JULY 6, 2026
By Will Stuntz

Coming off their two-week bye, the DC Breeze (7-3) faced their East Division rival, the Philadelphia Phoenix (1-9) for the first time in 2026. In incredibly hot conditions – with real-feel temperatures on the field reaching 105 degrees – the Breeze notched their seventh win of the season. This win, coupled with a loss by the Toronto Rush (5-5) on Sunday, allowed DC to clinch their berth in the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) playoffs for the tenth consecutive year, further extending the longest active streak in the league. 

Despite the Hotbirds' record, they gave the Breeze a legitimate run for their money, tying the DC squad in every quarter except the second. That second quarter performance, which saw the Breeze win 7-3, pushed DC to its four-score 21-17 victory. 

The Week 11 game was a long-ball shootout from the beginning with Philadelphia setting a season high in huck attempts at 19 and DC taking the second-most attempts of their season at 16. However, the completion rates on those attempts tell the real story: DC completed 63% of those shots, compared to Philadelphia’s 47%. 

Break numbers were also an important metric in this game. DC’s eight D-line conversions on a 53% clip were the main reason they were able to extend their lead, given that the Phoenix only converted four and 44%.

AJ Merriman’s return to the Breeze couldn’t have been better timed with the playoff stakes rising, and he didn’t disappoint against the Phoenix. The veteran hybrid led the Breeze with four assists and went 2-for-3 on hucks. He also tacked on three goals and two hockey assists while moving the disc 439 yards. Miles Grovic had another impressive outing on the O-line with three goals, two assists, and two blocks. Coby Loveranes had a career night, setting career highs in hockey assists and total yards, with four and 458, respectively. His direct scoring was also notable with the second-year player tossing two assists and hauling in three goals. In his return to Philadelphia for the first time since departing the Phoenix, Sean Mott had a quiet night but certainly did his part to help his new squad find yet another playoff berth and the second of his career.

Defensively, Couper Kerns led the way, forcing turnovers with a career-high three blocks. Isaac Lee was busy, as well with a goal, an assist, two blocks, and 455 yards on defense. Marcus Lee, in his first game of the season playing more than a single point, also showed his ability to generate blocks, picking up two to go along with a break goal. 

For Philadelphia, Chase Rawlins was running the offensive push, tossing five assists to go along with two goals, two blocks and 556 total yards. Their rookie, Ezra Beidler-Shenk, showed why he’s one of the best young players in the league, with a whopping 821 yards – 506 passing and 315 receiving – to pick up four assists and three hockey assists. Dmitry Suvorov also put on a scoring clinic, with season highs in both assists and goals at two and four, respectively. 

The game started a little rocky for the Breeze, as a throwaway on their opening point allowed the Phoenix to notch a break just 31 seconds in. Both teams found a hold before another errant throw by the Breeze let the Phoenix chalk up another break, giving them a 3-1 lead. DC responded quickly, as Merriman and Grovic connected for the second time in as many Breeze scores, and a throwaway from Colin White and a block from Isaac Lee, all combined for a three-point Breeze swing to retake the lead at 4-3. However, the Phoenix followed with a swing of their own, as a 74-yard Beidler-Shenk huck found Rawlins in the red zone, setting up the punch into White, and a block by Jimmy Bray set up another break score for Philadelphia to retake the lead at 5-4. DC didn’t want to leave the first in a deficit, and the O-line squeaked out another hold and held off the Phoenix on their last attempt of the quarter, leaving the score at 5-5.

The Breeze D-line put on a show in the second period. After two holds from each team that brought the score to 7-7, DC capitalized on a Philadelphia throwaway with Josh Lightner punching the score in to Tyler Husband. Then, after another throwaway from the Phoenix, Isaac Lee picked it up off the ground and took no time to let off a 68-yard huck to Micah Wagner in the end zone, extending DC’s lead to 9-7. The Phoenix finally notched a hold, but the Breeze found one, as well in just 24 seconds on the next point before the Phoenix turned it over once again. DC opted to take a timeout to sub in the O-liners, and Theo Shapinsky tossed a backhand to Merriman in the end zone for a break. With under a minute to go in the half, Philadelphia stumbled again with another turnover, and in just four passes, the DC D-line converted another break to end the half up 12-8.

Both teams traded two holds apiece to start the third period before DC converted a lengthy hold with Loveranes finding Zack Burpee in the end zone, and a Marcus Lee block led to another Breeze break for a two-point swing that extended the Breeze’s lead to 16-10. To end the quarter, the Phoenix found a two-point swing of their own with Tyler Mackey and Matt Hanna connecting for a hold before Spencer Whitcomb got the disc following a Breeze turnover and unleashed a 60-yard flick huck to Nolan McCloskey, bringing their deficit back to four entering the final stanza. 

The fourth was another stalemate, resulting in a 5-5 score. The Phoenix and Breeze traded holds for the majority of the period with DC getting a break with 5:13 remaining. However, with the Phoenix opening and closing the period with holds, the four-score differential held until the end, as DC held on for the 21-17 victory. 

Catch the second half of the Breeze-Phoenix series this Saturday, July 11 at Carlini Field. First pull flies at 7:00 p.m. ET. Tickets available at thedcbreeze.com and streaming live at watchUFA.tv