June 15, 2023
By Sam Weiger

Boston Glory at New York Empire 
Friday, June 16 - 7:00 PM/ET - Watch link

New York, the winningest team in AUDL history, remains undefeated in 2023. They will rematch the Glory, who they defeated in Week 6 in a game that was cut short to inclement weather. The Empire scored just eight goals in the first half of that game, and their offensive output as a whole this season has raised some concerns.

The Empire are averaging fewer goals per game this season than in previous years. Ryan Osgar and Jeff Babbitt have been outstanding offensively, but the Empire has surprisingly only reached 20 goals twice this season. New York scored 20 goals last week against Atlanta, and it will be interesting to see if they can continue to generate more offense in the second half of the season. 

Like the Empire, Boston’s defense has been their calling card this season, but their offense is worrisome. The Glory have just seven players with double-digit scores, which is comparable to that of the bottom-dwelling Mechanix and Legion.

Although the game between Boston and New York in Week 6 was cut short, Boston’s road struggles over the past two seasons are evident. The Glory, who have lost all five games against New York since joining the league in 2021, are major underdogs once again. Place your bets on the Empire to win their 26th consecutive home game. 

One Big Number:
17.29 - The Empire are scoring only 17.29 goals per game, the sixth fewest in the league.
2 - After winning zero road games in 2022, Boston already has two road wins this season, both at Montreal.

Colorado Summit at Salt Lake Shred
Friday, June 16 - 9:30 PM/ET - Watch link

Salt Lake’s victory over Colorado last week was arguably their biggest win in franchise history. With a win this week, the Shred can complete a season sweep of the Summit. This key to this game will be the performance of the team leaders.

Jordan Kerr and Jace Duennebeil led the Shred in plus/minus last week and have been a major factor in their team’s 7-0 record. Kerr, the runner-up MVP last year, has the second-highest plus/minus in the league this season. Duennebeil has the second-highest offensive efficiency of any of the top ten goal scorers in the AUDL.

2017 AUDL MVP Jonathan Nethercutt is not rostered for this game, but important O-line players Thomas Brewster and Calvin Stoughton return for Colorado after missing last week’s game. Brewster is a proven goal scorer, and Stoughton is a rookie with the potential to be a star. The Summit had a season-low of five blocks last week without their leader in blocks, Saeed Semrin. He remains out for this week as well. 

The Summit won by five in Salt Lake last year, but Duennebeil, Will Selfridge, Grant Lindsley, and Elijah Jaime were not playing. If the Shred can keep their improved depth on the field, it will likely be a while before Colorado can comfortably beat them again.

One Big Number:
13 - The Shred were perfect in the red zone last week, scoring on all 13 of their opportunities.
43 - Brewster had the second-most goals of any Summit player last year, with 43. 

Pittsburgh Thunderbirds at Toronto Rush
Saturday, June 17 - 6:00 PM/ET - Watch link

Pittsburgh and Toronto need to win this game. If the T-birds lose, they will likely lose the last playoff spot in the Central Division. If the Rush lose, their playoff hopes will be nearly gone.  

Toronto’s offense scored a season-high 23 goals last week against a solid Philly defense. Ty Barbieri and James Lewis combined for 19 scores and almost 1,400 yards, so keep an eye on those two this week. The Rush’s defense, which has given up too many goals against playoff contenders this year, is on the hot seat against Pittsburgh. 

Max Sheppard, the leading scorer for the T-birds for five consecutive seasons, should have a strong performance against Toronto’s D-line. Sheppard and Carl Johnson will have to lead Pittsburgh’s O-line, which will be without Clint McSherry. This shouldn’t be a problem, since the Rush have conceded at least 20 goals in almost every game since the start of 2022. Steve Mogielski, who is having the best blocking season of his career, will quietly play an important role in this offense-heavy game.

Toronto’s defense is vulnerable to hucks, and Pittsburgh is a team that loves to take deep shots. Pay close attention to how Toronto defends hucks in the game, as it could be the deciding factor.

One Big Number:
9.83 - Pittsburgh is averaging the most hucks per game in the AUDL, with 9.83.
24 - The Rush are giving up an average of 24 goals to playoff contenders this season.

Minnesota Wind Chill at Madison Radicals | Game of the Week
Saturday, June 17 - 7:00 PM/ET - Watch link

It’s hard not to feel for the Radicals, who have lost close game after close game this season. But the playoffs are still within reach, and Madison will be playing with urgency and vengeance against the Wind Chill. Get your popcorn ready.

Turnovers, especially throwaways, were a major problem for the Radicals in their Week 7 one-goal loss to Minnesota. Kai DeLorenzo and Victor Luo, two of Madison’s top throwers, coughed up eight combined throwaways last week. No other team in the Central Division has more throwaways from their top four throwers than Madison. If they want to win this game, they will need to cut down on throwaways.

Minnesota’s deep D-line forced Madison into making several of those mistakes. 10 players registered a block last week for the Wind Chill, and Bryan Vohnoutka’s Callahan was icing on the cake. Vohnoutka, Quinn Snider, and Josh Klane have been a consistent source of offense for Minnesota all season. Klane has been particularly dominant on deep throws, which could be a big advantage against a Radicals defense that has struggled to defend hucks this season.

The Radicals, who have arguably the best fan support in the league, defeated the Wind Chill in their last meeting in Madison. Three of Minnesota’s last four losses have come on the road, so Radicals fans should be as vocal as possible in this game.

One Big Number:
25 - Madison committed a season-high 25 turnovers last week.
19 - Klane has thrown more hucks (19) than any other player in the AUDL this season.

Colorado Summit at Oakland Spiders
Saturday, June 17 - 8:00 PM/ET - Watch link

This is Oakland’s last chance to defeat a West Division power, and it may be their best chance. Oakland is coming off a big win against San Diego, and Colorado is playing on the second night of a demanding doubleheader. 

Nethercutt is not rostered for this game either, but Colorado beat the Spiders without him a couple of weeks ago. Quinn Finer and Alex Atkins stepped up in his absence, and Matt Jackson also contributed. If those three have another good game, Colorado will be tough to beat. However, Saeed Semrin, who had five blocks against Oakland in Week 6, will miss this game.

Oakland’s defense, which finally held a team under 20 goals in Week 7, will need to have another strong performance this week if they want to upset Colorado. The Spiders only had three blocks and gave up 27 goals against the Summit in Week 6. Former Breeze defender Ray Mendoza leads the team in blocks this year, and last year’s Oakland blocks leader Wyatt Berreman is due for a big defensive performance. 

Oakland is seeking revenge against a tired Colorado team and has home advantage this time. The Spiders’ only loss at home this season came in overtime against Salt Lake. Expect this game against the Summit to be closer than their five-goal loss in Week 6.

One Big Number:
22.57 - The Spiders are allowing an average of 22.57 goals per game this season, which is fifth most in the AUDL.
2.17 - Finer is averaging 2.17 hucks per game this season, sixth most in the AUDL among throwers with at least two starts.