By Noam Gumerman 

The Carolina Flyers fell to the DC Breeze at home this past Saturday in a tightly contested 20-18 game. The Flyers fall to 0-1 on the young 2025 UFA season, and the Breeze improved to 2-1. 

The game started with the teams trading holds and a break each across several long points in the first quarter. The Flyers tied the game at 3-3 with 33 seconds to go in the quarter when Jacob Fairfax hit Rutledge Smith, who shook free of his defender free at the front cone. That score was the first break of the game for the Flyers after they subbed in the O-line to convert the opportunity. 

However, the Flyers were unable to keep DC out of the end zone on the ensuing possession, when Cole Jurek hit Christian Boxley on a crossfield shot to score with just a couple seconds left in the quarter, and the Flyers were unable to match the DC score on the ensuing hail mary. From there, the Breeze broke on the first point of the second quarter to take a 5-3 lead, and cement the two point swing across either side of the first quarter. From there each offense settled into a rhythm, with DC briefly extending their lead with two minutes to go in the half, before Carolina got a break back. However, once again, the Breeze were able to convert an opportunity to hold with less than a minute left in a quarter, and the Flyers were unable to respond, and the Breeze took a 10-8 lead into the half. 

After receiving the pull to start the third, DC extended their lead up to four points at several spots in the quarter, and that held largely across the second half. Carolina was unable to pull closer to DC until late in the fourth quarter, where the game got back to 19-17 in favor of the Breeze with nearly five minutes left to play. However, the Breeze were able to navigate the trapping defense Carolina set off of a rolled pull, and the Flyers were unable to do anything other than match DC’s hold in the final few minutes of play, and the game ended at 20-18. 

For the Breeze, Colre Jurek led the way with four assists and three goals, while both Christian Boxley and Tyler Monroe each had three goals and three assists. For the Flyers, Allan Laviolette had six assists and two goals, where Grayson Sanner had an assist and four goals. 

The Flyers will finish their suspended game against the Hustle and then play their regularly scheduled one on May 17 in Atlanta.

Photo Credit: The Pro Photo Group