April 28, 2026
By Evan Lepler

“Seven On The Line” is Part II of The Tuesday Toss, highlight seven more important storylines around the UFA. 

1. Carolina's Two-Win Weekend To Begin 2026

On Friday evening in San Diego, the Flyers played their cleanest game in franchise history, managing just six turnovers in their 22-20 triumph over the Growlers. That’s one turnover less than the seven that Carolina had in the 2021 championship game, when the franchise won its first title. 

The Flyers’ D-line was brilliantly efficient, breaking on 7-of-8 opportunities, often taking advantage of the Growlers’ unforced errors. San Diego only had nine turnovers in the game, but still trailed for the entire second half.

“I don’t think we played that poorly, but we made a couple mistakes,” said San Diego’s Travis Dunn. “Too many, and they add up. It was all self-inflicted. Our defense, they challenged them, but they never got the block.” 

Indeed, aside from end-of-quarter 50/50s, blocks were few and far between, as Carolina’s patience and precision frequently prevailed. 

“The O grouping against San Diego did exactly what we wanted,” said Flyers cutter Grayson Sanner. “We had done a lot of film review of our game last year to see where we struggled and what worked well against them. We preached being ready to grind out O-points and not just trying to end them quickly. I think that was what made us really good; we knew we can win long points, and that gives you confidence.” 

Dylan Hawkins finished with five scores and completed all 59 of his throws, while Allan Laviolette consistently orchestrated the Flyers attack, leading the way with 424 total yards. Rookie Jacob Louie, in his UFA debut, also stood out, with 56 completions, no throwaways, three goals, and three assists. 

“Jacob Louie is an outstanding handler, who I think maybe has gone a little unnoticed in the southeast for a while,” said Laviolette. “I’m hoping that this season will be a big breakout for him, and he’s gonna get some of the flowers he’s been deserving for the past couple years.”

On Saturday in Vegas, the blustery conditions guaranteed that offense would not be nearly as pristine, but Louie still went 25-for-26, and the Flyers rolled 26-12. 

“It was such a wacky weather game,” said Sanner. “[Flyers Head Coach Michael] Avila jokingly stated that the stats were not being taken, so don’t think about your throwing percentage or anything. Just do what is being asked. We looked to huck downwind and then put a lot of D pressure as they were going upwind. The O-line had the same mentality, and sometimes you just had to laugh at the chaos and move on real quick.” 

Despite 32 turns—making it the Flyers’ sloppiest game this decade—Carolina still cruised against the Bighorns, getting 50 giveaways from Vegas. Eleven different Bighorns had multiple throwaways, led by Adam Park, who had a team-high four assists but also eight turns in his wind-marred UFA debut.

2. Oakland Overpowers Oregon With 34 Goals In Home Opener

It’s been over a decade since the Spiders started a season with such weighty expectations, but after four dominant quarters against the Steel, Oakland very much appears worthy of the preseason praise. Obviously, stiffer tests are ahead—headlined by this Saturday’s showdown against the Shred—but the Spiders hit every checkmark in their mighty impressive opener, bludgeoning the Steel 34-11. 

“Definitely a lot to be proud of,” said new Spiders Coach Liam Kreiss, “but one thing that stands out is that nobody took their foot off the gas pedal. As a player, it’s easy to look at a lopsided scoreboard and decide you don’t have to try quite as hard, but our team is so competitive that everyone gave 100 percent for all 48 minutes of game clock. I want to give Tony Goss an extra shout-out here; he’s brought an attitude of hard work and intensity that pushes the whole team to get better every day, on and off the field. Seeing him make huge layout catches with four minutes left in the fourth quarter of a long game is a testament both to the work he puts in the gym and his never-give-up mentality.”

Offensively Oakland scored at least eight goals in every quarter, and Oregon could not muster a single break, going 0-for-7 on their opportunities. Defensively, the Spiders held Oregon to three goals or fewer in each 12-minute block, while converting 21 breaks in 31 chances. 

In the postgame locker room, Kreiss awarded two other new Spiders with Game Discs, bestowing offensive player of the game honors to Chander Boyd-Fliegel, who went 14-for-14 with four scores and a block, and giving the defensive nod to James Whealan, who led the squad with four blocks. 

“The entire team is so excited for these Salt Lake games,” added Kreiss. “The players on this team thrive on competition and have been waiting nine months to get some revenge after the Shred ended our season. We’ll be self-studying our film from this last week, but overall, we know what it’s gonna take to win, and we just have to go out there and get it done.”

3. The Spiders' Intriguing Lineup Tweak

At the start of Sunday’s opener against Oregon, long-time frisbee fans had to be surprised by the way two of Oakland’s top players traded places. Veteran Evan Magsig, who’d been almost exclusively an O-line handler over the past three seasons, launched the opening pull and played primarily on D. Meanwhile, Daniel Ritthaler, who led the Spiders in D-points a season ago, started in Magsig’s customary center-handler spot on offense. This was a surprising sight for someone who didn’t see it coming, but it actually seemed to fit very well for all parties involved. 

“I give credit to Evan for coming up with the idea,” said Kreiss. “He’s captained this team for years, has poured his heart and soul into the Spiders, and cares so much about building not just to win games but to build a winning culture. He recognizes the importance of giving players opportunities to grow and volunteered to open up his spot on the O-line [...] Dan is on track to not just be the best defender in the world, but one of the best overall players in the world, and giving him the chance to center handle is an important step on his journey.” 

In 22 D-points, the first time he’s played double-digit D-points since 2022, Magsig went 25-for-26 and tallied three assists, one goal, and one block. Ritthaler played all 14 O-points, finishing 30-for-31 passing to lead the line in completions. 

Kreiss made clear that these new roles are not necessarily cemented for the rest of the season, but the unexpected shift certainly looked like a nice adjustment, particularly with how Magsig helped to increase the team’s D-line conversion rate, one of the squad’s organizational goals heading into the season.

“This isn’t a finalized decision,” said Kreiss. “Evan and Dan could definitely bounce back and forth, but it’s an experiment I’m very glad we’re trying out [...] With so many elite offensive players, we’re hoping that Dan can still help our O-line maintain a top-two hold percentage and that Evan can help lead the D-line to new heights. Based on our first game, I think things are trending in the right direction, but next week will certainly be another data point as we iterate to form the best possible team come playoffs.” 

4. Atlanta Hammers Houston

The Havoc hung tough for the first 16 minutes of Houston’s Friday night opener, sticking within one score of the visiting Hustle well into the second quarter. It was 9-8 with 7:49 left in the half, and then the wheels fell off the Havoc wagon. 

Atlanta outscored Houston 13-1 over the next 16 minutes, an onslaught that included 10 consecutive Hustle goals spanning the second and third quarters.

“I think that might have been the longest run we’ve ever had of consecutive breaks in a row, which is pretty impressive,” said Hustle Coach Tuba Benson-Jaja. “Not only getting the Ds, but actually getting the conversions as well.” 

Half of the Hustle’s 16 breaks for the game came during the 10-0 run, while Houston only mustered two measly break chances all game long. Atlanta earned the disc back both times, finishing Friday night unbroken in a 29-13 victory. 

5. A Rare Setback with Single-Digit Turnovers

Carolina had six turnovers in its season opener, while Boston and Atlanta had just eight and nine giveaways, respectively, in their victorious 2026 debuts.

But the San Diego Growlers also had just nine turnovers and still fell short. Aside from the fact that many of San Diego’s miscues were relatively unforced, it was noteworthy and unusual to see a team lose with single-digit turns.

In fact, from 2021 to 2025, UFA teams with single-digit turnovers went 64-3, a winning rate better than 95 percent. Unfortunately for the Growlers—and to paraphrase Ace Ventura—even in contests where both teams play super solid offense, there still must be a loser. 

Adding in the games from this weekend, UFA teams are 67-4 this decade when keeping the turnover count under 10. (This record excludes a couple games that were declared final after two quarters due to weather.)

Losses With Single Digit Turnovers (2021-Present, full four quarter games only)

• 8 turnovers - Chicago lost to Indianapolis 21-20 on June 1, 2024 - Box score
• 9 turnovers - DC lost to New York 19-18 on June 4, 2021 - Box score
• 9 turnovers - Salt Lake lost to Atlanta 23-21 on April 26, 2025 - Box score
• 9 turnovers - San Diego lost to Carolina 22-20 on April 24, 2025 - Box score

6. DC's Slow Start In Boston

After nine seasons playing with the Breeze, Rowan McDonnell unleashed the opening pull for Boston on Saturday, tossing the first assist as well against his old team to punch in the opening break. For the Rowan-less DC offense, it was the first of five breaks that the Breeze surrendered in the first 14 minutes of the game. 

“Despite a hesitant start [from] our O-line that led to execution errors, I’m happy we were able to continue fighting,” said Breeze veteran AJ Merriman. 

In the game’s final 34 minutes, DC’s offense certainly stabilized, only ceding two more breaks the rest of the way. In the third quarter, the Breeze outscored Boston 6-3, transforming a seven-goal halftime deficit into a competitive contest heading to the fourth. But the DC D-line only dispossessed the Glory offense four times for the game, converting just three breaks, far from enough in their eventual five-goal setback. 

“The third quarter was a great example of how small details like marking and upline defense are going to fuel the energy we need to get breaks,” added Merriman. “We’re looking to get better each game, and we’re hungrier than ever to get back out on the field for our home opener this Sunday!”

Jacques Nissen went 40-for-42 with over 700 total yards to lead DC’s offense, while Sean Mott churned for 275 throwing yards and 250 receiving yards, but also had three throwaways in his Breeze debut. McDonnell finished with three assists and mistake-free in his first game against his old team, while Thomas Edmonds, another former Breeze standout, went 25-for-25 with two goals and an assist.

7. The Lone Callahan Of The Weekend

In retrospect, a three-second long possession late in the first quarter was an ominous sign for the Houston Havoc.

Leading 7-5, the Hustle pulled with 23 seconds left in the opening period, and the pull rolled out the back of the end zone, forcing Mark Turner to initiate possession with zero breathing room behind him. Concurrently, Lukas McClamrock was sprinting down the field, and he never broke his stride as he intercepted Turner’s first pass for the UFA’s only Callahan of the opening weekend. 

It was McClamrock’s third career Callahan, making him just the second player in the history of the league to reach that mark. Madison’s Jake Carrico is the all-time UFA leader with four Callahans, snagging his most recent defensive score against Detroit last June. 

While Callahans have become more common in recent years—ever since the UFA changed its pulling rules prior to the 2023 season—it’s still a very rare play. 

As a team, the Atlanta Hustle have 16 Callahans in 137 games, but that’s tied with Minnesota for the second-highest Callahan count in UFA history. Only the Madison Radicals, who’ve snagged 19 Callahans in 176 games, have more of these coveted moments than the Hustle.

The Hammer

During the UFA season, Tuesday mornings are somewhat of an event in themselves. 

That’s because teams are required to unveil their tentative active rosters for the upcoming weekend’s action by Monday at midnight. Every week, surveying who’s expected to play—along with who’s notably questionable or inactive—is an interesting investigation. 

Perhaps the biggest news this week is that Boston’s Tannor Johnson-Go is back and active for the Glory’s Saturday matchup with Montreal. The reigning UFA Defensive Player of the Year was uncertain if he’d take the field this season, but he has been attending practices, and the Glory will be hoping Johnson-Go can pick up right where he left off at last August’s Championship Weekend. 

“Tannor has made a bunch of practices and looks great,” said Boston Coach Sam Rosenthal. “We’re counting on him being the engine of our D’s O.” 

Due to various life circumstances, Johnson-Go still doesn’t believe he’ll necessarily be a regular in the Boston lineup throughout the season, but the Glory are grateful to have him back. 

Even if Johnson-Go thinks the team may be just fine without him. 

“Honestly, though, with those Decreanes, I don’t know how much the team will really need me,” said Johnson-Go. “They both had amazing opening games that I’m sure we’ll see more of to come.” 

Here are a few additional quick-hit observations on the Week 2 roster front.

• Along with Johnson-Go, Boston has also re-signed three-time UFA champion Ben Katz and original Glory contributor Ian Engler to play this Saturday against the Royal. 
   
• Alex Atkins, Alex Davis, Braden Eberhard, and New Zealand-import Nicholas Whitlock are all expected to make their New York Empire debuts on "Friday Night Frisbee" against the Rush. Daan De Marrée hasn’t yet joined the Empire, but New York is hopeful to have their star Belgian for the Week 3 matchup against DC. 

• Friday’s gonna be a tough test for a young Toronto team, but Saturday’s second game of the weekend represents a massive opportunity for the Rush, considering Philadelphia is expected to be missing Scott Heyman. Toronto will also be missing some of their top players, but Gagan Chatha, a member of the Canadian World Games squad last summer, is planning to make his Rush debut. It’ll be Chatha’s first UFA action since playing three games for the Vancouver Riptide in 2017. 
   
• Pawel Janas is listed as ‘Out’ for Chicago at Minnesota, but the Union have a knack for handling the windy conditions at Sea Foam Stadium better than the Wind Chill themselves, so the Central’s season opener still holds considerable intrigue. New additions Lukas Ambrose and Noah Coolman are both in the lineup for Minnesota. 
   
• Excited to see Anton Orme make his debut for Oakland on Saturday against Salt Lake in the "Game Of The Week". Orme has starred for Cal Poly SLO in the college ranks and should be an immediate impact addition. It’s also awesome to have Joe Merrill back healthy and in the lineup for the Shred. Merrill missed all of 2025 with an injury, but he’s been a game-changer when he’s been on the field for both DC and Salt Lake during his four previous seasons in the UFA. Bottom line: Shred-Spiders on Saturday night will be must-see (WatchUFA dot) tv.