AUDL Honor Roll: All-Star Game

June 10, 2019
By Evan Lepler

Throughout the 2019 season, the AUDL’s weekly honor roll will be revealed each Monday, honoring seven players whose individual exploits merit recognition. The players are listed alphabetically by last name.

  1. Kevin Brown, Madison Radicals (Team KPS) —Scanning the field as the overtime clock ticked down, Kevin Brown could have tossed a 50/50 prayer toward the pack. Instead, he lasered a blading flick toward the front corner, where Team KPS teammate Antoine Davis had position. An acrobatic effort from Davis evened the score again as the buzzer sounded, ensuring double overtime, where Brown’s team prevailed on universe point. Statistically, Brown also finished the game 36-for-36 passing, the most completions without a turnover for any Individual in the game. His 36 throws totaled an estimated 365 yards, second most in the game.
  2. Travis Dunn, San Diego Growlers (Team Rowan) —Even in the All-Star Game, Travis Dunn looked like the consistent all-around anchor he has been for the San Diego Growlers all season. He completed all but one of his 26 throws, with three goals, three assists, and four additional hockey assists. He also gobbled up yards downfield throughout the game, finishing with 301 receiving yards, third most behind Ben Jagt and Goose Helton.
  3. Cam Harris, Toronto Rush (Team Rowan) — Cam Harris was his typical steady self, completing all 17 of his throws while fitting in seamlessly with his new teammates. He also delivered one of the most thrilling plays of the game, snagging Jay Froude’s full-field backhand amongst a crowded pack for a critical buzzer-beater as the third quarter ended. That goal, Harris’ only score of the game, brought Team Rowan, who had trailed by as many as six, back within one heading into the fourth.
  4. Ben Jagt, New York Empire (Team KPS) —On the same field with so many of his elite peers, Ben Jagt still stood out as a superstar. Despite a game-high five turnovers, he also finished with four goals (t-2nd in the game), five assists (t-1st), and three blocks (t-1st). He constantly commanded respect downfield, churning up big chunks of yards, finishing the game with an estimated 459 receiving yards, 104 more than the second-highest individual total. He also finished the game with 11 completions, but one of them was the game-winning dime to Pawel Janas in double overtime, clinching the victory for Team KPS.
  5. Pawel Janas, Chicago Wildfire (Team KPS) —Like Jagt, Pawel Janas separated himself from the rest of the all-stars, dazzling throughout the night with powerful presence and uncommon precision. With just one throwaway, Janas recorded 52 completions for a game-high 524 passing yards, 46 percent more than the Brown’s second highest passing yardage total. He also delivered three assists, six hockey assists, and caught two goals, including the score that capped the exhilarating evening to give his team the dramatic 28-27 triumph.
  6. Ben Katz, New York Empire (Team Rowan) — If Team Rowan had prevailed at the end of the wild night, Ben Katz might have been named MVP after leading his squad in completions (32) and passing yards (305) while playing completely turnover-free and making one smart, clutch decision after another. Taken with the 17th overall pick in the draft, Katz was easily among the top five most valuable players in the game.
  7. Max Sheppard, Pittsburgh Thunderbirds (Team KPS) — After watching the entire game closely and scanning the postgame statistics, making Max Sheppard the MVP was not a hard call. The 23-year-old Thunderbird—he’ll turn 24 in 11 days—led all players with a plus-8, accumulating three goals, five assists, and two blocks throughout his impactful performance, completing 22 of his 23 throws. He also played with a steady composure and assertiveness that fit the tone and intensity of the evening, deferring to teammates at times and taking over appropriately on occasion. Perhaps fans around the league were not too familiar with Sheppard prior to Saturday night, but his performance on the big stage will elevate his stature going forward. Helping his Pittsburgh Thunderbirds team qualify for the playoffs in the competitive Midwest would be an even bigger boost for Sheppard and his burgeoning superstar career.