Photo by Rob Gilmor
JULY 16, 2026
By Will Stuntz
The DC Breeze (8-3) are headed to the Peach State for one last regular season battle with the Atlanta Hustle (5-6). With the South and East Divisions’ playoff races settled, the result of this match will have no bearing on the futures of either team. The Hustle will not be in the playoffs, even though they are probably one of the best teams in the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA). The Breeze’s fate is also sealed, as they will go on the road for their first-round playoff matchup with either Boston or New York.
The Hustle and Breeze are not familiar foes, as the two clubs have only faced off twice in their history. It’s been five years since they met as members of the Atlantic Division with both of the first two matches taking place in the 2021 regular season when the teams split the series 1-1. Although this game is inconsequential for the 2026 playoffs, both teams will be looking for a win to take the all-time series lead.
The Hustle have one giant hole in their lineup: Alec Wilson Holliday. Atlanta’s leader in goals and plus/minus will miss his first game of 2026, and the lack of his explosive cutting ability will be a major factor in the Hustle’s season twilight. Their offense isn’t totally out of luck, however, as Hayden Austin-Knab, Brett Hulsmeyer, Austin Taylor, and Will Selfridge are all active.
For DC, the defense won’t be at full capacity once again, as Micah Wagner, Raymond Lu, Tanner Gesell, and Luke Rehfuss won’t be active. However, Wiebe van den Brink is finally back from the Netherlands and ready to roll. His return, paired with continued exemplary performances from characters like Marcus Lee, Josh Lightner, Kevin Healey, and now Jasper Tom, who made waves in his 2026 debut last week, will form a D-line that’s more than capable of handling the Hustle O-line. Billy O’Bryan is also active, and it will be interesting to see how he fares in his return to Atlanta to face his former side.
The Breeze’s offense is also seeing some parity this week, as Jacques Nissen will miss his first bout of 2026. Without their throwing yards leader, the Breeze will need to fill shoes in the handler space, and they’ll welcome the 2026 debut of Gus Norrbom, the team's franchise leader in completion percentage. They'll also likely look to Sean Mott, who leads the Breeze in assists this year, but he’s been relatively quiet in the last few outings, and without Nissen, the Breeze will most certainly be looking for major contributions from Norrbom and Mott. Along with Nissen, Christian Boxley will be absent, which will open up even more cutting opportunities for younger players like Theo Shapinsky, Coby Loveranes, Gabe Dowd, and Miles Grovic. This quartet has already shown incredible ability to pick up receiving yards and goals this year, but without Boxley, the Breeze will be looking extra hard at them to pick up some slack. AJ Merriman will be crucial, as well, to fill in for the handling and cutting absences, as the true hybrid has proven he’s capable of being a go-to handler or cutter on both sides of the disc.
Catch the final outing for the Breeze in the 2026 regular season this Saturday, July 18 at Silverbacks Park in Atlanta, Ga. Streaming live at watchUFA.tv. First pull flies at 7:30 p.m. ET.
