Ryan Baker

The Madison Radicals finish their 2026 regular season with a split doubleheader, hosting the Chicago Union on Friday night before traveling to Minnesota for their final game on Sunday against the Wind Chill.

The Radicals control their own destiny this weekend, as one win will punch their ticket to another game at Breese Stevens Field in the first round of the playoffs. The game against the Union is the one to watch for a chance to clinch the second seed, though Madison will enter it without some key players.

Luke Marks, Victor Luo, Sam Stark, Max Sample, and Ian McCosky will not suit up for Madison’s last regular-season home game. In turn, Tom Hobday will make his UFA debut, while Matt Grinde, Max Junga, and Arthur Carne will get the call Friday night.

Normally, when the Radicals have dealt with injuries or absences, it’s been more of a hit to the D-line, but Friday’s concern falls on the O-line. Because the offense is so handler-heavy, losing Stark and McCosky is a major blow, and Sample has also been one of the offense’s most productive cutters.  

Head Coach Jacob Spiro said the O-line replacements will be Kainoa Chun-Moy and Anthony Gutowsky. After moving to D-line earlier in the season, Gutowsky will likely split time both ways but could primarily play offense, which would set him up to close in on the all-time goals record in Radicals' history. He currently needs six goals to take the lead.

“With Ian out, we will cycle folks in,” Chun-Moy said. He’s been crushing it this year and is impossible to replace. Our offense has so many talented dudes who have worked hard all season, so hopefully we do enough to fill his void. I always try to leave everything on the field. That’s the expectation that I have of myself, and that's been my recipe for success in the past.”

Another player who will be playing both ways, as he has all season, is Pieran Robert. He has a chance to lead the league in goals if he scores six this weekend. His 40 goals are five behind the leader, who will not be playing in the final week of the regular season.

“My priority is with the team,” Robert said. “I’d love to score a few more goals if that is going to put us in a better spot to host our first playoff matchup. My teammates make it very easy for me to play my role and do my job. We play great team ball, and I’m thankful to have a couple more regular-season games to try to find our flow even more before the postseason.”

Madison has to take care of business against the depleted Chicago squad, who will be missing several of their top producers, most notably Pawel Janas. That should provide some relief, but above all else, the Radicals need to come out aggressively right away.

“We just want a win to host a playoff game, come out of the weekend healthy for the playoffs, and continue our upward momentum,” Spiro said.

In their first game, they had an abysmal start that put them in a seven-point hole. In the second game, the Radicals fought through wet conditions to win by three. This game is by no means a guarantee, so it’ll be imperative that the Radicals stay locked in and not take anything for granted.

With McCosky and Stark out and Gutowsky playing offense, it will be interesting to see if Spiro moves away from the dominator set they’ve been working through all season. It won’t be an abandonment, but we could see a different offensive set for a few points throughout the game.

As far as the Minnesota game goes, it seems like an annual endeavor for Madison to finish its regular season with a Border Battle matchup. The good news is that Stark, McCosky, and Sample all return to the lineup on Sunday.

“Hopefully our Friday game builds into Sunday,” Robert said. “This matchup with Minnesota gives us a great opportunity to ramp up before our playoff matchup, wherever that may be.”

Minnesota has been Madison’s kryptonite over the last few years, as they have yet to earn a win since July 10, 2022. The Wind Chill won’t be playing their strongest lineup because they have everything locked up on their end, but it will still be a great way for the Radicals to see where they stack up against one of the league’s best.

“Teams that show up with people who are eager to prove themselves play with an added energy, and that makes them dangerous,” Spiro said. “We need to show we can play defense at a higher level in order to succeed.”

Stopping that potent Minnesota offense will be tough, but the last time these two played was a battle. Granted, it was one of the cleanest games they have ever played against one another, and the weather was favorable, but the Radicals do have a real shot at upsetting the one seed in the Central Division.

In an ideal world, they would take care of business on Friday night so there is zero pressure during the Minnesota game. That way, the team can play with a bit more looseness and really fine-tune its game.

To buy tickets to Breese Stevens Field on Friday against the Union at 7 p.m. CST, go here!

To watch the game versus Chicago, go here!

To watch the Border Battle on Sunday at 5 p.m. CST, go here!