GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — It’s over! For the first time since 2017, the Detroit Mechanix have won a game, snapping an 81-game losing streak.
The Mechanix beat the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds 25-14 on Saturday evening at the Hudsonville Athletic Fields.
Terry Gaither led Detroit with six goals and Jake Felton racked up nine assists and 38 completions. Colin Beauregard led the team with three blocks.
The Mechanix are now 1-7 on the season, while Pittsburgh falls to 4-4. UltiWorld.com’s Alex Rubin noted that the Thunderbirds were without several top players and that seven of the team’s 20 active players were playing in their first game with the program.
While the Mechanix is a founding member of what is now called the Ultimate Frisbee Association, the team has been a cut below the competition for several years now. The team went 7-9 in its inaugural season in 2012 but has never finished above .500.
The Mechanix went 1-13 in 2017, earning their lone win on April 29 over the Chicago Union. Then came five consecutive undefeated seasons: 0-14 in 2018 and 0-12 in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The 81-game losing streak was considered the longest active streak in professional sports.
Brent Steepe, the owner and coach of the Detroit Mechanix, told Rubin it comes down to faith.
“When you start a program with 27 strangers/rookies in a 35-person program that is attached to the longest current losing streak in professional sports, you have to believe that all things are possible,” Steepe said. “We stand as proof of that concept.”
The Mechanix return to action on Saturday, hosting the Minnesota Wind Chill at Grand Rapids Christian High School. The Wind Chill is 6-1 and leads the UFA Central Division. The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
