May 13, 2025
By Evan Lepler
Three weeks into our 2025 journey, nine teams remain undefeated, while ten are still winless. Bizarrely, the Chicago Union are both.
The overall UFA landscape has been filled with surprises, most notably with Oakland and Philadelphia looking so impressive. The Spiders and Phoenix, who have zero postseason wins between them over the last nine years, are a combined 7-0, each with a road win over a team that made Championship Weekend a season ago. Meanwhile, the four teams that competed in last year’s semis—Carolina, DC, Minnesota, and Seattle—are a combined 4-4 so far in 2025.
Obviously, it’s still very early. It’s easy to claim that more than half the league—13 of the 24 teams, in fact—have played at least three games through three weeks, but it’s also important to recognize that, overall, we have witnessed less than 20 percent of the full regular season slate.
But it’s always interesting to look ahead and try and project who might be the last remaining undefeated team. Let’s quickly scan through the nine franchises that have yet to lose so far in 2025.
Atlanta Hustle
Current Record: 3-0
Next Game: This Saturday, May 17 vs. Carolina
Projected First Loss: May 31 at Chicago
Quick Thoughts: The Hustle have looked like the most complete team through three weeks, however the fact that they required some Dean Ramsey buzzer-beating heroics this past Friday at San Diego suggests that there are too many land mines on the schedule for the Hustle to stay unbeaten for another month. If they somehow get through their at Minnesota/at Chicago back-to-back unscathed, a trip to Carolina a week later would be another very tough challenge.
Austin Sol
Current Record: 3-0
Next Game: This Saturday, May 17 vs. Colorado
Projected First Loss: June 7 at San Diego
Quick Thoughts: The Sol haven’t been tested against an elite team yet, but the journey gets harder starting this weekend. There’s definitely a chance the Sol could still be a perfect 7-0 heading into their late-June doubleheader at Atlanta and Carolina, but after seeing the Hustle struggle in San Diego, it’s hard to favor the Sol over the Growlers in the second day of a back-to-back. It’s certainly winnable, but if I’m projecting the Sol to sneak a win over a Summit squad on the second day of their Texas weekend, I think, for consistency’s sake, that Austin should be considered underdogs on day two in SoCal.
Boston Glory
Current Record: 2-0
Next Game: This Friday, May 16 vs. New York (Friday Night Frisbee)
Projected First Loss: This Sunday, May 18 at DC
Quick Thoughts: After outscoring Montreal 43-29 in a pair of early-season tune-ups, the Glory now have 10 straight tough tests on tap, starting with this weekend’s quirky and daunting quasi-doubleheader. To their credit, Boston has taken care of business thus far with more authority than any other East Division contender, so there’s a chance that the Glory should be regarded as a significant favorite to finish in first place. Even if that’s true, I find it hard to believe that they can beat both the Empire and Breeze on the same weekend—even though they did pull off this sensational sweep last season.
Chicago Union
Current Record: 0-0
Next Game: This Saturday, May 17 at Minnesota (Game Of The Week)
Projected First Loss: This Saturday, May 17 at Minnesota
Quick Thoughts: A road win over the Wind Chill this weekend would certainly be a powerful opening statement for the Union, and their talent, on paper, is absolutely strong enough to pull it off. But I expect Minnesota to extremely fired up, considerably more polished, and buoyed by the 1,000 fans who will be wearing championship ring t-shirts that the Chill will be giving out to everyone as they enter Sea Foam Stadium on Saturday night. No doubt the Union get thrown into the deep end of the pool immediately, with their first two games at Minnesota and home against Atlanta. If they somehow escaped this vicious start at 2-0—which, to be clear, I don’t think will happen—they very well could run the table.
Colorado Summit
Current Record: 1-0
Next Game: This Friday, May 16 at Houston
Projected First Loss: This Saturday, May 17 at Austin
Quick Thoughts: Like the Sol, the Summit have not yet been seriously tested. With that said, Colorado looks very capable of sweeping through Houston and Austin this weekend. The second day in the Texas heat is always tough, but if the Summit could pull it off, there’s a legitimate road map for Colorado to remain unbeaten all the way into July. No, I’m not overlooking a late-May showdown against Oakland, but that Friday night affair is in Golden, and the Summit, at least for the moment, deserve to be viewed as favorites on their home turf.
Minnesota Wind Chill
Current Record: 1-0
Next Game: This Saturday, May 17 vs. Chicago (Game Of The Week)
Projected First Loss: May 30 vs. Atlanta
Quick Thoughts: The reigning champs destroyed Indy in their season opener this past Saturday, but the schedule gets much tougher in the weeks ahead. Even if they do survive Chicago at home this coming weekend, a May 24 trip to Pittsburgh will be a tricky challenge, and their interdivisional tussle with the Hustle at TCO Stadium on May 30 will be a very difficult matchup for Minnesota. The Chill have finished either 10-2 or 9-3 in each of the past four seasons, and I think that streak will likely continue, but there are too many toss-ups to think Minnesota could get to 11-1 or 12-0.
Oakland Spiders
Current Record: 4-0
Next Game: May 24 vs. Seattle
Projected First Loss: May 30 at Colorado
Quick Thoughts: Their offense sits side-by-side with Atlanta as the premier group in the league so far this season, and the defense has also been very solid, though not as efficient as it will have to be down the road. Still, the Spiders deserve to be looked at as a true championship contender, with top-end skill, underrated depth, and fierce collective determination to prove that they can be the class of the West Division. If they could take down the Summit on the road, then they could very realistically be 9-0 heading to Salt Lake in late June. At the same time, they could also stumble in their third contest against the Cascades, who would likely see their hopes of hosting another playoff game foiled by Memorial Day if they fall to 0-3 against the Spiders.
Philadelphia Phoenix
Current Record: 3-0
Next Game: May 23 vs. New York
Projected First Loss: June 7 at Boston
Quick Thoughts: If my coverage the past few weeks hasn’t made it abundantly clear, I have officially reserved my front row seat on the Philly bandwagon. It’s not the most comfortable ride—part of me feels pretty uneasy and slightly nauseous as I project the Phoenix to win their next two games against New York and Carolina—but just based upon what I’ve seen so far, I think Philadelphia has looked more consistent and explosive than both the Empire and the Flyers. The HotBirds would be flying way too close to the sun to be feeling cocky after their Week 3 road win at Toronto, but if they can even get one of their next two games at home against former UFA champions, that would dramatically enhance their chances to earn their way into the playoffs in the second half of the season.
Pittsburgh Thunderbirds
Current Record: 2-0
Next Game: This Saturday, May 17 at Madison
Projected First Loss: This Saturday, May 17 at Madison
Quick Thoughts: For the record, I think the Thunderbirds will actually upset the Radicals on the road this weekend, but they have to be considered underdogs heading to a place where they literally have never won before. All-time, Pittsburgh is 0-11 at Madison. Even if they can get off the Breese Stevens schneid this Saturday, they will likely suffer their first loss the following week against Minnesota. Despite this somewhat dismissive tone, I do believe that this Pittsburgh team is very capable of capturing the third playoff spot in the Central Division.
So who will actually be the last remaining undefeated team?
My highly debatable projections have Austin and Philly as the only teams staying perfect into June, and let’s be honest, both the Sol (vs. Colorado) and Phoenix (vs. New York) could very reasonably lose their next game.
I think the oddsmakers would say that Austin is the most likely team to remain undefeated the longest, but that’s more a byproduct of schedule than me fully buying into the Sol’s true title potential. After all, it’s hard to fathom Austin ultimately sneaking out of the South, let alone winning the whole thing.
The bottom line is that the UFA championship chase will surely continue to evolve in numerous unpredictable ways over the course of the next couple months, and I’m more than ready to be wrong about everything I currently believe.
Honestly, that’s what makes it so much fun.
The Full Field Layout
The best and most thrilling game in Week 3 turned out to be Atlanta-San Diego, which seemed destined to deliver the season’s first overtime until Dean Ramsey skied three defenders and disappointed all the local Growler fans at the buzzer.
“Friday was a crazy game,” said Atlanta’s Brett Hulsmeyer. “We felt very in control after the first half. We were cruising on O. The second half felt different. We never gave up a big run, but San Diego slowly clawed back into it.”
Indeed, while the Hustle never trailed all night and remained unbroken into the third, the Growlers would not go away. After trailing by three early in the fourth, San Diego capitalized on a crazy sequence and tied the game at 19-all with 10 seconds left, the first tie since it had been 6-6 early in the second quarter.
“Our defense this year really is stepping up compared to the past couple of years, which will keep us in any game,” said Growlers veteran Travis Dunn. “They really proved that in the second half on Friday.”
But as the final seconds ticked down, Atlanta’s Adam Miller unleashed a booming backhand toward the end zone, where Ramsey was ready to once again become the buzzer-beating hero.
“The buzzer beater game-winning catch was insane,” said Ramsey. “We took a timeout before the final play, and Adam Miller was actually not on the line at this point. It was Sean Connole who said to [Hustle Coach] Tuba [Benson-Jaja] to take him off and put Adam on. Originally, Coach Tuba thought we had enough throwers, but the guys on the line wanted Adam, one for his ability as a left-handed player, and two, he’s already thrown multiple buzzer-beaters at this point.”
Ramsey also felt that Hulsmeyer’s presence as another dominant big man helped to free him up to make the play. Not to mention that he’d been primed for the moment based upon the previous opportunities he had enjoyed throughout the night.
“Dean has always been amazing in the air,” said Hulsmeyer. “I think sometimes with those moments, it’s the ones that come before that lead into it. Dean had scored at least twice before that deep and was feeling super in-rhythm. So when he goes in to attack [the final catch] it’s his true high point. It’s so rare for those plays to happen like that too; it always seems to fly over the pack or tip, but he just went up earliest and highest.”
Despite the best efforts of San Diego’s Max Gibson, Khalif El-Salaam, and Jordan Queckboerner, Ramsey ripped down the game-winning goal in traffic to give the Hustle the exhilarating 20-19 victory.
“In regards to the catch, I mean, really, how did I hold onto that one?” asked Ramsey, rhetorically. “One of their defenders was literally bear-hugging the disc, trying to rip it out of my hands. In all honesty, I have to credit my brother, Drew Ramsey, who said to me before the season that I should start wearing gloves. His logic was I’m basically a wide receiver, and those guys in the NFL get paid millions and all wear gloves, so I should wear gloves too. The reasoning was so simple, yet it made perfect sense, so I thought I’d honor him and give it a shot this season…As I felt myself getting hit by the bodies from the other team, my arm and hand being contorted through everything, I just thought, ‘I am not letting go of this disc, and somehow it worked.’”
As everyone with Atlanta joyously stormed the field, the hometown Growlers were suddenly stunned.
“Watching that last throw in the air was unfortunate because we’d love to see them unable to get something like that off,” explained Dunn. “But we also had some good bodies in the area. Would just love to see us make a play to get that disc on the ground and see what we could do in OT. All in all, we know we made too many mistakes and it cost us, but we battled, and that’s encouraging going forward.”
Miller’s final throw became his fourth assist of the night, and the lefty also tallied four goals and 460 total yards. Austin Taylor led Atlanta with five assists, while he and Christian Olsen each finished with at least 50 completions and just one throwaway. Hulsmeyer led the Hustle with 512 total yards, though he was still sweating his late-game turnover that let the Growlers tie it in the final minute.
“That was one of my worst turns in a long time because it was entirely execution based,” said Hulsmeyer. “They just missed Jeremy [Langdon] in their end zone and I threw it too low, a tough one to take even though we still won [...] For me, it was a huge relief because I did not feel I had a good game offensively. It builds a lot of confidence knowing that you can rely on guys to have your back.”
As the Hustle turned the page and prepared for the second game of their Week 3 doubleheader at Los Angeles, Ramsey was delighted and honored to learn that his catch had been the number two play on SportsCenter’s Saturday morning Top 10.
“The ESPN SportsCenter was a nice cherry on top,” he said. “Honestly, I’m just glad we got the dub and avoided overtime. I will say though, SportsCenter legend Matt Smith reached out with a ‘welcome to the club,’ so that felt nice.”
*****
While the closest game and the most thrilling finish unfolded out West, arguably the most contentious game of the Week 3 slate transpired in Toronto, where the Rush were seeking revenge against the Phoenix. But the HotBirds once again showed that their early success is no fluke, executing brilliantly throughout the final three quarters in their 24-21 victory.
Philly finished the day 13-for-17 on their hucks, while Toronto went just 8-for-20 on their deep shots.
“To start the game, we were definitely trying to bait Philadelphia to throw deep,” acknowledged Rush Assistant Coach Travis Puckrin during an in-game interview with WatchUFA.tv sideline reporter Theo Wan. “[We] successfully got them to throw deep. Unfortunately, we were getting beat deep on those throws [...] We found out they can complete them.”
Scott Heyman continued to look like an All-UFA candidate, going 6-for-6 on his hucks, 37-for-38 overall, and racking up over 800 total yards to once again lead the Phoenix offense along with Sean Mott, who went 3-for-5 on his hucks and finished with a game-high eight assists.
Even though the Phoenix were missing their Head Coach David Brandolph, Bill Maroon served as the team’s acting head coach and steered the Philly ship to victory.
“Mott is showing the veteran leadership and handling skills we need,” said Maroon. “He might be the best kept secret in the league. Scott Heyman should be in the MVP discussion for the next couple years, and he’s still figuring out parts of his game.”
The other big headline involved the Grossberg brothers, as Adam, playing his first game for the Phoenix since he was a high school senior in 2022, earned the Honor Roll nod after compiling four goals, three assists, and three blocks in his 2025 debut. This came just one week after 19-year-old younger brother Sam stole the show in Philly’s home opener, with three goals and five assists in his first time representing the Phoenix.
“The Grossbergs are just tapping into their full potential,” said Maroon. “In terms of combination of disc skills and athleticism, it will be difficult to find two other players under 24 who are better in the country. It’s been awesome watching them grow into amazing players right before your eyes. It’s a testament to them but also the Philly youth ultimate community.”
As good as the Phoenix offense was, it was the team’s defense, led by Adam Grossberg, Paul Owens, and Nate Little, that orchestrated the game-changing 7-1 run that surged the Phoenix into a 14-10 halftime lead. Little produced two blocks for his third consecutive game, while Owens tallied two blocks and two assists as Philly rose to 3-0.
“In my opinion, Paul Owens is the best defender in the league,” said Mott, speaking to Wan in a postgame interview. “And then he has a bunch of other guys who do their jobs very well, so that’s a great unit.”
From Toronto’s perspective, it’s clear that the Rush are not clicking on all cylinders right now, but their talent is undeniable. They are off in Week 4 and Week 5 prior to hosting DC at the end of the month, when they are hopeful that they will have a bit more chemistry, cohesion, and all-around success.
“Even though we have [started] 0-3, every game has felt within reach, and our belief in our team’s ability has not wavered,” said James Lewis, who led the Rush with five goals, three assists, and three blocks on Saturday. “We now have a few weeks to hone in on what has worked and what hasn’t and come back better than ever.”
Arvids Karklins totaled 708 yards, including 486 receiving yards, while Tom Blasman tossed five assists and threw for 420, but the miscues also piled up for the Rush’s most important players. Karklins and Blasman, along with Lewis and Luc Comire, finished with a combined 15 throwaways.
“I am delighted to play that team twice before they really get to know each other,” said Maroon. “They are going to be tough to beat later this year. The big picture is that we handled adversity well this season thus far. That has not been a trait for this team in the past. We will see how we handle the adversity and big names that come with New York coming to town [on May 23].
Coming up later today in "Seven On The Line", the Spiders stay perfect vs. Seattle, DC’s offense finds its form at Carolina, New York narrowly sneaks past Montreal, and everything else from a fun Week 3.
