The script has completely flipped for the Aviators.

While the Los Angeles Aviators struggled at the start of games for the first part of the season, they went 0-2 in Texas over the weekend because of their-second half play. A lack of D-line chances and long runs led to a 22-20 win in overtime for the Houston Havoc and a 20-13 takedown for the Austin Sol.

Without Sean McDougall and James Franklin for both games, the offense looked quite different in Texas, but the O-line still put up one of its best performances of the season against Houston despite the loss and recorded a season-low 14 turnovers.

Along with the season debut of team captain Sam Cook, Jonathan Lyle solidified himself as one of the top rookies in the UFA with a seven-assist outing to go along with a goal. Lyle is now tied for sixth in total scores and tied for 11th in assists across the league despite not playing in the Austin game to close out the road trip.

Lyle really turned it on for the Aviators in the second frame, assisting on three of LA’s four scores to carry the team on his back and head into halftime with a 10-10 game.

The third quarter ended up much more as a team performance, although Lyle still did put up a goal and an assist. Rookies ran the show in the quarter as the Aviators produced two breaks, both scored by Dox Raskin for his first career UFA goals as part of a four-goal game. The only non-rookie to score in the quarter for LA was Louis Gosart, who came into the year with one career UFA game.

Coming out on O-line with a one-goal lead to start the fourth quarter, the win seemed in hand for the Aviators as they went up by two with 7:40 left in the game. After a 29-second Houston hold, the LA O-line came on with a break in hand.

But then the game got sloppy. 

Only seven points lasted more than two minutes across the entire game, and three of them happened in a row. Within 20 feet of the goal line, Cook showed why he’s been in the UFA since he was 18 years old with an incredible comeback grab over a defender to save the possession. 

The Aviators could not capitalize on the stellar grab though, throwing an unforced turn to give Houston some life. The Havoc, despite now sitting at 2-9, showed what they do when they have life. After slowly moving it up the field, head coach Bex Forth called a timeout and made a wholesale line change to bring on the Havoc O-line, who scored after a sky by the 6-foot-3 Chase Cunningham to tie the game.

Houston felt the game in its hands, bringing the defensive pressure and nearly getting multiple blocks before LA yet again reached the door step. Cam Albin finally got it done for the Havoc, tipping a disc in the endzone after a layout to give his team a chance at its first lead since it went up 1-0.

The Havoc, as they did all night, moved the disc up patiently with their D-line offense and scored after a 19-pass possession. Los Angeles was able to tie the game and send it to overtime on the next point, but only after a two-minute and one-second point where the Aviators turned over the disc once before earning the possession back.

Heading into overtime, Houston had all of the momentum and showed its home crowd some theatrics after earning another break to go along with two holds to win the game in extra time. After scoring the first two points of the additional period, the Havoc completed a 5-1 run to snatch the game away from the Aviators.

Despite only having nine D-line possessions across the night, Houston converted on six of them. Between the fourth quarter and overtime, the Havoc had four of those chances and scored on all but one of the following offensive drive. The strong defensive showing, combined with a season low in turnovers, got the job done for the Havoc.

The next day did not fare much better for the Aviators, who had to face the division leading Austin Sol.

Lyle did not play against the Sol, meaning LA was without three of its top offensive players. The loss of Lyle resulted in a 41% hold rate, the lowest the Aviators have had since the season opener, to pair with a 29% O-line conversion mark.

Everything was smooth sailing for Los Angeles through the first two periods, only trailing the Sol by one at halftime. 

Given the absences of LA’s normal top contributors, others were forced to step up. Liam Bestian, who appeared in his first two games over the weekend since the season opener, went every other with the disc to send an assist to Royce Grundy for the first break of the game after an Owen Shaff block. 

Shaff has been a mainstay all season in his first UFA season with his eight blocks, but the goal and the assist were the first of the other two rookies’ careers.

But the inexperience caught up to the Aviators as the Sol went on a 9-0 run between the second and fourth quarters, completely blanking LA in the third frame.

There was little the Aviators could do with the star power of Mark and Kyle Henke, who combined for eight goals and five assists. Kyle has been a hitch in the Aviators’ wings all season, throwing the game-winning assist in the first matchup of the season between the two squads.

While LA made the nine-goal deficit more respectable with a pair of breaks in the fourth, the game was already out of reach as the Sol won by seven.

Along with the contributions from the rookies, Mateo Dominguez also had a strong outing, putting up a career-high three goals after never surpassing one in a game. The handler has had a much larger role with the Aviators this season in his third year and has made the most of it, leading the squad with 2,259 throwing yards to go along with 20 hockey assists.

With their record now at 2-9, Los Angeles will need to win its last game against the Vegas Bighorns, who sit at 0-11, and hope Houston loses its final game against the 5-5 Carolina Flyers to avoid finishing in last place in the division for the first time in franchise history.

Austin, whose final game is also against the Flyers, has a chance to set a franchise win record if they take down Carolina. A win would also give the Sol their first division title in franchise history, but Austin has already clinched a playoff spot so its season is not on the line on July 18. A Sol loss would give the Atlanta Hustle their third straight division title.

The Aviators still have something to play for though, hoping to protect history. Their season finale will take place at Great Park Championship Stadium on July 20 with first pull set for 2 p.m. Fans can buy tickets at this link.