July 29, 2024
By Evan Lepler
Lukas Ambrose, Seattle Cascades
Quite simply, Lukas Ambrose is doing things that no one else in the league has done over the past half-decade. With four more blocks in Seattle’s playoff victory over Oakland, Ambrose became the first UFA player since 2017 to reach the 30-block mark in a single season. He also will almost certainly finish the campaign atop the league in the category, making him the first player ever to pace the Association in blocks in back-to-back seasons. But perhaps all that history shouldn’t overshadow the smorgasbord of instincts, athleticism, and playmaking brilliance that was on display just on Saturday alone, when he complemented his four blocks with four scores and no turns to help carry the Cascades to victory in their first ever home playoff game, earning another trip to Salt Lake for the upcoming West Division final.
Jeff Babbitt, Boston Glory
Funny story: when I first typed his name above, my fingers produced “Jeff Babbitt, New York Empire.” Old habits die hard, I suppose. Obviously, Babbitt’s colossal presence on the Boston Glory was the difference on Saturday afternoon, as the Empire’s championship reign dramatically came to an end at the hands of their long-time captain, leader, and buzzer-beating beast. It’s still not entirely clear how he slithered through the traffic to bring in the game-winning goal with four seconds left, other than to acknowledge that it was the same type of play he’s made many times in massive moments in years past. His fourth and final goal of the game will be the play that everyone remembers, but his buzzer-beating snag at the end of the third and his clutch poach block earlier that quarter were also epic and timely highlights for the 30-year-old Babbitt, who has propelled Boston into the UFA’s final eight for the first time in franchise history.
Tobias Brooks, Carolina Flyers
The Austin Sol has virtually no answer to Carolina’s youthful phenom on Saturday night, as Tobias Brooks produced a career-best nine scores in the Flyers’ first round win. He completed all three of his hucks and consistently churned for big yardage chunks as a receiver, averaging nearly 20 yards gained per catch en route to 388 receiving yards and 223 throwing yards. His seven assists were more than double the next highest total from anyone in the game, and his 611 total yards ranked second, only behind teammate Elijah Long. While neither he nor the Flyers offense as a whole was perfect, Carolina limited the Sol to just three breaks, none of which came after halftime, in what eventually evolved into a lopsided 26-18 triumph.
Matthew Burke, Oakland Spiders
Blocks are not always the best indicator of brilliant individual defense. But when someone tallies five of them in a playoff game, even in defeat, it’s tough not to take note. The Oakland Spiders recorded 10 blocks in their first round loss to Seattle, but Matthew Burke had half of them himself. His presence was felt immediately, as he pressured Cascades cutter Garrett Martin into a mistake and then hauled in a floating huck for the game’s opening break. The Spiders Captain tallied at least one block in every quarter for the first time in his 32-game UFA career, finishing with a career-best five Ds on the night. Furthermore, in the history of the playoffs, only two players, Mike Mackenzie and Jeff Babbitt, have ever had more than five blocks in a game; they each had six in 2017 and 2018, respectively, to set the mark for most blocks in a UFA playoff game.
Sterling Knoche, Madison Radicals
In the postseason, sometimes an entire year can come down to a single play. The Radicals eventually won their game over Chicago on Max Sample’s double-overtime forehand to Gabe Vordick, but that throw probably would not have been possible without Sterling Knoche’s insanely clutch fourth quarter block. Madison trailed 17-16, a sudden monsoon was drenching everyone, and the Radicals turned over a reset with about 75 seconds left. In this instant, the outlook appeared astonishingly bleak. That was when Knoche elevated for a season-shifting interception of Chicago’s slightly-too-tall reset, breathing life back into his team’s collective lungs. Later in the point, following a timeout, he bookended the sequence with the game-tying grab in the end zone with about 23 seconds remaining, and suddenly all the Madison fans believed again. Frankly, there were so many crazy twists and turns in Sunday’s Central Division affair, but I don’t think Madison would have won the game without Knoche’s late-game impact. The Radicals are still alive, and that’s why Knoche’s getting recognized here in this week’s scintillating seven.
Elijah Long, Carolina Flyers
For every game during the regular season, Elijah Long paired with Xander Wilcox in the Flyers backfield, piloting the Carolina offense. But with the latter out with a hamstring strain on Saturday night, the former did not miss a beat, passing for 529 yards and completing all 43 of his throws as the Flyers advanced to Atlanta. The 27-year-old Long also matched his season-high with five scores, went 3-for-3 on his hucks, and added five hockey assists in Carolina’s eight-goal win. Among the 15 players with at least 450 completions this season, Long’s 96.7 percent completion rate sits third in the league, only narrowly behind two other super steady possession preserving handlers, Boston’s Ned Dick and DC’s Andrew Roy.
Jack Williams, New York Empire
When the Empire were struggling in the first half against Boston, Jack Williams, unsurprisingly, was the guy that seemingly willed New York back into the game. He kept possession moving, skied for several clutch scores, and nearly created arguably the greatest greatest in UFA postseason history. Though his layout midair catch and throw of an errant Empire hammer ultimately did not work out, it was the type of outrageous and breathtaking sequence that makes you immediately wonder if any other players in the league could even attempt that type of stunning maneuver. He finished the game with five goals and three assists, the most scores he’s produced in a game since last year’s playoff game against DC, when the Empire collectively delivered one of the greatest performances ever. New York was not able to match that greatness against the Glory, but Williams, who was competing in the UFA postseason for the ninth consecutive season, certainly reminded everyone why he’s deservingly referred to as “Playoff Jack.”
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