By Evan Lepler
A home loss this past Saturday would have put the AlleyCats into must-win desperation mode heading on the road for a Week 13 rematch at Pittsburgh, but Indianapolis ensured their playoff status by hanging on for a narrow 18-16 victory over the Thunderbirds. In the wake of Indy’s disappointing performance at Minnesota the previous week, it was a critical result for the AlleyCats’ confidence moving forward. “Saturday’s game was definitely a stabilizer for us,” said Indy’s Lucas Coniaris. “We obviously needed to win, but we wanted to win within our systems and get our swagger back offensively. I think, for the most part, we accomplished that.” The AlleyCats never led by more than two during any point in the first three quarters, but three straight goals to open the fourth created significant separation. From there, the Indy offense did enough to eke out the two-goal win. “In true AlleyCats fashion, they played solidly, prized possession, and kept the disc moving,” said Pittsburgh’s Jonathan Mast, who led the Thunderbirds’ offense by completing all 73 of his throws. Coniaris went 42-for-42, while Jeremy Keusch also enjoyed the finest statistical game of his career, totaling three goals, three assists, two blocks, and no turns. “We saw Jeremy Keusch step up big time for the offense,” said Coniaris. “His playmaking and defense on a turn kept us in the game the whole night. I would expect to continue to see him step up in big moments in the playoffs.” Indy will host Chicago on July 29, with the winner going to Minnesota for the Central title game two weeks later.
Originally posted on theaudl.com