Heavy-hitter matchups - DC against Raleigh in the PUL, and Bay Area versus Colorado in the WUL - topped the ticket this past weekend.
May 1, 2026 by Emilia Scheemaker and Rhea Patney in Preview, Recap
Recapping a potential championship game preview from the Premier Ultimate League’s week 4, and the continued ascendancy of the Western Ultimate League’s Bay Area Falcons into title contenders, if not favorites. Plus, WUL rookies you need to know, all in this week’s edition of Four Quarters!
First Quarter: PUL Week 4 Recap
DC Shadow Remain Title Front-Runners with Win Over New York Gridlock
DC Shadow came out in control and never fully let go, defeating New York Gridlock 16-12 behind a dominant first half and timely late-game execution. New York struggled early on offense, with their stack often set too far away, leading to mistimed double cuts and spacing issues that stalled possessions.
New York was led by Abby Hecko and Grace Connerly with four goals each, while Yina Cartagena and Jolie Krebs added three assists apiece and Eli Presberg recorded three blocks. For DC, Amanda Murphy and Julia Harris each scored three goals, Sami Smalling tallied four assists, Tyler Smith added another three, and Ashleigh Jentilet anchored the defense with three blocks.
DC opened with a composed hold, as Smalling led a patient, handler-driven offense that finished with a score to Harris. They followed it up with a break, highlighted by Jentilet chasing down a deep flick from Shadow captain Jess Sourbeer, and quickly built a 3-0 lead. A massive defensive play from call-up Cara Tinson helped DC capitalize on another turnover to go up 4-0.
New York finally got on the board late in the quarter with an Edi Lam to Grace Conerly connection, but DC carried a 4-1 lead after one.
The second quarter saw DC continue to apply pressure. Jentilet came up with a layout block and then transitioned the play into a score, assisting Murphy for another break. New York found its first clean hold of the game from the D-line, with Sadie Jezierski hitting Rani Shah on a big blading flick. Rookie Lily Johnson added her first goal for DC, while Abby Hecko and Conerly began to build chemistry for New York. Even with a defensive effort from Presberg, Harris came down with a deep shot for DC. Late scores from Katrina McGuire and Tyler Smith extended the lead, giving DC a 9-4 advantage at halftime.
Out of the break, DC opened with a patient offensive possession that worked the full width of the field before Presberg forced a goal-line turnover, though New York gave it right back on the ensuing throw. Gridlock began to find momentum, as Lam and Conerly connected again for a clean hold, followed by a break sparked by another Jezierski blading flick to Nikki Hair. Abby Hecko took on a larger handler role, using her speed to drive offense, and later finished a deep look from Jolie Krebs to cut the deficit to 11-7. Presberg continued to impact the deep space defensively, and a big sequence from Yina Cartagena to Krebs to Emma Piorier resulted in another break. After a repull due to a clock issue, New York’s patient offense ended in a Krebs score, closing the gap to 12-9 heading into the fourth.
The fourth quarter tightened as New York pushed within striking distance. Jentilet opened with another layout block in the end zone, but after a DC turnover, Cartagena found Conerly for a score. A yellow card on Tyler Smith advanced New York’s field position, leading to a break finished by Hecko to make it a one-goal game at 12-11. DC responded through Harris, while Connerly answered with a layout score to keep it close. After a Kira Flores goal for DC, Amanda Murphy delivered a crucial help-side block on a Hecko around, leading to a break that Harris converted to extend the lead back to three with under a minute to play. Murphy added the final score to seal the 16-12 win, capping a game-leading +5 for Murphy and a strong all-around performance from DC.
Philadelphia Surge Avenge 2025 Late-Season Loss to Indy Red
The Philadelphia Surge took down Indy Red in Indiana, 16-10, handing last year’s semifinalist its second loss of the season. All eyes were on Indy to bounce back after their opening loss to the Milwaukee Monarchs, but they are still searching for their first win of the year. The Red, in fact, are the only North Division team yet to record a win.
Philadelphia’s attack was balanced and efficient, led by Zoe Costanza with three goals. Fay Epstein, Veronica Kolegue-Spalaris, and Sarah Hirannet each added two goals, with Epstein also contributing one assist and three blocks. Lindsay McKenna, Emilie Mohler, and Grace Maroon added three assists to round out a well-distributed offensive effort. For Indy, Jean Huang and Sydney Loughran scored three goals each, while Tracey Lo recorded four assists.
The game ultimately came down to defense and turnovers. Philadelphia generated 11 blocks compared to Indy’s five, and despite committing 18 total turnovers of their own, the Surge capitalized far more effectively. Indy finished with 25 turnovers, and Philadelphia converted those mistakes into seven break scores, which proved decisive in pulling away for the 16-10 win.
Atlanta Soul Hold Raleigh Radiance to Six Goals in Statement Win
The new-look Atlanta Soul recorded a statement victory over the Raleigh Radiance, 16-6, to secure their second home win of the season. Despite missing key contributors such as Quincy Booth due to college regionals, the Soul, similar to last game, came out with a balanced attack, featuring 11 unique goal scorers. Marie Pervier led the way with three goals, while Dena Elimelech added four assists.
For the Radiance, Julia Hoffmann accounted for half of their scoring with three goals. The game remained tight at halftime, with Atlanta holding a narrow 5-4 lead. However, Raleigh struggled with patience throughout the second half, as Atlanta’s defensive pressure appeared to speed them up and force rushed decisions. The Soul capitalized, holding the Radiance to just two goals in the third quarter and none in the fourth to pull away for a dominant win.
Minnesota Strike Finally Strike Gold Over Milwaukee Monarchs
Milwaukee and Minnesota came together in a Midwest clash this weekend, with Minnesota taking the victory at home 19-13.
Milwaukee rolled some momentum into this game after their win over Indy Red, and it showed up on the scoreboard. The Monarchs and Strike traded blows for most of the first half. Tight tenacious defense and a few zone looks served Milwaukee well, earning them 14 blocks in the game. Austin Prucha, Emily Cohen, Anneke Vermaak, and Sadie Reding claimed most of those defensive stats, combining for nine of the team’s blocks. But as the end of the second half neared, the cracks started to show. A combination of mental fatigue by both teams and a persistent separation between Milwaukee’s cutters and handlers split this game open.
The Strike started the second half with a three point lead and never gave it back. This team leaned hard on tight defense and going after every disc, coming up with 11 breaks to Minnesota’s 4 despite generating the same number of blocks. To Strike’s credit, it’s hard to pick out just one high-impact player on this team. Their goals were spread out across 14 different players, with assists from 10. But special consideration goes to Danielle Byers and Steph Wood. Byers went 2G/3A/2B and Wood 2G, but their impact on the field outstripped what stats can show. Field awareness, speed, and timing put these two in the right spot at the right times to keep this Minnesota team chugging along whether they were playing D-line or O.
Minnesota Strike needed a win out of this game after a tough road trip against NY Gridlock and Philadelphia Surge left Strike with two losses. A loss to Milwaukee would have almost certainly put them out of contention for Championship Weekend. Overcoming the head-to-head losses will be difficult, but maybe with some momentum under their feet, the Strike can still contend for the North Division’s second spot at Championship Weekend.
Second Quarter: WUL Week 7 Recap
Bay Area Falcons Continue to Rise
The Bay Area Falcons tripped over to Colorado to compete with the Alpenglow, taking home the win 16-13.
The game opened with a run of Falcons goals that Alpenglow never quite recovered from. The Bay Area squad settled quickly into an offense built on handler movement and strong power positioning, with contributions coming from all over the roster. Bridget Wipfler set the tone early with a pair of bookends to spark momentum. Soon after, rookie Sarah Combs went to work underneath, grinding out cuts and adding two goals in the first period.
Alex Barnett and Lexi Zalk emerged as immediate threats, making plays in the end zone and generating turnovers on defense1. They applied steady pressure, but Olivia Goss was often at the center of it all, breaking up passes and flipping possession back to the Falcons. Often that offense moved at Elizabeth Pugh’s command. Pugh put together an excellent performance with 1G/1A/1B. More importantly, she anchored the team, kept things composed, and used her throws to stretch the field.
Even when the offense slowed, the Falcons still had another gear. Eliza Chang provided it, recording a hand block and continuing to pile pressure onto Alpenglow. Chang had two blocks and two goals in the game.
Colorado Alpenglow favored a different strategy, one that put their O-line front and center. A small core consisting mainly of Ari Nelson, Abby Thorpe2, Kennedy McCarthy, and Allysha Dixon3 showed real chemistry. They switched between their traditional roles, finding space and momentum with each other no matter where they ended up on the field. All of them took their shots, and most of them dragged them down in the end zone. McCarthy continued to use her speed, opportunistic decision making, and throwing accuracy to find friendly hands downfield with 3G/3A/2B. This unit shows what Alpenglow is capable of under the right conditions.
Los Angeles Splits Games on the Road
Los Angeles Astra – Utah Wild
Los Angeles Astra had two games this weekend. Their first game against the Utah Wild gave them a chance to showcase the quick movement that this squad is so good at. Astra took home the win, 25-15.
Los Angeles Astra – Arizona Sidewinders
The game against the Sidewinders was blown off course by gusty conditions. By the time these teams had righted the ship, the score was 13-10 and Arizona was taking home the victory. This game was marked by small ball connections, zone looks, and turns that became long grinding points.
Third Quarter: Big Impact Additions (WUL Edition)
There are names we see at the top of the stat sheet every year, but with a whole host of players new to teams’ rosters, it’s time to take a look at the stars in new uniforms in the WUL4.
Alexandra Guy (Colorado) – The impact you make from the D-line can be difficult to quantify. If you do your job well, your player never gets the disc. O-lines are expected to score, so there’s no pressure if you can’t generate a turn. Alexandra Guy puts all that to bed and grinds instead. After she’s done shutting down her player, she’s streaking downfield for the next throw. Wracking up 432 receiving yards so far, Guy is in the top 50 of the league. Guy is consistently pulling in discs above expectations putting together 6G/2A/4B in the first half of the season.
Cami Lamont (Oregon) – Oregon Soar has an 89.5% completion percentage this season, 4th best in the league5. That isn’t possible without great hands behind the disc. Cami Lamont has proved their worth, putting together 4G/10A/1B for Oregon Soar. Lamont brings steady decision making to the D-Line for Soar, keeping that completion percentage at the top and the disc in the end zone.
Laura Blume (San Diego) – Super Bloom was right to take on the aptly named Laura Blume. The game against Bay Area in Week 6 marked the first high-pressure game of their season and Blume stabilized a struggling San Diego offense from the handler space. The young thrower brought calm and order to a floundering offense. If Blume can bring that control as a rookie, then we can expect great things going forward.
Reeve Grobecker (Bay Area) – The Bay Area Falcons have a lot of firepower at their disposal and they’re only getting better. But last week, in the game against San Diego, when it mattered most, Reeve Grobecker stepped up. Her layout block shifted momentum, turning a game of traded points, into one of separation. This season Grobecker has put up 4G/1A/3B for the Falcons, performing under pressure and laying out when it counts.
Jaycee Jones (Utah) – If you watch the Wild, then you know that Jaycee Jones is good for at least one incredible play per game. With hands so good she’s forgotten how to make a drop, and field vision to put her in the right place, Jones has a consistent impact on the Utah squad. If the WUL did Callahan reels, then Jones’ would be a standout. Check out the grab this week from the Utah/Astra game.
Kristen Reed (Arizona) – Kristen Reed might be easy to overlook if you’ve been skipping the Sidewinders games, but once you start watching, you see a trend: Reed in the end zone, Reed with the grab, Reed with the D. This week, even in the wind, she pulled in three goals, and had two blocks. Added to the season totals, that gives her nine goals and seven blocks so far.
Sabrina Belkin (Los Angeles) – The Astra rookie has quickly become a valuable part of the roster in her brief run. Belkin played in the team’s early tilts against the Bay Area and San Diego, earning playing both ways and finishing as one of the team’s leaders in points played in both contests. The sparkplug handler is 11th in the team in total yards despite playing in their two toughest matchups of the season. The other numbers will come if they can get Belkin, who also stars for UCLA in the college circuit, suited up more often next season.
Anna Pettee (Seattle) – It was hard to choose a standout rookie from Seattle, a squad that has tried to run up the score on every team they come across. But when it came down to it, Anna Pettee’s defensive stats rose above the competition. Pettee has put together an impressive 9G/7A/9B so far this season. They say that offense wins games, and defense wins championships; Pettee has both in spades.
Fourth Quarter: Game Previews
WUL Week 8
Arizona Sidewinders at Oregon Soar
The Arizona Sidewinders and Oregon Soar will take to the field for their first meeting. The division behind the front runners of the WUL and the bottom seems to grow every year. But these two teams are the closest to climbing the ladder. This game feels like confirmation of which one deserves to put a foot on the rungs first.
San Diego Super Bloom at LA Astra
San Diego makes the short trip to LA to compete with the Astra this weekend. The game feels a bit like a matter of course rather than a real competition given the discrepancy in the standings between the two teams. This will be a rematch for these competitors. Last time they met, Super Bloom came up victorious 18-10. Astra will look to improve on that score in an end of regular season schedule that is packed with heavy hitters. For San Diego, this is the last chance to tune up before they take on Seattle Tempest in Week 9.
PUL Week 5
Austin Torch at Nashville Nightshade
Week 5 in the PUL is a bye week for most teams. The only teams competing will be Austin and Nashville. These two teams weren’t in the hunt in 2025, but they know how to bring a unique brand of athleticism to their games. Expect the day to be full of runs, hucks, and some spectacular catches.
WUL Power Rankings
| Rank | Team | Change | Prior |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bay Area Falcons | - | 1 |
| 2 | San Diego Super Bloom | - | 2 |
| 3 | Seattle Tempest | - | 3 |
| 4 | Colorado Alpenglow | - | 4 |
| 5 | Oregon Soar | - | 5 |
| 6 | Arizona Sidewinders | - | 6 |
| 7 | Los Angeles Astra | - | 7 |
| 8 | Utah Wild | - | 8 |
- No changes this week as favored teams came out on top.
PUL Power Rankings
| Rank | Team | Change | Prior |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DC Shadow | +1 | 2 |
| 2 | New York Gridlock | -1 | 1 |
| 3 | Philadelphia Surge | - | 3 |
| 4 | Atlanta Soul | +2 | 6 |
| 5 | Raleigh Radiance | -1 | 4 |
| 6 | Minnesota Strike | -1 | 5 |
| 7 | Milwaukee Monarchs | - | 7 |
| 8 | Indianapolis Red | - | 8 |
| 9 | Austin Torch | - | 9 |
| 10 | Nashville Nightshade | - | 10 |
- DC claim the top position with their win over New York, while Atlanta jump into the top four with a dominant showing over Raleigh.
