July 25, 2025
By Alex Rubin
1. Who gives Madison the best chance to pull off a big upset?
From the very beginning of the season, it was clear that the Central Division was shaping up to be a two way contest between Minnesota and Chicago. That leaves Madison in a somewhat awkward position; nobody really even considered their possibilities, yet here they are gearing up for a playoff game. There’s no way to sugarcoat it: if Madison beats Minnesota it will be a monumental upset akin to Seattle’s shock in Salt Lake last season.
Anthony Gutowsky is Madison’s two-way threat. Minnesota has not yet been able to keep him out of the end zone, surrendering 10 goals just to him in two matchups this season. James Pollard, Dylan DeClerck, and Justin Burnett are some of the most feared defenders in the league, and yet they haven’t been able to slow down Gutkowsky yet.
There is only so much one cutter can do, although Gutkowsky did lead the league in goals, but feeding him over and over again might give Madison the best chance to win. It’ll be a long shot no matter what to take down the defending champions, but if the Radicals have a chance, they’ll need to have a big game from their most productive player.
2. Does San Diego have enough depth to advance on the road?
San Diego gets to play this weekend in large part because they beat Carolina on the road back in May. Do they have another upset in them?
It’s hard to find two better big game players than Travis Dunn and Khalif El-Salaam, but the Growlers will need another full team effort to overcome a stingy Austin team. Matt Miller is the engine keeping the Growlers’ offense moving. Among playoff participants, Miller finished second this season in total yards. His ascension in his second season with the Growlers is a big reason why they are able to stay competitive with teams who have been to the playoffs more recently. Max Gibson, Jesse Cohen, Marcel Osborne, KJ Koo, and others will likewise have to step up–even if just for a game–to help the Growlers continue their season.
All that being said, if any team knows how to pull off a playoff upset, it’s Austin. Two seasons ago many of the same players on this Sol team pulled off shocking wins over Carolina and Atlanta on their way to Championship Weekend. Now they’re in position to stop San Diego from doing the same. Mark Henke has flourished in increased offensive role, while the steadying presence of Kyle Henke, Joey Wylie, Eric Brodbeck, and Elliott Moore raises the floor for a Sol team that has become playoff stalwarts at this point.
3. Which defense will step up in the West Division?
Both of the offenses for Oakland and Colorado are mong the league’s best—both teams sit in the top five in the league in scoring—so they’ll have to slow each other down somehow. Since switching over to the D-line in June, Noah Coolman has knocked down multiple blocks in five of the seven games he’s played. He is Colorado’s best option to slow down the fearsome Oakland offense. The Spiders are enjoying stellar debut campaigns from Leo Gordon and Adam Rees alongside an MVP-level season from Walker Frankenberg. That’s too many people for just Coolman to slow down, so the famous Colorado defensive scheme and perhaps some of the Summit’s less-heralded players will need to step up.
The Spiders and Summit are fifth and sixth, respectively, in blocks and both are top five in break percentage, so their defenses aren’t bad by any means. However, with such talented O-lines, it’ll be a challenge for either team to take the disc away. Assuming both offenses hold, whichever defense steps up could really swing this game.
4. New York or DC?
The league’s greatest rivalry will write a new chapter this weekend as the Breeze and Empire meet once again in the playoffs. To be frank, this game is a toss up; the Breeze and Empire have a history of tight, down-to-the-wire matchups and it is difficult to imagine this one going any differently. Given that one of these teams need to win and face the Glory in the next round, the most interesting question to me is which team is best positioned to beat the Glory.
Both teams (DC twice, and New York once) were able to beat Boston in the final month of the season after the Glory started the year undefeated. DC has the only multi-goal win over Boston this season, and they have the most recent Championship Weekend experience of these three teams.
The Breeze offense remains pretty egalitarian with opportunities for all seven players on the line to touch the disc frequently and score relatively evenly. That being said, Christian Boxley’s return to the team really elevates the Breeze offense. He finished fifth on the team in goals despite playing in fewer than half of the team’s games. He’ll be on the field for DC this weekend, and his uncanny ability to get open and create space for his teammates might be what pushes this DC team ahead of New York and even more importantly what makes them the biggest threat to Boston’s potential to make Championship Weekend.
