June 18, 2026
By Alex Rubin
Both the Salt Lake Shred and “Friday Night Frisbee” will be taking a Central Division road trip this week. Both of Salt Lake’s matchups, against the Madison Radicals on Thursday and against the Minnesota Wind Chill on Friday, will be given the full FNF treatment.
The first matchup is the first ever meeting between the Shred and Radicals, though Salt Lake does have experience playing at Breese Stevens Field—they lost there to Boston at Championship Weekend last season.
The Radicals have won their games this season with a stout defense. Madison has given up the fewest scores against in the league this season (though they have played fewer games than most other teams). On the other side of the disc, the Radicals have figured out a new offensive system enough to produce clutch holds in close games. Twice against Indianapolis this season, Madison came from behind to win without surrendering a fourth quarter break. If they’re able to make offensive adjustments earlier and continue their patient style of offense, Madison will be a tough out even against a favored Salt Lake side. The Radicals average just four hucks per game, fewest in the league by far (the next closest is Oakland at 5.38). Against Salt Lake’s athletic defense, Madison might be better served protecting the disc rather than testing defenses’s aerial abilities.
Salt Lake has a lot to prove after an upset loss to Seattle last week. While teams typically would want an easier matchup for a bounceback game, the Shred need to travel on a weekday to play against a scrappy team in one of the toughest road environments in the Association. Looking at the schedule, the matchup against Madison could read like a trap game before facing off against Minnesota, but the Shred will need to treat both games like a must-win opportunity. Sitting just one game ahead of Colorado in the win column, Salt Lake would benefit from adding to their own win tally as the playoff race comes into focus.
On the contrary, the Wind Chill enter the week on a high note. Their win against the Oakland Spiders in Oakland last weekend vaulted the Wind Chill to the top spot in the latest UFA "Power Rankings". Now at home, Minnesota will get to show off their own impressive home field advantage in their second straight matchup against a West Division team.
Though they have only met twice so far, the Shred-Wind Chill matchup already has its place among the legends of the UFA. Joel Clutton’s tipped buzzer beater remains the standout memory from their instant-classic 2023 semifinal. That game was also that last time Salt Lake played in Minnesota. The two teams met last season in Utah, a game that the Shred also won 22-18.
One key player to watch for Minnesota is former Shred handler Nate De Morgan. De Morgan, in just four games played, has already matched his total for assists last season and surpassed his goal tally while improving his completion percentage nine whole points. A rising star in the league, De Morgan adds even more dynamism and range to a Wind Chill offense that has looked stellar all season. If any team has a game plan to stop him, his former teammates in Salt Lake would probably be the most likely. However, nobody has been able to do so yet this season. Alongside still-improving youngsters in Will Brandt and Gordon Larson, Minnesota is building an offense that does not just make them favorites in this game, but also perhaps for the league title.
No matter what happens, this series of games will have playoff implications. Salt Lake is struggling to keep their footing in the West Division, while Madison is looking to solidify their place in the Central Division playoff picture. With Minnesota’s place in the playoffs all but secure, the Wind Chill will certainly appreciate the ability to challenge themselves against another top team from a different division (remember: they still have Boston coming to town later this season) as they start to think about another Championship Weekend.
