THE WEEK THAT WAS 3/17: CRUCIAL WINS AND PLAYOFF TURNS

Chicago, Ill – This past weekend featured a series of matches, some crucial in securing playoff spots for teams.

Earlier this month, the Cleveland Crunch (Cleveland, Ohio), Amarillo Bombers (Amarillo, Texas) and Canadian Crusaders (Toronto, Ontario) secured the top three playoff seeds and are set to play in the semifinals Friday, April 11 at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Last weekend, the Omaha Kings (Omaha, Neb.) also officially secured a playoff spot and will play in the wildcard match Thursday, April 10 of finals weekend. The winner of the wildcard match will advance to the semifinals April 11 to play the #1 seed. 

On the women’s side, Chicago Mustangs (Chicago, Ill.) and Summit City United (Ft. Wayne, Ind.) secured the top two spots in the league standings and will both advance to the women's final Saturday, April 12 at the Wolstein Center.

Here’s a weekend recap:

Red Cedar (Lansing, Mich.) vs. Toronto

Toronto earned a 16-3 win over Lansing, starting fast with five goals in the first period. Leaford Allen recorded a hat trick early and finished with four goals overall, while Sebastián López also notched a hat trick and contributed multiple assists. Toronto spread the scoring throughout the lineup, with goals from Moustafa Khattab, Zak Drake, Osman Hussein, Yonis Jama and others.

Lansing got on the board with goals from Craig Fritz Jr., Anthony Recinos and Storm Powers. Yevhenii Zaiets was also a key playmaker for Toronto, registering four assists.

Amarillo vs. Chicago Mustangs (Chicago, Ill.)

Amarillo came out on top with an 8-5 win over Chicago in a game that stayed close until the final minutes. David Trevizo led Amarillo with two goals and two assists, while Emanuel Celaya added a goal and two assists. Chicago’s Eduardo Nava recorded a hat trick to keep his team within striking distance, but Amarillo pulled away with three goals in the fourth period, including a late penalty kick by Christian Segura.

Both teams traded goals through the second and third periods, with Chicago tying it twice. Amarillo’s Cleber Rodriguez also chipped in with two goals, including one on a penalty kick. Trevizo and Nava stood out as key contributors, with Trevizo earning first star honors and Nava continuing to be one of Chicago’s top scorers this season.

Chicago Panthinaikos (Chicago PAO) vs. Summit City United (Ft. Wayne, Ind.)

Chicago PAO picked up a strong 10-5 win over Summit City United on Saturday in what was expected to be a competitive matchup. Both teams brought intensity, but PAO found their rhythm early and maintained control to secure the victory.

Colorado Bucks (Denver, Colo.) vs. Amarillo

Amarillo edged out Colorado 6-5 in a back-and-forth battle that wasn’t decided until the final minutes. Emanuel Celaya was a difference-maker, scoring twice and earning first star honors, while Christian Segura and David Trevizo each added key goals for Amarillo. Colorado stayed within striking distance all game, tying the score multiple times with goals from Josh Thompson and Oscar Gonzalez-Juarez  Despite another solid effort, including strong goaltending, Colorado came up just short.

The teams traded punches throughout all four quarters, with Amarillo pulling ahead late on Trevizo’s goal in the late third. Colorado responded but couldn’t find the equalizer down the stretch.