by Tessa Martyn

The Chicago Union are headed to the Capital City of Ultimate, Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, July 29, at 7pm CDT for their last road game of the regular season against the Madison Radicals. 

Last Saturday, the Union rolled their way to a 25-17 victory against the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds, officially clinching their fourth playoff appearance in franchise history. 

Recently, Ross Barker led the team to victory against the Minnesota Wind Chill in week 11, making him an honoree of Evan Lepler’s Week 11 Honor Roll with four goals, three assists, a total of 389 yards, and zero turnovers. 

Barker did it again in last weekend’s game against the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds, registering a 300/300 game with three goals, five assists, and a turnover-free plus-eight. Barker became the fourth person in the AUDL this season to produce a single-game performance consisting of at least 300 throwing yards, 300 receiving yards, and no turnovers, joining a group that includes Boston’s Cole Davis-Brand, Colorado’s Jay Froude, and Carolina’s Sol Yanuck.  

Jeff Weis also came up big in Saturday’s game with seven goals and three assists.

After coming back from an injury, the Player of The Game was #6 Scott Hearne. Hearne made a huge impact against Pittsburgh with two assists, two blocks, and a 100 percent completion percentage.  His pulls routinely put the defense in advantageous field position and he was a key asset in counterattacks. 

The Chicago Union have officially clinched the top seed in the Central Division, giving them a first-round playoff bye and home-field advantage heading into the 2022 Central Division Championship Game. 

The 2022 Central Division Championship Game will be held on August 21 at De La Salle Institute in Chicago, IL. The game will be showcased on AUDL.TV. Tickets can be purchased on the website here. 

The Chicago Union are back at home for their final regular season game on Saturday, July 30 at 6pm CDT against the Detroit Mechanix. Tickets can be purchased here.