This past weekend had everything, from favorites comfortably winning to surprising upsets with Championship Weekend implications
June 12, 2026 by Emilia Scheemaker and Rhea Patney in Preview, Recap
The PUL played out its last week before Championship Weekend, while the WUL had the past week off as teams prepare for the final showdown! We’ve got a preview of the big weekend ahead in the WUL, recaps of the PUL’s biggest games, not one but two plays of the week, and updated power rankings, all in this week’s edition of Four Quarters!
First Quarter: WUL Championship Weekend Preview
This weekend will host the 2026 WUL Championship in Portland, Oregon. The teams in attendance were dominant all season, each only dropping a loss to another team at Championship Weekend. Now it’s time to prove who comes out on top.
Semifinal One: Seattle Tempest vs. Bay Area Falcons
Winning Prediction: Seattle Tempest
The first semifinal matchups pits the Seattle Tempest against the Bay Area Falcons. Seattle and Bay Area have not faced each other since Tempest won during the 2025 regular season. But that performance is the last thing these teams are thinking about headed into the weekend. Both teams have evolved considerably over the past year, adding key contributors and developing the chemistry with a new set of players. Three of the league’s five Offensive Player of the Year finalists will take the field in this matchup, as Cheryl Hsu will lead Seattle against Bay Area’s Robyn Fennig and Alex Barnett.
The contrast between the two offenses is one of the most compelling storylines entering the game. Seattle has spent the season thriving on explosiveness. They drive turns from the D-line and convert. Hsu’s willingness to attack deep space places constant stress on opposing defenses.
Tempest have assembled a group of receivers capable of capitalizing on those opportunities, including Gemma Munck1 who has been among the league’s most productive downfield threats. Kaitlynne Roling2 provides additional timing, decision making, and throwing depth.
Even Seattle’s defensive personnel have frequently contributed to the offense, with Jamie Kauffman3 and Meg Manning4 crossing over throughout the season and giving Tempest another layer of versatility when games get tight.
That depth has been a defining feature of Seattle’s success. Few teams can match the number of impact players scattered throughout the roster. Lauren Page and Anna Pettee continue to anchor a formidable defensive unit5. When turnovers do come, Seattle is often quick to punish mistakes. Brogan Jones6 has played a particularly important role in that regard, helping Tempest convert defensive opportunities before opponents can settle back into position.
Bay Area arrives with a very different identity. While Seattle often creates advantages quickly, the Falcons are comfortable building possessions methodically. Much of that responsibility falls to Fennig and Barnett, whose steady handling gives the Bay Area an offense defined by patience and precision. Rather than searching for immediate openings, the Falcons are willing to work through multiple phases of possession, trusting that disciplined movement and smart decisions will eventually create the opportunities they need.
That approach has made Bay Area one of the most efficient offensive teams in the division, particularly in high-leverage situations near the end zone. If they are able to control tempo and force Seattle into longer defensive possessions, they have the personnel to make this game unfold on their terms.
The defensive matchup may prove just as important. Dawn Culton and Bridget Wipfler7 have brought athleticism and playmaking ability to a veteran core that includes Eliza Pugh8, Eliza Chang, and Olivia Goss9. Their continuity has been one of Bay Area’s strengths throughout the season, and that experience will be tested against a Seattle offense that can generate scores from almost anywhere on the field.
There is a reason both teams enter this game with legitimate championship aspirations. Bay Area remains the only team to defeat San Diego this season, demonstrating the depth and composure required to challenge the division’s elite. Seattle, meanwhile, has spent much of the year looking like the most complete roster in the field, combining top-end talent with contributions from every corner of the lineup.
Ultimately, this semifinal feels like a contest between two equally effective but fundamentally different approaches. Seattle will look to leverage its athleticism, depth, and ability to strike quickly. Bay Area will seek to dictate pace, extend possessions, and rely on the patience that has defined its season. The team that succeeds in pulling the game toward its preferred style may very well find itself playing for a championship the following day.
Semifinal Two: Colorado Alpenglow vs. San Diego Super Bloom
Winning Prediction: San Diego Super Bloom
In the second semifinal are the Alpenglow and Super Bloom. In many ways, the WUL’s recent history runs directly through these two teams. These teams also took home the last two championships, with Alpenglow breaking through in 2024 before Super Bloom reclaimed the title a season later. Both teams have gotten comfortable at the top of the standings. That familiarity only adds another layer to a semifinal that already feels loaded with talent. Both teams rely heavily on spacing the field and attacking deep lanes, and both possess the personnel to punish even the smallest defensive mistake.
Super Bloom enter Championship Weekend having spent most of the season looking every bit as dominant as they did during their title run. Their only loss came in a rematch against Bay Area after opening the year with a smooth win over the Falcons. Throughout the season they demonstrated an ability to generate production from virtually every corner of the roster. Something no other team in the league can match.
That depth fundamentally shapes how Super Bloom plays. Rather than relying on strict offensive and defensive units, San Diego frequently deploys some of its best players across both sides of the disc. Kristen Pojunis10, Kaitlyn Weaver11, Abbi Shilts12, and former MVP Kaela Helton all contribute as two-way threats, giving the team unusual flexibility when adjusting to game flow.
Just as important is the veteran infrastructure surrounding those stars. Kelli Iwamoto and Rebeca Ellis13 have quietly remained among the team’s most important possession players, frequently serving as the stabilizing force when offensive sets begin to break down. Time and again this season, San Diego has trusted its experienced handlers to navigate difficult situations and extend possessions that seemed destined to end in turnovers.
While San Diego’s strength often comes from the breadth of its contributors, Alpenglow’s ceiling is still defined by one of the most dangerous offensive partnerships in the sport. Opposing defenses have spent the entire season trying to contain Ari Nelson’s throwing range, often shaping game plans around preventing the deep shots that have become synonymous with Colorado’s offense. Even with that attention, Nelson continued to drive the attack while Abby Thorpe14 once again emerged as one of the league’s most productive all-around players.
The addition of Kennedy McCarthy15, two-time WUL Player of the Week in 2026, has made that task even more difficult for opponents. McCarthy’s emergence gives Colorado another high-level offensive option alongside veteran Allysha Dixon16, creating a unit that can threaten defenses from multiple angles rather than relying exclusively on its established stars.
What may ultimately make this Colorado team more dangerous than previous versions, however, is the growth of its defense. Sarah Itoh’s17 transition to a larger defensive role has paid immediate dividends. Maggie O’Connor’s ability to anchor in the D-line and Alexandra Guy’s added athleticism and playmaking ability has shaped a unit that already possessed championship experience. Alpenglow have become increasingly capable of forcing errors and creating break opportunities.
Earlier this season, San Diego put together an 18-16 victory over Colorado, but the final margin obscures how competitive the game was. Alpenglow stayed within striking distance throughout and generated opportunities to apply pressure, only to struggle converting break chances. For much of the match, the teams played even. The difference was that San Diego capitalized on a handful of mistakes early and never relinquished control.
It’s unclear if that one win is enough to hedge your bets for this weekend. San Diego’s depth will be challenging to contain. Colorado, meanwhile, has every reason to believe it can improve on its previous performance. The Alpenglow offense remains one of the most explosive in the league, and it would be surprising to see a group with this much talent leave as many opportunities on the table a second time.
The challenge facing Colorado is obvious. Beating a team as deep as Super Bloom is difficult once, but doing it twice will take patience. Colorado has enough top-end talent to swing a game in a matter of possessions, while San Diego’s depth and versatility have made them the league’s most consistent force all season.
Second Quarter: PUL Week 10 Recaps
Indy Continues Rolling with Win Over Atlanta
After dropping its first two games of the season, Indy Red have caught fire, rolling through the rest of its regular season and closing with an 18-11 win over the Atlanta Soul. Neither team had their position in the postseason at stake, with both secure to advance. With second place in the South Division meeting second place in the North, Red looked every bit like a Championship Weekend contender, playing a clean, confident offensive game while capitalizing on nearly every break opportunity.
Red opened with a hold and break, the latter capped by a huge Eileen Bequette sky for the score — followed by a celebration that saw her throw the disc through the football goalposts. Atlanta answered with a Quincy Booth backhand huck to Ellie Thomson and later added a break of its own through Dana Bidot and Dena Elimelech. The teams traded holds and breaks throughout the first quarter, with Martha Wilber finding Elimelech as time expired to give Soul a 5-4 lead. Indy flipped the momentum in the second quarter, breaking to open the period after a Bequette block and huck, then rattling off three straight breaks. Atlanta managed a hold to slow the run, but Red continued to control the pace, adding another break and a late hold to take a 10-7 advantage into halftime.
Indy never let Atlanta back into the game after halftime. Red opened the third quarter with a hold and another break before Bidot helped Soul answer against the Indy zone. Rachel Mast secured the Indy hold and another Red break after an Atlanta endzone turnover stretched the lead to 14-8. Indy added another score to open the fourth, and although Soul found moments of life, including a Charlotte Doran flick huck to Bidot and a late Wilber-to-Emma Jaschke connection as time expired, Red’s defense continued to create opportunities. Mast delivered another clean hold, Annie Meilink came up with a sideline block that led to a Humphries score, and Elleythea Smith added another goal while keeping her toes in bounds to help seal the 18-11 victory.
Midwest Squads Send Austin Home to Two Losses
Austin Torch dropped both games on their windy Midwest road trip. They lost a close one to the Milwaukee Monarchs, 17-15. Austin led through three quarters, ending the third quarter 10-9, but Milwaukee rattled off three scores in a row in the fourth quarter to give them the two point buffer for the remainder of the game. Milwaukee had a 100% hold rate, with eight of 10 being clean holds.
Minnesota Strike took down Austin Torch, 18-12, in their final home game of the season. Strike led 5-2 at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. Interestingly, Minnesota also had a 100% hold rate, with seven of 10 being clean holds.
Lightning Helps Philly Surge to Undefeated Regular Season
A lightning delay brought this game to an early end after the third quarter, with the Philadelphia Surge preserving their undefeated season with a 10-9 win over New York Gridlock.
Gridlock held a 9-8 lead with just three minutes remaining in the third quarter, but the Surge responded with a clean hold as Graham Cunningham found Sara Liang to tie the game. On the ensuing point, Emilie Mohler came down with a floaty New York throw, giving Philadelphia a chance to call a timeout and send out its offensive unit. Out of the stoppage, Lindsay McKenna launched a perfectly placed flick huck to Linda Morse for the break and game-winning score.
Shadow Cruises Past Shorthanded Nightshade
DC Shadow comfortably took down Nashville Nightshade 27-4 at home, capping their undefeated season with another dominant performance. The game also served as the team’s Pride Night celebration, with special shirts and armbands honoring June. For DC, Cara Tinson led the way with four goals, one assist, and three blocks, while rookie Lily Johnson added four goals and two blocks. Jess Sourbeer added four assists.
Nashville was without offensive stars Holly and Savannah Sillivant, whose production has accounted for a significant share of the team’s goals and assists this season, making for a difficult matchup. Despite the loss, practice players Abby Faulhaber and Kendall Brown made their PUL debuts for Nightshade.
Third Quarter: Play(s) of the Week
DC Shadow’s Ashleigh Jentilet
In this show of dominance on both sides of the disc, DC Shadow’s Ashleigh Jentilet gets the run through block, skies to catch the hammer from Jess Sourbeer, and then dishes the score to Cara Tinson.
Milwaukee Monarchs’ Emily Cohen
Emily Cohen had the explosive layout score for the Milwaukee Monarchs to equalize the score partway through the third. Cohen leads the Monarchs in goals.
Fourth Quarter: WUL Awards
The WUL released the finalists for its superlatives this week, including Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Breakout Player of the Year, and Coaching Staff of the Year.
Most Valuable Player Finalists
- Abbi Shilts (San Diego)
- Abby Thorpe (Colorado)
- Chip Yen (Los Angeles)
- Jamie Kauffman (Seattle)
- Rachel Egan (Oregon)
Offensive Player of the Year Finalists
- Alex Barnett (Bay Area)
- Ari Nelson (Colorado)
- Cheryl Hsu (Seattle)
- Karli Steiner (Los Angeles)
- Robyn Fennig (Bay Area)
Defensive Player of the Year Finalists
- Bridget Wipfler (Bay Area)
- Caitlin Fitzgerald (Oregon)
- Kristen Reed (Arizona)
- Meg Manning (Seattle)
- Sarah Itoh (Colorado)
Breakout Player of the Year
- Cami Lamont (Oregon)
- Emily Pozzy (Oregon)
- Eva Bell (Utah)
- Gemma Munck (Seattle)
- Kennedy McCarthy (Colorado)
Coaching Staff of the Year Finalists
- Oregon Soar
- San Diego Super Bloom
- Seattle Tempest
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 games = no changes this week. On to Championship Weekend, where we’ll see if Bay Area can retain their top spot!
PUL Power Rankings
| Rank | Team | Change | Prior |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DC Shadow | - | 1 |
| 2 | Philadelphia Surge | - | 2 |
| 3 | Indianapolis Red | +1 | 4 |
| 4 | Atlanta Soul | -1 | 3 |
| 5 | New York Gridlock | - | 5 |
| 6 | Raleigh Radiance | - | 6 |
| 7 | Minnesota Strike | - | 7 |
| 8 | Milwaukee Monarchs | - | 8 |
| 9 | Austin Torch | - | 9 |
| 10 | Nashville Nightshade | - | 10 |
- Indy Red keep proving the skeptics wrong, this time taking down Atlanta Soul at home in a strong statement ahead of Championship Weekend.
Munck is second on the Seattle Tempest for most goals this season, behind Jaimie Kauffman ↩
Roling currently has 17 assists for the Seattle Tempest, third most on the Seattle roster ↩
Kauffman is currently second in goals, first in assists, and second in blocks in the league for the 2026 season ↩
Manning is fourth in receiving yards this season ↩
Page and Pettee both have 10 blocks for Tempest, third most on the team behind Kauffman, and Manning ↩
Jones currently has 16 assists, fourth most assists on the Tempest ↩
Wipfler is currently first on the Falcons in blocks with 14 and Culton is second with 11 ↩
Pugh is currently second on the Falcons in assists this season ↩
Goss currently leads the team in receiving yards ↩
Pojunis led SD in assists this year with 22 ↩
Weaver and Helton tied for second most assists on SD this season with 16 each ↩
Shilts led SD in goals this year with 16, and in receiving yards ↩
Ellis is second in throwing yards for SD this season ↩
Thorpe was second in the league in goals in 2026, and led the league in throwing and receiving yards and points played ↩
McCarthy was second in goals and second in blocks for CO this year ↩
Dixon was third in assists for CO this year ↩
Itoh led CO in blocks this year ↩
