Ryan Baker
After suffering a loss to Chicago last week, the Madison Radicals have a big weekend ahead of them with a doubleheader in their line of sight.
The first game will be hosting the reigning UFA champions, the Minnesota Wind Chill. The border battle returns for the first time in 2025 in the confines of Breese Stevens Field for a Friday Night Frisbee matchup. The second game for Madison will have them traveling to Detroit to take on the Mechanix the very next day.
The same issues are running through the Radicals, and at this point, it probably sounds like a broken record. However, it is only a matter of time before Madison puts it all together. They let up a few runs to the Union that threw Madison off their rocker, shook their confidence, and they weren’t able to recover.
“The UFA has a lot of games that go in streaks. We have trouble with giving off a few breaks in a row in the middle of games, and we need to be able to take a breath, play some catch, score, and put a good D-line back on the field. Our O-line had a good game in Chicago and I’m looking forward to seeing them bring the same calm attitude,” said Pieran Robert.
Against a team like Minnesota, if you let up a run and get down on yourself, the next thing you know the Wind Chill will be up by seven. Both teams have two of the best defenses in the league in terms of breaks, blocks, and letting up the deep shot.
“It’s exciting getting to play them, it’s always been fun playing against them. Them being UFA reigning champs is a part of the excitement. However, it’s not any different from any other game. We have to stay focused, do the prep work, watch the film, run through the defensive plan, and get to work,” said Sam Stark.
We will be seeing the normal squad suit for the Minnesota game as we have all year. There is one slight exception. Jack Nelson is questionable for the Friday night game, and that could be a major hit to an offense that has had their struggles this year. The duo of Nelson and Anthony Gutowsky have been as good as any duo in the league, so if Nelson doesn’t suit up, problems could arise.
“We just need to have clean offensive possessions. I thought our offense played great, besides when we got stuck in our half of the field and we had just some unfortunate and self-inflicted turnovers. The defense has been playing great for the most part, and I think we have a pretty good chance to beat Minnesota this weekend,” said Gutowsky.
Gutowsky has been running rampant this year with 21 goals and eight blocks. He has looked a lot more comfortable with the disc in year three, which has resulted in seven turns, but nonetheless, Gutowsky being able to look upfield and use his arm instead of his legs will be crucial in the development of this offense.
“That's just me having to step up as a player. I can't just catch goals anymore. If I want to be elite in this league, I have to get to the disc and make good plays. I got to throw and catch the disc. That's how the game works. The more I play, the more comfortable I get playing against these high-level players,” said Gutowsky.
The Radicals will be looking to defend their home turf against a team that has had major success against them and in their stadium. We saw Minnesota make quick work of the Radicals last year in the Central Division title game. It should be a defensive showdown, and we will see Minnesota throw a lot of the same looks as Chicago regarding the deep space.
“It's something I expected. I'm growing as a player in the league, and people know my name. They know what I want to do, and it's about adapting my game and doing new things. I don't mind it. It's free yards on the under every single time. If they keep forcing me under, I'm going to get those all day,” said Gutowsky.
Madison is going to need other guys to step up, and one guy in particular who has shown incredible flashes this year has been Stark. After missing the entire year in 2024, he has slowly gained more of a role this year.
“I think there’s room to be a little more aggressive on some defensive looks. Taking on a bigger role after missing a year has been exciting, but also I have had a little hesitancy in some aspects. It’s just working through the film and taking the steps to get the body ready to build the confidence to do it,” said Stark.
It’s a big ask for the Radicals at this point, but if they can play with the pedal to the metal through most of the game, expect this one to be a close score when that clock hits zero. However, this isn’t the only game they need to focus on this weekend.
The next night, Madison will be taking on the 0-3 Mechanix for the first time this year, and we are going to see the lines open up a bit for that game.
We will see UFA debuts from Max Junga and Noah Petersen, while Eric Sjostrom will be making his Radical debut. Additionally, Kai DeLorenzo, Jack Nelson, Kai Marcus, and Ian McCosky will not be making the road trip for the second game of the doubleheader weekend.
“My biggest piece of advice would be trust. Trust your teammates and trust your skills. For the young guys who have only played college or club, the big field and crowds can feel intimidating, like it’s a different ball game. In reality, it’s the same fundamentals of frisbee we know. Embracing the opportunity to compete and trusting the process can be very effective. We have a very deep roster and I’m excited to see everyone take the field,” said Robert.
If Madison can walk out of this weekend with two wins, they would put themselves in a phenomenal position to be second in the Central Division with a real shot at playing Chicago for the division title at the end of the year.
Tune in Friday at 7 p.m. CT to watch the border battle return!
Click here to purchase tickets to Breese Stevens Field!
To watch the Saturday night game against the Mechanix at 5 p.m. ET, click here!
