Windigo skaters Zach Cline (4), Camden Markham (9), Erick Comstock (2) and Logan Nickolaus (hidden) celebrate a goal during a game Saturday against Janesville at the Eagle River Sports Arena in Eagle River, Wis. (Photo courtesy of Kitty Sookochoff)

EAGLE RIVER, Wis. — With a 4-3 win on Friday and a 7-2 loss on Saturday, the Wisconsin Windigo and the Janesville Jets both earned a split over the weekend during the final weekend of the Windigo’s lengthy homestand.

With the split, the Windigo sit tied for second in the Midwest Division of the NAHL with a 6-4 record, good for 12 points. The Jets remain at the top of the division with the split at 6-3-2.

On Friday, the Windigo needed to find a way to comeback, trailing 3-2 in the third, and they did just that with goals from forwards Everett Pietila and Luke Baker just under six minutes apart. Baker’s tally came on a backdoor play off a pass from forward Tyler Grahme.

The Windigo trailed 2-0 after one period and then scored twice in 4:08 in the middle frame to even the game. Forward Max Martin got the Windigo on the board first at 4:04. Grahme got the second tally on the power play.

“I was pleased with our tenacity to come back in the third period on Friday,” said coach Blake Hietala. “The Jets will be a tough out all season.”

Martin scored a goal and two assists in the contest. Grahme also potted a goal and two assists.

Goaltender Lindards Lipskis finished with 28 saves to earn the win.

Trailing 2-0 again Saturday night after 20 minutes, the Windigo found themselves trailing 4-0 just 2:28 into the middle frame.

Forward Logan Nickolaus scored his first goal of the season just 44 seconds later. Grahme then scored to cut the Jets’ lead in half at the seven-minute mark. Martin and defenseman Erick Comstock assisted on the goal.

Unlike Friday, however, that was the last time the Windigo scored, as the Jets struck three more times before the final buzzer sounded to earn the win.

Hietala was not happy that his team had to find a way to come from behind both nights.

“We have good talent on this team, but we have some areas we need to improve,” he said. “We need to come out of the gate hitting on all cylinders. We’ve given up the first goal too often this season. We need to find an appropriate balance between creativity with the puck and protecting the puck, especially in our own zone.”

On a positive note, Baker scored his second goal of the season, and Nickolaus picked up his first. Hietala was happy to get scoring from players other than Martin, Grahme and Will Schumacher.

“It was great to see Luke Baker and Logan Nickolaus score this weekend,” said Hietala. “We need secondary scoring like that to relieve some of the pressure that opposing teams apply to our leading scorers like Max Martin, Will Schumacher and Tyler Grahme.”

COMSTOCK HONORED

Defenseman Erick Comstock was honored by the NAHL with the Defenseman of the Month for September. He scored four goals and eight assists during the month while also racking up a plus-7 rating in eight games.

UP NEXT

The Windigo embark on a seven-game road trip, first visiting the Springfield Jr. Blues this weekend before heading to Alaska to face Kenai River for for a pair of games. The long trip concludes with a three-game series against the Anchorage Wolverines on Oct. 27-29. The next home series at the Eagle River Sports Arena will be on Nov. 3-4 when the Chippewa Steel visit.