AUDL Throwaround: 2022 Regular Season Finale

Recapping Week 14 and the regular season.

August 1, 2022 by Alex Rubin in Recap with 0 comments

Our coverage of the 2022 AUDL season is presented by VII Apparel Co., who provides premium performance apparel for the active world, featuring their proprietary GreenLine fabric made from 100% recycled plastic bottles.

Welcome to the AUDL Throwaround. Let’s wrap up the season following the final weekend, and move into the much anticipated postseason.

A rousing final few weeks of regular season AUDL action saw the division favorites separate themselves from the rest of the pack, two bottom-feeders earn their first win of the season (congratulations to Tampa Bay and Dallas, who beat each other on their respective home fields during weeks 13 and 14), and the final playoff teams clinch their spot in the postseason.

AUDL Playoff Bracket

It has been fairly clear from the beginning of the season that early favorites New York and Carolina were the two best teams in the league. Colorado quickly cemented themselves in that top tier as well, despite competing in their inaugural season. Chicago and Minnesota have taken turns looking like the best team in the Central Division, though Chicago came out ahead after the regular season and has the inside track for a repeat appearance at Championship Weekend. After a stellar opening weekend, Salt Lake rode their momentum to a sweep of the rest of the West Division, losing only to Colorado twice.

Indianapolis’ surprise Week 12 victory over the Radicals at Breese Stevens Field all-but-clinched the Alleycats spot in the playoffs by virtue of a tie breaker over Madison. The 2019 Central Division winner has a tough task ahead, needing to beat Minnesota and Chicago in order to advance to Championship Weekend, but it is fair to say that Indy has already surpassed expectations.

After an 0-3 start to their season marred by close losses, the Philadelphia Phoenix bounced back to finish .500 and earn their first trip to the postseason. Like Indianapolis, the team has a difficult road to advance to Championship Weekend, with DC and potentially New York lined up on the schedule.

All in all, we are set for an exciting finish to the 2022 AUDL Season. The playoffs start on August 13, and we’ll be breaking down the bracket, previewing the matchups, and getting you ready for the final push.

Results & Standings

Week 14 Scoreboard

• Two themes for the week: massive blowouts of the bottom teams by the contenders and various last season absences, mostly due to WUCC, throwing rosters into a bit of chaos.
• Ottawa Outlaws sent a shorthanded squad to face the DC Breeze, and while they were able to stay in the game, trailing much of the way by three, DC scored five straight to end the game; Ottawa went scoreless over the last 9-plus minutes of gameplay. Rowan McDonnell was strong, with four goals and four assists, while the Outlaws D-line converted just 16% of their 19 break chances.
• The game that had everyone’s attention, Madison Radicals needed a home win to keep their playoff hopes alive, but even against an incomplete Chicago Union squad, they were outmatched. Their own offense was missing some key pieces, and it showed as they gave up seven breaks. Chicago’s efficient offense gave up just two breaks themselves.
• Austin Sol hosted the Tampa Bay Cannons, but that is an invite the visitors may wish they could have declined. Austin embarrassed their opposition in one of the season’s most lopsided affairs. The Sol held Tampa to just 72% completion percentage in the win.
• Not to be outdone, Salt Lake Shred throttled Portland Nitro, going up 10-1 to end the game in the first quarter. Both teams were aggressive deep, but three Nitro players had five or more turnovers in the loss. The less said about this, the better.
• Los Angeles Aviators and Oakland Spiders went into overtime, after LA took an early 6-2 lead they obviously failed to hold onto. Some mismanaged late game clock situations helped get the teams into extra time, but LA won that period 2-1 to get the season-ending win.
• Philadelphia Phoenix won the first three quarters with their offensive line playing good defense and D-unit playing great offense on their way to the win against the Ottawa. The Outlaws managed just one break in 21 chances, an absolutely brutal defensive performance that gave them no chance with Philly converting at the rates they were.
• Unsurprisingly, Detroit Mechanix stood no chance against Chicago, who didn’t even need their full complement to run away with it. Let’s just get out of the that they suffered the same fate at the hands of the Minnesota Wind Chill. Detroit finished a fourth consecutive winless season — the streak continues.
• The juice was taken out of the intradivisional trip the Indianapolis AlleyCats took to challenge Atlanta Hustle by the earlier results of the weekend locking in these clubs’ postseason fates. They played a competitive match that Indy showed fight into, coming back from a four goal deficit to get to 20-19, but Atlanta finished the game strong for the victory.
• In their last chance, Dallas Legion earned their first and only victory of the season, getting revenge on Tampa for last week’s defeat. A few first half rounds put them out of range, with strong performances from Kevin Richardson and Emmanuel Bilolo passing Dallas.
• Colorado Summit put up 10 goals in the first and third quarters in a no-contest W over Portland. Quinn Finner threw for 331 yards and eight assists without a turnover in the win.
• San Diego Growlers won a confident game against visiting Oakland, never leading by fewer than five after the halftime break. An 80% hold rate and just 10 turnovers made for a tidy evening.

Week 14/End of Regular Season Standings

Power Rankings

Highlight of the Week

It absolutely cannot be anything else. This play is completely wild and just needs to be seen to be believed.

Minnesota Deflected Greatest Buzzer Beater