By Noam Gumerman
For the third weekend in a row, the Carolina Flyers and Atlanta Hustle are set to square off in what will be a pivotal game for these rivals. The tone of this game will be a little different than the first two, however. Two weeks ago in Atlanta, the Hustle ripped the Flyers' hearts out in double overtime. Last week, Carolina took revenge at home, holding Atlanta to just 12 goals scored in a wire-to-wire dominant win. This week, the rubber match of this three-game stretch, and bragging rights for next month before these two teams face off for the fourth and final time.
The season continues to roll on, with each game solidifying the postseason picture. This game will mark the halfway point of the regular season for the Flyers, and has big playoff implications for both teams. A Flyers win would likely turn the South Division into a two-horse race between Austin and Carolina for the top spot, with the Growlers not too far behind with the Hustle a game under .500. But a Hustle win keeps the top four teams tight, and even gives a little separation towards the Austin Sol at the top of the division while San Diego Carolina and Atlanta would be jostling for two playoff spots between the three teams.
The personnel will be different this week than last week too. Both teams get contributors back from either playing or coaching at the USA Ultimate DI College National Championships, with the headline being the 2026 debut and return to the Carolina Flyers organization of Tobias Brooks, fresh off an incredible performance at those college championships.
For an offensive unit that struggled to get the job done and make the big plays in the big moments against Atlanta two weeks ago, Brooks is the type of game-changer that can alleviate all those concerns. The Flyers haven’t won in Atlanta since 2024 and have only won on the road against the Hustle that one time since July 2022. A win here would go a long way towards proving to the league and themselves that this Flyers group is truly different from last year’s and ready to push for a deep postseason run.
Catch all the action this weekend on watchufa.tv.
