May 7, 2026
By Noam Gumerman

The Carolina Flyers are set for the 2026 home opener against the Philadelphia Phoenix. Carolina is 2-0, having won back-to-back games during the first week of UFA action on a road trip out west to San Diego and Las Vegas.

In the season debut against San Diego, the Flyers avenged a heartbreaking overtime loss that was pivotal in keeping the Flyers out of the postseason last year, winning 22-20. It was an all-time great offensive performance for a team still missing some projected key contributors for this year as the Flyers finished the game with just five turnovers, the second-lowest mark ever recorded in a UFA game.

In the second game against the Las Vegas Bighorns, windy conditions prevented the same kind of elite ultimate display as game one, but the Flyers took care of business handily anyway, ending their Week 1 road trip with a 26-12 blowout.

Allan Laviolette picked back up where he left off after an MVP-caliber 2025 with 2A/3G/424Y in game one against San Diego, and rookie Jacob Louie proved a dangerous addition to the Flyers O-line with 6A/3G/1B and over 600 yards of offense across both games.

Carolina’s Week 3 opponent, Philadelphia, is 0-1, dropping their opener to Toronto in a 24-17 loss they couldn’t make close after a slow first-half start. The Phoenix will come into North Carolina hungry to avoid an 0-2 hole in a stacked East Division. While the Flyers will be looking to protect home field and start off the season 3-0, fully reversing the script on the slow 0-4 start that doomed 2025’s playoff hopes. The Flyers' key to success will be playing their brand of clean, crisp ultimate as much as the weather conditions allow, while creating turnovers at a higher clip than they did a year ago. Catch all the action at Durham County Stadium Saturday night as the second half of a double-header with the PUL’s Raleigh Radiance.