DC Shadow doubled up Philadelphia Surge to claim their second PUL title in as many seasons
June 25, 2026 by Rhea Patney and Emilia Scheemaker in Recap
The Premier Ultimate League season came down to four teams at Championship Weekend in Durham County Memorial Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. The undefeated favorites comfortably advanced to the championship game, as top team out of the North Division in Philadelphia took down the second seed from the South, Atlanta Soul, in the first semifinal, while DC Shadow from the South Division eclipsed North’s Indy Red in the second semifinal. Games were streamed free on the PUL YouTube Channel and are available to rewatch.
With several of the league’s biggest stars, deepest rosters and most explosive offenses on display, Championship Weekend 2026 lived up to the hype and crowned a worthy, battle-tested champion.
Battle of the Undefeated: DC Shadow 20 – Philadelphia Surge 10
DC Shadow completed a perfect season (8-0) on Saturday, defeating Philadelphia Surge 20-10 to claim their second consecutive Premier Ultimate League championship. The victory extends Shadow’s winning streak to every game since the 2024 PUL Championship Game. Under sunny, 85-degree conditions, the championship was defined by intense defensive pressure on both sides. Even when bids didn’t produce blocks, defenders consistently crowded throwing lanes and stayed attached to cutters, creating the kind of pressure that forces offenses to play cautiously and earn every completion.
Ashleigh Jentilet was available for DC in the championship game and provided a major boost after missing the semifinal, adding another high-impact piece to an already deep defensive rotation. Statistically, Philadelphia was led by Grace Maroon, who finished with four goals, one assist, and one block, while Lisa Dang contributed three assists and Lindsay McKenna added two assists and two blocks in an all-around impact performance.
For DC, Maya Kikuchi delivered one of the standout lines of the game with five goals and four blocks, including multiple intelligent poach reads that repeatedly disrupted Philadelphia’s endzone flow. Jessica Sourbeer facilitated the offense with four assists, and Marika Korpinen added three goals, one assist, and one block in a balanced, efficient showing as DC controlled the game on both sides of the disc.
The opening quarter was a defensive battle, with both offenses needing multiple chances to secure early holds. Philadelphia nearly found an early break opportunity, but Sumi Onoe came up with a poach block in the end zone to keep the game level. Later, Ashleigh Jentilet delivered a massive run-through block (nearly a callahan) on a Surge handler swing that set up Tyler Smith for the game’s first break and a 2-1 Shadow lead at the end of the quarter.
DC blew the game open in the second quarter, taking a 10-3 halftime lead behind a combination of defensive pressure and Philadelphia mistakes. After a Surge stall, Sydney Rehder launched a backhand huck to Korpinen for a one-throw break, and a poach block in the Surge end zone from Kikuchi led to an additional Shadow break. DC’s defense consistently sat on underneath looks, forcing Philadelphia to work harder for easy yardage.
While the Surge occasionally found success attacking deep, they struggled to do so consistently. Long stretches of handler pressure and difficult resets eventually led to backfield miscues and rushed endzone throws that DC eventually converted into breaks. Jentilet also came up with a highlight-reel save on an errant Jackie Wang huck before finding Korpinen for the score as DC took nearly every opportunity to build a commanding halftime advantage.
Philadelphia found some momentum in the third quarter, but never made a significant dent in DC’s lead. After a clean DC hold and an early Shadow break off a Kikuchi poach block, the Surge responded with several of their best offensive possessions of the game. Fay Epstein reeled in a huck from Emilie Mohler through contact before dishing to Grace Maroon for a score, and Lindsay McKenna later connected with Sarah Hirannet on a deep shot for another clean hold. Epstein then delivered one of Philadelphia’s biggest plays of the afternoon, recording a run-through block before taking off deep for the bookend score to earn the Surge’s first break of the game.
A Chelsea Semper poach block led to another Philadelphia break, but DC answered each push. Jentilet connected with Korpinen on a huck score, while Lily Johnson came down with a highlight-reel layout catch to save possession before later hauling in a breakside score. The Shadow maintained control and carried a 15-9 lead into the fourth quarter.
Any hopes of a Philadelphia comeback faded in the fourth as DC closed the door on any surge of momentum. Rebecca Driver opened the period with a layout block, and after a timeout both teams subbed into offensive/defensive sets. The ensuing point was messy, with DC unable to convert initially and the possession flipping, but Kat Maguire ultimately finished the sequence with bookends for Shadow.
Later, Sydney Rehder found Amanda Murphy for a sliding finish, and DC capitalized on more Philadelphia turnovers with quick, clinical conversions. Philadelphia added a final goal on a Grace Maroon assist to Sarah Hirannet (after Maroon caught a beautiful huck from Sara Liang), but DC continued to answer and closed out a 20-10 win to secure back-to-back PUL championships.
The game was a true display of athleticism, big plays, and relentless effort on both sides, especially on defense. Neither team let up through the final buzzer, trading layout bids, run-through blocks, and skying contested grabs in an intensely physical matchup. For Philadelphia, this marked their first appearance in the PUL championship game, offering a foundation to build on after an undefeated regular season and explosive play in championship weekend, despite the final scoreline.
Semifinal 1: Philadelphia Surge 15 – Atlanta Soul 12
Philly jumped out to an early lead in this semifinal game, running through three uncontested breaks to start. Surge would take home the game 15-12. Atlanta was also operating without leading goal scorer and assist thrower Dena Elimelech, which limited their usual rotation and depth throughout the matchup.
Surge rolled in with a defensive line ready to challenge any space on the field. While initially it was deep defense from standouts like Lindsay McKenna that created turns, Philly stepped up the pressure on the handlers and undercuts to keep the breaks coming. Gwen Rauch and Fay Epstein were both in the mix, creating multiple opportunities defending undercuts or using their defensive positioning to break up plays. It was that sort of heads-up intensity that defined Philly’s offense. Chelsea Semper and Lisa Dang stayed composed in the back field, distributing the disc with just enough touch to capitalize on yards, give their cutter a clear lane, and keep it out of reach of the defense.
Atlanta Soul found a way to slow Surge down with their zone. It’s the same look we’ve seen all season from them, a way to control the middle of the field and force the offense to the edges. From there, Soul can attack the deep hucks or the long reset swings. Atlanta’s ability to stay disciplined in this zone and capitalize on turns had them fighting back to 10-6 at half, trailing by just four points. It’s a lead that could have been erased if Dena Elimelech had played. Elimelech was out Saturday, but would have competed Sunday if Soul made it through. Instead, Atlanta found a different gear with Liv Ford, Mia Griner, and Charlotte Doran on the field. This core had the chemistry and legs to put together short give and go movement that kept Philly chasing.
Although Atlanta battled back and kept in touch, they ultimately could not overcome the discipline and defensive drive of this Philadelphia squad. Surge went on to face DC Shadow in the PUL Championship.
Semifinal 2: DC Shadow 15 – Indy Red 12
The semifinal was effectively decided on the opening point, which stretched nearly seven minutes and ended with a DC break after Tyler Smith hit Kat Ritzmann up the line. Indy Red’s offense had already spent over six minutes grinding through the first possession before a substitution timeout, and DC immediately capitalized out of the reset to take early control of the game. DC then broke again, with Amanda Murphy hitting Rebecca Driver on a mid-distance backhand to close the quarter with DC up 2-0.
DC steadily pulled away from Indy Red in the second quarter. After a clean hold from each side, DC converted a dirty hold and then on the next point, Cara Tinson delivered a run-through block on a floaty Indy flick, sparking a break. The Shadow followed with another break, capped by a Smalling upline score, to close the half up 6-1. Across the first half, both DC’s O-line and D-line consistently worked through Indy’s zone with patience, efficiency, and confidence.
In the second half the game continued in the same way. Indy Red took chunks out of the clock with a 3-3-1 zone defense, forcing Shadow to slow down or go backwards. While the strategy did keep Shadow from gaining momentum, the time coming off the clock was an issue. Indy chased DC through the second half of the game, rarely gaining the momentum they needed. At the end of the third quarter, a pair of breaks for Eileen Bequette put some wind back in the Red sails, but DC could not be stopped.
Any time DC Shadow was allowed to flow downfield, they tore it up. Their under cuts diced up the field, taking away 15-20 yards at a time. As DC approached the endzone they slowed down, took their time, and swung the disc to get just the right cut. Sammy Smalling and Jess Oh anchored that redzone offense, guaranteeing that chances became conversions.
Both teams came to this game with strong points, but it was DC that pulled away. Despite difficulty with Indy Red’s zone, Shadow were able to create chances and capitalize on their strengths, ultimately advancing to face Philly Surge in the final.
