by Larry Snyder
Pittsburgh, Pa – The Pittsburgh Thunderbirds (2-3-0) seek to pull out of their three-game losing streak Sunday, June 11, when they clash with the Detroit Mechanix (0-3-0) at Highmark Stadium. This pair of American Ultimate Disc League Central Division adversaries begin their match at 2:00 p.m. EDT. The Black and Gold have never lost to the Men from Motown since joining the AUDL in 2015.
Looking back at last Sunday in Madison, Wisconsin, the Radicals (1-3-0) cruised to a 6-2 lead at the end of the opening frame and claimed a 14-6 advantage at halftime. The T-birds kept the box score even in the third quarter, 5-5, and pushed back with a 6-3 run in the fourth. It was not enough, as the teal blue and chartreuse prevailed 22-17 at Breese Stevens Field.
The Thunderbirds’ Michael Dillard found Chris Graber with a 37-yard strike in the end zone at 10:17 to start the fourth. Anson Reppermund went long with a 73-yard throw at 8:37, as Max Sheppard went up with Madison’s Sterling Knoche for the disc and got the score. After a Madison throwaway, Mikey O’Brien finished a 12-play drive with a 16-yard goal to Graber.
Grinding it out against the Madison defense, Pittsburgh’s fourth consecutive point came at 4:38 when Pete Zaccardi tossed a 10-yard score to first-year player Logan Call in the middle of the end zone. It was his third goal in 2023. With approximately three minutes remaining, Jimmy Towle kept the flickering hope of a comeback alive with a 13-yard scoring pass to Sheppard. The sixth point arrived on the clipboard with 52 seconds left when Clint McSherry hit Carl Johnson for a 35-yard goal.
I spoke with Thunderbirds’ head coach Max Barowski about the matchup Sunday with Detroit, “The 3 game skid has been a bit of a downer for team morale as I’m sure you can imagine, but the silver lining is that it’s happening early in the season so it gives our coaching staff and leaders a lot to work on and make adjustments for as the season carries on. Fortunately and unfortunately it has seemed to be a myriad of self-inflicted wounds and we are hoping to prepare better from top to bottom in order to clean those issues up.”
He continued, “Everyone is excited to play in Highmark Stadium again this weekend and always love hosting the Mechanix. A team we have an immense respect for and hope to continue our stretch of wins against them as well.”
Taking time to examine the AUDL roster report, on Friday, June 9, it has Reid Duncan, Charlie Vukovic, Mike O’Brien, Connor Tipping, Ryan Kindell, Connor Newell, Dylan Best, Matthew Montera, and Matt Reynolds as out. The not rostered crew includes Joe Molder, David Snead, Chris Wohl, Elliot Hare, Ben Evashavik, Chris Graber, Kunwoo Shin, Kevin Nicholl, Andrew Yurchak, and Alex Warrington.
Check It Out: A Historic Streak In Pro Sports Is On The Line Sunday
From AUDL YouTube: Pittsburgh Thunderbirds At Madison Radicals – Full Game Highlights For 06/04/2023…
MECHANIX MANIFOLDS
Regarding the long losing streak, Detroit’s last triumph was Saturday, April 29, 2017, when they won 23-14 against the Chicago Wildfire. They took the Thunderbirds to sudden death, double overtime Saturday, July 6, 2019, before losing 24-23 at home in Michigan. The Men from the Motor City average 15 points of offense after three games in 2023 while permitting the opponent 25 scores.
First-year player Carson Chamberlain owns ten goals, and Bryan Walsh helps the disc get down the field with nine assists. Reliable Joseph Cubitt brings two goals, four assists, and nine hockey assists to the score sheet. Colin Beauregard and Malachi Neil have four blocks apiece. The trio of Jake Kenniv, Daniel Robinson, and Jack Havey could be key contributors in ending the streak.
Reviewing this weekend’s AUDL roster report, Detroit’s Robby Davenport is questionable, and Rees McDevitt is doubtful for the bash on the South Side. Trevor Polisuk-Balfour (four goals), Joel Wilson, Chris Walsh, David Innis, Brendan Gessner, Colin Fremeau, Blake Knight, Matt Gubernick, and Michael Weber are out.
GAMEDAY INFO
Broadcast: Games are on the subscription streaming service AUDL.tv. Matt Weiss chronicles every pull for the T-birds.
Tickets: Obtain the best seat for Thunderbird home contests online. Kyle Archer continues his fun term as the Mayor of Highmark Stadium.
Updates: Thunderbirds Twitter At @PGHThunderbirds – Facebook At pghthunderbirds – Instagram At pghthunderbirds
Weather: The Weather Channel has your latest forecast here on the internet.
NEXT UP: The Black and Gold head to the Land of the Maple Leaf Saturday, June 17, to battle the Toronto Rush (2-3-0) at Varsity Stadium. The two squads meet at 6:00 p.m. EDT.
