Detroit Mechanix

Last updated
Detroit Mechanix
Detroit Mechanix.svg
Full nameDetroit Mechanix
Sport Ultimate
Founded2010
First season 2012 American Ultimate Disc League season
League Ultimate Frisbee Association
DivisionCentral
Based in Madison Heights, Michigan
StadiumBishop Foley Stadium
Colors  
OwnerBrent Steepe
Head coachBrent Steepe
MascotRusty the Wrench
Website watchufa.com/mechanix

The Detroit Mechanix are a professional ultimate team based in the Detroit metropolitan area. The Mechanix compete in the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) as a member of the Central Division. [1] The Mechanix, owned by Brent Steepe and was founded in 2010, began play in 2012 as one of the eight charter teams of the league.

Contents

Club history and losing streak

The Mechanix suffered what is believed to be the longest losing streak in the history of professional sports: 81 games in a row, stretching over a seven-year period, from April 29, 2017 [2] to June 22, 2024. [3] On that day, the Mechanix defeated the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds, 26-15; it was their only victory of 2024.

The Mechanix all-time regular season record is a woeful 17-145 (.105), and the team has gone winless seven times in their twelve-year history. After a decent 7-9 record in their inaugural season in 2012, Detroit managed only a 4-12 mark in 2013, then suffered back-to-back 0-14 seasons in 2014-15. The club managed to record four victories in 2016, [4] but tumbled to 1-13 in 2017 -- and that lone win would be their last for quite a while, as Detroit would log five straight winless seasons. [5] They have finished last in points per game in nine of their twelve seasons and last in their division eleven times (every year except 2016). [5]

The 2020 AUDL season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the hapless Mechanix would suffer an even worse tragedy: on February 29, 2020, three members of the team -- Kevin Coulter, Drew Piet, and Michael Cannon -- were killed in a multi-car accident on Interstate 96 on their way to a team practice. Piet and Coulter played for the Mechanix during the 2019 season, while Cannon was practicing with the team. Police and news outlets reported that the players’ vehicle was stopped in traffic due to a separate single-vehicle rollover accident when a speeding driver failed to slow down and collided with theirs and several other vehicles. [6]

Since 2021, the Mechanix have played their home games at Grand Rapids Christian High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan, some 150 miles from Detroit. (The club has never actually played in the Motor City: the Pontiac Silverdome was home to the team in 2012, then the Mechanix played at Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac from 2013-15, then at Bishop Foley Catholic High School in Madison Heights from 2016-20.)

Players and staff

2024 roster

#Name
2Joseph Sogno
3Nathan Ploeger
6Gregory Moreno
9Aaron Richards
10Mario Moran
11Justin Wollin
12Carson Chamberlain
13James Kloss
14Jake Felton
17Jack Bembenek
19Quinn Garner
21Nic Lanas
22Marco Dewey
23Mauricio Galeano
24Brendan Gessner
26Tyler Shanahan
27Jordan Hill
28Richard Ware
31Bradley Kennis
32Elliot Davis
33Terry Gaither
37Joseph Simpson
40Ryan Smith
42Sean McGuinness
44Anderson Cañon
45Aiden Rudy
47Christopher O'Brien
64Stephen Grondin
76Conrad Nguyen
78Matthew Bell
81Colin Beauregard
86Nicholas Akers
94Noah Sawyer
96Caleb Texeira

International players

#NameYearsNation
41Dave Hochhalter2012–2013 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg
30Marc Michael Huber2013 Flag of Austria.svg
91Bjarne Laursen2014 Flag of Denmark.svg
99Takashi Sato2015 Flag of Japan.svg
17Wasdi Grimaldo B.2015–2019 Flag of Colombia.svg
68Eugene Lim2016 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg
40Ben Cheer2019 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg
21Kevin van Roosmalen2022 Flag of the Netherlands.svg

Player records

To the 2021 season.

Games played

#NameGamesYearsNation
4Andrew Lucarotti632012–2017 Flag of the United States.svg
13Ben Murphy622012–2017 Flag of the United States.svg
33Eric Hubbard602013–2017 Flag of the United States.svg
6Danny Hunt492013–2015, 2017 Flag of the United States.svg
8Aaron del Real472012,2014–2017 Flag of the United States.svg

Points played

#NamePointsYearsNation
33Eric Hubbard14182013–2017 Flag of the United States.svg
4Andrew Lucarotti12402012–2017 Flag of the United States.svg
13Ben Murphy11422012–2017 Flag of the United States.svg
8Aaron del Real9422012,2014–2017 Flag of the United States.svg
6Danny Hunt8482013–2015, 2017 Flag of the United States.svg

Goals scored

#NameGoalsYearsNation
33Eric Hubbard1412013–2017 Flag of the United States.svg
8Aaron del Real832012,2014–2017 Flag of the United States.svg
83Mark Worsfold632012–2013 Flag of the United States.svg
11Anthony Davis572016–2017 Flag of the United States.svg
12Ben Ayres532012–2013 Flag of the United States.svg

Assists

#NameAssistsYearsNation
4Andrew Lucarotti1002012–2017 Flag of the United States.svg
41Dave Hochhalter942012–2014 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg
35Joseph Besser582014–2016 Flag of the United States.svg
98Dan Donovan532016–2017 Flag of the United States.svg
8Aaron del Real522012,2014–2017 Flag of the United States.svg

Blocks

#NameBlocksYearsNation
33Eric Hubbard772013–2017 Flag of the United States.svg
23Andy Barnhart472012–2014 Flag of the United States.svg
42Nathan Champoux382016–2017 Flag of the United States.svg
4Andrew Lucarotti312012–2017 Flag of the United States.svg
8Aaron del Real282012,2014–2017 Flag of the United States.svg

Record

YearDivisionRecordWin%PlayoffsGoalsGoals AgainstFinish
2012 Western7-9 (T-3rd)0.438337351Did not make playoffs
2013 Midwest4-12 (6th)0.250290371Did not make playoffs
2014 Midwest0-14 (6th)0.000217380Did not make playoffs
2015 Midwest0-14 (7th)0.000234444Did not make playoffs
2016 Midwest4-10 (6th)0.286257337Did not make playoffs
2017 Midwest1-13 (6th)0.071241333Did not make playoffs
2018 Midwest0-14 (6th)0.000235423Did not make playoffs
2019 Midwest0-12 (6th)0.000174277Did not make playoffs
2021Central0-12 (5th)0.000187322Did not make playoffs
2022Central0-12 (6th)0.000214325Did not make playoffs
2023Central0-12 (6th)0.000187279Did not make playoffs
2024Central1-11 (6th)0.083189301Did not make playoffs
Total17-1450.1050-02,7624,143

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References

  1. ↑ "Detroit Mechanix". American Ultimate Disc League. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  2. ↑ "Tuesday Toss: Week 11". AUDL. 2019-06-18. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  3. ↑ "League Game - PIT vs. DET 06-22-2024". AUDL. 2024-06-22. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  4. ↑ Detroit thus finished ahead of the 0-14 Cincinnati Revolution, marking the only time the Mechanix have not finished in last place
  5. 1 2 "Detroit Mechanix History". AUDL. 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  6. ↑ Raynor, Keith (2020-03-02). "Three Detroit Mechanix Players Killed in Car Accident". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-03-23.
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