Photo by Leo Troconis

AUGUST 20, 2026
By Will Stuntz

The DC Breeze’s 2026 campaign was nothing short of spectacular, given their ability to succeed, despite facing significant adversity. A new head coach, new players, and a completely new vision for how the team operates on the field showed the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) that no matter the circumstances, the Breeze can compete. 

Despite all of this change, the Breeze ended with a 9-3 regular season record and earned their tenth-consecutive playoff berth, which stands as the longest active streak in the league. 

The Breeze got off to a hot start, despite their Week 1 loss to the Boston Glory, the reigning UFA Champions. Following that loss, the Breeze knocked off the Montreal Royal at home in a wire-to-wire thriller.

The Breeze kept that flame hot when they traveled to New York the following week and knocked off the New York Empire in an instant overtime classic that ended with a moment that will be replayed for decades. 

The Breeze quickly moved to 3-1 the next week when they had their first chance to matchup up with the Colorado Apex in franchise history, which turned out to be one of the largest-margin Breeze victories, as they found a 16-score win at 32-16.

Then the Empire came to town looking for revenge for the Breeze’s walk-off win just two weeks prior. And revenge they found, putting up a four-score victory on the Breeze, thanks to an incredible performance from Alex Atkins. 

However, the Breeze bounced back again, heading up north to Canada for a back-to-back weekend with the Toronto Rush and Montreal Royal and DC going 2-0. The Breeze had rough first quarters in both games, giving both teams a hefty lead early on. But, it wasn’t enough for either Canadian side, as the Breeze came back late in both, including forcing the Royal into a scoreless fourth quarter with a 6-0 run to end the game. 

Coming off of the wins in Canada against two teams that weren’t labeled as contenders, the Breeze were tasked with facing a top-6 team in the Carolina Flyers. The Breeze went down a few breaks early but proceeded to win the final three stanzas to notch a win against one of the toughest opponents on their schedule. 

The Breeze sat at 6-2 with four games remaining. With DC heavily favored against three of those opponents, the Breeze looked primed to earn another playoff spot. But, before they got to face those three teams, they had to host a rematch with Boston. 

Coming off of a win against Carolina, and with a few notable absences in Boston, as well as the reigning MVP Tobe Decraene not playing at MVP caliber in recent weeks, it looked like DC’s best chance to beat Glory. However, Decraene’s drought quickly ended against the Breeze, as he put up one of his best statistical outings of the year, which led to the Breeze’s worst loss of the season at 27-18. 

Luckily for the Breeze, they had two long bye weeks to think about that loss before facing another division rival two weeks in a row: the Philadelphia Phoenix. 

DC was heavily favored in the bouts with Philadelphia, but the Phoenix gave the Breeze a legitimate run for their money in the first game in Philadelphia. Philadelphia tied the Breeze in every quarter, except the second, which the Breeze won 7-3, giving DC the four-score victory. 

The Breeze traveled back home and hosted the Phoenix the following week and found the blowout victory they were looking for in the week prior, routing the Phoenix by 11, 28-17.

With that win, the Breeze locked in the third-seed in the East Division playoffs, making their final outing against the Atlanta Hustle one of zero consequence. Although it didn’t mean anything, it was still an exciting one, as it saw the long-awaited return of Aidan Downey. The Hustle played hard even though they were already eliminated from playoff contention, and played the Breeze very close, with DC only winning by two, moving their record to 9-3.

Then came their playoff bout in New York. Cole Jurek made his season debut, and Downey was back again, amounting to two huge additions that DC didn’t get to see all season. However, New York was a largely different team than the one the Breeze had beaten in week three. Daan De Marrée proved to be a major problem for the Breeze that they seemingly didn’t know how to handle, given they didn’t face him in either of the regular season bouts. New York’s defense was also playing at a wildly higher level than they had earlier in the year, and it showed. The Breeze only notched one break all game with the Empire finding eight, four of which coming in the last four points of the game, leading to New York’s 23-15 win, and the Breeze’s early exit from the 2026 UFA playoffs.

Writer’s Awards

Rookie of the Year: 

The Breeze added an incredible rookie class that helped bolster them to their successful season. First-year players like Josh Lightner, Raymond Lu, and Couper Kerns all had impressive debut seasons, but one man cemented himself as one of the best defenders in the professional frisbee world. Wiebe van den Brink, dubbed “The Flying Dutchman” by one commentator, came to the United States from the Netherlands and immediately made an impact. He led the Breeze in defensive points played for most of the season – before he traveled back to Holland for a mid-season break – and was typically matched up against one of the best offensive players on every opponent. He ended as one of the top block creators for the Breeze with seven and picked up 18 break scores throughout the season. 

Defensive Player of the Year:

Tanner Gesell was top-10 in blocks in the UFA in certain weeks throughout the season and led the Breeze in blocks with 12. And he didn’t just show that he can create break chances; he proved he can be a huge piece in converting D-line scores, as well. Gesell averaged 1.1 scores per game with nine assists and two goals in his 10 games and didn’t miss a throw, going a perfect 48-for-48 on the year. Along with adding five hockey assists, Gesell only notched one turnover on the year with a drop, which put him top-10 in plus/minus on the Breeze.

Offensive Player of the Year:

There is a very valid argument that Jacques Nissen was the MVP of this Breeze squad. Nissen led the team in total yards and throwing yards with 5,668 and 4,170, respectively. He also tallied four more hockey assists than anyone else on the team with 31. Nissen tied Miles Grovic for the second-most assists on the team with 34, finishing behind only Sean Mott who tossed 38. In terms of the whole league, only four players completed more throwing yards than the Breeze veteran. But, it wasn’t just that statistical significance that earned him this nod; it was the responsibility that he held going into this season and what he did with it. The Breeze completely revamped their offense this year with new players and a new system, and Nissen was tasked with being the quarterback of the new offense, a position that he not only welcomed, but in which, he excelled. 

Most Valuable Player:

There are a handful of players that any Breeze fan could argue was the most valuable, but one man’s dual-threat contributions stood out to me: Miles Grovic. In recent years, he’s already shown that he’s one of the best defensive players in the world. This year, he not only showed that again but also that he’s blossomed into an elite receiver and huck thrower. The recent graduate from the University of Maryland led the Breeze in scores, plus/minus, huck completions, and receiving yards, while ending the season top-three in assists and goals. Not to mention, he was fourth on the team in blocks and total yards. He also tied for third for the most assists in a single game in the entire league when he tossed nine in Montreal. So many players on the Breeze had remarkable seasons, but Grovic’s elite performances in so many areas are why I chose him as the MVP.

And with that, we close out the 2026 DC Breeze season. Thanks for following along, and we'll see you in 2027!