In a very unfortunate turn of events, we recorded a podcast that was forever lost. In that pod, we discussed the Strike’s final game of their 2024 season, as well as a little bit of how their season went. Because you never got to hear the podcast, I intend to bring that conversation to you.
After coming off a 6-0 record and first round playoff exit last season, we were unsure of what to expect this season from the Strike. Could they recreate a perfect record, possibly win in the playoffs, and maybe even win the whole thing? Unfortunately, they did not. The Strike, who started their season at home with a loss, ended the season 2-4. A losing record, but one that did inspire hope for the future. In many of their games, the Strike looked just a little out of sync; with young players coming into the team and some key players leaving, the Strike had a new identity to find on the field, which often takes a lot more time than the PUL season allows. But as the season went on, the Strike found their stride and ended much stronger than they started.
Ending on a High Note
In the final game of their season, the Minnesota Strike had a convincing 5 (although technically 4) goal win over Indianapolis Red. It was a great way to end the season, especially because it was at Sea Foam sweet home in front of their fans. The end of the season saw many players stepping up in big ways. Despite missing key players like Emma Piorier, Steph Rupp, and Courtney Walbe, the Strike were able to successfully move the disc around the field. On more than one occasion Tori Gray rocketed a pass to space for Jane Koch to capitalize on, usually by beating a defender to space and boxing them out. We also saw amazing defensive pressure from the Strike, forcing long points out of Indy’s offense and tiring them out early in the game, and also early after the half time break.
And while Indy tried to shut down star players like Meckstroth and Byers, they still found a way to get open, break marks, and have a massive impact on the game. Sarah Mondschein had a highlight reel performance with several amazing possession-saving, point-earning catches. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Makella Daley fitting into the Strike’s handler rotation perfectly. The way she read defenses, cut through zones, and always found the next player's hands with the disc this season is something we are hopefully going to see more of in years to come.
Game-by-Game Analysis
But before we get ahead of ourselves thinking about the future, let’s take a look at this last season. Like I had already mentioned, we did not know what to expect. The Strike went through a lot of personnel change while also maintaining a solid core of players. Optimistically we believed it could be another 6-0 season. However, that hope ended on the very first game of the year for the Strike, a game where it felt like the Strike were always just one step behind their opponents, Portland Rising. Despite good defensive pressure, the Strike got ahead of themselves on a few throws and gave Portland too many opportunities to hold after a turn. But even after a game one loss, there were bright spots to look to. The Strike brought a high level of intensity and athleticism to every play. The players never looked tired or remotely phased by the score or a negative outcome. They were always ready for more.
We saw this in week two, where the Strike stepped on the gas against the Milwaukee Monarchs, winning 21-9. This game was reminiscent of last season, with patient handler movement and big cuts from star players. This success reinvigorated hope for a great season with good playoff odds. Going into their first road game of the season against Raleigh Radiance, the Strike were ready to take their second win and have a winning record. The game was a back and forth battle, the teams going blow for blow, and the first half ended with Strike up by one. Both teams were held to only holds in the first half, something that felt like could have been a game-changer had the Strike been able to close out points on defense. But in the second half, the Radiance capitalized on the few mistakes the Strike made while making next to none themselves to take a very hard-fought win, 15-17.
With a weekend off, the Strike prepped for the hardest part of this season’s schedule, a double header road weekend against two of the best teams in the league: the Philadelphia Surge and New York Gridlock. In both games, the Strike looked excellent. In the game against Philly, Minnesota used their high intensity and athleticism to make stellar plays, take difficult routes, and come up with an excellent plan. However, Philly had a different plan prepared. Any time the Strike went to make a big play, the Surge were right there to make another. One play that truly encapsulated the whole game was when Amelia Zdechlik took a difficult route to make an excellent block attempt on a deep pass, even getting a hand on the disc and knocking it off its path, only for the Surge player to catch the disc and get the point anyway. Despite their best efforts, the Surge out played the Strike that day and moved them to a disappointing 1-3 on the season.
The following day came with a similar story in New York. Any time Minnesota made a play, New York was right there to make one back. New York was also able to capitalize on the fact that the Strike had played the day prior. While fatigue wasn’t the deciding factor of that game, it is worth mentioning that had the Strike played the Gridlock’s roster the previous day, they may have ended the weekend 1-1 instead of 0-2.
Despite ending the season 2-4, the Strike felt like a much better team than their record reflected. Their final game of the season was a very clean game. They unlocked the potential that we had talked so much about and looked forward to seeing this season. We finally got to see what an in-form Minnesota Strike team looked like. And they looked good.
A Bright Future for the Minnesota Strike
So now, let’s be done looking back. Because we should definitely start looking forward. The Strike have a lot of veterans on the field at any given time which provides an excellent building block for the years to come. While new players are exciting to get to watch improve and have huge performances at young ages, it is important to have more seasoned players help them develop to their full potential. But new and young players are exciting to watch and look out for.
While we are uncertain of next year’s roster, I know I’m looking forward to seeing a return from Tori Gray and Amelia Zdechlik. These are two players who clearly have a lot of potential for their futures, and would be exciting to watch for seasons to come. With a high potential from young players, and guidance from veteran players like Alicia Carr, Danielle Byers, Jane Koch, and so many others, the Strike have a bright future ahead of them.
If the last game of the season is indicative of what to expect from Minnesota in the future, then PUL beware, there’s lightning on the horizon.
Comments