Ryan Baker

The season’s most crucial Border Battle arrives Sunday night as the Madison Radicals return to iconic Breese Stevens Field to face their toughest rival: the Minnesota Wind Chill.

“Breese is always special,” said Nico Ranabhat, who leads the team in assists. “Summer night, loud crowd, good energy, and people packed close to the field. I’m excited to play on the new turf, too. It’s definitely got more bounce to it and should make for a really fast game. My favorite part of home games is still the simple stuff. Getting to play the sport I love with people I genuinely enjoy being around on a summer evening. That’s hard to beat.”

It’s tough to truly quantify the impact of this matchup, given the Radicals are only two games into their season, but previous seasons have shown that early games can be the difference between making the playoffs and missing out. With only two games against the Wind Chill in 2026, a win here could give Madison a crucial edge in any head-to-head tiebreaker, significantly boosting their playoff qualification chances later in the season.

Madison has consistently struggled against Minnesota, with a 1-6 record at Breese Stevens over the last four years and losses in their last five home meetings. Overall, Madison is 1-14 in recent matchups with the Wind Chill.

“It was nice to have a week off and enjoy college nationals as well as see my son play in high school state, but we are back to business and excited for the home opener,” Head Coach Jacob Spiro said. “Besides it being the opener, it’s just another game. Preparation is the same as any other week.”

Despite the porous record, this year looks to be one of the most promising opportunities Madison has to break the past. Coming off a bye week, the Radicals sport a 2-0 record, including a one-point win over Indy and a commanding victory over Pittsburgh two weeks ago. The team looks as rejuvenated as ever, and their new offensive set has given them a newfound confidence.

“I think the biggest thing for us is just staying present,” said Ranabhat. “Against a team like Minnesota, there are going to be messy moments. Somebody’s going to throw one away, somebody’s going to get beat deep, that’s just part of the game. The teams that survive those stretches are usually the ones that move on the fastest. We don’t want to spend points thinking about what just happened. Flush it, line up again, and play the next point harder.”

Alongside Ranabhat in the more handler-heavy offense are Gabe Vordick, Kainoa Chun-Moy, Ian McCosky, and Eric Sjostrom, who is listed as questionable but is expected to play. If Sjostrom is out, Madison's depth will be crucial.

“It’s looking like Eric should be ready to go this week,” Spiro said. “Like most teams, we have our share of injuries that we are working on, but one of our main strengths is our depth. Neither [Jake] Carrico nor Kyle [Conniff] was originally in our 20 for the first game, yet both had a significant impact on the outcome. If someone is out, we have the luxury of bringing skilled players off the bench.”

Three guys who have seen a lot of success against the Wind Chill in recent years are Chun-Moy, Anthony Gutowsky, and Kelsen Alexander. All three have had at least two performance scores (scores + assists + blocks + hockey assists) of six since 2023. Alexander and Chun-Moy have two such games, and Gutowsky has had four.

On the other hand, Madison will have to deal with Minnesota's incredible talent. Lukas Ambrose and Noah Coolman will be the new guys to handle, but Minnesota also gets back Thomas Shope and Nathan De Morgan, two college standouts. On the bright side, Justin Burnett will not be playing this game, so that makes things a bit easier on Madison’s offense.

“Minnesota’s definitely going to test us in some different ways,” Ranabhat said. “They’ve got defenders who can really change the shape of a game depending on matchups, and I’m sure they’ll mix things up to try to throw us off rhythm. I think we’re probably going to face some adversity we haven’t really seen yet this season, but those are usually the games you remember most. If we can adjust quickly and stay connected as a group, I think we’ll be in a good spot.”

This weekend will be the biggest test Madison has faced all season, and most likely will face until they meet Minnesota again in their last game of the year. Spiro's philosophy for entering this game is to “minimize mistakes and maximize effort.” That couldn’t be truer if the Radicals want to walk away with a win.

The third quarter has often decided recent matchups. Last year, Madison was outscored by a combined 12 points in the third quarters of the three meetings, despite being close or ahead at halftime. Whichever team falters in the second half will most likely end up with its first blemish on its record. 

To buy tickets to the home opener at Breese Stevens Field this Sunday at 5 p.m. CT, go here!

Watch the Border Battle between Madison and Minnesota here!