Photo by Paul Rutherford – UltiPhotos.com
AUGUST 12, 2025
By Kyle Turnbaugh
It was a disastrous day for the DC Breeze (8-6), as their Championship Weekend dreams were dashed by the Boston Glory (10-3) in a game where DC’s offense never got going and the defense failed to convert the limited chances they were able to create. A meager nine goals is the fewest that the Breeze have scored in a full UFA game in franchise history (they scored seven in a 2015 matchup against the Empire that was cut short due to weather.) The Breeze offense struggled against a fully healthy Boston defense that used their size advantage to the fullest, forcing Breeze cutters into the deep space where the handlers would be forced to make risky throws. The defense couldn't get anything going either, as the Boston offense dominated time of possession and were incredibly patient. DC's defence didn't log a break until there was just one minute remaining in the fourth quarter of the game.
The game started with the Breeze avoiding a scare, as Aidan Downey was stalled out by the suffocating Glory defense right on the Breeze goal line. But Boston made one of their few mistakes of the game, with Tannor Johnson-Go opting to rip an early hammer that floated into a sea of white and black with no one coming down with the disc. With their second chance, Rowan McDonnell hit Cole Jurek with the deep throw for the goal. Breeze fans hoped this early goal would be the start of a big game for the returning cutter.
The cracks in the Breeze defense showed early, as Glory responded by finding a wide open Ryan Dinger in the endzone for the leveling goal. Although the first showing for the DC offense was shaky, they still got the goal, but things wouldn't go as well for the offensive unit when they trotted out the second time, as they were broken for the first time of the night as Gustav Haflin blocked a pass from McDonnell and then sprinted deep for the bookends. The DC offense came out and got a hold in response to tie the game at 2. The only problem was that Boston went on a six-goal run after this, as DC went nearly 20 minutes of game time without scoring through the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second.
Boston’s defense continued to dominate in the second quarter, as they broke twice to lead DC by as much as six goals. Just by taking a look at DC’s offensive statistics, you can see how effective the Glory defense was. Beyond the final score, DC’s elite attackers were all held to quiet days. Jurek had just one goal, Christian Boxley had just two assists, and Downey only managed one assist and two goals. DC did get some chances to get themselves back into the game, though, as David Bloodgood broke up a pass, but then immediately gave it back to Boston, as his pass to AJ Merriman was too high and sailed out the back of the endzone. The sole offensive highlight of the period came on a McDonnell catch that bailed out a late-stall throw by Jurek, and McDonnell then hit Jeff Wodatch for the easy goal. Jace Dean closed out the first half with a nice block, as Tobe Decraene, who had played a perfect game thus far with two assists, looked to the front corner of the endzone but had his pass shut down by Dean as time expired.
The Breeze entered the second half trailing by five, which is not an insurmountable lead in the UFA, but with how effectively Boston had been holding the disc, it would have required a special performance from the Breeze. DC’s offense did start off with a bright moment, as a rare huck from Andrew Roy connected with Downey for a goal that cut the lead to four. However, we saw more of the same from Boston, as their methodical offense continued to grind down the DC defense and score. The Breeze offense didn't get broken in the third quarter, but the defense couldn't come up with any breaks, despite golden opportunities like an Orion Cable turnover on the goal line that ended up with a Tyler Monroe throwaway after the offense subbed on. If the Breeze had gotten that break, there was a chance that momentum could have shifted going into the final period, but instead, it seemed to break the will of DC, and the team collapsed going into the fourth with a nearly insurmountable five-goal deficit.
Boston dominated a defeated Breeze team in the fourth quarter, scoring three breaks in a row and taking a nine-goal lead against the Breeze. The only positive moment of the quarter came off a rare drop from Boston, which was finally capitalized on by the DC D-line who finally got their first break of the night, as Kevin Healey found Alexandre Fall for the goal. However, the fourth quarter was broadly a formality, and as the clock hit zero, another Breeze season came to an abrupt end, as DC once again went into the playoffs with significant expectations and fell short. It's especially disappointing for veterans like McDonnell and Wodatch, who have cemented themselves as DC Breeze legends but have not been able to bring a championship home to DC. McDonnell has hinted at this being the final season of his UFA career, and if it was, the 2018 MVP and future Hall of Famer at least went out honorably with three assists and two goals, even as the rest of the team struggled. It's hard to say it isn't a disappointing end to another Breeze season, something that Breeze fans have become accustomed to. The Breeze do remain a perennial contender, and fans can expect them to compete for the UFA Championship again next season.
