June 30, 2021
By Adam Ruffner
25. Detroit Mechanix (Previously 25th)
Record: 0-7
Upward trend: Andrew Sjogren has improved both his goals per game (4.5) and receiving yards per game (367) averages since last year; Sjogren was third in the AUDL in both goals and receiving yards in 2021
Downward trend: Detroit allows the most opponent blocks per game (13.9) in the league this season, which is a higher mark than Minnesota’s league-leading defense (13.7)
24. Tampa Bay Cannons (Previously 24th)
Record: 0-7
Upward trend: Cannons had a season high 14 blocks in Week 9; Garrett Knobel is averaging one highlight block per game in five appearances this season
Downward trend: Tampa Bay was six-of-six on hucks against Carolina, but the Cannons completed a season-low 88 percent of their throws and tied a season-high with 29 total turnovers
23. Dallas Legion (Previously 21st)
Record: 0-6
Upward trend: Rookie Andrew Watson had his best game as a pro, racking up a ridiculous 3A-6G-2B statline while accumulating 524 yards of offense in Week 9
Downward trend: After leading the league in takeaways as a team in 2019, Dallas ranks second to last in blocks per game (7.2) in 2022
22. Seattle Cascades (Previously 18th)
Record: 2-8
Upward trend: Seattle is third in the league in blocks per game (12.1), and are holding opponents to just a 59.7 percent huck completion rate
Downward trend: Cascades are just 12-of-22 (54 percent) in the red zone in their last two losses; ‘Scades are first team this season to reach eight losses
21. Portland Nitro (Previously 16th)
Record: 2-6
Upward trend: Leandro Marx leads the league in total scores (73) and receiving yards (3,123), and is top ten in assists, goals, total yards, and huck completions
Downward trend: Nitro allowed 36 goals in Week 9, which isn’t just a single-game high this season, but is the most goals allowed in an AUDL game since the clock rules were changed before the 2019 season; Portland has lost five straight
20. Ottawa Outlaws (Previously 19th)
Record: 1-6
Upward trend: Ottawa is ninth in red zone efficiency this season, and average over 10 scores inside the red zone each game in 2022
Downward trend: Outlaws haven’t converted more than six break scores in a game this season; Ottawa is 20th in breaks per game (3.7)
19. Pittsburgh Thunderbirds (Previously 21st)
Record: 3-5
Upward trend: With Madison and Indy losses in Week 9—and the T-birds 2-2 in their last four games—Pittsburgh is just 1.5 games back of the last playoff spot in the Central
Downward trend: Thunderbirds have the third worst offensive line conversion rate in the AUDL, and convert the second fewest holds per game (12.6)
18. Boston Glory (Previously 15th)
Record: 3-6
Upward trend: Speedy Ray Tetreault has emerged as a premier receiver in his second season, and recorded career highs in goals (6) and receiving yards (378) in Week 9
Downward trend: Boston is 1-3 in their last four games; Glory are averaging just four break scores per game in five away games in 2022
17. Oakland Spiders (Previously 22nd)
Record: 3-5
Upward trend: Winners of three straight, the Spiders were a perfect 19-of-19 in the red zone against Portland; the Spiders 15 break scores were the second most in the franchise, and the most since 2014
Downward trend: Oakland has allowed 20 or more goals in five games this season, rank 20th in scores per game allowed
16. Toronto Rush (Previously 20th)
Record: 3-7
Upward trend: Luc Comiré and James Lewis are the first pair of teammates to each reach 4000 or more yards this season; Comiré leads the league in total yardage by over 600 yards
Downward trend: Toronto is allowing the fourth most opponent break scores per game (8.5); Rush are second to last in goals allowed per game (24.5)
15. Madison Radicals (Previously 12th)
Record: 4-4
Upward trend: Victor Luo has registered an assist in 17 of his last 18 games dating back to the beginning of last season
Downward trend: The Radicals set a single-game franchise high in turnovers (42) in Week 9; the 11-goal margin of defeat was the largest in Madison’s 10-year history
14. Indianapolis AlleyCats (Previously 19th)
Record: 4-3
Upward trend: AlleyCats are top four in the league in team completion percentage, team huck completion percentage, break rate, and defensive line conversion rate
Downward trend: In Indy’s three losses—one each to Chicago, Madison, and Minnesota—the ‘Cats are surrendering 25 goals per game
13. Montreal Royal (Previously 14th)
Record: 4-4
Upward trend: Montreal’s defense is eighth in opponent O-line conversion rate; opponents are converting the sixth-worst red zone rate against the Royal (74.8 percent)
Downward trend: After having the fourth-highest huck completion rate in 2021, the Royal are 21st this season
12. Los Angeles Aviators (Previously 13th)
Record: 3-4
Upward trend: LA has three games with 16 or fewer turnovers in their last five outings
Downward trend: Aviators have the second-worst deep attack in the league—5.4 hucks per game at 51.4 percent—and are averaging the fewest blocks per game of any team in 2022
11. Philadelphia Phoenix (Previously 11th)
Record: 4-3
Upward trend: James Pollard leads the team in total scores (42), assists (24), and blocks (10), and is second in total yardage (2745), receiving yards (1537), and points played (139)
Downward trend: Phoenix have the second-lowest O-line conversion rate (50.5 percent) for a winning team this season; three of Philly’s last five games come against DC (twice) and New York (once)
10. San Diego Growlers (Previously 9th)
Record: 5-3
Upward trend: Paul Lally has taken over as the team’s main distributor; he has 143 more completions and 1128 more throwing yards than the second highest player on the Growlers
Downward trend: With their 0-2 road trip, Growlers have their most regular season losses since 2018
9. Austin Sol (Previously 10th)
Record: 5-3
Upward trend: Kyle Henke registered his fourth zero-turnover game of the season with a 2A-4G-2B slash line, and is averaging 5.3 scores per game in 2022; Henke has seven blocks in his last five games
Downward trend: Opposing defenses have the second highest D-line conversion rate (57.1 percent) against the Sol of any team in the AUDL
8. Minnesota Wind Chill (Previously 7th)
Record: 5-1
Upward trend: Minnesota’s average margin of victory during their current five-game winning streak is 8.2 goals; Wind Chill lead the league in blocks per game (13.7), the third straight season the team has ranked in the top three in takeaways
Downward trend: After converting just 9-of-24 offensive possessions in Week 9, the Wind Chill rank 21st in O-line efficiency
7. Salt Lake Shred (Previously 8th)
Record: 5-2
Upward trend: Shred have converted 10 or more break scores in three games this season; Shred are tied for third in breaks per game (8.0), and are top seven in D-line break rate and efficiency
Downward trend: Salt Lake has 20 or more turnovers in three of their last four games; 20-of-35 (57 percent) in the red zone in their last two games
6. Chicago Union (Previously 5th)
Record: 6-0
Upward trend: Chicago’s D-line is 16-for-22 (72.7 percent) on break opportunities since going 3-for-13 in Week 7 against Madison
Downward trend: Union have allowed 20 or more goals in each of their last five games, and have had second half comebacks in each of their last two wins
5. Atlanta Hustle (Previously 6th)
Record: 4-2
Upward trend: If you exclude a 26-turnover performance down in Tampa, Hustle are averaging just 12.2 turnovers in their other five games this season; Atlanta still ranks fifth overall in turnovers per game
Downward trend: The Hustle are averaging just 6.3 blocks per game in three matchups against non-Cannons opponents in 2022
4. DC Breeze (Previously 4th)
Record: 4-2
Upward trend: DC is tied for fewest turnovers per game this season; they had a season-high 19 in Week 8 and still won by 10 goals against Toronto
Downward trend: Breeze rank 19th in opponent offensive conversion rate; the six teams beneath DC have a combined seven wins this season
3. Colorado Summit (Previously 3rd)
Record: 8-0
Upward trend: Colorado now has wins against five of their six divisional opponents in their inaugural season; Summit are averaging just 14 turnovers per game in their last five matchups
Downward trend: Despite going 21-for-24 (88 percent) on red zone attempts in their Week 9 win, Colorado is 21st in red zone conversion rate (74 percent) for the season
2. Carolina Flyers (Previously 2nd)
Record: 8-1
Upward trend: Carolina has eight or more regular season wins in all seven seasons as a franchise; opponents have the lowest break chance (11.5 percent) against the Flyers in the league this season
Downward trend: The Flyers ended their 16-game streak of 20-or-fewer turnovers with 22 against the Cannons; the last time Carolina committed more than 20 turnovers was against the Cannons on July 13, 2019
1. New York Empire (Previously 1st)
Record: 9-0
Upward trend: In his three games as a defensive starter, Ben Jagt is averaging 3.7 goals and 2.3 blocks; Jagt is still second in the league in total goals with 39
Downward trend: The burden of expectations for this undefeated team coupled with limited playing time to stay in rhythm over the next month
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