Author: Ryan Baker

Photos: SEDIII Productions

Looking at the Indianapolis AlleyCats’ 1-3 record does not do them justice. The narrative is changing, and they look to continue that this weekend when they play in Madison against the Radicals, in the second matchup between the two this year.

Indy is on an upward trajectory after its first win, a dominant showing against Chicago. Although they fell to Minnesota last week, they showed the intensity they need for a full four quarters and stuck with the Central Division leader for most of the game.

“I hope to keep our positivity and spirits high on another road trip,” Head Coach Nathan Bussberg said. “We were able to spend some quality time together last week, and doubling down on that should be helpful.”

The team is also getting closer to full strength as William Wettengel and Jeremiah Branson return this week. Wettengel has been an amazing boost to the offense with nine assists and nine goals in three games.

“I expect William Wettengel to impact the game,” said Bussberg. “We're excited to get him back on offense and catching goals."

We also get to see Elliot Hawkins, Jake Felton, and Wettengel together for the second time this year. When they played against the Union, they combined for 17 assists (15 from Hawkins), 10 goals, and 3 blocks (all from Wettengel).

Sofiène Bontemps will also play in this game, a guy who didn’t in their first game of the season, so his impact will be one to watch. After a great 2026 debut, catching four goals, he adds another layer to a potential offensive line of Hawkins, Bontemps, Felton, Wettengel, Branson, Cameron Brock, and Jonathan Mast or Carter Hawkins.

“Having Will [Wettengel] and Jerm [Jeremiah Branson] back is huge,” said Mast. “They're both versatile players, can slot in pretty much anywhere, and make an impact.”

It wouldn’t be a shock to see Seth Gudeman slide back to the defensive line after playing most of his points on offense the last two games. 

The hits the AlleyCats will take on the personnel side include Xavier Payne not suiting up for the second game in a row, and Nicholas Betsch being out for this one, after making big plays in big moments last week against Minnesota.

It will be an interesting game on Sunday afternoon and will show how much both teams have developed. The contrast between the two offenses should make this a very fun game. The AlleyCats' biggest strength right now is their deep game, while Madison doesn’t give the disc away, averaging the fourth-fewest turnovers as a collective per game.

“We're starting to gel better as a group,” Mast said. “It's a lot of different people coming together who are used to different systems, so we were expecting some rougher waters and knew the first game would be about feeling things out. We're past that stage now, though. We just need to go out there and prove it.”

Indy has had four games, the fewest in the league, but if their playoff aspirations are to stay alive, this is the point where the big names, chemistry fixes, and hard work need to show against Madison.

They will need to produce more blocks and generate early pressure against the Madison offense, something they showed they can do against Minnesota. 

“We hope to continue building pressure.” Bussberg said.

“We've got the athletes and the skills, we just need to produce a more complete game collectively,” Mast stated.

That makes the defensive conversion rate that much more important for an Indy team that has struggled getting breaks this season. One of their facilitators in that regard is rookie Avi Ghitterman, who has been playing well to start his UFA career.

“The AlleyCats have been a very fun experience,” Ghitterman, who has an assist in each game this year, said. “I really love this group of guys, and leadership has done a great job building a community. Even with so many travel players and new faces, the group makes all of us feel welcome.”

All in all, this is a massive test for the AlleyCats. We have reached the point where saying “they will figure it out” no longer applies. The winning needs to start this weekend, and this game will show whether they are ready to do it.

According to Ghitterman, it’s simple: “Trust in each other and score more points than the bad guys.”

To watch the game this Sunday at 5 p.m. CT, go here!