Breaking down the biggest storylines and players to watch as teams gear up for one of the most exciting and impactful weekends of the year!
September 24, 2026 by Edward Stephens, Aidan Thomas, Nate Knowles, Graham Gordon and Josh Katz in Preview
Ultiworld’s 2026 coverage of the club division is presented by Spin Ultimate; all opinions are those of the author(s). Find out how Spin can get you, and your team, looking your best this season.
The club 2026 postseason is here! After teams battled all summer to earn bids for their regions, it’s time to figure who gets to go to the Big Show and try to win it all. We’ve got you covered with the favorites, challengers, and top storylines of every region.
Women’s Division Preview | Mixed Division Preview
Great Lakes
Competition Schedule
Dates: September 26-27
Location:Lebanon, OH
Number of Bids: 2
Favorites: #5 Chicago Machine, #12 Toronto GOAT
Challengers: Chicago Haymaker, Indianapolis I-69, Ontario Houndd, Columbus Flying Dutchmen
Excitement Level: 🔥🔥
In one of the most interesting storylines across the division, Chicago Haymaker made a strong run at earning a third bid for the Great Lakes, ultimately falling just outside the bid bubble. Now, Haymaker and the rest of the region’s contenders will have to scrap with Toronto GOAT for a chance to play in San Diego, as the first bid is all but locked up by Chicago Machine.
The 2020s have been Machine’s: they’ve placed no lower than fifth at nationals since 2021 while remaining undefeated at Regionals each season, and there’s no reason to expect that to change now. With a strong core and some excellent additions, Machine has their eyes on a championship, certainly unconcerned about their chances of qualification.
Only one team in the Great Lakes feels like they could even put up double digits on Machine: recent regional addition Toronto GOAT. Also taking their shot at the World Ultimate Club Championships, GOAT has added a significant amount of firepower to their roster but still fell to Machine earlier in the season, a relatively uncompetitive 15-9 loss. Without some serious change, expect to see GOAT in the second-place game, and probably in San Diego.
If GOAT are to be upset, Chicago Haymaker would need to play at a level higher than they have all season, with their only win over a nationals-caliber team coming against Austin Doublewide, against whom they split games at ESC. As it stands now, Haymaker are closer to being upset by one of their fellow regional contenders than they are to upsetting for a bid to Nationals.
The Great Lakes hold no small number of solid teams, with Indianapolis I-69 coming from the Central Plains second to Haymaker, and the East Plains section having unexpected champions Ontario Houndd, who did not participate in the regular season. On their way to becoming sectional champions, Houndd defeated Michigan ELDL and Columbus Flying Dutchmen on universe points, showing just how close these teams are to one another. Any of these teams could find themselves in the game-to-go given a good Sunday — or find themselves in consolation due to a tough bracket draw.
Postseason X-Factors
Elliot Hawkins (Chicago Machine) – The 2025 Breakout Player of the Year has made his way to Chicago and is looking even more effective than ever. With a record-setting season in the UFA and leading Machine in stats at WUCC (29A, 5G), more honors may be coming his way.
Daan De Marrée (Chicago Machine) – If Elliot Hawkins isn’t leading in stats for Machine at Nationals, it is likely due to 2025 Player of the Year Daan De Marrée. The absolute phenom put up one of the most impressive nationals performances in history in Machine’s trip to the 2025 final. There’s a reason he’s considered the best in the world right now.
Justin Podnar (Toronto GOAT) – Justin Podnar has the chance to upgrade Toronto GOAT to a level beyond what we saw at WUCC, bringing an impressive arsenal of throws and downfield dominance. Expect to see him mesh well with a young GOAT squad.
Marty Gallant (Toronto GOAT) – An explosive, goal-scoring, high-flying finisher, Marty Gallant paces GOAT’s offense. On a team with a high level of throwing talent, Gallant will likely be on the receiving end of just about everything.
Joe Cercello (Chicago Haymaker) – Haymaker have been a relative unknown for the last few seasons, but at Elite-Select Challenge, Joe Cercello put the division on notice, assisting in the performances that helped put Haymaker on the map.
Mid-Atlantic
Competition Schedule
Dates: September 26-27
Location: Frederica, DE
Number of Bids: 2
Favorites: #6 Washington DC Truck Stop, #11 Philadelphia Pacmen
Challengers: Arlington Oak Grove Boys, Virginia Vault
Excitement Level: 🔥
After we certainly had potential for the Mid-Atlantic region to be exciting going into the season, the rounding into form of Truck Stop and lower-ranked teams failing to perform above their station leaves us with chalk on the horizon.
D.C. Truck Stop began the season very shaky, bringing a skeleton crew to PEC-East and struggling greatly against all Nationals teams. They performed much better at the US Open and Pro Championships, with wins over DiG, Rhino, and a universe point triumph over Ring of Fire to claim the title in the latter tournament. Their roster has been burgeoned by the international additions of Sofiene Bontemps, Louis Betrancourt, and the returning Elliott Bonnet, a much improved player now compared to the last time he donned a Truck Stop uniform. With more time to build chemistry, this team should expect to defend the regional crown that they’ve held for so long.
However, Philadelphia Pacmen really cannot be counted out. They are an extremely young team with so much room to grow—one could make the argument that three of their four most important offensive pieces so far this year were college underclassmen in 2026 — Sam Grossberg, Owen Erdman, and Ezra Beidler-Shenk. And the fourth? That’d be the mercurial former First-Team All Club selection Alex Atkins, no stranger to boom-or-bust play himself. All’s to say, we know that on the right day, this team could beat anyone.
Down the line, it seems unlikely that either Virginia Vault or Arlington Oak Grove Boys will be able to challenge either of the top dogs in a potential game-to-go. Vault has stepped back a little bit from their years at Nationals, and Arlington don’t seem to be playing on that level quite yet.
Postseason X-Factors
Jacques Nissen (DC Truck Stop) – Nissen continues to be one of the most field-expanding throwers in the game and truly has the keys to the offense this year. Expect to see him create some ridiculous looks and keep the ball moving consistently with his array of break throws.
Alexandre Fall (DC Truck Stop) – Since Troy Holland’s departure, Fall has become Truck’s primary defender on opposing teams’ top hybrid threats. He’s a lockdown defender in all areas of the field and a likely deep threat on a turn.
Sam Grossberg (Philadelphia Pacmen) – If anyone thought that a 20-year old couldn’t successfully lead an elite club offense, they are eating their words now. Sam is one of the most impressive young talents in a long time, and he is only getting more seasoned and athletic with experience and age.
Max Tran (Philadelphia Pacmen) – Tran is one of the quickest players on any field, and one of the most explosive block-getters around. Any cutter that slows up to catch an under better be watching their back when he’s the downfield mark.
Xavier Maxstadt (Arlington Oak Grove Boys) – If anyone is going to will an upset, it might just be Maxstadt, one of the most creative handlers in the game over his career with UNC-Wilmington, Rally, and others. If he’s hitting his shots, big things could come for the boys from Arlington.
North Central
Competition Schedule
Dates: September 26-27
Location: Des Moines, IA
Number of Bids: 1
Favorites: #8 Minneapolis Sub Zero
Challengers: #17 Madison Mad Men
Excitement Level: 🔥🔥
There was a fragile moment in time, a near-inflection point, when it appeared as though the North Central was truly up for grabs. Sub Zero were faltering, Mad Men were reliably good, St. Louis Lounar and Winnipeg General Strike were dangerous, and Minnesota Mallard were winning the recruiting war for local talent. Was a regime change in order?
Then we blinked and the moment was gone. Sub Zero are back on top – and how! They were punchier than punchy at Nationals in 2025, pushing both Rhino Slam! and Machine to the limit, and in 2026, they have matured into a truly elite unit. Part of that comes from development: Gordon Larson and Peter Mans have both taken big steps forward from this time a year ago. And part comes from a stellar recruiting class, including current collegiate offensive wizards Nate De Morgan and Micah Davis and defensive standout Cam Lacy. Sub is a complete team, and it’s hard to imagine anyone knocking them away from their Nationals path. (It’s hard to see how to keep them from reaching quarters in San Diego, for that matter.) Will Brandt’s absence at Regionals following an injury during UFA Championship Weekend could be a bit of a wrinkle, though.
An upset, if anyone can hack it, could maybe come from Mad Men. Poor Mad Men. They’re basically playing at a Nationals level. Plug them into this year’s South Central or Northeast or Northwest and you start to like their odds. Alas, as good as Arthur Carne and Nico Ranhabat and Eric Sjostrom are, the path to the 2026 North Central Regional Championship is a long way up. Unsolicited advice: Play your hearts out, and if it doesn’t work out, you’ll have proved you’re onto something good and have a Top Select ticket in hand for the 2027 recruitment season.
The real rumble will take place in the final Select Flight slots. Does anybody really know who’s going to bring their A-game between Lounar, Mallard, General Strike, Kansas City Smokestack, and Madison Zoboomafoo? Bring a camera and get ready for a show.
Postseason X-Factors
Noah Hanson (Minneapolis Sub Zero) – The Sub Zero captain played like his life depended on it a year ago, helping to drive Sub back into the elite tier of men’s ultimate. He’s doing it again this season, seemingly oblivious to the fact that, with even more talent surrounding him, he doesn’t necessarily have to. He plays two-ways, and he plays a lot, and the emotional pulse of Sub Zero’s bid to break into the upper crust takes its cues from Hanson.
Arthur Carne (Madison Mad Men) – One of the younger players around the country worth keeping an eye on, Carne has been excellent early in his college career for Wisconsin. How much does that translate to club? Typically the talent carries over, and Mad Men will need all of it to get the better of a heavily-favored Sub Zero.
Joel Brown (St. Louis Lounar) – One of the secrets to winning as an underdog is to carpet the attacking endzone with quick scoring throws. Lounar definitely qualify as underdogs, and they have a thrower in Brown who is as qualified as any to put catchable discs into the box from anywhere on the field. Let’s see if they can put a scare into Mad Men with an all-out air raid.
Northeast
Competition Schedule
Dates: September 26-27
Location: Batavia, MA
Number of Bids: 3
Favorites: #4 New York PoNY, #7 Boston DiG
Challengers: Portland Red Tide, Montreal Mephisto, Québec Quake (Magnitude), New York Blueprint, Amherst Sprout, Ottawa Phoenix
Excitement Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
The Northeast, in typical fashion, is sure to have one of the most exciting paths to the game-to-Go. The main bracket should be something of an expected result as the teams exist, with New York PoNY and New England DiG prepared to glide through the rest of the regional competition. New York PoNY are the heavy favorites, with DiG likely being their only real competition within the region.
Coming hot on the heels of a silver medal at WUCC, PoNY are hungry and well-balanced. With younger imports Declan Miller, Ben Dameron, Scott Heyman, and Anders Juengst working alongside PoNY’s old guard of Chris Kocher, Ben Jagt, Jimmy Mickle, and Cameron Wariner, there’s a threat no matter where you look. While one could almost say the same about DiG, they do have a strange early-season loss to Doublewide and are certainly not immune to the same result on their road to Club Nationals. Assuming international imports Tobe and Lander Decraene and Quintin Bonnaud are operating on the level we’ve seen throughout the season, it’s going to be no small task to topple them.
Beyond the top two is where the region gains its notoriety for being an absolute dogfight to reach that infamous backdoor game-to-go, with the region claiming seven top-25 teams. Hoping to book flights to San Diego for the second year in a row are Portland Red Tide, who barely found themselves within bid range to keep their hopes alive. At many points during the season, it also looked as if Montreal Mephisto would be doing the same, but they fell just short at the end of the regular season. These two are far from being straight favorites, with Red Tide barely scraping by newcomers Magnitude and taking a loss on universe to Blueprint, who lost to Magnitude. Mephisto have yet to find themselves being tested against most of the region, but have lodged two comfortable wins over Magnitude, putting themselves ahead of the teams trading wins.
Just below the upper four are a sneaky Amherst Sprout (a roster full of recent college champions from UMass) who have missed much of their roster across the regular season, but put together a dominant run through their section following a steady improvement in their tournament appearances. Ottawa Phoenix came into the season with high expectations, ultimately falling short of where they would hope to be, but are still well within the skill range of crushing the hopes of another contender en route to the game-to-go.
The extra oddity will be that the tournament won’t be played in Devens, MA, for the first time perhaps ever: the nor’easter storm closed the fields and everyone has to relocate many hours away in Batavia, NY, near Buffalo.
An almost impossible-to-predict placement from 3rd-8th; make sure to tune into the Sunday bracket, streamed live here on Ultiworld!
Postseason X-Factors
John Randolph (New York PoNY) – Since his meteoric rise to the top of the sport at Brown, Randolph keeps getting better, putting up dominant performances at every stage. With all-around skills and a motor that never stops, Randolph is almost certain to find himself holding postseason awards — and maybe even a Club Nationals trophy.
Tobe Decraene (New England DiG) – There isn’t much to be said about the young star that hasn’t been written yet: Tobe Decraene has yet to find a place on the field where he doesn’t shine. With a star-studded cutting core, Decraene has found himself comfortable in the backfield, distributing at an almost unmatched level within the division.
Stewart Kelley (Portland Red Tide) – Just like the other two on this list thus far, Stewart Kelley operates on all sides of the disc, as he did on Red Tide’s modern maiden voyage to San Diego.
Antoine Dubé (Montreal Mephisto) – Putting up a top-15 individual performance in the Open Division at WUCC put anyone on notice that wasn’t already: Dubé is an elite-level finisher with eyes for the goal.
Jonah Stang-Osborne (Amherst Sprout) – After a year away from the game, the fan-favorite Jonah Stang-Osborne is back on Amherst Sprout, joining his college teammates for the club season. If Sprout are able to complete one of the largest upsets in recent memory, JSO is sure to be essential in their run.
Northwest
Competition Schedule
Dates: September 26-27
Location: Burlington, WA
Number of Bids: 3
Favorites: #2 Portland Rhino Slam!, #3 Seattle Sockeye, #15 Vancouver Furious George
Challengers: #14 Eugene Dark Star
Excitement Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Is every single major player in the always-intriguing Northwest on an upswing? Rhino Slam!, who have a serious argument as the team of the 2020s so far, perhaps have little room to grow, which makes it a tricky proposition. Speaking frankly, though, they are championship-quality, and we’ll count it. The other clubs in the group are slam dunks. The entire region is on a heater in 2026.
Taking it from the top, Rhino Slam! should win the region. They are stacked. They are experienced. They are smart. They made us fall in love with the big ball again. There is a chance that they have the three top candidates for breakout player of the year (Alex Hall-Witt, Chander Boyd-Fliegel, Callahan Bosworth) heading into Nationals. They might have two consensus top-5 players in our top-25 player rankings (Raphy Hayes and Henry Ing). They have a trio of players (Lukas Ambrose, Daniel Lee, David Sealand) who have put down stakes on Defensive Player of the Year podiums in recent years. Somehow, a player who is none of those people, Mica Glass, might be their best. It all comes with a big caveat about whether they’ll all be on the field at the same time, and that caveat could be the difference in winning the region. Regardless of whether they finish first or second in Burlington, though, they’ll make it through to San Diego in pursuit of a second championship, no question.
Seattle Sockeye are definitely surfacing in a big way. What seemed like it would be a down year after they shed their primary O-line touch-getters Jonny Malks and Declan Miller has instead turned into a collective flourishing of young talent. Everywhere you look, their college-age contributors have risen to the occasion: Ryan Shigley, Elijah Diamond, Cedar Hines, Xavier Fuzat, Carter Bayer. The time to ask ‘when’ or ‘if’ they will blossom has passed; the answer is an emphatic ‘now.’ Meanwhile veterans like DY Chen, Trent Dillon, and Garret Martin are operating close to peak levels to provide a sturdy backbone. They nearly took out Revolver for the US Open title, and, while their game-to-game performance has been a little volatile, that ceiling is high. They’re good enough to beat Rhino in both Burlington and San Diego.
The last bid contains most of the intrigue. Vancouver Furious George had a rough go of it a year ago, failing both to make USAU Nationals and (more shockingly) to qualify for Worlds. They’ve responded by poaching Mephisto’s Malik Auger-Semmar, judged by many to be the top male-matching player in Canada. He forms a potent offensive 1-2 with Quinn Snider. As for the rest, they’re full of experienced veterans like Malcolm Bryson, Toly Vasiliyev, Morgan Hibbert, and Kevin Underhill to help keep an even keel, and high-upside younger players like Ricky McCloud, Kai O’Donnell, and Nyle Lebbell.
In most other three-bid years, you’d say that Furious clear the Nationals bar with ease. (Indeed, all of their potential could even congeal to beat Sockeye.) This time around, however, they must contend with a Eugene Dark Star side who are seeing great benefit from the thriving youth scene. They’ve brought back throw-it-from-anywhere threat Ben Thoennes and are seeing intriguing performances from stars in various stages of development. Orlando Impas and Eli Capser are just two of the relatively unheralded youngsters who suddenly find themselves thrust into major playmaking duties and performing well in those roles. Dark Star have some carryover from their last Nationals appearance to help guide the ship, but the bet here is on the boldness of their less experienced contributors to get the drop on one of the region’s favorites.
Postseason X Factors
Eli Casper (Eugene Dark Star) – The young handler has found a not-so-niche role for Dark Star 2026: center handler. He looked incredible at it during PEC West; clearly he’s got the juice. That, however, was a low-stakes situation. How will he respond to the inevitable pressure of a potential win-and-in scenario?
Malik Auger-Semmar (Vancouver Furious George) – After a season of missing expectations, Furious needed something. So their World Games players phoned a friend, Team Canada teammate Auger-Semmar, to join the fight. He’s a notoriously difficult cover with a cannon of an arm. Could he be what Furious was missing a year ago?
Daniel Lee (Portland Rhino Slam!) – File under “If.” Lee did his best to help the team from the sidelines earlier in the year. But when we’re talking about possibly the best individual defender in the game, you want him on the field. Rhino’s potential this season (at Regionals and beyond) is directly linked to how much of their A-grade talent are healthy enough to get minutes. Lee is one of those crucial pieces.
Zoli Ishikawa-Szabo (Seattle Sockeye) – Sockeye are in the midst of a youth renaissance, getting contributions throughout every corner of their schemes. One of the (so far) less heralded ones is Ishikawa-Szabo, a fixture of the Western Washington O-line who has been playing defense for the Fish. The defense is fine, but where he really shines is putting the disc in the end zone off of a turnover.
South Central
Competition Schedule
Dates: September 26-27
Location: Arvada, CO
Number of Bids: 2
Favorites: #13 Denver Johnny Bravo, #16 Austin Doublewide
Challengers: Denver Fungi, Houston H.I.P.
Excitement Level: 🔥
Even one fire emoji feels like too much for this region. It could have been thrilling. A one-bid region with two top-20 teams duking it out always feels fun with an exciting finish between the tournament’s top two teams. That’s what last year’s South Central Regionals gave us, when Johnny Bravo and Doublewide battled to a double-game-point finish in the championship. This year, we’ll get that same championship matchup, almost certainly, except this time, there will be no bid on the line.
Doublewide did just enough to earn a second bid for the region, which completely deflates the excitement of this tournament, but it does make Austin feel a lot happier and a lot more secure, so that’s good for them, bad for fans of fun-to-watch regionals.
For the sake of casting some light doubt on the results upon the results of this regional, Denver Fungi should enter as the no.3 seed after sweeping their sectional tournament with a 6-0 record. Earlier this season, at PEC West, Fungi didn’t look totally outmatched in a couple of close losses to SoCal Condors, a team that spent much of the year in the back end of the rankings. They’re one of two other teams in the region that even played a top-40 team – the other was San Antonio Alamode, who lost twice in blowouts to Fungi and lost to their only ranked opponent by eight. And, hey, Houston H.I.P. is always punchy and they’ve got Kyle Henke on the roster. Why not in a bit of a down year for Doublewide?
Postseason X-Factors
Jordan Kerr (Denver Johnny Bravo) – Kerr is the do it all star for Bravo, who must figure out how to maximize his contributions without telegraphing that they want to get him in iso-cut situations, which higher-level defenses will key in on.
Quinn Finer (Denver Johnny Bravo) – A goals machine for Bravo, Finer will also play key crossover points for Bravo and be a driving force in their postseason success.
Nanda Min-Fink (Denver Johnny Bravo) – While Jonathan Nethercutt is the bigger-name handler for Bravo, Min-Fink has emerged this season as a capable understudy, and if he provides consistent disc movement for Bravo, as he did without the services of Kerr and Finer at Elite Select Challenge, Bravo’s ceiling is that much higher.
Matthew Armour (Austin Doublewide) – The longtime Doublewide star is as relevant as ever for Doublewide and plays a big role in Austin’s ability to punch above its weight class, as they did in breaking Pacmen twice in the early going at Pro Champs or in pushing Ring of Fire to double game point.
Mark Henke (Austin Doublewide) – In his second year on Doublewide, the Texas A&M star is looking for his first trip to club Nationals. Henke’s seemingly endless motor makes him a tough cover, whether as an end zone iso-cutter, or in the handler space.
Southeast
Competition Schedule
Dates: September 26-27
Location: Bermuda Run, NC
Number of Bids: 2
Favorites: #9 Raleigh Ring of Fire, #10 Atlanta Chain Lightning
Challengers: #19 Raleigh-Durham United, Bahama The Expendables, #23 Florida Untied
Excitement Level: 🔥🔥
In all likelihood, the Southeast region in the Open division feels more or less the same as it has for the majority of the past decade. Raleigh Ring of Fire are the top of the pack, Atlanta Chain Lightning follow closely behind them, and a litany of other teams have possible-but-highly-unlikely chances to pull off an upset in the game-to-go, made more difficult by the likelihood that they will have to play a couple tight games to get there in the first place.
At the top, Ring are still a team burgeoned by the North Carolina youth scene in lieu of big-name departures over the last couple of seasons. Josh Singleton, Eli Fried, and John McDonnell have all stepped up into feature roles for the offense, with the likes of Henri Lessard and Owen Stout doing the same on defense. The injury suffered by Tobias Brooks definitely hurts a bit, but their performance at Pro Championships showed that they can still roll with the best of them, led on and off the field still by the talismanic duo of Matt Gouchoe-Hanas and Sol Yanuck.
Chain have also had some shuffling, losing Brett Hulsmeyer to Revolver among other stalwarts, but have been boosted on offense by breakout club performances from Michael Poe and Will Selfridge, alongside the ever-sturdy handling of Nicky Spiva. They are a team with decent variability and have been involved with a lot of games of runs this season, so we’ll see if they are hot or not come Sunday.
Raleigh-Durham United have been a consistent Nationals-level team who have taken a small step back this year, but that experience and a roster featuring lots of young talent surrounding Allan Laviolette could easily make some moves. Possibly the most exciting challenger, though, is the new team The Expendables, made largely up of masters-age former Ring players, headlined by Noah Saul, Ethan Bloodworth, and Jacob Fairfax. Florida Untied, BaNC, or even Tanasi also can’t be counted out to get to big games on Sunday.
Postseason X-Factors
Matt Gouchoe-Hanas (Raleigh Ring of Fire) — Gooch went absolutely nuclear in the Pro Champs final to cap off a great tournament. He’s been one of the best players in the world for half a decade if not longer, and we should all expect him to show why every team he’s played on since he was a sophomore at UNC has trusted him to make every difficult throw in the book.
Liam Searles-Bohs (Raleigh Ring of Fire) — After a year off from elite club, LSB has reminded all of us who he is: a terrifying lane presence who can rip massive hucks when he catches the disc in flow. He is playing a cog role for Ring but definitely has takeover potential when the need is there.
Michael Poe (Atlanta Chain Lightning) — Poe can’t be missed on film with his signature cutting style and flashy outfits. He’s been a monster as a front-of-stack initiator in 2026, with the goal totals to show for it.
Jacob Fairfax (The Expendables) — There’s not much that needs to be said about Fairfax’s game—he’s clearly one of the most devastating deep threats in the club game, full stop. With experienced throwers on his side, he should change the shape of any field he plays on at regionals.
Allan Laviolette (Raleigh-Durham United) — One of the savviest throwers and slipperiest guards of his era, Laviolette still has the juice, as evidenced by the strength his journeyman presence has brought to many different teams over the past couple seasons. Don’t expect that to change for RDU.
Southwest
Competition Schedule
Dates: September 26-27
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Number of Bids: 1
Favorites: #1 San Francisco Revolver
Challengers: SoCal Condors, Phoenix Nighthawk, Santa Cruz Wavestorms
Excitement Level: ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️
With all due respect to the other 11 teams heading to Bakersfield this weekend, Southwest Men’s Regionals is nothing more than a formality. In one corner is the best club in the world, top-ranked San Francisco Revolver, who won the Triple Crown last year, won the US Open and World Club Championships this year, and have lost just three games in the last two years. In the other corner are a series of un(power)ranked teams, the best of which is an on-again-off-again Nationals attendee SoCal Condors, who just lost to Revolver by 10 goals at an unsanctioned round robin tournament.
Since the 2012 redraw that moved San Francisco to the Southwest, Revolver have lost exactly one game at Regionals, the first-place final in a two-bid region in 2021. The reigning champions don’t lose games much these days, and certainly not at Regionals. If they fail to take the region this weekend, it would be the greatest upset in ultimate history.
Revolver aren’t infallible: losses to Machine and Rhino Slam! this year are proof of that. But those are two perennial semis-at-Nationals contenders, not fringe top 25 clubs. In three games against non-bid earning teams this season, Revolver have scored 45 goals and conceded just 13. The roster is loaded with talent, from a dominant offense led by Mac Hecht, Walker Frankenberg, Raekwon Adkins, and Leo Gordon, to a defense so deep with playmakers that the D2 line could start for most Nationals teams.
With the race for the lone bid all but locked up, all eyes turn to which team gets the chance to test themselves against Revolver in the game-to-go. Before the season started, four southwest teams seemed to be in the mix for a second bid. Not one of them earned it. Still, middling results across the board mean all must think they have a shot at making it to the final at Regionals, with the hope of Revolver playing their worst game of the tournament when they meet.
The SoCal Condors are the most obvious candidate, although their in-season results were uninspiring. After retooling their roster heading into this season, the Condors had some real hope of riding their youth talent to another nationals berth. Their attempts to earn a bid were stymied by losses to Doublewide and I-69, but they still have the pedigree to make it to the final against Revolver. KJ Koo, Max Combs, and Max Gibson lead a team with high upside but very little to show from it this season so far.
In a similar vein, the still-building Nighthawk team stormed into the season with renewed vision and pickups like Travis Dunn and Garrett Hable that primed them for a Nationals push, only to realize they might have bitten off more than they could chew by struggling at SFI-East and ESC. If they’re to have a chance, they’ll need to prove they’re closer to the team that won Sectionals and not the team that went 1-5 at ESC.
The final team sniffing for a chance at the game-to-go are the Santa Cruz Wavestorms. Weak tournament competition and losses to Chicago Trident & Eugene Dark Star firmly pushed them out of contention for a bid, which did not seem to be their intention in the first place. The team boasts both Toby Warren and Bodie Shargel, who were recent standouts at College Nationals. They’ll need a lot more from the depth of their roster to stand a chance against their more northerly rival, though.
Just outside of those top three are the other hopefuls from this season: Los Angeles Hazard, Sacramento Swordfish, and San Diego Skipjack. Hopeful is overselling it somewhat, as all three teams have obvious knocks against them based on their results. Hazard had a rough SFI-E and suffered two recent losses to Nighthawk, while Swordfish couldn’t beat OAT or Skipjack in the regular season. Skipjack, for their part, couldn’t find a way to play a full ten regular-season games and barely made it to Regionals after only being able to roster 15 players at Sectionals. Losses to both Hazard and Nighthawk give them less than an outside shot at the game-to-go.
Postseason X-Factors
Mac Hecht (San Francisco Revolver) – Much of Revolver’s offense is based around positional flexibility, small movement, and a trust that every player on the field can fill every role on the offense in a pinch. Then there’s Hecht, a throwback pure handler with the best and deepest array of throws in the division, giving the offense a different dimension and making it that much harder to stop.
Brett Hulsmeyer (San Francisco Revolver) – San Francisco’s high profile offseason pickup has been a near perfect addition to the squad. Hulsmeyer’s played excellent defense and seamlessly fit into Revolver’s switch-heavy scheme, while also finding his place in the myriad offensive looks that they feature.
Travis Dunn (Phoenix Nighthawk) – Nothing about Nighthawk’s season suggests they’ll make Nationals this year. But Dunn is used to that, after stealing bids to Nationals in each of the last three years with Arizona Lawless in the Mixed Division. Can he bring that magic to the Open Division?
