May 12, 2026
By Evan Lepler

“Seven On The Line” is part two of The Tuesday Toss, highlighting seven more important storylines around the UFA. Read part one here.

1. Radicals Rejoice In Spoiling Indianapolis Home Opener

For the full 48 minutes, neither Madison nor Indianapolis could create any meaningful separation on the scoreboard. The Radicals opened the game with back-to-back breaks, but the early lead disappeared by the end of the first. Tied 4-4 after one, Madison actually trailed 9-8 at halftime and was down 14-12 heading into the fourth, only to flip the momentum again down the stretch. 

“During the game, it felt like it could go either way,” said Radicals veteran Sterling Knoche. “Both teams looked very much like they were playing their first game of the season.” 

Amidst a bunch of exciting highlights, there was also undeniable sloppiness, with the teams combining for 42 turnovers. But after Indy’s equalizer with 46 seconds remaining, Madison patiently orchestrated an 11-pass, 36-second possession, culminating in Anthony Gutowsky’s fifth goal of the game, which put the Radicals ahead 19-18. 

With 10 seconds left, Indy had one final chance, but William Wettengel’s Hail Mary got smacked down by Madison big man Max Sample, who tore off his jersey in joyous delirium as his final block secured the razor-thin one-goal win.

“When that throw went off and I could tell it was going to make the end zone, my first thought was ‘shit’ because I knew we did not execute our plan well,” remembered Knoche. “Max and I were outnumbered in the end zone and I was at a significant height disadvantage. So it was a huge sense of relief when Max smacked it to the ground. You can see from the replay, Max goes berserk. I, on the other hand, was letting my heart restart.” 

Wettengel finished the game with seven assists and a game-high 568 total yards, but the AlleyCats’ inability to come up with a last-second score meant that all the effort had still amounted to a disappointing opening day loss. 

“I think there were some bright spots for everyone,” said Indy’s Cameron Brock, who caught four goals in his first game back with the ‘Cats. “Ultimately, I think that we all wish we could have done something a little better, something a little cleaner. I think anytime you come up short, especially in a close game, there is a general feeling of frustration [...] A lot of credit to Madison. It really felt like we had taken the momentum. We had a chance to close the door on them, but we left it open, and they took advantage.”

It was just the first of four meetings this season between the Radicals and AlleyCats, though it’ll be another month before the next matchup in Madison on June 14. Indy finished Saturday’s game an impressive 10-for-11 on hucks, but a painful 5-for-14 on break chances. Madison only completed 3-of-7 hucks, but went 7-for-12 on break opportunities, which was basically the difference. 

“We’re running a new offense, we’ve been training harder than ever before, [and] we’ve got the best roster we’ve had since I’ve been on the team,” said an elated Gutowsky during a postgame interview. “I think there are big things to come for this team this year in 2026. We expect to be there at Championship Weekend in our hometown.” 

2. Oakland Overpowers The Pacific Northwest On Road Trip

With two more double-digit wins, the Oakland Spiders now sit at 4-0, having outscored their four foes 109-55 through the first three weeks of the season. And even though they experienced some adversity in Seattle and were severely shorthanded at Oregon, the Spiders continued to create relatively stress-free fourth quarters.

“Our narrative going into the Seattle game was that this was Seattle’s Super Bowl,” said Oakland Coach Liam Kreiss. “We only get one [chance] this season to play them, and with their overall roster strength and ability to get on a hot streak, we knew that this game could end up being a playoff tiebreaker [...] Seattle played a fantastic first half and gave us our first taste of not leading a game in the second half. They exposed some of our team’s weaknesses, but our halftime adjustments to counter their poaching defense proved enough to regain the lead, and I was very proud of our fourth quarter.”

The Cascades scored back-to-back goals to tie the score at 12-all early in the third, but Oakland immediately responded with an 8-1 onslaught to regain control. The Spiders proceeded to control the pace in the fourth as well, winning the final period 6-2 to prevail 26-16. Evan Magsig and Leo Gordon both finished with four assists and two goals, while the Spiders D-line went 13-for-16 on break chances. 

One day later, the shorthanded Spiders still created a block party against the Steel. Carter Lankford had five blocks and three goals, numbers that include a second-quarter Callahan, as Oakland cruised to a 24-13 victory, sweeping all four quarters against Oregon for the second time in three weeks. 

“Oregon proved in the first quarter that this is a team ready to make a splash when they’re at full strength,” said Kreiss. “Their O-line’s deep game was phenomenal and they had us on our heels for the entire first half. Assistant Coach James McIntyre deserves a big shout-out here, as he kept the team steered on course in the ‘Head Coach’ role vs. the Steel, practicing for our upcoming game vs. the Growlers, that both me and Assistant Coach Joey Ricks will be missing.”

In their first four games, the Spiders defense has produced 59 breaks, while the team’s offense has only been broken seven times. Asked which unit he felt has been better, Kreiss could not choose.

“Impossible to pick whether the O or D line has been more impressive so far,” he said. “I honestly think this is much more of a ‘rising tide raises all boats’ situation, where part of what has allowed both groups to elevate is their mutual competition. So far, our greatest challenges have come from practicing against ourselves.”

Of course, the Spiders have arguably their toughest game yet on tap this Sunday, when San Diego travels north for an interdivisional battle.

“We know the Growlers are a franchise hungry to prove themselves, and they’ve shown fantastic discipline so far, averaging just 10 turnovers per game and completing over 96 percent of their throws so far this season,” said Kreiss. “We’ll need to apply maximum pressure to keep them uncomfortable and take away their first options. We love to compete, and last year, we didn’t get the chance to play against both Khalif El-Salaam and Travis Dunn in the same game, so we’re stoked for the chance to take on the best that San Diego can bring us.” 

3. Rush Rise to 2-1 After Close Win Over Montreal

Bolstered by the debut of Max Pettenuzzo, the Toronto Rush narrowly hung on following a fourth-quarter lightning delay, sneaking past Montreal 18-17 on Saturday afternoon at Varsity Stadium. The Rush were up 16-14 when some unexpected thunderstorms rolled through, but they stayed focused and ready for the inevitable resumption with the game on the line.

“It’s rare that you get 38 minutes to plan for a specific goal-line stand,” said Rush Coach Jamie Millage, “but we did, and the guys came out with one of the best end zone D stands I’ve witnessed, capped with Nam Ho getting a huge layout block. Noah [Nishizaki] immediately took the shot for the end zone and I remember thinking we should probably take our time with and keep killing the clock, but eh, he saw it, and it landed.” 

Indeed, Kelsi Mallany hauled in the 66-yard huck to punctuate the delay-spanning point and give the Rush their largest lead of the game, 17-14, with 3:09 remaining. Montreal kept battling and broke with 13 seconds left to get within one again, but four short completions for Toronto made the remaining time evaporate, and the Rush celebrated a super satisfying one-goal win. 

“The game was both more exciting that we wanted it to be and also a happy ending after we started the game giving up three straight breaks,” said Millage. 

Making his Rush and UFA debut, Pettenuzzo made a huge difference, leading Toronto with 394 total yards and going 29-for-30 with four assists and one goal. 

“I definitely felt nervous and excited going into the game,” said Pettenuzzo. “But as the intensity in the game was built and the clock wound down, I definitely felt more of that flow state.”

Millage also noticed how Pettenuzzo settled in as the game progressed. 

“This past Thursday was Max’s first time at practice with us, and I am sure anyone in that situation feels some pressure,” said Millage. “You’ve just been flown in and there’s some implied expectations that come with that. But it took maybe ten minutes to see him relax and assert himself on the field. There’s a very long list of things he does well, and a lot of that was on display Saturday, but when those skills are wrapped around the motor and drive that Max has, even when inevitable chemistry bumps pop up, more good things will be just around the corner. Very impressive debut, and we’re excited about what’s to come.” 

4. Frustrated Royal Respond in Pittsburgh, Roll Past Thunderbirds

Through their first three games, the Montreal Royal had several sequences that suggested they could contend for an East Division playoff spot. But after a rough fourth quarter in Boston and blown leads against DC and Toronto, the Royal were winless at 0-3 heading into Sunday’s soiree in the Steel City. It was also Pittsburgh’s season opener, so the Thunderbirds were fresh and ready for a battle, hopeful to hand Montreal yet another road loss. 

But Malik Auger-Semmar, Simon Ruelle, and Christophe Tremblay-Joncas were determined to change the story. Collectively, this trio combined for 16 assists, 13 goals, and over 2,000 total yards as the Royal never missed a deep shot in a 32-24 victory. The Thunderbirds were within one at halftime, but a 10-5 eruption in the third quarter was more than enough to spoil Pittsburgh’s chances in the T-Birds’ home opener. 

“Their stars found their rhythm in the first quarter, and our defense couldn’t keep up,” said Pittsburgh veteran Jimmy Towle, who tossed five assists and scored three goals to lead the Thunderbirds. “They had so many hucks to open players that ended points quickly. We kept up in the first half, but they ended it on their terms and had a run in the third quarter that put a big dent in the sideline’s morale.”

Montreal finished 13-for-13 on hucks, the first team in the league this season to complete every single deep shot in a game. Overall, the Royal finished the day on Sunday with just eight turnovers, tied-for-the-second fewest giveaways in a game this season. 

At 1-3, the Royal finally have a home game this weekend, though it’s far from an easy matchup as old friend Tobe Decraene and the reigning champion Boston Glory roll into Quebec on Saturday. 

5. Strong Second Half Propels Shred over Apex

Even though Salt Lake struggled to find its groove in the first half, the Shred still won all four quarters on Saturday in Colorado, outscoring the Apex 8-3 in the fourth to win 26-16.

“Early on, our defense didn’t have our legs under us, and they were able to hit deep shots in the wind from the middle of the field,” said Luke Yorgason, one of three Shred defenders to tally three blocks in the 10-goal win. “On offense, we moved it well, but the wind was significant enough that a few mistakes kept the game closer than it should have been. By the second half, we started adjusting—protecting the middle better and taking away their easy deep shots to open space. By the fourth quarter, the sun was behind the clouds, the travel legs were gone, and we felt like ourselves again. That fourth quarter was the first time this season we felt like we played the way we have in previous years. Everyone felt it.” 

Simon Dastrup and Tony Mounga joined Luke Yorgason with three blocks apiece, while Jordan Kerr and Chad Yorgason each had five scores to lead the Shred offense. In the blustery conditions, the Shred connected on 8-of-9 hucks, while the Apex, despite making a few highlights early, finished 8-for-21 on deep shots. Salt Lake’s offense did give Colorado 11 chances to break, but the Shred only surrendered two breaks in the game, and none in the last three quarters.

“One takeaway from the first few games is that in previous years, we’ve started hot and then hit a plateau,” said Luke Yorgason, the eldest of the three Yorgason brothers who are currently on the Shred roster. “But this year feels like we’re building. It’s been a slower start than in years past, but that fourth quarter in Colorado had a very familiar feel to it, and I think all of us can sense the momentum growing.”

Despite the setback, the Apex also feel like they are making positive progress. 

“The team has been on an upwards trajectory since the start of the season, making chunk improvements,” said Tim Elliott, who led Colorado with six assists and 556 total yards, along with four throwaways in 50 attempts. “I feel like we have a lot of self-inflicting wounds, which is frustrating but exciting at the same time. The mistakes feel obvious in hindsight, and it feels like we are learning so much from every game. Each game, different guys make plays that show flashes of how good we can be, and leadership knows how to continue developing players. I don’t think we lack the talent; it’s just a lot of people who haven’t played together before in this environment. It doesn’t feel like we’ve put together a complete game so far, and I see this DC/New York road trip as a beautiful opportunity for us to do so.” 

6. Carolina Clobbers Philly

In the first of 24 interdivisional games across the UFA this season, the Carolina Flyers pummeled the visiting Philadelphia Phoenix 31-14. It was a pretty thorough master class from Carolina, who had just nine turnovers, recorded 15 breaks, and went unbroken on offense to improve to 3-0 on the season.

“It was awesome to be back at home for our first game of the season and to celebrate the new players joining our team,” said Suraj Madiraju, who finished a game-high plus seven with three assists, three blocks, one goal, and no turns. “I talked to a spectator—also an ultimate player—after the game and he said he told his friends in the stands that this was one of those games where you kind of stop caring and trying as hard because you’re up by so much. Honestly, that couldn’t be further from how I was feeling. Our team went into the game respecting Philly, and that respect and effort never wavered. I’m most proud of how we were able to eke out as much value from the game as we could. The comfort of an easy win is often an excuse to be lazy, but we worked hard to use the freedom it provided to work on things we see as essential tools later down the line. I think we grew more as a team from the Philly and Vegas games than we did against San Diego, and that’s a testament to our team’s commitment to effort and growth.” 

In pretty typical fashion, Allan Laviolette led the Flyers with five assists, while Jacob Fairfax paced the downfield cutters with five goals. Grayson Sanner added three goals, three assists, and a game-high 504 total yards. Jacob Louie went 43-for-43 with five hockey assists to anchor the Flyers offense.

Chase Rawlins led the Phoenix with four goals and four assists, collecting 350 receiving yards for the second consecutive game. Philly star Scott Heyman made his 2026 debut, but was limited to just one assist and no goals, with four throwaways on his 29 passes. 

7. One Week After Overtime Finish, Sol Reassert Control Over Havoc

Whereas it felt like Houston was on the verge of finally defeating Austin after the Week 2 overtime thriller, the Sol reset the rivalry again with a confident demolition on Saturday, winning all four quarters en route to a 28-15 triumph. Up 13-9 at the half, the Sol truly broke it open in the third, scoring seven straight goals to build a double-digit lead. 

“Our first game vs. Houston was absolutely a well-needed wake-up call,” said Mark Henke, who finished the rematch with three goals, one assist, two blocks, and no turns. “I wouldn’t say we all collectively decided it was a blowoff game, but we were definitely not completely focused and expected to win easily. Coming into Week 3, we heightened our level of focus and knew we could not lull into this game.”

Mark’s older brother Kyle continued his torrid start to the season with five assists, one goal, one block, and a team-best 400 total yards, while Duncan Fitzgerald, Reese Bowman, and Owen Johnson joined Mark Henke with three goals apiece. Defensively, 18-year-old George Gust led the charge, producing three blocks along with two assists and a goal. It was the third straight multi-block game for Gust to begin his UFA career.

“I noticed George and his block-generating ability early on in the preseason and knew he would be a problem,” said Mark, “but I am pleasantly surprised with the start he has had. Off the field, George is a pretty quiet guy, but when he steps on the field, he has a special moxie about him.”

Through three weeks, no one in the UFA has more blocks than Gust, who leads the circuit with eight.

“When he gets a block, he lets everyone know—including his matchup,” Mark Henke added. “I love it. This past game, after his third block, George counted out his block count to the crowd to let everyone in the stadium know it was his third on the day. I couldn’t tell you how he racks up these blocks the way he does. He just does. George has a quick trigger on his layout attempts, and he consistently reads the disc well enough to high-point the disc before his matchup. George is the spark plug we have often needed, whether vs. Atlanta or our Week 2 scare in Houston, he steps up when we need him. And, oh yeah, he’s only 18.”

The Hammer

With 11 more games on the docket in Week 4, there surely will be plenty of significant storylines and another flurry of fascinating developments this coming weekend. 

The first of four regular season meetings between Carolina and Atlanta should be especially compelling, with the Flyers trying to stay undefeated and the Hustle—with or without their star big man Brett Hulsmeyer—looking to hold serve in their home opener. Astonishingly, Carolina and Atlanta will meet on each of the next three Saturdays, adding even more intrigue into this already spicy South Division rivalry. 

“With the NBA playoffs happening right now, it’s fun to parallel this three-game stretch to an NBA playoff series,” said Atlanta’s Hayden Austin-Knab. “You get really familiar with your opponent and have to adjust game-to-game based on what happened the previous game. They know us very well and we know them very well, and I expect all three to be exciting games.”

Last season, the Hustle won three out of four against the Flyers, a trend that Carolina is hoping to reverse in 2026.

“My feeling going into this tripleheader against Atlanta is hunger,” said Madiraju. “I love to compete, and they’ve always been one of my favorite teams to play. I’m most looking forward to encountering some adversity. I know there’s probably some chatter about Atlanta because they’ve lost [two] games, but I really couldn’t care less—they’re a great team, and I will always give them the utmost respect.” 

Between the marquee South showdown, San Diego’s interdivisional test at Oakland, and doubleheader weekends for Colorado, Minnesota, and Vegas, Week 4 is shaping up to be another doozy. It’s unlikely we’ll see another finish quite like this past Sunday’s insanity in New York, but inevitably, the roller coaster of league-wide drama will almost certainly continue.