Berry had this to say: “I’m proud of the team for never getting down on ourselves and for keeping our energy and execution on a solid trajectory after the first few points didn’t go our way.”
That’s just the key to what will bring Minnesota success this year. Consistency, hard work, and trust in one another. If the team can keep the energy, and sharpen the execution, they’ll find success on the field.
The Wind Chill are ready to bring a cold front to championship weekend in August. With a hungry roster that combines energetic, eager rookies with experienced, playmaking veterans, fans can look forward to an exciting season.
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