Ryan Baker

For the first time this season, the Madison Radicals saw themselves down three and walked out with the win. In all of their wins this season, the Radicals never trailed by more than two points. They turned this one on its head by beating the Indianapolis AlleyCats 28-12.

This speaks to the theme of them not being able to turn things around after giving up runs. Granted, this was a game against the AlleyCats, a rather lackluster team in 2025, but it gives confidence that they can bounce back.

The game started rough for Madison. They had three turns on small window throws, also known as the “skinny throw.” Indy also had the energy over the home team, getting three layout blocks in the first four points. Five points in, Madison was down 4-1. 

“To play smart, not greedy. It was apparent that we came out flat-footed with an already established belief we were going to beat Indy—or at least that is what it felt like to me. A competitive edge and smart decisions were lost at the start,” said Luke Marks.

There was a sense of urgency behind the game with a major storm imminent, and that urgency was kicked into overdrive after Madison ripped off five straight points. 

“Despite the tough start, we continued to trust each other, and therefore we were able to stay composed. I believe that how we respond to setbacks, even our highs, will be how we win moving forward this year—if we continue to trust, stay composed, and believe in our systems—we will be beating ‘predictions’ or ‘favorites’ in the games to come and in playoffs,” said Marks. 

It was a high-scoring and sloppy first quarter. 10 total points were scored, with Madison having a 6-4 lead, but there were also 19 turnovers between the two squads. It was the talent of Madison’s defensive unit that kept that lead intact after grabbing it. 

The second quarter brought more drama, but not within the actual score. Madison outscored Indy 4-1, but the storm hit Breese Stevens, and a weather delay ensued. At halftime, the Radicals had a six-point lead. 

“One thing that Pieran [Robert] stated after our first quarter was, ‘this is a test’. And while every game is a test, that moment, when under pressure and managing some adversity, will be valuable for us to remember in the games ahead. Staying composed, being smart, and trusting each other will be what takes us to our next level,” said Marks. 

Including that second quarter, the Radicals went on an 18-5 run. Throughout that run, Indy was shooting themselves in the foot with turns and drops. The storm delay seemed to have taken the life out of the AlleyCats.  

A Kai DeLorenzo callahan toward the end of the game just put more nails in the coffin. Then, the last nail came when Anthony Gutowsky scored his fifth goal of the game through major contact, got up, and spiked the disc on top of the AlleyCat defender, resulting in a technical foul. 

That fifth goal also brought Gutowsky to the 50-goal mark on the season, currently leading the league by two goals. Marks also joins the ranks of Gutowsky amongst league leaders, but for Marks, it’s his 17 blocks on the year that tie him for most in the league. He added three of those this weekend. 

The additions of Kainoa Chun-Moy and Eric Sjostrom continue to pay off as the two combined for seven assists and over 600 yards of total offense. Finally, there were two outstanding performances from guys who haven’t seen a ton of time this season. Biz Schlaefer and David Nester combined for seven assists, two goals, one block, a perfect 18/18 on throws, and more than 270 total yards.

“It’s always a pleasure to step out on the field at Breese and play in front of the best fans in the league. Just having the opportunity to go out and show all the work and training sessions that have been put in since January in front of a community I try to give back to and serve means the world to me,” said Schlaefer. “With players like [David] Nester and me able to show up and have a great impact on the game, I think it just speaks to the depth of our roster and talent. My teammates are the ones who push me and each other to become the best players we can.”

The win brings the Radicals to 7-3 on the year, and with Minnesota dropping a game to Chicago, hosting a home playoff game could be within reach. The first step to that will be needing to beat Minnesota on their home turf this upcoming weekend.

You can watch the Minnesota vs Madison showdown Saturday at 6:00 pm on WatchUFA.tv!

Get Tickets for the final regular season game vs the undefeated Chicago Union.