Chicago Union Weekend Recap: Doubleheader Sweep, Moves to 6-0
June 23rd, 2025
Article by Weldon Genies
Photography by Noah Moell
CHICAGO—The Chicago Union had a fantastic weekend, defeating the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds 28-14 this past Friday at Martin Stadium. The Union then traveled to Detroit the next day and secured another dominant 28-10 victory against the Detroit Mechanix, moving to 6-0 on the year.
In the first matchup against the Thunderbirds, Chicago got off to a good 6-4 start in the first quarter, but Pittsburgh was right on their heels. The second quarter was what ultimately determined who would win on Friday afternoon, as the Union went on a 9-0 run in the second quarter, which took them into halftime up 15-4. The Union dialed up an aggressive defensive game plan that paid dividends for them, as their D-line was able to force the Thunderbirds' O-line to turn the disk over 36 times. Ten Union players registered a block Friday afternoon, continuing to establish their identity as an aggressive defensive team to shut out opposing teams' Offensive Lines. Chicago dominated the stat sheet in this matchup, holding the advantage over Pittsburgh in completion percentage, hold percentage, offensive line conversion percentage, break percentage, defensive line conversion percentage, blocks, and turnovers. In totality, the Union played a clean and efficient game of ultimate and was able to grind out the rest of their game to a dominant 28-14 win, which moved them to 5-0 on the season.
For the Union, rookie Daan De Marrée once again stuffed the stat sheet, tallying 330 total yards, four goals, four assists, three hockey assists, and two blocks, and led Chicago in +/- with +8. Whether he is handling the disk or out in space as a receiver, De Marrée finds a way to make the right play for the Union, and in only his fourth game with Chicago, he has quickly become one of the main catalysts for this powerhouse squad in year one, which isn't normal. As he continues to build more continuity and synergy with his teammates, the sky's the limit for his potential. Handler Pawel Janas had an outstanding evening, tallying up 330 total yards, five assists, and three hockey assists. Janas' veteran presence as a handler for the U has been a great addition to an already deep unit, thanks to his exceptional ability to find receivers open and deliver the disk with ease at any arm angle. Janas and De Marrée have been just two of the many additions that Woods and co. were able to acquire this season, and it has worked out beautifully so far for Chicago, with a perfect blend of the old and the new creating a well-balanced team full of leadership and talented players.
In their second matchup of the weekend against Detroit, the Union came out firing on all cylinders, taking a quick 8-3 lead in the first quarter. With another magical second quarter from the Union with an 8-1 run, the match quickly got out of hand for the Mechanix. Chicago miraculously one-upped their D-line production from the day before, forcing the Mechanix to turn it over 46 times! 13 Union players registered a block Saturday evening, and both Chicago's O-line and D-line had their way, leading to a dominant 28-10 victory! Kyle Rutledge had a spectacular outing Saturday evening, tallying 313 total yards, six goals, two blocks, and one hockey assist. Daan De Marrée had another impressive performance, tallying 413 total yards, five goals, four hockey assists, three assists, and one block on the day. Ben Preiss had a lovely day as a receiver, racking up four goals, three assists, and one block, and led the Union in +/- with +7.
Following the 28-14 defeat, the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds now sit at 2-7 on the season, fifth in the UFA Central division.
The Chicago Union has another doubleheader weekend coming up, starting with a home matchup against the Indianapolis Alleycats on Friday, June 27th, at 6:00 P.M. CT, which will stream live on WatchUFA.tv. The next day, the Union head back to Detroit for another matchup on Saturday, June 28th at 4 P.M. CT, which will also stream live at WatchUFA.tv.
Fans can secure tickets at gochicagounion.com. Additionally, free parking will be available for all fans, so bring plenty of energy to cheer on the U!
