An early PUL upset as we prepare for a massive week of games!
April 17, 2026 by Emilia Scheemaker in Preview, Recap
We are nearly halfway through the Western Ultimate League regular season and we’ve already gotten our first Premier Ultimate League upset. Get ready for a jam-packed weekend in the scene in this week’s edition of Four Quarters!
LISTEN: Double Overtime: Milwaukee Stuns Indy; Wide and Narrow Margins in WUL
1st Quarter: WUL Rigors of the Road
Seattle’s Win Streak Stops in Colorado
The match of the week in Week 5 of the WUL was this match up with Seattle Tempest and Colorado Alpenglow, with the host team earning a 16-15 win. The Colorado team is known for its willingness to take chances, and connect on big plays. But Tempest wasn’t about to take that treatment lying down. They broke to open up the game and continued to use a handler sag to really clog up the looks for Colorado Alpenglow. These two teams traded points for the first half, coming up even at the break.
Cheryl Hsu and Jaime Kauffman led the stats for Seattle Tempest, Hsu with two assists and 256 throwing yards. Kauffman had four goals and four blocks. For Colorado, a pair of familiar names came up as major contributors. Ari Nelson and Abby Thorpe had two assists and two goals respectively. But it was Alpenglow’s Sarah Itoh that led the team on defense, with three blocks.
The weekend was a good look at the zone and downfield brackets Alpenglow is testing out, something we can’t always see in the footage. Their flexibility no doubt made the win possible for Colorado, who needed to avenge themselves from an earlier loss to Seattle. The game rounded up much tighter than their last meeting, but hopefully marked the beginning of an upward trend for the Alpenglow squad.
The prior day, Seattle traveled south for a Utah rematch. Although the game had the same outcome as their first meeting, Seattle’s opponent showed up with more spirit. Seattle quickly overturned Utah Wild, going on to win 22-12.
Arizona Goes 1-1 Thanks to Overtime Win
The Arizona Sidewinders also hit the road this weekend. Things started off rocky with a 23-10 loss to title-defenders San Diego Super Bloom. Neither of the performances in this game were unexpected. San Diego played a good game, as they have throughout the start of the season. Arizona hung with the pace for most of the first quarter, but quickly dropped away while San Diego continued to produce. Any time Arizona got trapped on one sideline, they struggled to move the disc. That coupled with a low red zone conversion took this game out of their hands.
Not to be deterred, Arizona battled back to pull out a 16-15 overtime win over the LA Astra. This game was a battle: teams surged, hopes soared, players broke back, hearts broke. From start to finish, this was anyone’s game. Arizona came out strong to win the first quarter, but LA won the second to make them dead even at half. This cycle repeated all over again in the second half until Arizona scored the game defining point in overtime. Our first overtime win of the 2026 WUL season. [Wipes tear.] Both teams had fair pass completion rates, both teams had horrid red zone efficiencies, but they kept pushing. Sometimes it’s grit that wins the game.
2nd Quarter: PUL DC Takes South Lead, Indy Slides in North
Shadow’s Second Half Overcomes Raleigh
The DC Shadow and Raleigh Radiance met up to rehash their 2025 Championship game. This clash of titans didn’t go quietly with DC taking the W, 21-17.
DC Shadow has become synonymous with lockdown defense and calm, confident systems that do not break under pressure. Their discipline on the mark and against aggressive cutters has been stifling, and this weekend was no different. Both teams showed up with a solid will to possess the disc and capitalize on the right moments, and they played a clean game overall (only 25 Shadow turnovers and 24 Radiance turnovers).
One of those Radiance turnovers was a bit of an oddity: late in the first quarter, Natalie Wilson caught a transition huck, lofting the disc in the air in celebration and catching it as it came back. But she was ruled not in the end zone by the observer, and she ran to the front line, reset it, and quick got the disc back for a score. Protests rained in from the Shadow sideline, and eventually after an extended discussion, Wilson was ruled to have turned the disc over by throwing it to herself during her celebration. The Shadow eventually earned the goal a few minutes (including a timeout) later.
The contest was tight throughout, with Shadow only being up one point at half. Shadow pulled away in the third quarter, putting up eight points to Radiances’ four. Their victory really was a team effort, with 13 players contributing a goal. Kat McGuire and Lily Johnson led with three goals each. On the Radiance side, Julia Hoffmann led with six goals, giving her a league-leading seven on the season. Raleigh also saw a big contribution from Erica Birdsong, who poured in four scores (1G, 3A) in her first game back from injury. Look for Birdsong and her length, command of the deep space, and disc skills as a cutter to make a big impact on the Raleigh offensive line as the season continues.
Milwaukee Stuns Indy with Late-Game Execution
The Milwaukee Monarchs earned the narrow home victory over Indy Red, 13-12. This marks a huge victory for the Monarchs. In 2025, Milwaukee rounded out the bottom of the North Division, while Indy Red took the number one spot. On paper, Indy was doing everything right. They had six break goals and seven holds, nearly matching Milwaukee’s seven break goals and seven holds. Indy had three more clean holds, ten more blocks, and 18 fewer turnovers than their opponent. But further down the stat sheet (and the right from the outset in the game footage) the problem was clear: the wind was punishing both teams and shrinking their completion percentages.
The conditions in this game pushed players to adapt. Milwaukee was able to set their feet in, grind out the points, and work through the wind. Indy Red struggled. If this marks what we can expect from Indy Red this year, then the landscape has changed for the PUL.
When the game was tied up at 11-11, we saw things take a change. Teams got fired up and physical; Indy Red actually received a late penalty for a dangerous play, putting the new yardage penalty into play. The pressure of the clock and the wind brought frustration to the forefront. Indy Red was focusing on making plays in tight spaces and succeeding. Milwaukee was prioritizing close person defense. Both teams were going after any disc in the air. With the wind pulling across the field, the ball could come down with anyone.
With about two minutes left on the clock, the last pull went up to Milwaukee. They worked it all the way to the end zone, but a high disc found its way out the back. Indy was happy to take up the ball, working it to about midfield before launching it, but it didn’t connect. Undeterred, Milwaukee sent a long ball back over half field and started to chase it down. They still had possession when the end of regulation buzzer went off. If your stars are going to shine, it might as well be in high pressure situations. Rachael Kern took a smooth around pass and found Emily Cohen with perfect timing cutting for the front cone. The pass was off and Cohen executed a picture perfect layout to win the game and become the star of the show.
One thing is for sure, Indy is going to come out hot and looking to prove something the next time they take to the field. That next game? A meet with Philadelphia Surge in Week 4 (April 24-26). It’s an early blow for this 2025 semifinalist, but a huge boost to the Milwaukee contingent. This early season game might not shape the story arc for these two teams, but it proves that with the right conditions and determination any team can take a shot at the top.
3rd Quarter: Celly Spotlight
It’s always fun to see the players enjoying themselves even when they’re working hard. Here are a couple of our favorite end zone celebrations from the DC Shadow and Raleigh Radiance game this past weekend.
In the most casually cool celly of the season so far, Ashleigh Jentilet capitalizes on a deep huck from Jackie Wang. Both players have a calm collected vibe about this play that just resonates through the screen.
Not to be outdone, Raleigh clapped back with their own bookends-and-celly. Tania Proksch beat her player to the disc and took off deep and teammate Meg Duffy was happy to comply. A perfect huck into space made the perfect stage for Proksch to catch her score for a tidy set of bookends. A quick hair helicopter sealed the break opportunity for Raleigh.
Quick shoutout to the Radiance’s Daniel Prentice and Sol Yanuck, the commentators on this DC/Raleigh game. Not all games can provide the up close and personal, multiple angles and reviews that we’ve come to know from other professional sports. Our semi-pro fans are still very much reliant on the sharper (and closer) eyes and words of our announcers. The commentary from this game was well delivered and, for that, we thank you.
4th Quarter: Weekend Preview
PUL Week 3
The third week of the PUL is stacked with games. Minnesota Strike take to the road for a double header, facing first NY Gridlock and then Philadelphia Surge. Nashville Nightshade and Atlanta Soul will work out the kinks. And DC Shadow will meet up with Austin Torch. With four games happening on the weekend, there will be plenty to talk about.
Minnesota Hops on the Bus
Minnesota’s road trip has two stops and neither looks like it’ll be easy. First up they’ll run up against NY Gridlock’s special brand of welcome. Gridlock is known for a defense that doesn’t quit, accurate throws in close quarters, and a grinding determination that settles in for the long game. This will be their first match of the 2026 season. While they lost a few names from last year, they added some ringers. Sadie Jezierski, Edi Lam, Audrey Parrott, and former Minnesota Strike-r Emma Piorier will finally get their chance to show just how much impact they can make to an already star studded roster.
Minnesota Strike ended 2025 in fourth place in the North division, a clear sight behind Gridlock’s second or Philadelphia Surge’s third. This weekend will be all about proving that they can move up and that the right time is now. They need to put up good points early and control the disc. The teams that Strike has lined up are not going to let mistakes creep in, Minnesota will need to create them. Sarah Meckstroth has been the standard of cutter defense for Minnesota, but this year she’s moved to the reserve roster, so she isn’t traveling. This weekend will be an opportunity for Strike to try players out in her spot and see who can control the game.
Philadelphia Surge likes to play hard. Every season they seem closer to a leap, closer to fitting in at the top. Somehow they keep falling short. They create breaks, they hang with other teams, but when it comes time to close, the cards don’t fall in their favor. This team needs to find the chances in the chaos and convert. One key player that knows how to do that is Carolyn Normile. While Normile is a new addition to the team, we’ve seen her make an outsized impact on the World Games stage. A little performance under pressure has never hurt anyone. Maybe that’s why Surge brought in the pair of DC Shadow transfers in Graham Cunningham and Lisa Dang. These players certainly know the drive it takes to win championships. If all Philadelphia needs is a little extra kick then they already have it.
DC Shadow Finds Some Heat
DC Shadow will fly down to Texas to enjoy the heat and mix it up with Austin Torch. Where DC feels a bit like a behemoth skyscraper throwing down shadow wherever they go, Torch is like stubborn streetlight — an old oil street lamp, if you will — finding a way to shine even in difficult conditions. Last year, Torch struggled with turnovers and keeping possession. The churn of their handlers backfield may give them an opportunity to burn that reputation. When they settle into a system and hit the first open player in their own colors, Austin can move quickly. All they have to do is play their own game and watch out for the long arm of DC Shadow. Shadow is making some adjustments as well. With a long list of players leaving this year, they have only had one game to get themselves organized. They have a deep roster. That doesn’t mean there isn’t work to be done if they want to hold their place at the top.
Atlanta Makes First Appearance
Atlanta Soul will meet Nashville Nightshade in their first game of the season. Nashville has a weekend under their belt and will be looking to improve their performance from last weekend. For Tori Taylor, it’ll be a chance for her old team Nightshade to check out her new digs. Taylor isn’t the only new player on the Soul roster this year. Dena Elimelech and Elizabeth Mosquera will also be looking to make an impact on their new Atlanta based roster. Soul finished third in the South Division in 20251. If Soul expects to continue their upward trajectory of the past few years, then this weekend is non-negotiable. They need a win.
WUL Week 6
San Diego and Bay Area Rematch
The WUL action this weekend brings us two matches with big stakes. On Sunday, San Diego Super Bloom will square up with the Bay Area Falcons. These two teams consistently fall in the top half of the power rankings. This a rematch from Week 1, which ended in a 22-14 win for San Diego Super Bloom. This is a time for the Bay Area to take aim at the 2025 defending champions and show the progress they’ve made in the past five weeks. San Diego has been largely untested this year, winning all of their games to date by a span of at least eight points. If the Falcons are looking for a run at the top, this is their chance to show it. Otherwise we can expect more dominance from San Diego when it comes time for Championship Weekend.
Oregon Soar Breaks Out
The second game on the WUL roster this weekend is Oregon Soar and Seattle Tempest. Oregon Soar has been making waves lately, bringing in their first win at home and showcasing some spectacular plays. But their record is still sitting at 2-2. The two wins came over the Utah Wild. The two losses were delivered courtesy of Colorado Alpenglow. For Soar, this is a chance for them to show off their flexibility and grind their way into the top of the pile. But it won’t come easy. Last weekend, Seattle Tempest suffered a grueling 16-15 loss to Alpenglow. They’ll come out hungry and ready to redeem themselves. Tempest can’t afford a loss to Soar if they want Championship Weekend to be on the table. Week 6 marks the halfway point for the WUL regular season. There’s no early season excuses left, not that Tempest needs them. Expect this team to come out hot and ready to prove exactly where they belong in the WUL rankings.
WUL Power Rankings
| Rank | Team | Change | Prior |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Super Bloom | - | 1 |
| 2 | Seattle Tempest | - | 2 |
| 3 | Bay Area Falcons | - | 3 |
| 4 | Colorado Alpenglow | - | 4 |
| 5 | Oregon Soar | - | 5 |
| 6 | Arizona Sidewinders | - | 6 |
| 7 | Los Angeles Astra | - | 7 |
| 8 | Utah Wild | - | 8 |
- No changes
PUL Power Rankings
| Rank | Team | Change | Prior |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York Gridlock | - | 1 |
| 2 | DC Shadow | - | 2 |
| 3 | Philadelphia Surge | - | 3 |
| 4 | Raleigh Radiance | +1 | 5 |
| 5 | Atlanta Soul | +1 | 6 |
| 6 | Minnesota Strike | +1 | 7 |
| 7 | Milwaukee Monarchs | +2 | 9 |
| 8 | Indianapolis Red | -4 | 4 |
| 9 | Austin Torch | -1 | 8 |
| 10 | Nashville Nightshade | - | 10 |
- Milwaukee’s home upset of Indy drives most of the motion in this week’s edition
Nashville finished sixth ↩
