August 7, 2025
By Sam Weiger
Games are listed in chronological order.
San Diego Growlers at Atlanta Hustle | Friday Night Frisbee (Free on YouTube)
Friday, August 8 - 8:00 PM/ET - Watch link
Atlanta seeks to shed the burden of past playoff failures, while San Diego aims to definitively legitimize their surprising season.
Atlanta’s history casts a long shadow: the Hustle carry a 1-4 all-time postseason record marked by three heartbreaking losses from 2021-2024 that denied them Championship Weekend appearances.
While the Hustle are focused on getting over the hump, the Growlers are looking to quiet the critics for good. Their playoff berth drew plenty of scrutiny, with some suggesting an easy schedule propelled them into the postseason.
If defeating a talented (but banged up) Austin team didn’t do the trick, this Divisional Championship against the healthy Hustle offers the Growlers their ultimate proving ground.
The Growlers' offense, potent in their first-round playoff win over Austin, now confronts the task of matching Atlanta's top-tier attack. Watch ten-year veteran Travis Dunn closely. His gutsy passes, dangerous speed, and infectious energy were critical in San Diego's two biggest victories this season – two weeks ago against Austin and back in Week 5 versus Carolina.
Could another big performance from Dunn lift his team over the Hustle? I think Atlanta will decide that. They have the deeper roster, home-field advantage (a perfect 6-0 this season), and arguably the most valuable player on the field in Austin Taylor.
But none of that matters if the Hustle can't overcome their biggest postseason weakness: costly mistakes in crunch time.
So the key to breaking their playoff curse could lie with two players brought in for this very purpose: Cameron Brock and Alec Wilson Holliday. Brock brings invaluable playoff experience and veteran leadership, while Wilson Holliday offers the hunger of a career-long wait for this moment.
One Big Number:
27 - Atlanta returns to action after a 27-day break.
17 - This year, San Diego has converted just 17 percent of their break chances against Atlanta.
DC Breeze at Boston Glory
Saturday, August 9 - 5:00 PM/ET - Watch link
From out of nowhere, the DC Breeze have become the team to beat in the East Division, and perhaps the entire league.
Since July began, DC has bested New York and Boston (twice), achieving an impressive average victory margin of 6.33 goals and a 96 percent pass completion rate. Their most recent win, a first-round playoff win against New York, stands out as arguably one of their best performances in franchise history. Was DC's heightened level of play purely driven by their urge to finally beat the Empire in the playoffs, or does the explanation go deeper?
I believe there's more at play, specifically the profound impact of what could be Rowan McDonnell’s final season, providing the Breeze with a massive extra jolt.
Rowan's return to his hometown will likely ignite even greater motivation in the team captain, but it simultaneously creates a significant advantage for the Glory.
Boston's home record since acquiring Jeff Babbitt is nearly flawless, with just two losses in twelve games, both by two goals or less.
But one of those two losses at Hormel Stadium was to the Breeze in Week 11, a game sealed by Thomas Edmonds' incredible layout in the final seconds. Edmonds will miss this game, a huge blow for DC—they have yet to face Boston without him, and he has a history of delivering big performances in his hometown. This puts the spotlight on Cole Jurek, a major playmaker whose long-awaited return couldn't be more timely.
As for the Glory, my focus is on their D-line, which has been hampered by significant absences during their lackluster end to the season.
Babbitt, Tannor Johnson-Go, and Tyler Chan are all key Boston D-liners who have recently missed time. With all three playmakers back on the field, the D-line should get a significant boost on both defense and offense.
One Big Number:
1 - Boston converted just one of 17 break chances in their Week 12 defeat to the Breeze.
4 - In their last game, the Breeze had season-best stats in four important categories: completion percentage (98 percent), break rate (52 percent), D-line conversion rate (81 percent), and turnovers committed (seven).
Minnesota Wind Chill at Chicago Union
Saturday, August 9 - 7:00 PM/ET - Watch link
Something's got to give: either the defending champions go home, or the UFA's last undefeated team falls.
Few expect the defending champion Wind Chill to beat the favored Chicago Union, even after Minnesota's impressive first-round playoff victory, which was statistically their strongest performance of the year against a good team.
Minnesota's offense shined in their first playoff game, boasting a 95 percent completion rate and 94 percent red zone conversion rate. But it's highly unlikely they'll replicate those numbers against Chicago's incredibly deep and talented defense. By the numbers, Chicago boasts the league's best defense, leading the regular season in blocks, opponent turnovers, fewest hucks allowed, and lowest goals against average.
They've already dominated Minnesota twice this year, winning by an average of 7.5 goals and consistently stifling the Wind Chill's O-line.
Still, with it being the postseason, don't be surprised if Minnesota forces their closest game yet against Chicago, potentially resulting in a classic Central Division defensive battle.
The Wind Chill are no strangers to postseason heroics, having surpassed expectations for two straight years. They almost upset Salt Lake in 2023 Championship Weekend and then defied the odds to win their first-ever title last year.
This history of rising to the moment adds a thrilling layer of unpredictability. Despite Chicago's stacked roster, Minnesota's superior chemistry gives them a real shot. Their biggest hurdle? Turnovers. The Wind Chill have averaged 26.5 turnovers per game against the Union this season, a trend they absolutely must reverse.
One Big Number:
29.5 - This year, Chicago has held Minnesota to an O-line conversion rate of 29.5 percent.
0 - Minnesota didn’t look like a championship contender in any big game during the last two regular seasons, but they still managed to surprise everyone in both postseasons.
Oakland Spiders at Salt Lake Shred
Saturday, August 9 - 9:00 PM/ET - Watch link
After Oakland's blowout win against Colorado, I’m sure many UFA fans are wondering: can the Spiders finally defeat Salt Lake?
Oakland has lost all seven previous games against the Shred, but they're fresh off their biggest franchise win since the Beau Kittredge era (2014-2015). Their first-round playoff victory was a masterclass on both ends of the field, but their lockdown defense was particularly noteworthy.
The Spiders finished with 17 blocks, their best blocking performance of the year against a playoff team. Their performance was a testament to perfectly executed layout D's, excellent anticipation, and relentless defensive pressure in the red zone. Simply put, the Oakland’s defense came to play.
My main focus for Saturday's West Division Championship Game will be whether Oakland's D-line can replicate that intensity. Salt Lake's O-line is a completely different challenge than Colorado's, having been virtually unstoppable since early June. Since June 6, the Shred have averaged 25.71 goals per game and converted 80.42 percent of their O-points. Notably, five of those games were against tough opponents like Minnesota, Colorado, or Oakland.
What's truly frightening about Salt Lake's O-line is that its depth seems to surpass even what they had during their 2023 run. They concluded the 2025 regular season with six players reaching at least 40 total scores, compared to just four in 2023. The Shred were the only team this season to see six of their players reach the 40-score mark.
And the Shred are even more intimidating on Saturday because they'll be playing at Zions Bank Stadium, where they're undefeated this year. Given Salt Lake’s recent home dominance (four straight wins by at least three goals) and the Spiders' road struggles, the home crowd's influence might be unparalleled in this Divisional Championship.
One Big Number:
25 - The Shred scored 25 goals in both of their two victories over Oakland this season.
97 - In their first-round playoff game, the Spiders played their cleanest game of the year, boasting a 97 percent completion rate.
