Close calls and surprises to open the season!
April 18, 2025 by Emilia Scheemaker and Keith Raynor in Recap
This week, we have split the WUL and PUL Updates into separate articles, with each covering the last two weeks of action. And we are introducing a new format: Four Quarters. We’ll highlight four things that caught our eye or got our brains going from around the league, catch you up on the games and news you may have missed, and update our Power Rankings.
Let us know what you think!
First Quarter: Endgame Miscues Doom Surge Against Gridlock
New York’s trip to play Philadelphia lived up to the billing of a potential divisional championship. Largely, it was well-played contest where even the errors provided theatrical drama. But in the game’s final moments, it was the Surge who cracked under the pressure.
After a strong run to get on the front foot, they had the disc past midfield in a game tied 12-12, before a high throw from Danielle Walsh gave possession to New York. After a timeout, Surge came back out in a junk set that was thrown over their opponent during their run, but gave them fewer block-getting opportunities with less than 90 seconds left on the clock. The Gridlock carved through the defense, but nearing the goal line, a travel call brought players to a stop…but not play. Confusion about the non-stoppage gave New York an easy undefended score.
With about 30 seconds remaining, Philly had a shot to score, but a dangerous bid by Valeria Cardenas, which earned a yellow, also sent Linda Morse off with an injury and stopped play. The stoppage certainly didn’t help Surge’s flow and they bungled a short dish immediately once play resumed, closing the book on their potential fourth quarter heroics.
The New York win gives them the early pole position in the North and will put Philly closer to the precipice for the postseason cutoff.
Second Quarter: Most Anticipated Games of the Season
Week 5 NY @ MIN and NY @ MIL
Week 10 IND @ PHI and IND @ NY
We love a good road trip. They’re hard on the teams taking to the road, but give them a chance to test their mettle against one opponent and come back stronger for the next. It’s exactly the kind of gritty attitude they’ll need to succeed on Championship Weekend. With potential postseason positioning on the line, these road double-headers should prove season-defining.
Week 7 ATX @ LA
Any Astra game is going to be worth checking out. Their first game was hampered by wind and there’s no telling what they’ll be able to do with some better conditions on their side. And having one of last year’s playoff teams visit should provide a telling litmus test.
Week 9 PHI @ MIN
Both teams are battling for the top of the pile. It’s the end of the season and time for them to prove who will take the second(?) spot in the conference and ultimately take on NY Gridlock.
Week 10 ATX @ RAL
The schedule-makers knew what they were doing pairing this duo to end the season after last year’s dramatic close to the regular season. The narratives are spilling out of this one and one can only hope it has the same stakes.
Third Quarter: Week 1’s Close Games Could Have Big Implications
The matchups that opened the season both came down to narrow margins and both could have significant impacts on the standings.
In Indianapolis, the Surge fought off the home team to win 11-10 in one soggy opener. For the first game of the season there seemed to be fewer kinks to shake loose before they could get down to business, despite the conditions. Philly’s tight matchup defense was anchored by Liz Hart, who excelled with three blocks and two goals. Their offense centered around Sara Liang, who recorded two goals and an assist in the first half, the team’s slippery handler whose defenders were left slipping in the wet grass.
Despite a variety of defensive looks from Indy, and strong showings from Kat McGuire and Rachel Mast, offensive struggles trapped on the sideline hampered Indy and played a part in their rough start. The battle of wills bodes well for both squads as they move into the season. Indy looks like they could contend in the North.
Meanwhile, Raleigh scored a huge 11-9 win on the road in LA. They took what they called the Fab 14 on the flight to LA and battled back from behind to take a crucial win. With DC looming in the south and Atlanta looking improved, there’s little margin for error.
The game itself, however, wasn’t pretty in windy conditions that made it tough to sink your teeth into as a viewer. It was Audrey Lyman who corralled this Radiance team and led the charge against the toughest opponent for both teams in this game (the wind). Her poise behind the disc and willingness to work in tight spaces kept the Radiance offense moving. Lyman had two assists in the first half of the game, both to Jenny Wei. The Radiance did an exceptional job of switching between players and defense and adjusting their strategy on offense to combat a wind that didn’t let up all game. A third quarter upwind break proved decisive.
LA’s communication was very strong, especially for a team coming out of a hiatus and into a new league format. A lot of clear pump fakes, head nods, pointing, and verbal communication kept this team on the same page as they worked through their options. But one thing that was difficult for them to adjust to was the stack crowding the lane, particularly with the wind starting to float discs. Chip Yen’s layout score will be a memorable first goal in the PUL for the Astra and Maggie O’Connor has gone right back to finding reset space even where it seems like none exists.
Fourth Quarter: A CouPUL of Week 1 Highlights
This cup is working hard, grinding through this point and constantly adjusting, but you can see the moment Melissa Gibson sees an opportunity and goes hard for that layout block. Hell of a play. We don’t often take the time to appreciate defense like this.
Both teams struggled all game to overcome gusts, but when Julia Hoffman saw an opportunity to huck it, she didn’t hesitate. Carmen Tormey had done all the work early to get under that disc and haul it down for a score.
Matchup Notes
Our thoughts on the games we didn’t get to yet.
Week 1
- Atlanta 11-8 Austin: Ximena Montaña made quite a debut, with three goals and a block while leading Atlanta in points played. Quincy Booth turned in a 2g/3a/2b statline in the start of what could be an All-League campaign.
Week 2
- LA 14-5 Nashville: While the final scoreline speaks to LA’s dominance, this was much more of a defensive than offensive contest. A combined 23 blocks and plenty of pressure kept both teams from garnering many clean holds and LA’s 9 breaks led the way.
