BY: Alex “Shaggy” Shragis
PHOTO BY: Shawn Lanzillo
Philadelphia got washed out on a windy and rainy Sunday, losing 28-11 to Boston Glory, their first of three meetings with the defending champions. This was the fewest points a Phoenix team has scored since April 29, 2023, when they brought in just eight points in a rainy New York game. Unfortunately this also marks the lowest ranked start for Philly franchise history: the Hotbirds have been outscored by 41 points through three games, outpacing the previous records from 2016, when the Phoenix lost by a combined 28 points through the first three games.
There is not much to take away from Philadelphia’s showing in Massachusetts, other than perhaps to bring dry weather to the rest of the games. Even with the adverse conditions, the Phoenix have to get better at the basic aspects of the game. They had 12 drops, and 37 turnovers to just 17 blocks credited to Boston, meaning over half of the turns were either a missed throw or catch, without Glory getting their hands on the disc. For a team currently hoping to squeeze wins out by the thinnest of margins, this simply cannot happen.
The offense scored on just 7 of 41 possessions, holding on 7 of 29 offensive points, both good for the second least efficient scoring games in Phoenix history. Their 11 points ties for the third fewest points scored by Philly in the team’s history, and the 82% completion rate is the third lowest throwing performance overall, however the team previously only tracked turnovers and assists making some of the early throwing data misleading. The one redeeming quality for the Hotbird performance was the defense made the best of what they had, scoring on 4 of 8 break opportunities, a huge accomplishment when they played just 13 points.
Philly is now allowing 27.67 points per game to opposing teams, the most points given up per game by any team this season. That may sound like a defensive statistic, but it isn’t: the Phoenix are also allowing over 14 opponent breaks per game, the most opponent breaks in the league. It's hard to hold down opposing offenses when their defenses account for over half the total points.
Perhaps it is fortunate the next game, for the prestigious Commonwealth Cup, is against a team with just as many defensive issues as the Phoenix. Through two games, the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds, who sit at 0-2, have scored on only 15% of D points, and are converting on breaks just 38% of the time when they get the disc, fourth and third worst in the league respectively.
One bright spot for the offense is the potential debut of Ezra Beidler-Shenk, who is listed as active on the Phoenix roster for the first time in his career. Beidler-Shenk just finished his freshman season at the University of Pittsburgh, where he helped lead the team to a quarterfinals finish in the USA Ultimate College Championship, racking up 12 goals and 16 assists over the tournament. Drew Loughnane and Tyler Mackey are slated for a return this Saturday, two other young pieces for the team who have already seen some field time this season. The injection of youthful energy might just be what the Hotbirds need to pull off their first win.
Pittsburgh will be on the second half of a back to back, coming off a Friday night match up against the New York Empire, currently second in the East and fourth in Adam Ruffner’s UFA Power Rankings, before they head to Philly Saturday and could mean a tick in the Hotbirds’ favor. The Phoenix have won 5 of the 6 meetings with Pittsburgh, and have never lost at home. Philly currently holds the Commonwealth Cup — intently reluctant to part with it — and will need to bring out all the stops this Saturday, as both Pennsylvania teams are hungry for their first victory this season.
Catch all the action, and see who comes out on top to claim the bragging rights over Pennsylvania's skies at 6 p.m. this Saturday May 30 at Neumann University and live on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Get your tickets at the Hotbird Web Shop: phoenixulti.com
