Photo by Derek Frazer – UltiPhotos.com
APRIL 23, 2025
By Kyle Turnbaugh
The DC Breeze begin their 2025 season defending home turf against their division rivals, the Philadelphia Phoenix, on April 26. Philadelphia’s visit to Carlini Field last season was a close-run affair, where the two teams were only separated by double overtime when a Tyler Monroe goal broke the deadlock. The Breeze enter the season with much of the same core from their last playoff push, while the Phoenix have undergone significant roster turnover and coaching changes.
Players who had monstrous games in last year's matchup won't be seen on the field this year. Former Phoenix cutter James Pollard, who dropped five goals and five assists in last year's double overtime thriller, has since left the Phoenix for Minnesota, meaning Philadelphia’s offensive production must come from somewhere else. On the other side, former Breeze cutter Elliot Bonnet had a dominant day with four goals and four assists, including the game-winning huck to Monroe. The Breeze will be looking to returners like Cole Jurek and Jacques Nissen, who will be playing his first full season with the team since 2021, to make up for Bonnet's lost production.
We have already had a small glimpse at what the overhauled Phoenix roster looks like, with an entirely new coaching staff and massive player turnover, due to the loss of key players like Pollard, Max Trifilis and Dmitry Suvorov. Their preseason exhibition against the New York Empire gave some insights into what Philadelphia could look like throughout the season, with Nate Little, Scott Heyman and Sean Mott showing up strong during the preseason outing. That should, of course, be taken with a grain of salt, considering the league was experimenting with new rules, such as a six-second stall count, and both teams were mixing and matching lines, while missing significant players. Despite all that, Philadelphia showed that their roster could keep up with a reloaded Empire squad, despite falling 18-20.
Those who are looking forward to seeing new Breeze signing Aidan Downey will have to wait, as he will not be active in DC until he returns from college. The same is true for all the rookies except Theo Shapinsky, who will potentially make his UFA debut. Christian Boxley, Tyler Monroe, and Miles Grovic are among the notable inactives for DC, while Philadelphia will be missing their rookies, including the high-flying brothers, Adam Grossberg and Sam Grossberg, and Michael Maroon.
With both teams coming into the season with playoff dreams and Philadelphia looking to get their first win against the Breeze since 2017, and their first win in the nation's capital since 2013, there is no doubt this will be a hotly contested matchup between two division rivals.
Catch the DC Breeze as they host the Philadelphia Phoenix at Carlini Field on Saturday, April 26. First pull at 7:30 PM. Tickets are available at thedcbreeze.com.
