Photo by Derek frazer – UltiPhotos.com

JULY 2, 2026
By Will Stuntz

The hiatus is over, and fans of the DC Breeze (6-3) will finally get to see their squad back in action. After two weeks away from the field, the Breeze have some major players returning to the lineup, and they’ll be ready to fly down the final stretch of the 2026 regular season. 

The Breeze have three games to go, and the first two are with the Philadelphia Pheonix (1-8), first away then home. Then, in week 13, they’ll take a trip down to The Peach State for a tussle with the Atlanta Hustle (5-5). 

A major storyline in this matchup that historically DC has dominated is that Sean Mott will be suiting up against the squad he played with for the last 10 years. Despite their struggles against DC, Mott and the Hotbirds swept the season series against the Breeze in 2025. In those games, Mott put up 12 assists, three goals, and a block to notch Philadelphia's first wins over the Breeze since 2017. In his first season in DC, the league vet has helped the Breeze offense find a new identity that should put the squad in a solid position to come away with a win in the City of Brotherly Love.

“I feel very confident,” said DC Breeze head coach Xavier Maxstadt. “But in this league, anyone can lose to anybody.” 

Philadelphia has had an abysmal season with their only win coming against the 2-8 Montreal Royal, who the Breeze have already bested twice in 2026. 

“I just want to make sure we don’t take them lightly,” Maxstadt said. “Because they’re also a good team regardless of their record.”

The two matchups with the Phoenix are monstrously consequential for the East Division playoff race. Although the Breeze control their destiny, if they were to slip against Philadelphia, it would open the door for the Toronto Rush (5-4) to potentially overtake the third seed and knock DC out of the playoffs for the first time in nine years. 

The Breeze also have some pretty significant holes in the lineup this week. On defense, they’ll be without Wiebe van den Brink, Luke Rehfuss, Lev Blumenfeld, and Raymond Lu, who’ve all been stellar in the games they’ve played so far this season. Offensively, the veteran presences of Jeff Wodatch and Christian Boxley will be major shoes that need filling. However, the Breeze also get some huge contributors returning that have missed significant time with injuries

A defensive stalwart is back in action after missing the first nine games of the 2026 season: Jasper Tom. Tom is set to make his long-awaited season debut, and he’s already got some 2026 action with his club squad DC Truck Stop. His return couldn’t be timed better with all of the D-liners that are out this week. Tom has a knack for finding blocks, as he’s averaged 0.9 blocks per game in his regular season appearances over the last five years.

“Jasper is a huge addition,” said Breeze cutter Coby Loveranes. “He’s just very locked in on playing really, really good handler defense.”

Tom, along with Tanner Gesell, Isaac Lee, Josh Lightner and Couper Kerns, are going to be a handful for the Phoenix O-line that has given up the fifth-most turnovers in the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA). 

Both DC lines will get a breath of fresh air this week with AJ Merriman returning to the lineup. Merriman has played around a 60/40 split of O-line and D-line points, respectively, and he’s been incredible on both sides.

“He’s one of those players who will help find ways to score a point, win a game or win a half, regardless of who’s around him,” Boxley said. “He can fill in any gaps that are left behind, especially with all of our injuries.” 

Prior to sustaining an injury when the Breeze traveled to Toronto, Merriman was building a legitimate case for the MVP award, and in just six games, he picked up 16 assists, 10 goals, and six blocks. 

For the Phoenix, Greg Martin, Paul Owens, and Scott Heyman are unavailable, but Nicholas Digiorgio and Chase Rawlins will be ready to go on the O-line, along with Ezra Beilder-Shenk, who put up four assists and three goals against New York on Wednesday night. D-liners Sam Davies and Ethan Holmgren are active, and both have hot hands that can score with ease on break chances. 

Catch the Breeze back in action this Friday, July 3 at Neumann University. Streaming live at watchUFA.tv. First pull takes off at 7 p.m. ET.