Buzzer Beater: Imperfect Glory [UFA Week 11, 2025]

DC handed Boston their first loss while Chicago crushed Minnesota.

July 8, 2025 by Alex Rubin in Rankings, Recap

Hi everyone, welcome back to my weekly Buzzer Beater column. Here I will focus on one major storyline each week. The column will also share some news and notes beyond that big story and will be the place to share our most up-to-date power rankings. If you have questions about the UFA, you can also write in to [email protected] to fill up the mailbag.

Boston’s First Loss

The DC Breeze moved into second place in the East Division with a 17-16 victory over the Boston Glory, Boston’s first loss of the season. The Breeze went down early, but rode a 7-2 third quarter to extend a four-point lead into the fourth quarter. Boston furiously tried to come back, but fell short as Ryan Dinger’s buzzer-beating attempt fell well short of the end zone.

DC’s string of third quarter breaks started with two breaks led by the O-line after timeouts, but concluded with true D-line scores. Alexandre Fall and Fred Farah each had a key block and contributed on the counterattack. DC has always been known for their intelligent coaching staff and willingness to use timeouts to get breaks, but the team has built a depth of talent over the last few seasons to be able to punch in breaks with a real D-line and extend rather than sit on leads.

Over the course of the season, Thomas Edmonds split his time between lines, playing roughly 70% of his points on O-lines and the rest on defense. In this game, Edmonds played only O-line and rewarded the team with three assists, four goals, and zero turnovers. That’s the kind of flawless performance that the team has been looking for ever since Jonny Malks announced he was leaving the team.

As the season winds to a close in the next few weeks, teams are refining their strategies and mentally gearing up for the playoffs. The kind of specialization and opportunistic game planning that DC displayed could make the difference in games like this with a one-goal margin. With everything on the line once the playoffs begin, watching top coaching staffs matching wits and top players go after it¹ is what makes the UFA so compelling. With ample time between each matchup to prepare, every single game gets approached with stronger focus and takes on heightened importance.

This win was incredibly important for DC, as it puts the Breeze in a great position to clinch a playoff spot. They face Boston again next week before finishing their season against Philadelphia–who is right behind them in the standings in what could be a win-or-go-home game. Boston has already clinched a playoff spot, but DC, Philadelphia, and New York are all still jockeying for position. One will miss out, and they each have games against each other during the final two weeks.

News and Notes

• Daan De Marrée led the way with seven goals, two assists, and two blocks as the Chicago Union crushed division rival Minnesota Wind Chill 25-15.
• Quentin Bonnaud nearly did the same, matching the seven goals and two assists but just with a single block for Montreal. Perhaps the extra block would have made a difference as the Royal fell to the Toronto Rush 21-18. James Lewis and Tom Blasman combined for nine assists to lead the Rush offense.
• De Marrée outdid himself with a 3A/8G/4B day in a 21-19 win over Pittsburgh that keeps Chicago undefeated.
• Minnesota rebounded with a win in their second game over Detroit. The Wind Chill raced out to a 13-3 lead on their way to a comprehensive 25-14 win.
• The Salt Lake Shred rode a three-goal run to close out the first half to a 24-18 win over Colorado. The win keeps Salt Lake in first place in the West.
• For what it’s worth, Salt Lake also beat Las Vegas 32-11. Rookie Nate De Morgan had five assists and two goals playing exclusively on the D-line.
• Madison closed their game over Indy with a 18-5 run. Luke Marks and Kai DeLorenzo led a strong defensive effort with three blocks each.
• Austin regained their first place status in the south with a 29-20 win over Houston. Mark Henke’s 8G/4A game powered the Sol. Austin finished with just nine turnovers in a very clean game.
• San Diego kept its playoff hopes alive with a 21-19 win over LA. The Aviators’ Jonathan Lyle led the game in both categories with four assists and six goals.

UFA Power Rankings Week 11

• Boston’s loss drops them out of the top spot, but they’re still the best team in the East and remain near the top of the list. DC’s win brings them back into the top six as they look once again like a legitimate championship contender.

1. In addition to Edmonds, Boston’s Tobe Decraene and Jeff Babbitt played well, leading the game in goals and blocks respectively ↩