Hawkins leads AlleyCats to first-ever playoff win in Madison

Elliot Hawkins and the Indianapolis AlleyCats left Madison with a road playoff win in the opening round of the Central Division playoffs, and the result carried extra weight because it was Indianapolis’ first win against the Radicals. WatchUFA’s game page for IND vs. MAD was dated July 26, 2026, and the full-game highlights centered on the AlleyCats’ trip to Madison.

Hawkins was the entry point to the win. One search result pointed to three assists for Elliot Hawkins to start the game, a fast start that gave Indianapolis the kind of early control road teams rarely get to enjoy in playoff ultimate. In a single-elimination setting, that matters more than style points. If the visiting side can survive the opening burst and make the home crowd sit through a back-and-forth game, the pressure shifts. Hawkins has already shown he can blow up a score sheet, too: Ultiworld’s June 1 recap said his monster game earlier in the season nearly set a new league record.

Madison has long been one of the tougher places for visitors to close out a postseason game, which is why this result resonates beyond one weekend bracket. WatchUFA described the matchup as the Central Division playoffs between the Indianapolis AlleyCats and Madison Radicals, and the wording around Indianapolis finally earning catharsis underlines how long this breakthrough had been coming. For a franchise trying to keep pace in a division that Ultiworld’s April 22 preview said would again feature Minnesota as the favorite, a win like this is proof that Indianapolis can survive the same crowded playoff field as the established names.

The AlleyCats did not just get a road result. They showed they can carry their offense into a hostile environment, lean on a player in Hawkins who can create immediate separation, and turn a difficult first-round assignment into a bracket-shifting win. Those are the traits of a team that can make trouble for higher-seeded opponents deeper in October, and Madison was the first place Indianapolis proved it.