By Noam Gumerman
The Carolina Flyers final game of the regular season is by far the biggest. They play host the undefeated and current leaders of the South Division Austin Sol in a game with huge ramifications for the UFA playoffs. Carolina is 9-2, and Austin is 9-0. Austin plays Atlanta on Saturday as a part of a road back-to-back. If the Flyers lose to Austin, the Sol will clinch the division and Carolina will host (likely) San Diego in the first round of the UFA playoffs, but have to travel to Austin for a shot at Championship Weekend. But if the Flyers win and Austin loses to Atlanta on Saturday, Carolina will earn a first round bye and host the Division Championship game in Durham.
Carolina rolls into this game red hot, having won four games in a row, most recently the 21-20 thriller over Atlanta that put the Hustle’s playoff hopes on life support two weeks ago.
Everything is going well for the Flyers right now. Mid-season additions Tobias Brooks and Zeke Thoreson have been among the best players in the league since the halfway mark. Grayson Sanner and Jacob Fairfax are among the league leaders in goals scored across the entire season. Allan Laviolette is inching closer to being back and fully healthy as well.
And on the defensive side of the ball Carolina has gotten contributions from all over the roster. Matt Tucker has been having a breakout second half of the season. Drew Swanson’s two huge plays on back-to-back throws at the end of the most recent Atlanta game sealed the biggest win of the season for the Flyers so far. There are another 10-12 players on this Carolina D-line that have had moments down the stretch of the regular season that would make this preview article way too long.
Austin is currently undefeated though, although they haven’t faced a team as good as Carolina on the road at any point this season so far. And Carolina hasn’t played a game with the stakes this high in multiple seasons. This could very well preview the match up we’ll see to decide a spot in Championship Weekend too.
Don’t miss a huge Friday night match up at Durham County Memorial Stadium.
