The DC Breeze is an open professional ultimate team based in the District of Columbia , competing in the East Division of the American Ultimate Disc League . The team first played in the 2013 season . The Breeze play at Carlini Field ( Catholic University ).
31-724: In the Breeze's inaugural season the team played its home games at Anacostia High School in East DC. They went 4–12 in the regular season and did not qualify for the playoffs. The Breeze finished fifth in the East Division. The Breeze moved to the University of Maryland Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex for their second season after playing their 2014 home opener at George Mason High School in Falls Church, Virginia. The opener
62-644: A New York franchise, the New York Rumble, and the Empire became the first AUDL team to have a player play for an AUDL and MLU team in the same year when Isaac Saul joined the Empire in 2014 after the conclusion of the Rumble season that same year. After the 2017 season, Barbara Stevens, mother of then-Empire player Matthew Stevens, became majority owner of the team. Before the 2018 season, the Empire signed Beau Kittredge and Marques Brownlee , and before 2019,
93-420: A block and sprinted to the endzone where Jasper Tom was able to connect with him for the goal as the buzzer sounded to pull within two goals. The o-line then started the fourth quarter with a hold to pull within one, and the d-line notched a break to tie the game with less than three minutes left on the clock. The teams then traded scores before the Empire received the pull with 17 seconds on the clock, marched down
124-487: A true handler and downfield threat into more of a reliable veteran role player. After playing in three games for the Breeze between 2017–2018, rising star Jonny Malks returned for the 2021 season and immediately became a force on the Breeze O-Line. Malks was picked as the unanimous mid-season MVP and helped lead the team to a 10–2 season, its fifth consecutive playoff appearance and sixth in the last seven seasons. 2021
155-687: The Breeze returned most of their roster from the previous season but made more news in the offseason by signing Cole Jurek, Rami Paust, and Andrew Roy, all of whom had played for the Minnesota Wind Chill in 2022. The team also signed Pittsburgh Thunderbirds standout player Thomas Edmonds, Dutch phenom Benjamin Oort, and re-signed Joe Merrill, who had played the 2022 season with the Salt Lake Shred, in addition to re-signing former-MVP Rowan McDonnell and both Darryl Stanley and Alex Crew. With
186-553: The Breeze their fourth-straight loss to the ultimate league champion. New York Empire (AUDL) The New York Empire is an ultimate team in the Ultimate Frisbee Association based in New York City . The team is in the East Division of the league, and won its first title in 2019, its second in 2022 and its third title in 2023. The Empire played its first season in 2013. At the beginning of
217-676: The East Division into a newly-formed eight-team Atlantic Division, as the league contended with COVID-19-related difficulties with the Canadian border, leading to the creation of the Canada Cup. Prior to the AUDL's announcement, the Breeze also announced that Rowan McDonnell signed a two-year contract to keep him in Washington, DC through the 2022 season. McDonnell spent most of 2021 nursing a nagging hamstring injury and saw his role evolve from
248-595: The Empire in New Rochelle. The two teams once again traded punches in the first half before the Empire pulled away in the second half and claimed their second-straight East Division title. New York also completed their second-straight undefeated season and won the AUDL Championship once again. The Breeze moved into their first offseason in many years with a bit of uncertainty about their future, as Darryl Stanley had announced his intention to retire earlier in
279-475: The Empire signed Jack Williams and Grant Lindsley. These signings, combined with existing talent like Jeff Babbitt and Ben Jagt, created a team that some called the strongest in the league since the 2016 iteration of the Dallas Roughnecks . The Empire then went 12–0 in the regular season after close calls with Raleigh and DC , and went 3–0 in the playoffs to win the 2019 championship and become only
310-667: The Empire's history in late 2012, the team almost did not come to fruition, as part-owner Cullen Shaw almost took his Ultimate ownership interest to Major League Ultimate because of a pending AUDL lawsuit against the Connecticut Constitution and Rhode Island Rampage . However, Shaw kept with the AUDL and the Empire because of lower ownership costs and more abilities as a team owner. The Empire's first tryout, in January 2013, attracted 60 players, more than other teams holding initial tryouts. The MLU did eventually create
341-480: The New York Empire not slowing down, the Breeze bolstered their offense and returned almost their entire defense with the goal of winning the East Division title. When the Empire traveled to Washington, D.C. on May 13th, the Breeze took a lead late in the fourth quarter before New York forced overtime and ultimately, came away with the win. The Breeze went on to drop the second contest against New York and with
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#1732790208636372-515: The Shred and former teammate Joe Merrill, and despite a competitive contest, got her first loss out of the way early. Boyle and her coaching staff and a relatively young Breeze team went on to prove their mettle, finishing the season 10-2, defeating the New York Empire for the first time since 2021 and sweeping the regular-season series decisively, and claiming the franchise's first-ever East Division title. An upstart Boston Glory squad defeated New York in
403-603: The Toronto Rush in a game played in New York. The season was once again highlighted by McDonnell's performance on the field. He followed up his MVP 2018 season with 67 goals, 51 assists and 5 blocks in a campaign that earned him both All-AUDL 1st Team and MVP Finalist honors. The 2019 Breeze roster also produced two All-AUDL Rookie 2nd Team members in AJ Merriman and Garrett Braun. The Breeze were prepared to compete in
434-485: The Year AJ Merriman to a three-year contract. With the return of Head Coach Darryl Stanley and the addition of decorated coach Alex Crew as Assistant Coach, the Breeze had arguably positioned themselves better than ever before to contend for the East Division title and a Championship Weekend appearance. Despite a few closer-than-comfortable results throughout the regular season, including two one-goal victories in
465-471: The closing seconds against the Philadelphia Phoenix, the Breeze once again finished with a regular season record of 10–2, dropping both matchups to the New York Empire. With divisions back to “normal,” the playoff format was reestablished to have the #2 seed in each division host the #3 seed and the winner match up with the #1 seed the week following. Despite two incredibly close contests during
496-517: The club also re-signed Thomas Edmonds, Cole Jurek, Rowan McDonnell, and Andrew Roy, all of whom played crucial roles in architecting 2023's successes. The Breeze also brought in French standout and Beach Worlds gold medalist Elliot Bonnet and a crop of young players signed at tryouts prior to the preseason beginning. Boyle coached her first game as a member of the Breeze in Salt Lake City against
527-410: The eventual AUDL Champion Raleigh Flyers by a score of 16–19 at Carlini Field in Washington, DC on September 3, 2021. Prior to the 2022 season, the Breeze announced the re-signing of multiple players who had not played for the club for many years, including Tyler Monroe, Christian Boxley, David Cranston, Troy Holland, Alan Kolick, and Delrico Johnson. The team also re-signed 2021 AUDL Defensive Player of
558-471: The field, and came down with the buzzer-beating goal to hand the Breeze another defeat and deny them the opportunity to qualify for Championship Weekend once again. The Empire went on to win the Championship, and thus, the Breeze ultimately fell to the eventual AUDL Champion in the quarterfinal round for the second year in a row. Despite the departures of Alan Kolick and Delrico Johnson in the offseason,
589-614: The first round of the UFA playoffs before traveling to Carlini Field for the East Division Championship. The Breeze controlled the game from the first pull and earned their first trip to Championship Weekend in franchise history, where they were unable to overcome 25mph winds and a Minnesota Wind Chill team that was better-adjusted to playing in the wind. The Wind Chill went on to defeat the Carolina Flyers, handing
620-653: The newly formed Atlantic Division and had constructed one of the most talented rosters in team history before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 5, 2021, the AUDL announced games would return after the loss of the 2020 season. Instead of starting in early April, as had been the historical standard, it was announced the schedule would run from early June through mid-August before playoffs and ultimately, AUDL Championship Weekend in September. The New York Empire and upstart Boston Glory were shifted from
651-474: The only other blemish being a loss at home to the Carolina Flyers, finished the season at 9-3 and in second place in the East Division standings. For the third year in a row, the AUDL playoffs began at Carlini Field, where the Breeze hosted the Boston Glory, who were making their debut in the postseason. After a competitive start to the game, the Breeze cruised to victory, earning another playoff matchup with
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#1732790208636682-415: The regular season for a second-place finish and earning a home playoff game for the first time. The team won its home playoff game vs the New York Empire for its first ever postseason victory, but then lost the East Division final to the Toronto Rush. The Breeze made a coaching change in 2017, hiring Darryl Stanley as head coach while Ghesquiere moved into an oversight role as Technical Director after leading
713-419: The regular season, the Breeze dispatched a fiery Phoenix squad with relative ease to set the stage for the East Division Championship in New York against the Empire. The game started in familiar fashion with the two teams trading scores before the Empire pulled ahead in the third quarter and led by as many as five goals. However, with the clock winding down at the close of the third quarter, Moussa Dia came up with
744-609: The season and coached his final Breeze game against the Empire in New Rochelle. The Breeze announced in January 2024 that they had hired Lauren Boyle to be the next head coach of the DC Breeze. In February, the league also announced a rebrand to the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA). Notable roster departures from the 2023 Breeze campaign included Christian Boxley, David Cranston, Moussa Dia, Alexandre Fall, Jeremy Knopf, Joe Merrill and Benjamin Oort. However,
775-535: The team from the sideline the previous three years. The team again went 10–4 and finished in second place, and once again won a home playoff game, this time against the Montréal Royal. And for the second consecutive season, the Breeze lost to Toronto in the Division Final. Head Coach Darryl Stanley returned to lead the Breeze again in 2018, serving the first of a two-year contract extension. He guided
806-581: The team lost to the Rush again. 2014 also marks the first season that Alex "Dutchy" Ghesquiere served as head coach. The Breeze moved to Gallaudet University in 2015, and were again coached by Alex Ghesquiere. League expansion to Pittsburgh and Raleigh took regional talent away from the Breeze, and the team went 7–7 in the regular season, failing to qualify for the playoffs. The Breeze again played home games at Gallaudet University, and were again coached by Alex Ghesquiere. They got back to winning ways, going 10–4 in
837-538: The team to an 8–5–1 record, a second-place finish in the AUDL East, and the team's fourth playoff appearance in the last five years. The season ended July 21 with a rain-soaked playoff loss, 19–15 to the New York Empire . However, this was the year of Matthew "Rowan" McDonnell on the field. McDonnell served as a team captain while collecting 38 goals, 47 assists and 11 blocks. The goal and assist totals both led
868-485: The team, and he won the league's 2018 AUDL MVP Award. Reigning AUDL MVP Matthew "Rowan" McDonnell returned as captain of the Breeze in 2019, and Head Coach Darryl Stanley also returned to lead the team from the sidelines for the third consecutive season. The duo guided the team to a 7–5 record, a third place finish in the AUDL East, and the team's fifth playoff appearance in the last six years. The season ended July 20 with another heartbreaking playoff loss, this time 22–21 to
899-477: The third team in league history to finish a season undefeated. The Empire formerly played its home games at MCU Park in the borough of Brooklyn , with some contests being played on Randall's Island . Before the 2018 season, the Empire moved to Joseph F. Fosina Field in New Rochelle , citing a lack of locker rooms and concessions at Randall's Island as well as better proximity to major thoroughways. In
930-666: Was also a breakout season for 20-year-old AJ Merriman, who racked up 19 assists, 15 goals, and 20 blocks on his way to being named the AUDL Defensive Player of the Year. Due to the unique nature of the Atlantic Division in 2021, four teams qualified for the playoffs, and the winners of each first-round game advanced to Championship Weekend, which was held in Washington, DC for the first time. The Breeze saw their Championship Weekend hopes dashed once again, falling to
961-498: Was the professional debut for highly touted University of Pittsburgh graduates Alex Thorne and Tyler DeGirolamo, and was a nail biter to the end as the Breeze fell one goal short of heavily favored AUDL defending champions Toronto Rush, 20–19. To date this is still the only Breeze game played in Virginia. The team went 10–4 in the regular season, finishing in third place in the East Division and making its first playoff appearance, where