July 22, 2024
By Evan Lepler
Kelsen Alexander, Madison Radicals
A couple days before the Radicals’ regular season finale against Indy, it was unclear whether Kelsen Alexander would even be in Madison’s 20-man lineup. But Coach Tim DeByl ultimately decided to play him, a choice that paid off mightily in a must-win game to extend his team’s season. The 34-year-old UFA veteran was a huge part of the Rads’ D-line that broke the AlleyCats 14 times on Friday night. Overall, he finished with four assists, two goals, and one block, completing all 14 of his passes during Madison’s dominant 25-19 victory.
Lukas Ambrose, Seattle Cascades
In an era where offenses are as efficient as ever, Lukas Ambrose has become a guy who can consistently create blocks better than anyone in the league. He paced the UFA in Ds with 24 in 2023, and he led the circuit in blocks during the 2024 regular season too, producing 26. Six of those came in Week 13, including five on Friday night at Salt Lake in a scintillating performance which included his first career Callahan. With 50 career blocks in 25 total games, he’s currently the only active player averaging two per game. Ambrose will be hunting his first ever postseason block when the Cascades host the Oakland Spiders this Saturday at Memorial Stadium. If he can find four blocks in the playoffs, he would become the first UFA player since 2017 to register at least 30 blocks in a season.
Tobe Decraene, Montreal Royal
While Quentin Bonnaud delivered a dazzling six-goal, two-assist, two-block effort against the Glory on Sunday, his teammate Tobe Decraene narrowly gets the Honor Roll nod for his pristine pair of performances across both of Montreal’s Week 13 wins. The Rookie of the Year candidate totaled 10 assists, four goals, 65 completions, and no throwaways in victories over Toronto and Boston, doubling the Royal’s win total from the first 12 weeks of the season. For the year, Decraene ranked third in the league with 52 assists and tied-for-fifth in the league with 18 blocks. The 20-year-old from Belgium also accumulated the sixth-most total yards across the UFA during the regular season, an astonishing North American debut for the young European star.
Miles Grovic, DC Breeze
He played a single game in 2023, so he’s not technically a rookie, but Miles Grovic has been a huge and impactful addition for DC all year long in a way that’s not entirely captured by the stats. Defensively, he’s been tenacious, and after a turn, he’s been a critical cog on the Breeze break train. On Saturday evening against New York, Grovic finished a career-best plus-five, with two goals, one assist, and two blocks helping the Breeze create their biggest margin of victory ever in a road game against the Empire. For the first time ever, the East Division playoffs go through DC, and Grovic’s work for the D-line has transformed the Breeze into one of the small handful of championship favorites across the entire UFA.
Evan Magsig, Oakland Spiders
In a single weekend, Evan Magsig produced the third and fifth highest single-game throwing yardage totals for the entire season, and the big numbers also came in a pair of road wins to somewhat rewrite Oakland’s narrative and send the Spiders into the postseason with some momentum. Magsig tossed for 813 yards on Saturday in San Diego, then dished for 661 more on Sunday against Los Angeles. In fact, those are the two highest throwing yardage totals all season for a player who also won the game. Add in the fact that he also threw 15 assists, with nine more hockey assists, went nine-for-nine on his hucks, and had just four throwaways on 133 completions. Overall, it’s one of the most impressive two-game sequences for any thrower in the history of the league, let alone a back-to-back on the road.
Adam Miller, Atlanta Hustle
With Justin Burnett and Lukas McClamrock still sidelined with injuries, Adam Miller assumed even more responsibility for the Hustle on Saturday night, merging possession and playmaking in brilliant fashion. By the end of the evening, his presence was absolutely huge for an Atlanta squad that overcame an early hole to prevail over Carolina and claim first place in the South. Miller finished with career highs in both assists (4) and completions (26), orchestrating the Hustle’s D-line with creativity and flare en route to several key breaks. He also added three hockey assists and nearly 300 yards of total offense, cementing his stature as one of the most important anchors for Atlanta’s 2024 pursuit of a championship.
Pat Shriwise, Madison Radicals (Pictured)
There were plenty of players with more eye-popping numbers in Week 13, but few if any matched Pat Shriwise’s savvy combination of intensity and efficiency, giving the Radicals exactly what they needed to vanquish the AlleyCats and advance into the playoffs for the first time since 2018. The 36-year-old Shriwise, an original member of the Radicals, completed 37 passes with no throwaways, finishing with one assist and five more hockey assists, while serving as a critical fulcrum to Madison’s offensive system. Whether he was refreshing the stall as an unstoppable reset or sneaking downfield to set up the score, his instincts steadily flummoxed the Indy defense and made things easier for his Radicals teammates. With 15 career postseason games already under his belt, Shriwise’s experience and leadership will be valuable assets as Madison embarks on its first playoff opportunity in six years.
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