June 3, 2025
By Evan Lepler

If May was characterized by chaos and madness, what could the June journey possibly have in store? 

Ultimately, the best word to describe the 2025 UFA season thus far is ‘unpredictable.’ Every week seems to deliver stunning sequences, unbelievable highlights, and super surprising outcomes that are often difficult to fully digest. Collectively, every single memorable moment adds to the rich tapestry of storylines that we get to enjoy, contemplate, and scrutinize as the season progresses.

Speaking of those storylines, Week 6 sure felt like it set a new standard for breathtaking action. We witnessed an invigorating 13-game slate, with the majority of the contests coming down to the wire. Two more tilts went the distance to double overtime, including the Atlanta-Chicago “Game of the Week” that lived up to the hype and then some. We saw three winless teams pick up their first wins, and a pair of undefeated powers suffered their first loss. Overall, it truly was a riveting and fulfilling three days of frisbee. 

And as the dust settled, a few things about the four playoff races became pretty clear. 

The East Division is absolutely packed with contenders. At the top, Boston’s an obvious number one right now, but the Glory (4-0) have more road games remaining than anyone, so their march to the top seed might not be quite as straightforward as they hope. At the bottom of the cluster, it certainly appears that neither Montreal (2-3) nor Toronto (1-4) have any plans to gracefully exit the playoff race anytime soon. Philly (3-2) may have lost at home this past Saturday, but the Phoenix still sit in second place as they prepare to embark on a tough two-game Week 7 adventure through Montreal and Massachusetts. 

And then there’s DC (3-3) and New York (3-4), side-by-side in the middle of the pack as they brace to renew their rivalry twice in the next two weeks, starting in just three days on Friday Night Frisbee. To state it simply, the UFA East Division in 2025 is far and away the deepest regional quadrant in the history of the league, and it’s not particularly close. 

In contrast, we know who the three playoff teams will be in the Central and the West. Even amidst the unpredictability that we’ve experienced through six weeks, it still feels very safe to declare that—in some order—Chicago (2-0), Madison (3-1), and Minnesota (3-1) in the Central and Colorado (3-2), Oakland (5-1), and Salt Lake (4-1) from the West will participate in the postseason. In both divisions there’s a multi-game gap between third and fourth place, and the level we’ve seen from the bottom three has ranged from inconsistent and unreliable to downright poor. Perhaps we’ll see another epic upset or two, but it’s hard to fathom anyone in the bottom three in these two divisions suddenly finding the week-to-week steadiness that’s required to seriously challenge for third place. As for the seeding and home-field advantage order for each of these groups, that likely remains uncertain all the way into mid-July. 

And in the South, after Atlanta dropped two interdivisional thrillers in Week 6, there are a couple new dynamics in play. Firstly, the Austin Sol (4-0) have a clear roadmap to the top seed. The Sol’s toughest three remaining games are at San Diego this Saturday, at Atlanta on June 27, and at Carolina on June 28. If Austin can win just one of these, the Sol would have a really great chance of hosting the South Division title game, a fact that basically no one predicted heading into the season. 

Meanwhile, whereas Atlanta (6-0) and Carolina (0-4) were in totally different galaxies heading into this past weekend, two wins for the Flyers and two losses for the Hustle have significantly transformed the possible ramifications for the rivals’ final two regular season matchups, both of which are at Carolina. The Flyers likely need to win both, which won’t be easy but now feels far more plausible. Could the Hustle actually go from 6-0 to the South Division three-seed or maybe even missing the playoffs entirely? To be clear, I’m not predicting that, but there’s absolutely a 10-15 percent chance that it happens. 

We shall see how the Hustle respond to their Week 6 setbacks, which will be especially interesting since Atlanta Coach Tuba Benson-Jaja has spent so much time trying to mentally prepare his team for these eventual encounters with adversity.

“One thing we are working on is learning how to lose properly and we can’t do that unless we lose some games,” said Benson-Jaja, after the pair of Week 6 defeats. “The growth that we received this weekend will be a big determining factor in how we do in the postseason. We spent about an hour [after the Chicago game] talking through the loss and making notes of what to take away from it. More positives than negatives coming out of the weekend. We lost point-wise, but overall, I felt like it was one of our most successful weekends as a franchise.”

Fascinating perspective. And somewhat reminiscent to what Minnesota Coach Ben Feldman said about the Wind Chill’s regular season stumbles last year, emphasizing how they educated and prepared them for the tougher battles ahead. 

The 2025 season officially hits the midway mark this coming weekend. More challenges await, with more drama, intensity, and overtimes inevitable.

The Full Field Layout

Atlanta’s Friday matchup with Minnesota was tight the whole way, but the Wind Chill’s strong run in the fourth quarter made the outcome in the closing minutes pretty clear. On Saturday in Chicago, however, nothing was determined in regulation or the first overtime, as the two teams traded punches and momentum swings throughout a truly epic frisbee affair. 

“Saturday was one of the coolest atmospheres I’ve experienced in my 7-8 years in the league,” said Atlanta Captain Michael Fairley. “It’s right up there with the Atlanta-New York playoff game in 2021 for me.”

It’s interesting that Fairley would compare the Atlanta-Chicago thriller to another Hustle heartbreaker, when the team let an early lead slip away and lost in excruciating fashion on the brink of Championship Weekend. Four years later, with the Hustle still hunting their first ever final four appearance, the action definitely had a playoff feel. The obvious difference, of course, is that Atlanta doesn’t have to wait through a painful offseason to implement all the lessons learned from Saturday’s wild loss. 

“We’d certainly love to see [Minnesota or Chicago] in August for a rematch,” said Atlanta’s Cameron Brock. “And I think we feel confident in our ability to win if that happens. I’m sure both Chicago and Minnesota know that if they see us again, it’s going to be a tough battle for them.”

Saturday’s game was bonkers largely due to the stunning swings in momentum, the high pressure seemingly impacting every throw, and a lively Chicago crowd that was locked in for every crazy moment. 

“This one was for the fans,” said Union veteran Jack Shanahan. “There’s nothing more exciting than winning a home opener for our incredible fans. They were in the game from start to finish, but through the ups and downs they stayed with us and helped give us the boost to persevere through the end.”

The Hustle built a 10-7 lead with just under four minutes left in the second, but the Union roared back with five consecutive scores spanning the halves, surging in front 12-10.

But after that, Atlanta responded with six of the next eight goals, retaking a two-goal edge at 16-14 early in the fourth, only to have Chicago answer with another 3-0 run for yet another late-game lead change. 

“Whether we were up two or down three, there was never a moment where it felt like we were out of it, or couldn’t get back into it,” said Shanahan. 

One of the explanations for the wild swings was that both teams struggled with roller pulls to the sideline and immediate double-team traps, which led to way more quick breaks than normal. Still, it felt like the Hustle were on the verge of victory in the closing seconds, after a foul call gave Alec Wilson Holliday the disc on the attacking goal-line with just two ticks remaining. But Xavier Payne blocked the ensuing hammer attempt at the buzzer, the first of several key defensive plays that Chicago made to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. 

“Our defense did a great job at following our game plan and allowed us opportunities to claw back into the game and inevitably get the dub,” said Shanahan. 

Atlanta’s Austin Taylor was absolutely brilliant in leading the Hustle offense throughout the game, but Chicago’s fierce pressure forced a high-stall shot down the sideline late in overtime, when the Hustle were up by one. It looked like a truly exceptional throw into a super tight window, but the Union’s Jace Bruner soared for a stunning and spectacular block, once again breathing life into Chicago’s fading chances. 

“It felt like Atlanta should have put the game away on three different occasions,” said Union handler Pawel Janas. “But Wilson Matthews and Xavier Payne had other ideas.” 

On the ensuing counter-attack, with the Union trailing by one, Janas found Matthews for the game-tying strike with just four seconds left. 

Double OT beckoned, and the Union would start on offense. They patiently worked possession into the red zone, but Shanahan’s potential game-winning throw went awry on the goal line. 

That’s when Payne saved the day again, delivering his second dramatic block of the game, perfectly poaching in the deep space to intercept Jakeem Polk’s ambitious downfield forehand. Fifteen throws later, the Janas-to-Matthews connection also came through with deja vu, collaborating for the game-sealing score to give Chicago the incredible 19-18 victory. 

Matthews led all participants with five goals, while Janas finished 27-for-27 with four assists, despite only playing sparingly throughout the game. In the clutch moments, though, the UFA’s all-time goal-throwing king was money. 

“Just because Pawel is playing in a different role doesn’t mean he isn’t Pawel Janas,” said Shanahan. “We’ve seen it in both of our games how nice it is to have the all-time league leader in assists quarterbacking the counter-attack. What a nightmare for opposing offenses trying to pick up people in transition while Pawel surgically picks them apart!” 

It was admittedly a little strange to see the Union primarily rely on so many other throwers throughout the majority of the game and then put the disc in Janas’s hands with the game on the line late, but it all ended up working out magically for Chicago at the end of the night.

“As a hyper-competitive athlete with a super ego, I initially thought it would be very challenging for me to accept a 60 percent reduction in playing time and touches,” said Janas. “But then I realized that this team has the potential to be the deepest and most talented team in UFA history. Whether they need me to throw 100 assists, quarterback D-2, or clean the porta-potties on game day, I will do it. Suffering during all-those stat-filled crappy Wildfire years would give anyone that perspective.”

While everyone recognized the bizarre nature of the Hustle playing their eighth game while the Union suited up for just their second, it was still a significant result for Chicago, who improved to 2-0 in arguably the toughest two games on their schedule. 

“Going into practice this past week, Coach Dave [Woods] made a very real comment that he believed the league had given us ‘unearned/undue praise and hype’ after just one very sloppy game in very unfavorable conditions that just so happened to be against the reigning champs,” said Shanahan. “His sentiment was that although all the noise is lifting us up, we really hadn’t shown or proven anything that should warrant that hype to be real just yet.”

Afterwards, while the Union understand they are far from a finished product, they recognize their massive potential. 

“I’m looking forward to us becoming a cohesive juggernaut,” said Janas. “Hopefully by the end of June before our second Minnesota game. Atlanta was frustratingly consistent and well-coached. They exposed us in many ways on both sides of the ball.” 

Speaking of Minnesota, the Wind Chill’s home win over the Hustle one day earlier may not have had the same late-game chaos, but the result was arguably even more meaningful for the reigning champs to come through with that statement result. 

“I don’t know what sort of message we sent to anyone else,” said Minnesota’s Colin Berry. “For us, Friday night was all about us. It brings out the best in us when we tune everything else out and focus on the people in the huddle. We’re the defending champs and we know that if we are going to repeat, we’re going to have to be the ones to set the bar.”

They certainly raised the bar down the stretch, stymieing the Hustle offense with relentless pressure that accumulated as the night progressed. 

“Minnesota brought it,” said Atlanta’s Cam Brock. “They brought a level of intensity and focus that clearly wasn’t present in their Chicago game [...] The biggest story in the fourth quarter just came down to decision-making. I think mental fatigue set in due to longer/grindier points over the course of the game. It was the body blows that did us in, more than one big haymaker.”

Former Hustle standout Justin Burnett, now with the Wind Chill, led Minnesota with three blocks, including an interception and immediate assist to a deep-cutting Dylan DeClerck that gave the Wind Chill their first multi-goal lead of the game with 7:20 left. That capped a 5-1 surge that made it 15-13. 

Even though the Hustle tied it up again with 5:21 remaining, Minnesota held Atlanta scoreless over the final five minutes, prevailing 17-15 to the delight of the huge hometown crowd at TCO Stadium. 

“It is always a treat to get to play at TCO,” said Berry. “The atmosphere is just amazing. We have the best fans in the league [...] You know they are just waiting for a reason to go crazy, so you’re totally locked in trying to find a way to make a play. Once they know we’ve got it in the bag, their energy is so contagious.”

While the Wind Chill and Union each earned huge wins over the previously undefeated Hustle, Atlanta took solace in how they played in both games, especially considering their absences and injuries.

“I know I wasn’t around for the last few years, and there’s been a lot of stuff said by the media and otherwise about the mentality of the Hustle,” said Brock. “I don’t think this is the same Atlanta Hustle. There’s a mental sharpening that’s happening right now, not a crumbling. So much to be excited about. We went into a hostile environment, game two [of the weekend], no Brett [Hulsmeyer], no Christian [Olsen], no Sean [Connole], no Jeremy [Langdon], and we were a play away from beating a team that some people think might be the favorite in the league. I think that says a lot about the depth of this team and the trust we have in one another.”

Fairley, who also missed the Friday game at Minnesota before returning—and registering three blocks—on Saturday at Chicago, agreed that the Hustle felt different this season.

“We’ve had a lot of regular season success the past few years and haven’t been in many close games,” he said. “Most of our tight, high-pressure games have come in the playoffs. So it’s actually a great thing to have these kinds of road battles at this point in the season. We really grew this weekend on both sides of the ball. Of course, we would’ve loved to come out with wins, but these tough losses will help us down the line. Our first chance to show that growth is this weekend against a strong Carolina team that’s hungry for payback.”

Coming up later today in “Seven On The Line”, three huge East Division games up in Canada, Colorado’s youth infusion shines against Oakland, the Shred and Flyers each grab a pair of big road wins, and all the rest of the jam-packed Week 6 slate across the UFA.