By: Brett Gombita

PITTSBURGH, PA – The Pittsburgh Thunderbirds closed out their 2026 season Sunday with a 29-25 loss to the Indianapolis AlleyCats at F.N.B. Stadium. Despite the defeat, Pittsburgh matched its highest offensive output of the season with 25 goals.

Originally scheduled for Friday evening, the game was postponed until Sunday because of hazardous air quality conditions.

Jimmy Towle and Liam Becker each scored a team-high five goals for the Thunderbirds, while Lucas Storm recorded a team-best six assists. Storm also tied Ryan Kindell for the team lead with two blocks.

Neither team converted its opening possession before Indianapolis (6-6) broke through and capitalized on back-to-back defensive stops to build an early 3-0 advantage. Anson Reppermund answered with a deep huck reception for Pittsburgh's first goal of the afternoon, but the Thunderbirds committed nine turnovers in the opening quarter and trailed 8-3 after the first 12 minutes.

Maxwell Olesen provided the highlight of the second quarter, recording a Callahan goal for the first score of the period. The rare defensive score was Pittsburgh's first home Callahan of the 2026 season and the first of Olesen's UFA career.

"I saw that the stall was getting up there a little bit, and I knew that my person was almost certainly the next person to be thrown to," Olesen said. "I rotated a little bit more inside to make any throw that went off have to be further. Fortunately for me, it was not as far as the thrower wanted."

Olesen added that he had previously recorded Callahans "...in club and one in college before."

The Thunderbirds finished the first half with momentum, scoring three late goals to cut the deficit to 13-9. Reppermund capped the run by hauling in a score as time expired on a possession that began with just nine seconds remaining.

Pittsburgh continued its push early in the third quarter when Ethan Campion scored his first career UFA goal, trimming the deficit to 14-11.

"It was a blessing," Campion said. "I've been patient, trying to get open space and create opportunities around the disc, and this was a perfect opportunity."

The third quarter featured the game's highest-scoring stretch. Storm orchestrated the offense with four assists during the period, while Towle found the end zone three consecutive times for Pittsburgh. Indianapolis, however, answered each surge and extended its lead to 23-16 entering the fourth quarter.

After the AlleyCats closed the third on a 3-0 run, the Thunderbirds responded with three straight goals to open the final quarter. Pittsburgh continued to pressure Indianapolis throughout the closing minutes, but the AlleyCats maintained a four-goal cushion for much of the period and secured the 29-25 victory.

The loss concludes Pittsburgh's 2026 campaign with a 2-9 record. The Thunderbirds finish fourth in the UFA Central Division, one spot shy of a postseason berth.