This past weekend had everything, from favorites comfortably winning to surprising upsets with Championship Weekend implications
June 5, 2026 by Emilia Scheemaker and Rhea Patney in Preview, Recap
The WUL played out its last week before Championship Weekend, while a shock upset upended the playoff picture in the PUL! We’ve got recaps of the biggest games, a high-flying play of the week, and updated power rankings, all in this week’s edition of Four Quarters!
First Quarter: PUL Week 9 Recaps
Indy Clinches Playoff Spot in Shock Upset Over New York
Indy Red punched their ticket to Championship Weekend for the second straight season, beating New York Gridlock 18-15 to secure second place in the North Division and eliminate Gridlock from postseason contention.
In the least windy conditions Red have faced all year, both teams leaned heavily on zone looks in the steamy summer heat. The matchup featured two teams with remarkably similar identities, anchored by strong handler play, aggressive deep shots and zone defenses. Indy proved more patient throughout, while New York’s aggressive over-the-top attack found more success as the game progressed after a difficult start.
New York received the opening pull and immediately looked deep, but an early turnover set the tone for a chaotic first quarter. Indy settled into its vertical stack offense and earned consecutive breaks, first on a Rachel Mast-to-Maketa Mattimore connection and then on a Berkley Humphries assist to Eileen Bequette.
Gridlock responded behind an Eli Presberg bookends score after a run-through block and a pinpoint huck from Sadie Jezierski. Abby Hecko added bookends of her own for New York, recording a run-through block with two seconds remaining before finishing the ensuing possession. Indy had built a two-break cushion, but New York clawed both back to take a 4-3 lead at the end of the quarter.
Red regained control in the second quarter, with their offense operating efficiently against New York’s zone. Tracey Lo hauled in a hold before adding a break score, and Bequette connected with Riely Kuznicki on a flick huck for another break.
Gridlock stayed within striking distance through Presburg and Jezierski, who connected on a hammer that eventually led to an Ashley Wright score, while Sydney Loughran finished a blading Mattimore huck to keep Indy ahead. Mast capped the half bringing down a cross-field flick score and Red carried an 8-6 lead into halftime.
The third quarter belonged entirely to the offenses, with every point ending in a hold. A four-minute opening point finally went New York’s way before the teams traded patient possessions throughout the period.
Hecko continued to be a threat for Gridlock, while Indy answered with clean offensive execution to maintain its narrow advantage. New York’s defense tightened considerably and nearly found a break opportunity late in the quarter, but Mast came up with a crucial handblock on Jezierski as the quarter ended. Red escaped, still leading 11-10.
Indy seized control in the fourth. Mast found Laura Gerencser for the opening hold before Bequette delivered one of the game’s biggest plays, skying a deep backhand for a break that extended Red’s lead to three.
Audrey Parrott answered for Gridlock after Jezierski opened the field with a massive flick blade, but Indy continued to capitalize on opportunities. A layout save from Corinn Rains kept a key possession alive before Mast finished an ensuing break to put Red firmly in command.
New York repeatedly struck quickly in the second half, generating several holds in under 30 seconds as they tried to erase the deficit. The fastest came on a 10-second, three-throw score involving Jezierski and Grace Conerly, but Gridlock could never string together the defensive stops needed to complete the comeback.
After a late short-field score cut the margin to 17-15 with 14 seconds left, Indy calmly played out the final possession, ending the game on a Lo-to-Shirley Saunders layout score for the 18-15 victory.
DC Finishes Season Undefeated with Win over Raleigh
DC Shadow capped off an undefeated regular season with a 21-16 win over Raleigh Radiance, securing the top seed in the South Division despite missing several key contributors, including Allie Wallace, Emily Kiver, Jess Sourbeer, Kat Ritzmann, Sumi Onoe, Tyler Smith and Amanda Murphy.
PUL rookie Lily Johnson shined for DC, as the offense repeatedly unlocked her in the deep space. Johnson finished with four goals and two blocks, including a big layout block in the first quarter that gave Shadow a short-field scoring opportunity. Julia Harris added four goals, while Kira Flores dished out an astounding seven assists.
For Raleigh, Julia Hoffman tied the PUL single-season goals record. Hoffman scored twice to reach 26 goals on the season, matching the mark set by Genny De Jesus in 2024, and added two assists in the loss.
Second Quarter: WUL Week 12 Recaps
The WUL season finished out to expectations; every team that had already clinched their spot in play-offs powered through to the win.
Bay Area Falcons 25 – 12 Oregon Soar
If you only had time to watch one WUL game this weekend, it should have been this one. The Bay Area Falcons took home the win over Oregon Soar 25-12, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t great plays on both sides. Whether it’s the unbeatable placement from Emily Pozzy, or the defensive bids from Caitlin Fitzgerald, Oregon showed up to play. The biggest blemish: the second quarter, when the Bay Area Falcons racked up an eight point run uncontested.
The Falcons made things look easy, their chemistry putting every player in the right place at the right time. Robyn Fennig and Julianna Madigan topped the offensive stats, but it was the lockdown defense headed up by Courtney Greenley and Olivia Goss that kept Bay Area on the right side of the disc.
Seattle Tempest 23 – 18 LA Astra
Seattle Tempest have been sitting atop the Northwest Conference leaderboard all season, and this weekend proved no different. They’d already solidified their place in Championship Weekend, and with one game left to play the Tempest climbed to the top in a 23-18 win over the LA Astra.
The game was marked by a host of first throw turns and tight windows. As the throwing windows got tighter, Astra only got better. It was a good last-minute push from Astra to show that they could hold their own with the top of the league; all they need is the right pressure at the right time. Seattle meanwhile moves off into a bye week to prepare for Champ Weekend.
Colorado Alpenglow 25 – 10 Utah Wild
Colorado, currently the second seed in the Northwest Conference, took on the Utah Wild this past weekend, winning the contest 21-10. Colorado Alpenglow have one of the most productive offensive lines with Ari Nelson, Abby Thorpe, Allysha Dixon, and Kennedy McCarthy. It’s no surprise that the Alpenglow outscored the Wild by nearly double in every quarter.
San Diego Super Bloom 20 – 8 Arizona Sidewinders
San Diego finished out the regular season with a 20-8 win over the Arizona Sidewinders. The Sidewinders have had an up-and-down season, at times playing well above what the scoreboard shows.
This weekend San Diego gave them no chance to battle back, taking a three point lead in the first and extending it in each of the next three quarters. Super Bloom leaned hard on Abbi Shilts who is having a stand out year. Shilts scored three goals in the game.
Third Quarter: Play of the Week
It’s the second quarter of the Indy Red – NY Gridlock game, and the Red just just strung together a hold-break-break run to take a 7-5. They’ve created a gap on one of the league favorites, but New York has the disc and seems confident they’ll steady the ship. Then, Indy’s Eileen Bequette has this big run-through block.
This is where Indy Red settled into the pace of play, where they decided to dig a little deeper and win with their legs first. Phenomenal efforts from both teams and a great game to watch.
Fourth Quarter: The Weekend Ahead
PUL Week 10
Atlanta Soul at Indy Red
Atlanta Soul travel to face Indy Red in both teams’ final game of the regular season. With Championship Weekend berths already secured, the matchup serves as a postseason preview and an opportunity for both sides to fine-tune rotations and schemes and build momentum before the title chase begins.
Texas Back-to-Back: at Milwaukee and at Minnesota
Austin Torch hit the road this weekend for a pair of matchups against Midwest teams, taking on the Milwaukee Monarchs on Saturday before facing Minnesota Strike on Sunday. All three teams enter the weekend with just one win, but Minnesota has been more competitive than its record suggests, pushing several opponents deep into games behind a roster with considerable depth and experience.
While none of the three teams will be competing at Championship Weekend, all will be looking to finish their seasons on a high note.
Nashville Nightshade at DC Shadow
Nashville Nightshade travel to DC Shadow to take on one of the league’s top teams. Shadow enter undefeated and have already earned a place at Championship Weekend, while Nightshade are still searching for their first win.
Despite the record, Nashville has shown steady improvement throughout the season, finding more offensive rhythm and defensive intensity each week. Led by one of the league’s top goal scorers in Holly Sillivant, Nightshade will look to challenge a DC squad coming off a win over Raleigh.
New York Gridlock at Philadelphia Surge
New York Gridlock travels to Philadelphia for its final game of the season, taking on a Surge squad that has already secured a Championship Weekend berth and will be looking to complete a perfect regular season. The teams last met in Week 7, when Philadelphia earned a 17-14 victory in New York.
Despite being eliminated from postseason contention, Gridlock showed promising signs in the second half of last week’s game against Indy Red, stringing together several lightning-fast clean holds as their offense found its rhythm. They’ll look to carry that momentum into one final opportunity for a statement win.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia enters the matchup coming off two bye weeks and will aim to continue the consistency that has powered its undefeated campaign.
WUL – Bye Week
The regular season is all wrapped up in the WUL! The San Diego Super Bloom took the Southwest Conference on point difference over the Bay Area Falcons, while Seattle Tempest claimed the Northwest with a higher win total over the Colorado Alpenglow. All four advance to Championship Weekend June 13-14 in Portland, setting up a Super Bloom/Alpenglow and Tempest/Falcons semifinal slate!
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 |
- We’ll get a chance to see the Big Four take each other on in just two weeks.
PUL Power Rankings
| Rank | Team | Change | Prior |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DC Shadow | - | 1 |
| 2 | Philadelphia Surge | - | 2 |
| 3 | Atlanta Soul | +1 | 4 |
| 4 | Indianapolis Red | +2 | 6 |
| 5 | New York Gridlock | -2 | 3 |
| 6 | Raleigh Radiance | -1 | 5 |
| 7 | Minnesota Strike | - | 7 |
| 8 | Milwaukee Monarchs | - | 8 |
| 9 | Austin Torch | - | 9 |
| 10 | Nashville Nightshade | - | 10 |
- A lack of inter-division play makes the South pairing of Atlanta and Raleigh and the North duo of Indy and New York hard to parse, but Indy and New York ultimately move closer and split the South thanks to New York’s slightly stronger showing over a common opponent in DC.
