June 24, 2024
By Evan Lepler
Raekwon Adkins, Oakland Spiders
In his first appearance of the 2024 season for the Spiders, Raekwon Adkins quickly reminded everyone that he can be a downfield difference-maker down the stretch out West. Adkins, who just finished his freshman year at the University of Oregon, caught seven goals and produced 408 receiving yards, both game highs, in Oakland’s 22-19 Saturday night victory over San Diego. Three of his scores came in the first quarter as the Spiders built an 8-4 lead, and three more came in the fourth as he helped his team ward off the Growlers’ late surge. Just 19 years old, Adkins’ return to the lineup adds considerable downfield firepower for a Spiders team that’s closing in on its first playoff berth since 2015.
Orion Cable, Boston Glory
While more attention has been paid to several other prominent Glory playmakers, Orion Cable undoubtedly will be one of the team’s most important weapons as Boston builds toward the playoffs. The towering 23-year-old had his best game of the season on Saturday against Toronto, collecting eight scores—six goals and two assists—and a block as the Glory officially punched their ticket to the postseason with a 20-14 home win. Even after a pair of throwaways vs. the Rush, Cable’s season-long completion percentage is the best of any of his four years suiting up for the Glory, a reality that directly corresponds with the team’s improved possession-preserving ways. Through Week 9, the Glory are tied with the Breeze for the third-best completion percentage in the UFA.
Noah Coolman, Colorado Summit
With five assists, four goals, two blocks, and just one turn, Noah Coolman’s plus-10 was the highest in the league in Week 9, as he and the Summit stayed alive in the West Division playoff race with a 26-22 home win over San Diego. It was the first double-digit plus/minus of his 25-game UFA career, though he wasn’t the only member of Colorado’s O-line that enjoyed a huge day. Nanda Min-Fink produced the first 300/300 game, with 393 throwing yards and 301 receiving yards complementing six scores, 48 completions, and one turn. It’s also clear that Quinn Finer’s return from a hamstring injury changed the entire complexion of the Summit system, as Finer added five scores and almost 400 total yards in his first appearance of the season. It might be too little, too late for this season, but it’s easy to imagine how this trio, if healthy and on the field together, could quickly transform the Colorado O-line back into one of the league’s top units in the years ahead.
Jake Felton, Detroit Mechanix
It’s very rare for a player to make the Honor Roll with seven throwaways, but when someone also has nine assists, over 800 total yards, and helps carry his team to a win for the first time in over seven years, I’m willing to make an exception. The 21-year-old rookie out of Davenport University, Jake Felton is on pace to lead the league in both assists and turnovers, but the numbers are inconsequential compared to the magnitude of leading the Mechanix to their first victory in 2,611 days. With 472 throwing yards and 336 receiving yards, Felton was involved in everything for the Detroit offense, which managed a season-low 13 turnovers in Saturday’s historic 25-14 triumph over the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds. Adding to his heroics, Felton also matched Houston’s Jimmy Zuraw for the most assists in a single game across the league this season.
Terry Gaither, Detroit Mechanix
Currently the longest-tenured Mechanix player by far, Terry Gaither’s presence, playmaking, and leadership were all monumental as Detroit cathartically snapped the streak. The 37-year-old Gaither has been with the Mechanix since 2021, but he had gone 0-29 in games he’d appeared in with the franchise prior to Saturday’s stunning 11-goal win, in which he collected a career-best six goals, doubling his previously career-high in the category. Gaither also added an assist and a block as the Mechanix outscored the Thunderbirds 8-1 in the fourth quarter to not only win convincingly, but also earn the franchise’s largest margin of victory ever.
Jeremy Langdon, Atlanta Hustle (Pictured)
Did you remember that Jeremy Langdon had 59 goals and 33 assists in just 10 games for the 2017 Jacksonville Cannons? I’ll be honest; I had forgotten that huge statistical season. But it’s decent context to recognize what this guy’s capable of when tasked with a consistent cutting role on the O-line surrounded by considerable talent. On Saturday against the Flyers, Langdon accumulated four assists, three goals, and a team-best 478 total yards in the Hustle’s convincing 25-19 victory, launching Atlanta right back into the thick of the South Division race. Over his past two games, he’s caught 11 goals with four assists, four more hockey assists, and 994 total yards with just one throwaway. His season-long completion rate sits at 97.3 percent, and there’s a case to be made that he and Brett Hulsmeyer might very well be the toughest downfield duo to contain right now across the entire league.
Lukas McClamrock, Atlanta Hustle
The biggest difference between last year’s Hustle and this season’s version? It’s the defense’s ability to cash in their break opportunities. In 2023, Atlanta ranked 11th in the league with a 52.8 percent D-line conversion rate. Through eight games in 2024, the Hustle are number one, punching in almost 65 percent of their chances. And arguably no one has been a more dynamic and consistent playmaker for the D-line than Lukas McClamrock, who continued to shine on Saturday against the Flyers. Playing 12 of his 13 points on D—by the way, that’s more D-points than he played all of last year—the 25-year-old produced one goal, two assists, three blocks, and three more hockey assists, while completing all 16 of his passes and collecting 212 total yards for a D-line that went 10-for-14 on its break opportunities. It was the fourth time this year McClamrock’s registered multiple blocks in a game, and he currently leads the team with 11 blocks on the season, tied for eighth most in the league.
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