Article by Garrett Pog
In front of nearly 300 people at Hope Sports Complex in Lansing, Michigan, the Detroit Mechanix opened the season with a very competitive game against the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds. With many Mechanix playing their first points of the season against a team that had just played the week before, there was certainly a statement to make to start the 2025 season. The McLaren and Lambo groups had been working hard all preseason; now it’s time to make their mark.
That statement was made early, as many rookies would score their first points of their career, including Collin Hill, David Cox, Connor Concannon, and Darren Dyer. The McLaren group was firing on all cylinders, and Lambo’s Nathan Ploeger blocked a disc that led to a score on the other end, making it 5-4 just before the end of the first quarter.
McLaren would continue to work hard, scoring all 4 of Detroit’s points in the 2nd Quarter. The biggest triumph was made midway, immediately after a throwaway was made by the Mechanix. McLaren locked in and prevented Pittsburgh from moving out of their own endzone, which was capitalized by Cox, scoring a Callahan and tying the game back up at 8. The game remained back and forth, as Detroit would find themselves down 11-9 at halftime.
Hucks were the name of the game in the 3rd Quarter, as 3 out of the Mechanix’ 4 scores would be at the tail end of the deep shot throw from the hands of Quinn Garner, Trevor Polisuk-Balfour, and Jake Felton, respectively. The most impressive reception went into the hands of Dyer, as he outraced his opponent to the back of the endzone, jumped, and meticulously dragged the toes in bounds to make sure the goal counted. Detroit still trailed at this point, but the fight was never lost amongst the Mechanix.
Systematic scores started the 4th Quarter for Detroit, as Felton assisted twice, first to Garner, and then to Concannon. On the Mechanix’ third score this quarter, over 2 minutes and 30 seconds came off the clock, making it difficult for Detroit to finish the comeback they had started, down 20-16 with 5 minutes left. Knowing this, the very next possession, Aiden Rudy would make a clean pull, a subsequent block, and follow that up with a huck score to David Zoldan to bring them closer. Unfortunately, this would be the last time the Mechanix would score.
Leading the way for the Mechanix in their career debut was Darren Dyer, who scored twice and blocked thrice, playing stout defense while converting that to offense on the other side. Colin Hill, Connor Concannon, and David Cox also played outstanding in their debut, each scoring 2+ goals while assisting once or more.
Though the result is not what Detroit wanted to achieve, the fans were supportive and faithful the entire way through. Many fans have come to believe in the mission of the Detroit Mechanix, which is why Owner Brent Steepe is establishing the Fan of the Game to be handed out at every Mechanix game this season, both home and away. Earning the award in Game 1 is Tom O’Brien, the father of Chris O’Brien, who is with the organization in his 2nd year. O’Brien (both of them) has displayed an unwavering amount of support for the Mechanix, and we are lucky to have them as a fan.
Detroit continues its journey on the road against Indianapolis two weeks from now, taking on the AlleyCats in what is sure to be a fun and competitive game for both sides. That game starts at 6pm on May 24th at Kuntz Stadium. Be sure to check it out live on WatchUFA.tv. Following that game, Detroit will come back to Hope to play the AlleyCats again on June 7th, with a late opening pull of 8pm.
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