Ryan Baker, Journalist 

The Madison Radicals keep on creating headlines. All season it’s been the turnaround from a lackluster 2023 year. Last week it was a new regular season franchise goal leader and UFA career leader in Callahans. This week, it’s Andrew Meshnick’s potential record-breaking goal, and their former all-star Kevin Pettit-Scantling (KPS) making his return after nearly two years. 

This week’s game is a matchup with the Chicago Union at home on Friday night. Both teams stand at 6-4 on the year, and both are on the brink of locking in their playoff berths. Most would think that this week would determine who makes the playoffs, but due to Indianapolis still being in the mix, the final week will be the true determination. 

Nonetheless, this is a game that Madison needs to win. Not only would it boost their odds to make the playoffs, but it would give them the tiebreaker over Chicago after a one-point loss to them earlier in the year. It would also keep their momentum rolling after a last-second win last week versus Pittsburgh. It’ll be a tough task as Chicago is coming off a stellar performance, beating the Central Division champs by five. 

“They played their best game offensively all season. They really didn't turn it much. They were super-efficient. We have to make sure that when we get opportunities, we take them,” said head coach Tim DeByl.

It will be an interesting scene on the Radical sideline as offensive cornerstone Kai Marcus, red-hot rookie Gabe Vordick, and veteran Kelsen Alexander are all going to be gone for the second-to-last game of the year. Conversely, Kai DeLorenzo will make his 2024 debut after missing all of the season with an injury. Also, as mentioned earlier, KPS will be taking the field for the first time since 2022. 

“We definitely want to get them in if we can. That's kind of an opportunity as a coach, maybe try something that you weren't quite ready for,” said DeByl.

KPS has been the cornerstone of the Radicals for quite some time. He’s a defensive genius with explosive playmaking ability and a high IQ that gave him four straight seasons of 20+ blocks. His 2022 season included eleven games and putting up 26 assists, 13 goals, and ten blocks. Look for KPS and DeLorenzo to be playing D-line, possibly in a limited capacity due to both not playing in quite some time. 

The addition of the two veterans to the defense could be the key to settling a young team that seems to let mistakes compound, leading to late-game/end-of-quarter situations. As for the offense, their number one producer will be out, but personnel won’t change much, just a slightly different leniency.

“The offense is going to be a little bit more Pat [Shriwise], Ted [Schewe] and Victor [Luo] driven. I'm guessing it's going to be a little more conservative, which I think is okay. Our defense has been playing well, and if we can go out and score efficiently, I think that will help us,” said DeByl.

The other thing to look for will be if Meshnick can grab a single goal to give him sole possession of the regular-season career goal-leader for the franchise. He is currently tied with Colin Camp at 150. 

“I've been very fortunate to play for the Madison Radicals for so many years. It's a ton of fun. Every season is different. Different group of guys, but it's a great organization to play for. Great coaching staff, great teammates, so I'm just looking forward to finishing out the season strong,” said Meshnick.

With all of this-the headlines, the records, the anticipated returns, and playoff pressure- the Radicals need to stay focused. They need to keep their foot on the gas. They need to tune out the noise.

“We try not to think too much about the external pressure. We know every time we take the field that if we play well, we have a chance to win. We've tried to tune out some of that noise, and just play the best that we can. We've lost a couple of close ones throughout the year, but hopefully we can finish these last few strong and get back to the playoffs,” said Meshnick.

As long as Madison can prevent giving Chicago short fields on turns, and not give up a big run like they did in their last matchup, they could be looking at a 7-5 record heading into their final week of the season. 

To purchase tickets to Breese Stevens Field this Friday at 7 p.m. CDT, click here!

To watch the second matchup between the Radicals and the Union, click here!