This past weekend we saw the biggest upset of the season so far with the New York Rumble knocking off the Washington D.C. Current. We also saw dominating wins by the Portland Stags and the Philadelphia Spinners, solidifying their place even more at the top of the conference. Oh and we saw the MLU land on Sportscenter Top 10 plays yet again, thank you Sean Mott. We sit in an awkward situation though, where the 2014 conference champions are both sitting at the bottom of their respective conferences.
#1 Portland Stags: 4-0
Last Week: #1 Change: +0
Portland can win in any situation. They can blow out teams. They can win with their offense. They can win with their defense. Its easy to say that the Stags are the best team. Their consistency at this point in the season has put them in a situation where they might not lose this season. Players are contributing from all over lineup, including Matt Melius who had a goal, an assist, and three blocks against San Francisco and Trevor Smith who got the first four goals of his career. Through four games the team has rolled opponents by 31 points, their closest game being by three points on the back end of a road doubleheader road trip.
#2 Philadelphia Spinners: 4-0
Last Week: #2 Change: +0
The Spinners appear to be a team on a mission this season. Sure, they took on a New York team on the back end of a two game weekend but their domination was one of the biggest of the season. Fifteen breaks was what dictated the game as the Philadelphia offense scored 83% of the time they were on the field. It allowed 21 different players to get 10 or more points under their belt as they look to run away with the east. This week they will get their first bye of the season as they head to New York the following week.
#3 Boston Whitecaps: 2-1
Last Week: #3 Change: +0
The Whitecaps had three games and a bye to prepare for their home opener. A place where Boston has dominated, 16-2, in their team history. Right now Philadelphia appears to be the favorites but if Boston cannot lose at home they will ride right into the Eastern Conference Final. This week they face a desperate Current team who are still looking for their first win of the season.
#4 Seattle Rainmakers: 1-2
Last Week: #5 Change: +1
When you go out and only have one break against you on the offensive side of the disc that is a good day. When you do it without your star player (Khalif El-Salaam), that is even better. The team showed this week that they are more than just El-Salaam, their offense was on a roll despite only a 50% first hold efficiency. Defensively they forced Vancouver to 297 throw attempts, over 100 more than Seattle and were able to convert on 10 breaks. Matthew Neeley assisted on four scores and completed all 10 of his throws in the game as the team spread out the depth chart more. No one attempted more than 19 throws or played more than 15 points.
#5 San Francisco Dogfish: 1-1
Last Week: #6 Change: +1
Last week, I mentioned how this game was going to be a learning moment for the Dogfish in preparation for the rematch next week. For two quarters (the 1st and 4th), San Francisco kept pace with Portland and scored the same amount of points (three and five respectively). In the middle quarters Portland's offense picked up and was able to hold on their first opportunity. For the Dogfish that was not seen until the final 10 minutes. Forcing the cutters downfield when Bjorklund did not have the disc, kept them in the game early. The team however, could not maintain it for the entire game and could not score defensively, getting only one break the entire game.
#6 New York Rumble: 1-3
Last Week: #7 Change: +1
Claiming your first road win in over two years can be a huge momentum builder for a team. New York however lost that momentum after being throttled by the Spinners in their second game of the weekend. Philadelphia's defense was able to score more effectively than their offense. At the end of the weekend though 1-1 is a great sign for a team that has struggled since their formation. Reeling off 10 scores against the Current in a single quarter showed the Rumble what they are capable of and will give them the ability to make things interesting at the end of the season.
#7 Washington D.C. Current: 0-3
Last Week: #4 Change: -3
The Current are off to their worst start in franchise history. With a doubleheader weekend coming up for the team, the odds are not favorable to get better. The good news? The team has only lost all three games by a combined six points. It would not be out of their abilities to take a game away from any team in the east on the road. D.C. is finding the capabilities of each player on the roster and letting them find their own grove. Flores unleashed his huck ability this weekend and doubled his touches on the O-line. However the issue of getting broken five times in the fourth quarter twice needs to get fixed going forward.
#8 Vancouver Nighthawks: 0-3
Last Week: #8 Change: +0
The season does not look any clearer for the Nighthawks. Missing Sasha Lo this past week, the offense only scored 43% of the time. However it allowed David Whitney-Brown to showcase his abilities with the disc by completing 40 of his 43 passes, the highest mark in the game. This of course being when the team attempted 297 throws in the entire game. The good side of that number is that they completed 90% of those passes. Each week there is a new player highlighted on the Nighthawks roster, but if Lo, Whitney-Brown, Barber, Taylor Nadon, and Erik Hunter are able to bring it together in a whole game, Vancouver might be able to steal a win this year.
Final Thoughts
Heading into only the fourth week of the season, the D.C. Current are already going to be in desperate mode. If the team does not get a win this weekend they will be 0-5 and basically eliminated from the playoffs. The Nighthawks will be in the same situation hosting the Stags and traveling to Seattle in the weekend. Philadelphia and San Francisco will have a bye, the Dogfish's second of the year. San Fran will be preparing for a huge stretch of the season where they can make their playoff push. Portland will be looking to tie their best start in franchise history of 5-0.