Author: Ryan Baker

Photos: SEDIII Productions

On Saturday, the Indianapolis AlleyCats beat the Chicago Union 18-13 to retake third place in the Central Division in a must-win game.

Indy’s second win of the season came hard. The AlleyCats didn’t build a lead of more than two until the fourth quarter, and four straight points in the final four minutes made the difference.

The overall stats make the win look dominant. Indy had an 80 percent hold rate to Chicago’s 60 percent, produced 14 blocks to the Union’s 2, added five more breaks, and converted 79 percent of their red-zone chances.

One of the six breaks for the AlleyCats came on the second point of the game, when the Union floated a reset, giving Kai Creed a chance to rise up, snatch the block, and throw the score to Jake Wahl.

The two squads went back and forth for the rest of the quarter, but the highlights in between were a Will Wettengel layout goal on a huck from Elliot Hawkins and a Cameron Brock possession-saving grab off a deflection near the goal line.

Indy’s defense in the front half of the field was much improved from what we’ve seen in past games. Chicago struggled nearly every time to get the disc past midfield, but as soon as they did, Indy struggled to hold them out of the end zone.

The Union did creep back into the game during the second quarter, as two huck throwaways by Nate Little and Jake Felton turned into breaks for Chicago. The Little turnover came towards the end of the quarter, when the Union tied the game with eight seconds left. End of quarter management needs to be a focus for sustainable success in the UFA. Something that Alleycat's continue to learn the hard way. 

The second half started nearly the same way as the first, with an O-line score, then a break. However, this time, Indy took advantage of a drop from Chicago, and Xavier Payne hit Jack Galle across the field to put their lead back up to two.

Payne’s pulls, backfield defense, and quarterbacking of the D-line proved to be major factors in the game, areas the AlleyCats had struggled with over the last couple of weeks without him.

Indy's next score came from one of the best throws of the game. Hawkins dialed up a cross-field hammer huck that landed in Seth Gudeman’s hands while in stride. Those two went off this weekend, with Hawkins adding seven assists to his late start of the 2026 season, and Gudeman’s move to O-line continues to be massive as he added four goals Saturday night. He is currently on pace for 36 Goals this season which would be nearly 10 more than he's ever scored. 

With the third quarter ending 12-11, it was time for the bloodbath. A Nick Pappas block on a huck attempt from Chicago, where he stole it right before it hit the hands of the Union receiver, set up an immediate Hawkins-to-Gudeman break score.

“I saw Pav [Pawel Janas] get a power position across the field and John [Marsh] start to streak deep,” Pappas said. “That’s my college teammate, so I knew I had to try to make a play.”

Bussberg stated: "Pappas knows Chicago well. He elevates his game every time we play them. I'm glad he's wearing green & white."  

Chicago responded, but then a beautiful inside-out flick from Felton was right on the money to Hawkins to go up 14-12. Another Union answer followed suit, but then Indy ran away with it.

“I think we need to keep trusting each other and building that chemistry,” Pappas said. “There were a lot of expectations with this roster heading into the season, and after getting punched in the mouth during our first game, we needed to remember who we can be, and that’s what that fourth quarter showed us, so we need to keep building on it.”

A coverage sack that the Union got stalled out on, a roller pull that forced a bad throw from the sideline, and another stall turnover were the three mistakes that led to three straight breaks for the AlleyCats.

The highlight goal from that run came from Pappas, who dove and got his fingers underneath the disc after Malachi Neil had to get rid of it, with the stall count rising. That was the nail in the coffin.

“I felt like I was getting open on every cut during that point, so when I finally saw the throw, I just tried to get under it and keep it off the grass,” Pappas said.

The final score was with six seconds left, when Hawkins hit Wettengel for his third goal of the night and the cherry on top.

Other notable performances came from Creed and Samuel Ingham, both of whom led the team with three blocks apiece.

“It feels great to help the team in any way you can in a game of that magnitude,” Ingham said. “We’ve been building all off-season for games like that, and to see my hard work, as well as all the hard work my teammates and coaches have put in, pay off in that way, was great to see. Any one of my teammates could have done the same, and I think that is what makes this year’s AlleyCats so special.”

The Alleycats looked a lot crisper and more confident in this game. While it was against the Union, who aren’t having the best season, and there were some sketchy points, there was a clear improvement in their play this past weekend.

“The biggest piece of improvement for the defensive group at the current moment is our conversion percentage after turns,” Ingham stated. “Our conversation percentage sat at 33 percent against Chicago, which is not at the level we strive for. If we want to reach the goals we have set out for this season, this has to be one of our major focuses for the rest of the season.”

It’s a step in the right direction for a team that looks like the frontrunner for the third spot in the Central, despite the close records. Now, the AlleyCats will turn around and play two games in a row against the Madison Radicals, giving them a chance to overtake them in the standings, but they would need to win both. 

As anyone on the AlleyCats would tell you, their focus is simply on the next one ahead.