Four teams remain in contention for the PUL Championship: two clear favorites, two clear underdogs.
June 19, 2026 by Rhea Patney in Preview
The Premier Ultimate League season comes down to four teams this weekend as Championship Weekend heads to Durham County Memorial Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. The league’s top four teams will compete for a spot in the championship game, beginning with top team out of the North Division in Philadelphia Surge taking on the second seed from the South, Atlanta Soul, in the first semifinal at 10:00 AM ET on Saturday, June 20. Later that day, undefeated DC Shadow from the South Division will face the North’s Indy Red at 3:00 PM ET in the second semifinal. The winners will advance to the PUL Championship game at 11:00 AM ET on Sunday, June 21. Games will be streamed free on the PUL YouTube Channel.
Philadelphia and DC enter the weekend as the top seeds after dominant regular seasons, while Atlanta and Indy arrive as battle-tested challengers looking to pull off an upset. With several of the league’s biggest stars, deepest rosters and most explosive offenses on display, Championship Weekend promises two compelling semifinal matchups before a champion is crowned on Sunday.
Soul vs. Surge Showdown
Philadelphia Surge (No.1, North Division)
How They Got Here
- W at Nashville NightShade 23-6
- W vs. Minnesota Strike 16-14
- W at Indy Red 16-10
- W vs. Milwaukee Monarchs 26-14
- W at New York Gridlock 17-14
- W vs. New York Gridlock 10-9
Statistical Leaders
- Lindsay McKenna – 13 Goals, 17 Assists, 6 Blocks, 15 Turnovers
- Fay Epstein – 7 Goals, 4 Assists, 13 Blocks, 6 Turnovers
- Sarah Hirannet – 12 Goals, 5 Assists, 2 Blocks, 2 Turnovers
- Grace Maroon – 10 Goals, 9 Assists, 2 Blocks, 4 Turnovers
Atlanta Soul (No.2, South Division)
How They Got Here
- W vs. Nashville NightShade 22-5
- W vs. Raleigh Radiance 16-6
- L vs. DC Shadow 22-16
- W at Nashville NightShade 18-14
- W at Austin Torch 20-11
- L at Indy Red 18-11
Statistical Leaders
- Dena Elimelech – 12 Goals, 19 Assists, 2 Blocks, 12 Turnovers
- Martha Wilber – 10 Goals, 8 Assists, 2 Blocks, 10 Turnovers
- Marie Perivier – 6 Goals, 12 Assists, 6 Blocks, 13 Turnovers
- Megan Jarriel – 3 Goals, 4 Assists, 9 Blocks, 2 Turnovers
The opening semifinal features two deep and balanced teams. Philadelphia enters Championship Weekend undefeated at 6-0, but they only boast one win over a fellow championship weekend team. That win came against Indy Red in Week 3, before Red found their footing and won four straight games to close the season.
Still, Philadelphia has done everything asked of them this season. The Surge showed they could win in multiple ways, whether through dominant performances like their 26-14 victory over Milwaukee or grinding out a one-goal win over New York Gridlock in difficult weather conditions. That consistency has been fueled by elite offensive efficiency. Philadelphia leads all Championship Weekend teams with an 84.2% hold rate and recorded 44 clean holds during the regular season.
Unlike Philadelphia, the Soul have already faced two Championship Weekend opponents, with their only losses coming against DC Shadow and Indy Red. Outside of those games, Atlanta showed a consistent ability to break matches open. Against Raleigh, Austin, and Nashville in their second meeting, the score remained competitive well into the game before the Soul rattled off multiple breaks in succession and quickly turned close contests into comfortable victories.
One of the most interesting storylines in this matchup is the depth on both sidelines. Neither team has relied heavily on a small core of players. Instead, both Philadelphia and Atlanta have spread production throughout their rosters, allowing them to maintain pressure regardless of line combinations.
The key question may be whether Atlanta can generate the type of break runs that defined much of its regular season. The Soul have repeatedly shown an ability to string together multiple breaks and put opponents away in a matter of minutes. Against a Philadelphia team that leads Championship Weekend in hold percentage and has the fewest turnovers in the league at 117, those opportunities may be harder to come by. But if Atlanta finds them, the Soul have proven they know how to capitalize.
2026 marks the just the second trip to Championship Weekend for both teams after some time away, with Philly missing the final four last year, while Atlanta hasn’t made it since the first Championship Weekend back in 2019. Regardless of who wins, the final game Sunday will boast a first-time finalist.
Defending Champs Take on the Spoilers
DC Shadow (No.1, South Division)
How They Got Here
- W at Raleigh Radiance 21-17
- W at Austin Torch 15-10
- W vs. New York Gridlock 16-12
- W at Atlanta Soul 22-16
- W vs. Raleigh Radiance 21-16
- W vs. Nashville NightShade 27-4
Statistical Leaders
- Julia Harris – 14 Goals, 6 Assists, 1 Block, 5 Turnovers
- Kira Flores – 6 Goals, 21 Assists, 6 Blocks, 14 Turnovers
- Sami Smalling – 5 Goals, 14 Assists, 2 Blocks, 7 Turnovers
- Ashleigh Jentilet – 9 Goals, 5 Assists, 8 Blocks, 11 Turnovers
Indy Red (No.2, North Division)
How They Got Here
- L at Milwaukee Monarchs 13-12
- L vs. Philadelphia Surge 16-10
- W at Minnesota Strike 16-14
- W at Milwaukee Monarchs 18-13
- W vs. New York Gridlock 18-15
- W vs. Atlanta Soul 18-11
Statistical Leaders
- Eileen Bequette – 13 Goals, 6 Assists, 16 Blocks, 8 Turnovers
- Maketa Mattimore – 10 Goals, 18 Assists, 6 Blocks, 14 Turnovers
- Rachel Mast – 11 Goals, 11 Assists, 5 Blocks, 11 Turnovers
- Laura Gerencser – 7 Goals, 11 Assists, 4 Blocks, 10 Turnovers
Saturday’s second semifinal pits the league’s most dominant regular-season team against one of its hottest. DC Shadow enter Championship Weekend undefeated at 6-0, though like Philadelphia, the Shadow have only faced one fellow Championship Weekend team this season. DC passed that test with a 22-16 victory over Atlanta Soul and enters Durham having scored more goals and recorded more breaks than any team in the league (122 and 56).
The Shadow have looked like the most complete team in the PUL all season. Their offense is built around patient, experienced handler movement, while their downfield unit is filled with athletic receivers capable of winning in the air and attacking contested spaces. Defensively, DC presents challenges at every level of the field, consistently taking away unders while also threatening deep shots.
Indy Red arrive in Durham with a very different story. After opening the season with back-to-back losses, Red found their footing and closed the year on a four-game winning streak. While several players account for much of the team’s statistical production, Indy has been at its best when role players are driving possession, applying tight defensive pressure, and executing the reliable cuts and throws that keep the offense moving.
Momentum favors Indy, but consistency favors DC. Red have improved every week since the start of the season, yet the Shadow have spent six games proving they are the team to beat. Indy is also historically a team that can never be counted out, whether it’s forcing overtime with a buzzer-beating score, earning a critical upwind break, or finding a way to make the impossible happen.
One of the biggest questions entering the semifinal is what happens if the game is close late. Indy has repeatedly shown an ability to rise to the moment in tight contests. DC, meanwhile, hasn’t really been tested in that situation this season. None of the Shadow’s games have been particularly close, with every victory coming by at least four goals.
This is Indy’s third trip to Championship Weekend, though like Philly and Atlanta, the Red have never advanced to the final game. If Indy can keep the game within striking distance into the fourth quarter, it could force DC into unfamiliar territory. If the Shadow continue to dictate play the way they have all season, they will be difficult to stop.
