Photo by Matias Cerisola
JULY 23, 2026
By Will Stuntz
The DC Breeze (9-3) are suiting up in New York this weekend for their first-round playoff bout with the New York Empire (10-2). This match is just the start of a long road to championship weekend where the Breeze will ultimately be looking to end up, and they’ll undoubtedly be in search of the first Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) championship in the franchise’s history.
DC and New York have already squared off twice with the clubs splitting the series 1-1, starting back in May when the Breeze traveled to New York and stunned the Empire with a buzzer-beater game-winner in overtime. Two weeks later, New York got their revenge in the nation's capital, beating the Breeze by four on their home turf.
This playoff match will see wildly different lineups for each team, as the Breeze have brought back a lot of players from injury, and New York has brought in a bona fide all-star since the last go-around with DC.
This week, only Raymond Lu is listed as out, but with Lev Blumenfeld back in the lineup and the recent return of Wiebe van den Brink, the Breeze’s D-line will be sharp. Those two, along with Tanner Gesell, Isaac Lee, Micah Wagner, Kevin Healey, and Frederick Farah, may just make up the strongest selection of D-liners DC Breeze head coach Xavier Maxstadt has had to choose from all season. It will also be interesting to see if Aidan Downey suits up with the D-line, as he did in his season debut last week, or if he takes his skillset to the O-line as he did in 2025.
For the Breeze O-line, every player that a Breeze fan could dream of is active for this matchup, including Cole Jurek, who will see the field for the first time in 2026. Jurek has been sidelined with an injury all year, but he’s finally back, and his cutting ability will add another layer to this high-powered DC offense. The former All-UFA second-team selection will add another threat to DC’s already speedy front line. Jurek, paired with serious downfield threats like Christian Boxley, AJ Merriman, and Miles Grovic – among others – will give the Breeze additional cutting power to score quickly and frequently. Along with the cutters, all the heavy hitters on the handling end are active, as well, including, but not limited to, Jacques Nissen, Sean Mott, Andrew Roy, and Gus Norrbom.
But the Empire are also healthy, and Daan De Marrée will face off against the Breeze for the first time in his career. The reigning Rookie of the Year with Chicago has already made waves in the East in his sophomore campaign, picking up 17 assists and 20 goals in just six games. De Marrée adds another level to New York’s already star-studded O-line that holds legendary UFA names like Alex Atkins, Ben Jagt, and Jack Williams. However, one O-line star may not suit up, as Braden Eberhard is currently listed as doubtful.
The New York D-line is as locked and loaded as the Breeze’s, as Marques Brownlee, John Randolph, Antoine Davis, and Nicholas Whitlock are active.
With both teams being at full capacity, you can expect nothing less than another instant classic like we’ve seen so many times between these two clubs dating back to the league’s infancy. And each team will be looking to write the latest chapter in the storied epic of DC and New York.
Catch the Breeze and Empire begin their hopeful journeys to Championship Weekend this Saturday, July 25 at Joseph F. Fosina Field in New Rochelle, NY. Streaming live for free on YouTube and at watchUFA.tv. First pull – which will be the last one for one of these clubs in 2026 – takes flight at 2:00 p.m. ET.
