July 13, 2023
By Sam Weiger
New York Empire at Colorado Summit
Friday, July 14 - 8:30 PM/ET - Watch link
Following a three-game losing streak midseason, it appeared as if Colorado had lost a step following last season's division title. The Summit would love to eliminate those doubts heading into the playoffs, and a win against the undisputed championship favorites would certainly do the trick.
This game is all about matchups. Colorado’s Cody Spicer has a history of shutting down some of the league’s most dynamic scorers, and it will be fascinating to see him face Ryan Osgar for the first time in an AUDL game. Both players are coming off big games.
Jonathan Nethercutt, Colorado’s leader in assists since the team’s inception in 2022, could have some intriguing encounters with New York’s John Randolph and Marques Brownlee. These D-liners are excellent at cutting off passing lanes to important players like Nethercutt, but Nethercutt’s field vision is also top-tier.
Alex Atkins is a versatile player who can impact this game in a number of ways. He is a gifted thrower, a dangerous cutter, and a capable defender. The role that Atkins will play in this game is anyone’s guess. Watching him go head-to-head with Ben Jagt or Jeff Babbitt is sure to be a spectacle.
New York’s offense has been scoring more lately, but Colorado’s defense has been stingy as ever. Don’t expect a shootout.
One Big Number:
543.66 - Osgar has averaged 543.66 total yards per game in his last three games, a significant increase from his average of 309.6 total yards per game in his first six games of the season.
13.33 - The Summit have allowed just 13.33 goals per game in their last three games.
Atlanta Hustle at Carolina Flyers
Saturday, July 15 - 6:00 PM/ET - Watch link
If the Hustle win this game, they will claim their first regular season division title in franchise history. They will have to win in Carolina, something they haven’t done since 2016.
The Flyers have made Durham County Stadium a difficult place for the Hustle to score goals. Over the past three seasons, Carolina has held Atlanta to an average of 15.75 goals per game at home.
The Hustle will need someone to step up offensively against the Flyers. Brett Hulsmeyer had a big game against Carolina earlier this season, and his 6’6” stature makes him a matchup nightmare for opposing defenders. Liam Haberfield, who missed Atlanta’s Week 4 loss to Carolina, had eight total scores against the Flyers in Week 2 and is returning to the lineup for the first time in over a month.
The Flyers are without three key players: Liam Searles-Bohs, Matt Gouchoe-Hanas, and Joe White. They were instrumental in Carolina’s Week 4 win over the Hustle. Jacob Fairfax assumed a bigger offensive role when these players were out earlier this season, and he will be relied on more heavily in this game.
The Hustle and Flyers have split their two previous meetings this year, and they both come into their third matchup with plenty of rest. This sets the stage for an excellent game between these two rivals.
One Big Number:
7 - The Hustle have lost their last seven road games against the Flyers.
13 - Searles-Bohs, Gouchoe-Hanas, and White combined for 13 total scores against Atlanta in Week 4.
Chicago Union at Minnesota Wind Chill
Saturday, July 15 - 7:00 PM/ET - Watch link
Even though Chicago is fighting for a playoff spot, this game is more important for Minnesota. If the Wind Chill win, they’ll become the only team in the AUDL with home field advantage for the entire 2023 postseason.
Minnesota, who is undefeated at home this year, has performed better offensively in the red zone against playoff contenders at Sea Foam Stadium. Bryan Vohnoutka, Sam Berglund, and Tristan van de Moortele have been particularly efficient in the red zone on home turf this year, and they will be worth watching in this game.
Of the three playoff contenders who have lost in Minnesota this season, Chicago came the closest to victory. They held the Wind Chill to 20 goals, the fewest of any of the three teams. However, two players who had strong performances in that game will miss this week’s game: Andrew Sjogren and Jake Steslicki. They are Chicago’s plus/minus leaders, and leading blocker Asher Lantz will also be out.
The Union are one of two teams to beat Minnesota this year, but they were healthier when they won in Chicago. Don’t expect the Union to get a comfortable win and hold the Wind Chill to 12 goals in this game.
One Big Number:
83.33 - At home, Minnesota is converting 83.33 percent of their red zone opportunities this season. On the road, their red zone conversion percentage is just 71.67 percent.
67 - Sjogren and Steslicki have a combined plus/minus of 67.
LA Aviators at Oakland Spiders
Saturday, July 15 - 8:00 PM/ET - Watch link
This game is going to be an exciting battle for playoff contention. The Aviators are in a must-win situation, while Oakland has an opportunity to make a huge leap towards a playoff berth with a win in front of their home crowd.
Oakland has been missing important players over the last few games, but Walker Frankenberg has stepped up to fill the void. Frankenberg is leading AUDL rookies in total scores and plus/minus, and he’s on track to win Rookie of the Year.
Chris Lung, Dexter Clyburn, and Evan Magsig return to the lineup this week, which will make the Spiders’ O-line a force to be reckoned with.
The Spiders allow the third-lowest D-line conversion percentage and fourth-lowest break percentage in the league, so LA’s O-line might have to produce more than usual in order to win this game. The Aviators have been slow out of the gate in their last two games. Team leaders Pawel Janas, Sean McDougall, and Brandon Van Deusen should play with a sense of urgency right from the opening whistle.
Even if LA starts strong, their chances of winning are still slim against a healthy Spiders O-line. Oakland has only lost once this season when their top six scorers were all playing, and that was an overtime loss to one of the best teams in the league.
One Big Number:
3.5 - The Aviators have averaged just 3.5 goals in their last two opening quarters.
25 - Oakland scored 25 goals in their only loss with their top six scorers in the game (27-25 overtime loss to Salt Lake).
New York Empire at Salt Lake Shred | Game of the Week
Saturday, July 15 - 9:00 PM/ET - Watch link
The Shred haven’t lost a game all season, but few are convinced that they can win the championship. Why? Because of undefeated New York.
The Empire are the most talked-about team in the AUDL. They top the power rankings every week, Jeff Babbitt is the unanimous MVP favorite, and they are so sure of themselves that they trash talk their toughest competition.
Salt Lake must be fed up with all of that.
The Shred have been stuck at the two spot in the power rankings for almost the entire second half of the season, despite beating the Summit twice in two weeks and staying undefeated in arguably the league’s deepest division.
For Jordan Kerr, this game is personal. He leads the league in total scores and plus/minus, but is still considered inferior to Babbitt in the MVP race. Kerr was last year’s runner-up to New York’s Ryan Osgar for the MVP award, so expect him to have a strong game against the Empire in an effort to prove that he’s being underappreciated.
Salt lake’s recent resigning of Joel Clutton is a sign that they are not content with being second-best. Clutton, a 6’5” veteran, is a disruptive presence on the D-Line. He has not played against the Empire since losing to them in the 2019 championship game, so he will be looking to get revenge in this game.
Regardless of this game’s outcome, you won’t want to miss Salt Lake’s ferocious offense clash with New York’s stingy defense.
One Big Number:
23 - The Empire have held the top spot in the power rankings for 23 consecutive weeks.
17 - Kerr has a plus/minus of 75. His score is 17 points higher than any other player with at least 4,000 total yards
Cover photo by Evan Bernstein
