PITTSBURGH - Pittsburgh Thunderbirds player Marcel Oliart scored the first goal of the game, and of the season, on a 10-yard force side backhand from Jon Mast, and the Thunderbirds never relinquished the lead from there.
Originally scheduled to be a 7:00PM Friday night start, the Thunderbirds started their UFA campaign at 7:45PM due to a lightning delay and proceeded to dispatch their divisional rivals, the Indianapolis AlleyCats by a score of 25-21.
In front of a crowd of nearly 500, the Thunderbirds jumped out to an early 8-4 lead at the end of the 1st quarter, had a 14-9 lead at half-time, and a 20-13 lead at the end of three quarters.
Thirteen of the twenty active Thunderbirds players recorded a goal, eleven different players recorded an assist, and eight different players notched a block.
"It was a total team effort on Friday night," said General Manager Andrew Gardner. "You know it is when you're radioing up to the statisticians in the press box looking for the player of the game and there's a dozen candidates to choose from."
That player of the game was eventually chosen as Oliart, who finished with 5 goals, 1 assist, 1 block and 0 turnovers. Will Hoffenkamp could have easily made the case for "Flock-Star" of the night as well, tossing 5 assists and scoring 3 goals on a team leading 583 yards of total offense.
Our 'Flock-Star' of the Night goes to Marcel Oliart!
Oliart put up a plus seven rating, five goals, one assist, and one block in the Thunderbirds victory over the Indianapolis AlleyCats last Friday. pic.twitter.com/U3ikqAjZfu
— PGH Thunderbirds (@PGHThunderbirds) May 5, 2025
The story of the game was the quick start of the Thunderbirds which never gave the opportunity for a young AlleyCats team, who suffered much turnover in the off-season, to recover. The AlleyCats would win the second half 12-11, but towards the end of the game, it seemed as if the Thunderbirds we're content to play more conservatively with a large lead.
Despite the good feelings of the win, Jimmy Towle would take an injury at the end of the 3rd quarter on a non-contact play. He is considered week-to-week with a strained hamstring and will most likely miss the Thunderbirds next game against the Detroit Mechanix in Lansing, Michigan on Sunday, May 11th.
That didn't stop Towle from nearly leaping back into the air however when Aiden Landis secured an Anson Reppermund huck over AlleyCats' Joel Close.
"I was on the sideline checking-in on Towle when the huck went up," said Gardner. "Towle screamed, 'I need this, Aiden!', as Aiden ripped the Frisbee out of the sky. That's what great teammates do. Being involved in the game even when you're injured on the sidelines."
The Thunderbirds begin the 2025 UFA season 1-0 and currently sit atop of the Central divisional standings for the time being. The Madison Radicals split their Texas road-trip 1-1 after defeating the Houston Havoc 12-10 in a rain shortened affair and succumbing to the Austin Sol 22-17. The defending champion Minnesota Wind Chill have yet to play a game along with central favorites Chicago Union. The Detroit Mechanix have also yet to play a game, facing the Thunderbirds in Week 4 of the UFA on May 11th in Lansing, MI for their home opener.
The last time the Thunderbirds faced the Mechanix, it ended in a cathartic win - the first in several years for the team. The Thunderbirds will look to get back to their winning ways vs Detroit on Sunday.
