May 3, 2023
By Adam Ruffner
24. Detroit Mechanix (-)
Record: N/A
Most recent result: N/A
Chris Walsh was one of just seven throwers in the AUDL to register at least 3000 throwing yards and 17 huck completions while also completing more than 70 percent of their deep passes. He finished his second pro season ranked 32nd in yards per game (481)—18th if you limit the field to player with 10 or more games played in 2022—just above Austin Taylor, Quinn Finer, and Jordan Kerr. Walsh has a good feel for using the width of the field with his throws, and could continue to be a production leader.
23. Dallas Legion (-)
Record: N/A
Most recent result: N/A
With no Kevin Richardson in the lineup this weekend, the Legion will have their work cut out for them. Connor DeLuna is likely to build off of last year’s All-Star Game appearance, and has a natural instinct for making plays on the disc. Dallas struggled to value the disc in 2022, and will be looking to stabilize their handler play early.
22. Portland Nitro (-)
Record: N/A
Most recent result: N/A
With Leandro Marx, Raphy Hayes, and Tom Doi all active for the Nitro’s home opener, Portland will definitely stand a puncher’s chance to score more than 22. But even equipped with those offensive weapons, the biggest question for the Nitro will once again be how they are going to slow down opposing attacks; Portland surrendered more than 30 goals per game in their last five matchups of 2022, including a single game season high 36 to Oakland.
21. Houston Havoc (-)
Record: 0-1
Most recent result: Loss, 24-18 vs Austin
The Havoc held an early lead before turnovers and inexperience reared their ugly heads. Houston had energy and the crowd on their side, but they spent a lot of time trading punches in the midfield and prolonging drives, which resulted in few short field opportunities; the Havoc were just 10-of-14 (71 percent) on red zone chances, which would have ranked them fourth worst last year. 12 different Havoc players caught a goal, with Mark Baldauf registering team highs in goals (3) and receiving yards (233).
20. Montreal Royal (-)
Record: N/A
Most recent result: N/A
The Royal are still a week away from their season’s start, and will face some of the most lineup questions of any team after their substantial offseason turnover. 23-year-old Julien Sénéchal had a tidy second season splitting time between offensive and defensive rotations last year, and could be asked to fill a larger role. Montreal had the fifth worst offensive efficiency last season, and could benefit from more simplicity in their attack—the Royal averaged over five huck turns per game in 2022.
19. Seattle Cascades (-)
Record: 0-2
Most recent result: Loss, 24-23 (OT) at Oakland
Following their eight-goal defeat on Friday, the Cascades rallied to force overtime on Saturday in Oakland before caving in the final minute of the extra frame. Seattle seems to thrive on chaos, and the high octane energy of their second game fueled big performances from their stars in Khalif El-Salaam, Garrett Martin, and Zeppelin Raunig, the last of whom had 13 scores and 997 receiving yards compared to just two turnovers on the weekend.
18. Madison Radicals (-4)
Record: 0-1
Most recent result: Loss, 18-17 at Pittsburgh
Thanks to the Madison coaching staff for this stat pull: Including Saturday’s loss at the buzzer in Pittsburgh, the Radicals are minus 15 in end of quarter situations going back to the beginning of last season. Just a dizzying turnaround for a team that once defined itself on winning similar scenarios. The defeat stings, but what hurts even more is having endured a few key injuries like Victor Luo. The bright spot is that the Radicals had their fourth highest hold percentage since the start of 2021, and the younger offense looks more ready to engage the deep ball.
17. Boston Glory (-)
Record: N/A
Most recent result: N/A
Boston is 2-for-2 in their season openers so far, and could very well make it three straight with a near full strength lineup set to play this Saturday against Toronto. Tanner Halkyard and Orion Cable provide the size, while Ray Tetreault and Tyler Chan could turn things into a track meet for a Rush team playing their second game in as many days. Consistency has eluded Boston, but in one game settings, they are a tough opponent.
16. San Diego Growlers (-)
Record: N/A
Most recent result: N/A
Last season the Growlers gave the Summit their only regular season loss in San Diego, so you know they’re feeling confident going into their home opener on Friday night. Travis Dunn and Paul Lally were massive in that upset win, and will have to be again if the Growlers are to have a shot. San Diego finished 2021 with the sixth highest hold rate in the league, and could once again be one of the toughest teams to earn a break against.
15. Philadelphia Phoenix (-3)
Record: 0-1
Most recent result: Loss, 17-8 at New York
A game that couldn’t sooner be forgotten, Philly finished their season opener with the 19th worst offensive line conversion rate in 2,574 recorded AUDL games. The Phoenix struggled to engage any dimension of the field that wasn’t vertical, which resulted in countless logjams and discontinued drives as New York’s defense simply anticipated and shut down a majority of Philly’s passing attempts. What makes matters worse, too, is that the Phoenix now have a date with the Breeze this Sunday, giving them back-to-back games against the top two teams in these rankings.
14. Indianapolis AlleyCats (-3)
Record: 0-1
Most recent result: Loss, 23-14 at Atlanta
After showing discernment and having the second highest huck completion rate last year, the AlleyCats threw caution to the wind and repeatedly tested the Atlanta defense deep to little success, completing just 5-of-11 hucks; when your first possession of the game gets mauled in deep space like this, it might be time to adjust strategy. But Travis Carpenter looked good in his return, and young defenders William Wettengel and Fletcher Hare showed flashes of their takeaway potential.
13. Pittsburgh Thunderbirds (+6)
Record: 1-0
Most recent result: Win, 18-17 vs Madison
A combination of poor performances and Pittsburgh’s shocking win at the buzzer has vaulted the T-Birds much higher in these rankings than where they began the preseason. The return of veterans Jonathan Mast, Alex Thomas, and Sam VanDusen give this team a very stable core, and Max Sheppard was the very epitome of a Thunderbird against the Radicals, clocking 10 scores against one turnover and putting the exclamation point on the night. Mast and Clint McSherry are one of the more underrated handler combinations, both for possession and range with McSherry’s looping flick throws and Mast’s power position blasts. Add in the increased development of second year chucker Noah Celuch—who finished 44-of-44 in his 2023 debut, including 461 total yards which only trailed Sheppard—and Pittsburgh suddenly has a solid O-line throwing rotation. It’s looking like a five team race for three playoff spots in the Central Division now.
12. Toronto Rush (+3)
Record: N/A
Most recent result: N/A
The Rush are reloaded for 2023, but their first game of the season against New York— having witnessed the results of last weekend’s game against Philly—has to invoke some nightmare fuel for Toronto after last season’s 25-8 demolition at the hands of the Empire. But there’s a lot of excitement here. Ty Barbieri and James Lewis could combine for 80-plus goals this season, and Phil Turner is in line for his fourth straight 20-plus block season. Both Toronto and New York are tied with 101 franchise wins, giving Saturday night’s tilt even more fuel for this once epic rivalry.
11. Oakland Spiders (+2)
Record: 1-0
Most recent result: Win, 24-23 (OT) vs Seattle
Listen: It took Seattle turfing a throw in the end zone, a Mac Hecht teardrop scoober, and longtime D-line vet Brandon Fein doing a “You shall not pass!” re-enactment on the goal line for Oakland to come away with the overtime win against a ‘Scades team playing their second game in as many days. But despite the dramatics, the Spiders look revamped. Hecht looks like a top three thrower in a division loaded with them, Chris Lung and Evan Magsig were mobile, agile, and hostile as roving distributors, and there’s just a lot of juice here with the way the Spiders rally around each other. Rookie Walker Frankenberg didn’t have a turnover while racking up five scores and over 500 yards of offense on 48 touches, and Keenan Laurence could make The Leap this year with a full season of healthy play.
10. Minnesota Wind Chill (-1)
Record: N/A
Most recent result: N/A
With the Wind Chill set to make their season debut this Saturday in Indy, they will be without one of their heart and soul pieces in team captain Brandon Matis, who announced via social media that he will miss his first start in 54 appearances, ending one of the longest active streaks in the league. For context: only 201 players have ever made 54 career appearances. Matis has been a workout warrior for several offseasons, and has been an emblem for Minnesota’s deep and versatile defense for years. Josh Klane and Quinn Snider have had some big performances in the friendly confines of Indy’s indoor Grand Park, and the Wind Chill could be playing with extra motivation minus their leader.
9. Chicago Union (+1)
Record: N/A
Most recent result: N/A
Still a week out from their 2023 debut, the Union will get the latest start of any franchise this season. And since my last batch of formal rankings, the team announced the return of Nate Goff—one of the most singularly impactful defenders in the league—as well as the addition of veteran speedster Christian Johnson. Chicago is once again deeper than they may appear, and could have a host of younger players making big contributions, as Nick Pappas and Asher Lantz did in the 2022 postseason. Don’t be surprised to see Andrew Sjogren in the top three AUDL goal scorers all season long once the team gets going.
8. Los Angeles Aviators (-1)
Record: N/A
Most recent result: N/A
The absences of Brandon Van Deusen and Michael Kiyoi this coming weekend in LA’s matchup with the Summit will definitely be felt, as the Aviators are going to need all the firepower they can muster. Before sustaining an injury that ended his rookie season, Everest Shapiro was having a career night in his last game against the Summit, pulling down four goals and 234 receiving yards in just 10 points played—the lanky receiver could be in for another big performance with Marcel Osborne and Sean McDougall now active in the roster. LA was in the bottom third in red zone conversions a season ago, which cost them at the margins. With Pawel Janas, they should see marked improvement immediately.
7. Austin Sol (-2)
Record: 1-0
Most recent result: Win, 24-18 at Houston
The Sol definitely got blown around a bit in Houston, succumbing to the windy conditions and converting a very un-Austin like 74 percent of their red zone possessions; the Sol finished third in the league last season at 84 percent. But even in the rock fight environment of Saturday night’s contest, the Sol still secured a solid win thanks to their sheer playmaking ability. Evan Swiatek continues to scorch defenses with his pace and insistence, and newcomer Duncan Fitzgerald finished with a team-high 43 completions after registering just 22 the entire season last year with the Breeze as a limited minutes defender.
6. Salt Lake Shred (+2)
Record: 1-0
Most recent result: Win, 28-20 vs Seattle
It took just over a minute of game clock for Grant Lindsley to find Jordan Kerr for the first Shred score of the 2023 season, and then it was off to the races. Salt Lake has now scored 60 goals combined in their first two home openers as a franchise, making them an absolute offensive powder keg in front of their Diet Coke infused fans. Sean Connole was a backhand bomb factory all night long. He connected on four of his five deep shots, and produced six scores and 663 total yards. And despite losing a starting rotation’s worth of defensive players, Salt Lake still looked athletic and deep on D-line, with Kyle Weinberg, Eugene L'Heureux, and Ben Ashton all making their presences known.
5. Atlanta Hustle (+1)
Record: 1-0
Most recent result: Win, 23-14 vs Indianapolis
For a team that ended last season with as many questions as the Hustle did, they went out and answered a whole lot of them with their pristine performance on both sides of the disc against the AlleyCats. Indy wanted to test the deep space, and Brett Hulsmeyer obliged them, finishing with a Mutombo-like statline of six blocks—tying a franchise single game record—and also adding in almost 300 yards of offense. Bobby Ley looks more comfortable in year two in Atlanta, and the whole throwing core of the Hustle is playing at a new level. Austin Taylor and Christian Olsen never seem to fall out of rhythm, and rookie Liam Haberfield was disciplined and smooth with the disc, and completed 43 of 44 passes in his debut. Atlanta completed just seven turnovers as a team, and finished the first week with the highest offensive efficiency rating in the league.
4. Carolina Flyers (-)
Record: 0-1
Most recent result: Loss, 21-15 vs DC
Carolina had just a single 20-plus turnover game in 2021, so it’s not encouraging to see them start with one in their first performance of the new season, especially so at home. But absent Matt Gouchoe-Hanas and a few other key starters, the Flyers offense opted for open lines and experimentation, leading to some exciting outcomes—Bert and Ernie duo Alex Davis and Suraj Madiraju collected a combined five goals and over 400 receiving yards, 6’7" rookie Alexander Wilcox has Nethercutt velocity on his forehands, and Jacob Fairfax is still doing extremely cool stuff at the end of quarters—but more frustrations than success. The Flyers inconsistencies ultimately cost them, and resulted in a 6-1 run by the Breeze to close out the game. Even so: Carolina showed a lot of potency, and the sheer volume of lineup possibilities and rotations going forward will make them virtually impossible to game plan around.
3. Colorado Summit (-)
Record: N/A
Most recent result: N/A
Inactive on opening weekend, the Summit get their first look at the field this upcoming weekend on their two-game SoCal road trip that includes a “Game Of The Week” matchup with LA on Saturday. Jonathan Nethercutt threw for over 1000 yards combined in his first two starts on the road last year; Nethercutt bombarded San Diego and LA for 768 and 574 passing yards, respectively, in back-to-back days in Week 11 last season. The playmaking defensive nucleus of Cody Spicer, Alex Tatum, Kai Marshall, Mathieu Agee, Noah Coolman, and Nicholas Snuszka could easily generate double digit takeaways this weekend.
2. DC Breeze (-)
Record: 1-0
Most recent result: Win, 21-15 at Carolina
All of the Breeze’s notable offseason additions contributed in the road win—Cole Jurek finished with 23 completions and over 300 yards of offense without a throwaway, Joe Merrill came up with a clutch block in the fourth quarter, and Thomas Edmonds led the team with six scores to name a few—but the biggest factor was the tandem of Christian Boxley and Tyler Monroe. Box and TyMon have become the table on which the DC offense rests, and their constant motion and ruthless precision as passers give a kind of spring loaded effect to Breeze drives. They often set up scores with a blistering weave of short passes, only for the final throw to find a wide open receiver streaking away in space. DC looks every bit the challenger for New York’s throne.
1. New York Empire (-)
Record: 1-0
Most recent result: Win, 17-8 vs Philadelphia
The Empire wasted no time in their first game and picked up right where they left off last season by dominating the competition for all four quarters. New York looked like they might elicit a mercy ruling at the end of the first quarter when they took an 8-1 lead on a Ben Katz interception that turned into Jack Williams posterizing three helpless Phoenix defenders at the buzzer. What is becoming increasingly standout about this Empire team isn’t just the stars, but the elevated play of everyone on the roster; the team saw a favorable matchup for John Lithio and continually used him as a quarterback on drives, while Oliver Chartock has bulked up over the offseason and gives New York yet another athletic big on defense.
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