June 25, 2024
By Evan Lepler
It’s beyond wild to think that after seven years of nonstop losing, an individual can still possess a steadfast belief on a gameday morning.
But Terry Gaither insists he had a strong feeling this past Saturday that Detroit’s excruciating 81-game odyssey was about to end.
“This was the first game in four years I truly felt we were going to win,” said Gaither. “I was so confident I recorded a video that morning declaring on June 22, 2024, the Detroit Mechanix were going to break the streak. And lo and behold, we made what seemed to be impossible possible.”
Indeed, at long last, the streak is over, and not with a narrow, fluky result but rather a dominant 11-goal triumph, the biggest margin of victory in the Detroit Mechanix’s frustrating and confounding 12-year history. The Mechanix outscored Pittsburgh 8-1 throughout a thrilling and emotional fourth quarter, prevailing 25-11 over the Thunderbirds for their first win since April 29, 2017, a mere 2,611 days prior.
“There was a huge surge of confidence from my teammates going into this game,” said Gaither, explaining how and why he believed that the Mechanix would actually deliver. “The loss against the AlleyCats was a major wake-up call for us. The look on everyone’s face after the game was different from any other time. I saw disappointment, frustration, anger, and annoyance. But none of these feelings were directed toward another player or coach; it was self-reflection. Players came to a realization that we don’t win without playing as a team.”
Interview with Detroit Head Coach Brent Steepe
On Saturday, Detroit got off to a great start and never looked back. In fact, the Mechanix never trailed for a single second, the first time in the last decade since UFA play-by-play stats have been tracked that the team never had to play from behind.
If anyone on the roster was still lacking belief as the first half transpired, a realization that they were up and seemingly in control at the midway point was a noteworthy development.
“Being up at half was huge mindset change,” said Jake Felton, who led the Mechanix with nine assists and over 800 yards. “Everyone kept the energy in the locker room, but I wouldn’t say anyone thought we had won. We sat down and went straight to the game plan, liking where we were at with our goals and looking to keep the momentum into the second half.”
After leading 11-8 at halftime, the Mechanix won the third quarter 6-5 before pouring it on with a dominant fourth.
“The moment that most of us knew was the third point in the fourth,” said Felton. “We went for three straight breaks, with the third being Terry Gaither skying for his sixth goal of the game. After a long point cutting it down to nearly six minutes left and up seven, it was over. This didn’t mean we were letting up, obviously. We play until the final whistle, no matter what the score.”
The Mechanix finished the night with just 13 turnovers, their lowest total of the season by nine. It was also the cleanest four-quarter game the franchise had ever played in an outdoor venue. (Last year, Detroit had 12 turns in a 20-19 loss inside Indianapolis’ indoor facility.)
“It was our best game,” said Detroit’s Aiden Rudy, who tossed five assists and played a team-high 26 points, 24 of which came on the D-line. “Obviously, Terry played his best game all season. It was fun to see him live up to his name, Scary Terry. It was great to see him perform at the level we all know he can; it seemed he realized the moment and rose to it. The D-line was clamping and converting breaks, and the O-line was protective of the disc and moved it smoothly with little to no error. We came together and found a flow that didn’t die off as it has consistently in the past.”
Overall, the Mechanix converted 13 breaks, while Detroit’s O-line was broken just twice. Going 12-of-13 in the red zone, a 92 percent success rate, was also the franchise’s highest red-zone percentage in the UFA’s yardage era (since 2021).
As the fourth quarter clock expired and the euphoric, surreal celebration began, the Mechanix players recognized the magnitude of the moment.
“I will say that being a part of this accomplishment has been the pinnacle of my young ultimate career,” said Felton, “and I am unsure if anything will ever top it. I don’t think anything can.”
Rudy, another rookie, echoed Felton’s sentiments, acknowledging that many people he respects advised him against playing for the Mechanix, but he believed it could be a fun and rewarding experience.
“The team was rag tag and did not show much promise at the start, but as the year progressed, we bonded over different adversities and the reality of our losing streak,” said Rudy. “I don’t regret the time and money that I have put into this season and think it will be an experience I never forget. Being able to be part of the team that broke the streak is something that I am super proud of and something that plenty of big names in Mechanix history can never say.”
For Gaither, who presently is the longest tenured player on the team, a four-year journey had suddenly revealed this immense payoff, and he was determined to try and soak it all in.
“Coach [Brent Steepe’s] smile was wider than the Grand Canyon,” said Gaither. “I dropped enough tears to fill a fish tank. This was the greatest moment of our lives, and everyone from player, coach, friend, foe, family, and fan felt it. Two days later, and I’m still processing the win. It’s an extraordinary feeling when you accomplish something that seems somewhat impossible.
“This is my fourth year with the Mechanix, and I’ve shared 43 of the 81 losses. People would say I’m crazy for sticking around that long after going three winless seasons in a row, but when you’re part of something you love, it’s hard to walk away. This experience means the world to me. I’ve taken a lot of losses in life, but refused to give up. That resiliency allowed me to fight harder each season for this moment.”
As Detroit celebrated, the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds, who had won four of their previous five games entering Saturday’s action, were left with the painful reality that they had not brought their best or anywhere close to it.
“Every game has its own set of unique challenges, and this game was probably the toughest we’ve faced in some time,” said Thunderbirds GM Andrew Gardner, who also suited up to play in his first game of the season, the ninth of his career.
Overall, the Thunderbirds had nine different players on Saturday who were playing in their first game of the season. They were missing nine of their top 11 leaders in completions.
“We tried to prepare as much as possible for this scheduling conflict we knew was coming, but you know how ultimate goes,” said Pittsburgh Coach Max Barowski. “We were trying to manage life schedules, work schedules, club schedules, and week-of injuries [...] As for the actual game, we came out flat and they jumped on us early [...] I don’t feel any type of negativity about who we lost to, but how we lost. I’ve always had great respect for the Mechanix staff and most of their players, especially this season’s crew. They played better than us and won this game handily, so credit to them.”
As for the Thunderbirds’ playoff chances, they are still sitting at 4-4, right in the thick of the crowded Central Division chase.
“Jon Mast addressed the team afterwards and said we could look at this result and run far far away, or we could remember what this feeling is like and work even harder to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” said Gardner. “That’s what competitors do. At the end of the day, breaking an 81-game losing streak is still just one win. So we only tally one in the loss column. There will be a lot of doubters and a lot of social media talk about who Pittsburgh is and what happened, but the reality is we defeated three playoff teams from 2023 in Minnesota, Chicago, and Indianapolis, sit at 4-4, and still have a chance to make the playoffs this season.”
As for Detroit’s postscript after this mind-boggling streak era came to a close, I’m not sure that the Mechanix are suddenly the feel-good story of the 2024 UFA season. They are still 1-7 this year, 1-81 in their last 82 games, and have won just six times in their last 126 chances. Time will tell if they have actually turned some sort of a corner or if Saturday’s double-digit win was just an exhilarating outlier.
But it’s also true that the seemingly never-ending losing streak has finally ended, and for a franchise that’s primarily been a punching bag for the rest of the league throughout its existence, Saturday was absolutely a moment to cherish.
“The celebration on the field, in the locker room, and after in the bar all were fantastic,” said Felton. “But seeing the impact our win had on the whole community and to our friends and even coworkers who saw it on their feeds really brought it all into perspective.”
The Full Field Layout
While Detroit’s stunning victory consumed considerable attention, showdowns between the top two teams in the South and Central Divisions were far more meaningful and consequential stories in the pursuit of the 2024 UFA championship.
On Saturday night in Atlanta, the Hustle again showcased their high ceiling as one of the league’s fiercest, deepest contenders. Despite a shaky start offensively—the offense endured turnovers on each of its first three possessions of the game—the Hustle eventually found their rhythm and pulled away, claiming a 25-19 victory over the previously unbeaten Carolina Flyers. Atlanta led by just one at halftime, but outscored Carolina 12-6 through the first 19 minutes in the second half.
“I think we’re trying to not buy in too much to how we start a game and that determining how we play the rest of the game,” said Hustle Captain Brett Hulsmeyer. “We had a dirty hold to start most games recently, and it’s just about getting the hold early and being better each point we play. Overall, I think it’s a lot of confidence for me knowing I can play my worst game of the year and we can still win by six against Carolina.”
Hulsmeyer’s ‘worst game’ consisted of three goals, one assist, three blocks, and three turns, while virtually everyone else wearing a Hustle jersey had a splendid evening. There’s no doubt that Jeremy Langdon led the way, but Austin Taylor, Matt Smith, Bobby Ley, and Lukas McClamrock also had big nights. Atlanta had a stronger squad than the team it brought to Carolina back in April and May, but the Hustle were still far from full strength, as Justin Burnett, Bradley Fleming, and Christian Olsen, all of whom were gametime decisions, were all ultimately inactivated and did not play.
“I didn’t feel like we played horrible in the first half, but also felt that we could play better going into the second half,” said Hustle Coach Tuba Benson-Jaja. “So I did things in the locker room and halftime huddle to lighten the tension. A few guys were down on themselves for mistakes, and I asked them to shed the weight of the mistakes before leaving the locker room and use the anxiousness to fuel great play in the second half. Our defense was dialed in, and we knew if we put pressure on Carolina’s young core we would be able to get them to make more mistakes than us. They hadn’t been down this season, and everyone plays differently when they go down. So once our guys smelled doubt on their side, our confidence went up.”
Atlanta finished the night with 13 turns and 13 blocks. Carolina endured 23 turns, with just seven blocks.
“Atlanta is a strong team with great leadership,” said Flyers Coach Mike DeNardis. “We knew they weren’t going to roll over based on our first two games. They made the necessary adjustments and pushed us more physically and mentally than any other team this year. Now it’s on us to process this information and grow from it. Historically, these types of losses have been good for us, so while it doesn’t feel great right now, it should pay dividends down the stretch.”
Unprompted, Benson-Jaja also added that he fully expects the Flyers to respond to this loss.
“That’s how Denardis operates,” said Tuba. “He has the ability to foster growth from losses better than any coach in the league.”
It remains very unclear who will finish the season atop the South. The Flyers are 6-1, the Hustle are 6-2, and their only losses have come on the road against each other. They meet one more time in the regular season in Atlanta on July 20 and seem to be on a collision course to square off in the South Division title game in August, but there’s a lot of ultimate still to come before then.
“The Hustle are playing as well as we ever have and it’s been really fun to see us grow and take care of business week after week,” said Atlanta veteran Matt Smith. “Of course, it won’t matter too much if we don’t perform in the playoffs, but I think it’s a good sign that we are playing well and growing throughout the season.”
*****
Meanwhile, while the South Division race tightened at the top, the Minnesota Wind Chill created some significant separation in the Central. Thanks to their 22-17 home win over Madison, the Chill now are at least two games clear in the loss column from everyone else in their division.
Saturday’s victory, like many Central Division battles, was quirky. The Wind Chill led 5-2, but the Radicals responded immediately, tying the score at six. The two teams traded back and forth all the way to 11-11 before Minnesota broke through with an 8-3 spurt that put them on the pathway to victory even on a day when things did not go totally smoothly.
“I think I was most pleased about our offense’s ability to get the disc back after turns and punch in a hold,” said Wind Chill Captain Bryan Vohnoutka. “This had been an area we struggled with to start the season. I also think our defensive mentality to quick transition on turnovers paid dividends for us with a couple of quick breaks.”
Will Brandt led the way with eight assists and two blocks, while Tristan Van de Moortele added four assists, one goal, and two blocks. Dylan DeClerck and Cameron Lacy each tallied three blocks apiece to anchor the Minnesota defense.
Interestingly, DeClerck believes the biggest difference for the Wind Chill between this year and last year has been the O-line’s improved defense and the D-line’s most consistent offense.
“This well-rounded approach has led to a lot of success so far and establishes our team as a true contender in the playoffs,” said DeClerck. “This well-roundedness has also applied to our roster. Will Brandt had a phenomenal game this week, and last week Colin Berry and Jordan Taylor played really well. Every week there’s a new player that steps up to make a difference for the team, which speaks to the depth of our roster and ability to win games in multiple ways.”
At 6-1, the Wind Chill will embark on a two-game trip through Chicago and Detroit this coming weekend. Minnesota begins the trek knowing that two more wins would make them 6-0 on the road this season.
“I feel like we’re rounding out to be a formidable opponent come playoffs,” added Vohnoutka. The difference to me [from last year to this year] seems to be a bit more confidence and experience coming off the UFA Championship Weekend last year and a hunger to make it back this year.”
Coming up later today in “Seven On The Line”, the top three in the East all clinch with ease, Chicago comes from behind to significantly boost its playoff resume, and a look-ahead at the massive matchups coming up in Week 10.
