Wausau, WI – The Cyclones wrapped up their 2025-26 NA3HL regular season last Friday and Saturday, defeating the Peoria Mustangs in both games. Friday’s win for Wausau clinched the No. 3 seed in the divisional round of the playoffs, and Saturday’s victory extended the Cyclones’ winning streak to three games to close out the regular season.
The Cyclones were slow to find their groove in the first game of the weekend, falling behind early to the Mustangs. Despite playing against the lowest-ranked team in the division — the Peoria Mustangs, who entered with only seven wins on the season — Wausau surrendered a season-high two short-handed goals.
The Cyclones trailed for the first 30 minutes of the game before a goal-scoring surge in the second period pushed them ahead. Maksim Salienko, Tucker Gretebeck and Eiji Hofmann scored three unanswered goals to give Wausau its first lead of the night.Peoria responded with two more goals before the end of the second period, but the Cyclones took control in the third. Alec Mellon, Jackson Schroeder and Joel Anderson each found the back of the net to give Wausau breathing room. A late desperation goal by the Mustangs cut the deficit to one, but the Cyclones held on for a 6-5 regulation victory and clinched the No. 3 seed in the divisional playoff round.
The start of Saturday’s game was eerily similar to Friday’s contest, as the same Peoria forward scored the game’s opening goal on the power play — exactly how the previous game had begun. After the Mustangs built an early two-goal lead, Cyclones captain Mario Savino buried his fourth goal of the season to give Wausau its first tally of the night.From that point forward, the Cyclones controlled the game. Wausau scored four unanswered goals across the second and third periods, with goals from Maksim Salienko, Elijah Von Gunten on the power play, and two from Jackson Schroeder, including one on the power play. Peoria added a late power-play goal in the third period, but Wausau answered with a short-handed goal from Eiji Hofmann to extend the lead to 6-4.The Mustangs again made things interesting late, cutting the deficit to one, but the Cyclones held on for another 6-5 regulation victory.
Several Cyclones players reached career milestones during the final weekend of the regular season. Joel Anderson’s goal Friday night marked the 10th of his career and his 40th career point in his first season as a defenseman with the Cyclones. Schroeder’s three-point performance Friday pushed him past the 60-point mark for the season, while Hofmann’s goal gave him his 50th point of the year. Tucker Gretebeck also scored his first home goal as a member of the Cyclones on Friday.
The Cyclones finished the 2025-26 NA3HL regular season with a 27-19-1-0 record in 47 games. Wausau totaled 55 points, with 170 goals scored and 149 goals allowed for a plus-21 goal differential. The team finished 5-5 in its final 10 games while winning its last three. The Cyclones will now turn their attention to the divisional round of the playoffs, where they will face the Rochester Grizzlies in a best-of-three series. Game 1 will be Friday, March 13, at 7 p.m. at the Rochester Recreation Center. Game 2 will take place Saturday, March 14, at Marathon Park Ice Arena in Wausau at 7:10 p.m. If necessary, Game 3 will be played Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Rochester Recreation Center. If the Cyclones advance, they will face the winner of the best-of-three series between the West Bend Power and the St. Louis Jr. Blues.
Your Wausau Cyclones have punched their ticket to the Fraser Cup Playoffs! Single game playoff tickets are now on sale. Wausau will face the Rochester Grizzlies in a best of three Division Semifinal playoff series. The first 500 fans March 14th receive a Cyclones playoff rally towel presented by Lake of the Torches Resort Casino. Home playoff tickets are available at wausaucyclones.com/playoffs.
