AUGUST 24, 2024
By Marley Pope

In one of the most chaotic Championship Weekend games of the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) and arguably ever, the fourth-seeded Minnesota Wind Chill survived near-gale-like conditions to upset the top-seeded DC Breeze in the first league semifinal.

In a game where both teams completed less than 90% of their passes and committed 35+ turnovers each in 20+ mph winds in Salt Lake City, the Wind Chill outscored DC 5-2 in the fourth quarter with the game tied to complete a franchise-defining victory 16-13.

The Breeze trailed 10-6 and stormed back in the third quarter, but a 4-0 run in the fourth by Minnesota clinched the vital win.

Minnesota’s 11-for-15 success in the red zone compared to DC’s 8-for-17 showcased the difference between which team could convert the important high-quality chance. The DC coaching staff broke from the standard offensive and defensive lines and instead based their personnel on up-wind and down-wind position. The D-line would play with the wind at their back, while the O-line faced the trying challenge of scoring directly into the strong winds.

D-line (and down-wind) star Miles Grovic tallied a hat-trick - two of them coming on huge end zone to end zone huck assists from AJ Merriman - and 252 receiving yards for the Breeze, as both coaching staffs had to dramatically change their tactics due to the extreme conditions. 

Three Minnesota players scored three goals and Josh Klane added four assists in the chaotic, unpredictable affair. The Wind Chill held enough on offense (8-for-15) and took advantage of the DC mistakes when it mattered most.

To begin the game, three turnovers in the opening minute forecasted the dynamics of the next 47 minutes.

Minnesota broke the ice with a flick pass by Klane to find Bryan Vohnoutka. Each team traded turnovers for the next several minutes, as DC looked sped up and frustrated with the choppy conditions. The Breeze missed two scores on the goal line, failing to convert chances.

However, after another Minnesota turnover, Thomas Edmonds (three assists, 217 yards) sent a long-range pass to Merriman (two assists, one block) for the first Breeze score of the evening with 6:42 left in the first quarter.

The Wind Chill answered with a controversial goal, as an errant Breeze pass found the turf, and Dylan DeClerck illegally kicked the disc to the sideline to give himself advantageous position to complete an unmarked pass, leading to a quick score.

DC began to settle and Gus Norrbom (two assists, one block) found Rowan McDonnell (one goal, two blocks) in the end zone to tie the game at two. However, DC moved the disc upwind on the next possession but failed again to complete the score missing the final pass. Minnesota then drove straight down the other direction to retake the lead.

In the final seconds of the first quarter, DC failed to convert the final pass in the end zone, finishing the opening quarter 1-for-5 in the red zone to trail 4-2.

To open the second quarter, Merriman hurled a 100-yard assist to Grovic with DC putting the D-line on the field to receive the pull.

Minutes later, DC tied the game at four with an upwind break with their O-line playing defense. Jacques Nissen (two assists, 22/24 throws) connected with Jonny Malks (one assist, two goals). The Wind Chill scored their first goal in the second quarter with 6:27 remaining in the first half.

A drop from McDonnell on the ensuing possession gave Minnesota a fast break chance, which they converted to go back up by two scores. DC’s D-line found some space and Kevin Healey (one goal, one block) secured a score for the Breeze's first break.

Minnesota scored twice more to grow their lead to three with 2:42 left in the half. With 41 seconds left in the half, DC got the desperate score they needed but allowed Minnesota to score seconds later, where the Breeze looked lost on defense.

This theme of DC dropping end zone passes continued with Elliot Bonnet (one block, 143 yards) dropping a perfect pass from McDonnell with 10 seconds left in the first half, after jostling with a defender near the end zone line. The frustration built on DC’s sideline as they trailed 10-6 at halftime.

To open the second half, the Breeze converted after Minnesota's Will Brandt dropped the pull and gave DC a prime chance. DC again retained possession and Jasper Tom (one assist, one goal) sent a cross-field pass where Grovic skied to come down with the disc. Within minutes, DC climbed to within two scores.

The Breeze kept this momentum and worked the disc with their O-line into the red zone, and Malks scored again to cut the deficit to one in the first five minutes of the second half.

On the ensuing pull, DC forced a turnover on the goal line, and Tom capped a 4-0 run to completely flip the game on its head, tying the score at 10-10.

The Wind Chill finally responded with a nice snag by Tristan Van de Moortele in the corner of the end zone. Minnesota forced another Breeze turnover to earn a break chance but dropped the disc, ultimately leading to another DC hold. 

After Minnesota failed a huck attempt, DC worked the disc back the other way to knot the game at 11 with seven seconds left in the third period. Both teams headed into the final frame with a total of 53 turnovers between them.

The Wind Chill scored first in the fourth with a razor-thin call going their way and followed that with their sixth break score to lead by two.

Just seconds later, disaster occurred for DC when Tom dropped a centering pass from Edmonds near their own goal line to gift Minnesota another short-field break opportunity, which they converted to push their lead back up to three. The Wind Chill onslaught continued with a floating disc intercepted, and Minnesota scoring their fourth straight.

With desperation setting in, Merriman sent his second perfect huck to Grovic for his third goal and gave DC a lifeline trailing 15-12 with 6:24 left in the game. The Breeze earned another break with 3:22 left on the clock to cut the deficit to two goals.

After Troy Holland (two blocks, one goal) knocked down a pass, David Bloodgood was doubled on the sideline and threw a risky pass, which Minnesota pounced on to earn another hold with 1:03 left to effectively seal the win and advance to the UFA Championship.

A storybook season for DC came to a difficult end, where the conditions played a large role in rattling the team's composure and making an elite UFA team lose some of the magic that pushed them through to their first-ever East Division title with an 11-2 record. The season began and ended in Salt Lake City for the Breeze, who could not overcome difficult circumstances in Zions Bank Stadium to bookend their 2024 campaign.

It will be interesting to see what comes next for the Breeze, but it's a pretty good bet that they'll continue to build and aim to seek redemption at Championship Weekend in 2025.