By RICHIE HALL
WESTFIELD – There is a new look to Indiana’s ultimate disc team, but there are also the same high expectations.
The Indianapolis AlleyCats are in the middle portion of their schedule, once again playing their home games at Grand Park Events Center. The AlleyCats entered the season as the defending American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL) Midwest Division champions, having won it in 2019.
Last year’s AUDL season, like many others across the sports world, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, several longtime AlleyCats players like Cameron Brock, Kyle Cox and Keenan Plew retired. The ‘Cats have a new coach as well, Will Drumright.
“We are young, but we are a resilient team,” said Drumright. “When I came on, I said that we are going to be building a foundation and a culture of success and winning. Our guys have very much bought into it. We are trying to lean on what experience we have left through some of our veteran players like Travis Carpenter, Rick Gross, Levi Jacobs, Nick Hutton, Jake Fella, to try and instill some of that confidence in the skills, because we’re asking young men to grow up quickly in terms of playing the game.”
This year’s Indianapolis team is 2-3 so far this season. On June 4, the AlleyCats won their opener, a home contest against the Detroit Mechanix, 30-21, then fell to the Chicago Union 20-12 in an away game the very next night.
Indianapolis hosted Detroit again on June 12 and won easily, 28-12. Then in a Sunday afternoon contest on June 20, the AlleyCats lost on the road to the Madison Radicals 24-20.
The ‘Cats returned to Grand Park on Saturday to play Chicago again. The Union got off to a quick lead, forcing the AlleyCats to play catch up to Chicago, which eventually won 28-20.
The Union never trailed, scoring their first goal just 46 seconds into the game. Chicago then built a 5-0 lead with 4:20 left to go in the first quarter. Indianapolis got on the board at the 3:48 mark when Chris Walsh scored a goal off an assist by Gross.
The teams traded goals for the remainder of the quarter, which ended with the Union ahead 8-3. Chicago then scored back-to-back goals on three different occasions in the second period, leading 16-7 before the ‘Cats scored with four seconds left in the half. Gross caught the pass from Carpenter, cutting the Union’s lead to 16-8 at halftime.
“They have a little bit more experience,” said Drumright. “They have a strong club team outside of their team in the AUDL, so they’ve been playing together for a couple years. So, they’re a little bit more of a cohesive, veteran, experienced team. It shows on the scoreboard. And then they can go out and execute and play well, and then when we make simple, unforced errors early in the game, it’s hard to come back against a team that has been doing this for so long.”
Indianapolis outscored Chicago in the third quarter 6-5, including two instances of back-to-back goals, but the Union still led 21-14 at the end of the period. Kyle Romard opened the fourth by catching a goal pass from Carpenter, cutting Chicago’s lead to 21-15. The Union would let the AlleyCats get no closer, scoring back-to-back goals and holding a seven- to nine-point advantage from there.
“They’re able to grow and improve with how they’re playing,” said Drumright. “We just have to understand that we have to start strong instead of getting into a tough situation and having to battle back. Like I said, they’re resilient, but we have to start games stronger in terms of being able to figure out what we have to do pre-game, what we have to do in preparation and training to not only just work hard, but work smarter.”
Romard and Trey Dynes both scored four goals for the ‘Cats, with Walsh, Jacobs and Gross each adding two goals. Six more players got on goal: Nick Phillips, Conner Henderson, Fella, Cody Curran, Lucas Coniaris and Carpenter.
Gross found the open man incredibly well, making eight assists for the game. Jacobs had three, while Hutton, Henderson and Carpenter each had two. Walsh, Romard and Curran all had one.
The AlleyCats will play their next two games at Grand Park. They host Madison at 7 p.m. on July 3 in a game that will be televised on Fox Sports. After that, the AlleyCats play the Minnesota Wind Chill for the first time this season on July 10, with another 7 p.m. start.