Photo by Rob Gilmor
JULY 14, 2026
By Will Stuntz
The DC Breeze (8-3) picked up a statement win against the Philadelphia Phoenix (1-10) this week, beating the Hotbirds 28-17 in the nation's capital. DC was forcing turnovers out of Philadelphia all night, and on the Phoenix’s 30 O-line points, DC found break chances on 20 of them, converting 13. The Phoenix took an early 1-0 lead, but DC quickly retook it and didn’t give it up all night, slowly but surely extending it to 11 through a plethora of break scores.
The Breeze's defensive effort on Saturday was astounding, with four players recording more than one block – Tyler Husband, Lev Blumenfeld, Marcus Lee, and Graham Turner – and AJ Merriman recording one, as well. However, the real MVP of the defense didn’t have a single block: Jasper Tom. In his first game of the 2026 season, after missing the first ten games with an injury, Tom hauled in five goals while shutting down some of Philadelphia’s primary handlers.
“I think [Tom is] one of the best defenders in the game, especially a handler defender,” said DC Breeze head coach Xavier Maxstadt. “We’ve kind of been missing him all season, it’s good to see him looking good again.”
Husband also had a standout performance, undoubtedly his best of the season. In 18 points for the defense, the rookie picked up two goals, an assist and two deep blocks while racking up 127 yards.
“He’s big and fast,” said Breeze O-liner Jacques Nissen. “His closing speed is great and he got some deep ones because of that.”
Offensively, Miles Grovic led the way, aided by players like Merriman and Theo Shapinsky. Grovic led the squad in total scores with four goals and two assists, while Merriman led in assists with five. Shapinsky hauled in four goals and tossed an assist, while throwing a perfect 16-for-16.
For the Phoenix, Chase Rawlins had another productive night against the Breeze, tallying up four assists and a goal. Scott Heyman, who didn’t suit up last week, was crucial to the Philadelphia O-line without finding a single score. Heyman led the Phoenix with 530 yards and picked up three blocks to thwart DC's break chances. Nolan McCloskey had a busy night, playing 29 total points and adding 3 assists and 2 goals along the way.
Philadelphia kicked off the game with a hold, taking what would end up being their last lead of the night at 1-0. 24 seconds later, Grovic and Shapinsky connected in the end zone to tie it up. Then, Kevin Healey thwarted a pass that fell right into Turner’s hands, who punched it in to Tom for the first DC lead and break. Both teams held back and forth until the score reached 4-4 before Nissen tossed a blade to Grovic that served as the catalyst for what was to come in the remainder of the first period. Blocks from Husband, Merriman, Marcus Lee, and a throwaway from Philadelphia’s Matt Hanna turned into a 4-0 break run for the Breeze, which extended their lead to 9-4 heading into the second stanza
“[That run] feels really good. We typically have not been very good in the first quarter,” said Sean Mott. “So, coming out like that and making a statement that we can play well in the first quarter is a huge deal.”
Philadelphia quickly got itself together in the second period, winning the quarter 7-5. They started it off with a dirty hold with Spencer Whitcomb finding Jimmy Bray in the end zone. DC held quickly before Philadelphia threw one away, allowing Husband to find another goal for Tom. But the Phoenix responded with a quick two-point swing of their own, including a hold and a break conversion off an errant throw from Mott. DC held again, but a Phoenix hold sparked a 3-0 run for the Hotbirds, who capitalized on a block from Bray and a DC throwaway. And just like that, the Breeze’s six-score lead was only two, and the Phoenix were back in the game. Two holds from DC and one from Philadelphia later, the second quarter ended with the Breeze up three at 14-11.
The third period began with an even contest through the first eight and a half minutes, as each team picked up four holds without a break. But DC found their stride again and ended the period with a 3-0 run. Merriman tossed an assist to Shapinsky for a hold, and Billy O’Bryan took advantage of a break by throwing a blade to Josh Lightner in the end zone. After another throwaway from the Phoenix, Micah Wagner found the disc and sent a long flick to Husband to put the Breeze back up six at the quarter's end, 21-15.
That run continued well into the fourth period, as DC started with the disc and held before rattling off three straight breaks to extend their lead to 10. The final break of that streak got the crowd at Carlini Field as rowdy as they’d been all season, as Marcus Lee dashed across the field and made a monster block over the Philly cutter on Ethan Holmgren's huck attempt. Three throws later, Zack Burpee let off a 70-yard flick huck to Lightner, who dove for the disc and hauled it in with one hand, getting the entire DC crowd and Breeze bench out of their seats. The Phoenix held to bring it back within ten, but DC found another two-point swing thanks to a throwaway from Nicholas DiGiorgio that put the Breeze up 11. After a hold from each team, the Breeze reigned victorious over the Phoenix for the second time in as many weeks, this time taking the blowout win they were looking for in the last matchup by a score of 28-17.
The East Division playoff picture is set, and barring a Boston loss on Saturday, the Breeze will travel to New York to battle the New York Empire (9-2) in the first round. First, one more regular season game awaits the Breeze, as an inconsequential match with the Atlanta Hustle (5-6) is still on the docket.
Catch the Breeze's final regular season matchup on Saturday, July 18 at Silverbacks Park in Atlanta. Streaming live at watchUFA.tv. First pull flies at 7:30 p.m. ET.
