The divisional championship round in Minnesota was a blowout. It started close, Minnesota and Madison playing at an even level. And then suddenly, Minnesota started playing championship-quality ultimate. And because of it, they get the chance to play for this year’s title.
We can save the recap of the Madison game for a future podcast, for now we’re going to focus on the future. In the semi-final round of Championship Weekend, Minnesota is matched up against the favorites to win the tournament: the DC Breeze.
So who are the Breeze? What should we expect to see from them come August 23rd, 2024, 5 p.m. MDT?
A Look Toward the East
The Breeze are arguably the best team in the league. With Babbitt leaving for Boston, New York’s place at the top of the league was in question. And late into the season, the Breeze made sure their place at the top of the East was in question too. Ending the season 10-2, DC secured first place in the East division, and ultimately ended up beating Boston by 2 in the divisional round to secure a path to Championship Weekend.
DC has a super team, with some of the best individual players in the league. If I included every player who I think will be important in the game against Minnesota, I’d put their whole roster down, so I’m going to focus on a few.
Players to Watch
Obviously, Rowan McDonnell is the first person I am going to mention. A seasoned veteran, playing the last 8 seasons with the Breeze, McDonnell is playing in his first Championship Weekend. And trust that he will not let this opportunity slip by. Rowan plays a key hybrid role in DC’s offensive scheme. He is patient with the disc, and very decisive, with a visual element to his leadership. McDonnell sets the pace of the game, moving himself and the disc across the field with ease. His regular season stats reflect this, with a 96.4% completion rate, 21 assists, and 241 completions in 9 games during the regular season. In short, when Rowan puts the disc in the air, it gets where he needs it to be.
With a season as good as that, it’s hard to see where he could improve. And yet, in the postseason he stepped it up, throwing a perfect 36/36 with 2 more assists. He is looking to play perfect ultimate in order to win it all.
But it isn’t just on offense where the Breeze shines. On the other side of the disc, David Bloodgood has been having an impressive season too. With 11 blocks, 13 assists, and 2 goals in 10 regular season games, the longtime DC player has been terrorizing the East division with his defense.
Alongside McDonnell, Bloodgood also stepped it up in the postseason matchup with Boston. He had three blocks against Boston, coming in at key moments and never giving up on plays. It was DC’s ability to earn those few breaks off the back of Bloodgood’s efforts that led them to victory, and it is impossible to overstate how impactful he is on defense. He understands the handler space and how to disrupt throwers better than most others, and it is his favorite thing to do on defense. Even if he isn’t generating blocks, the amount of pressure he exudes on opposing offenses is often enough to wear them down and force them to make mistakes.
While DC certainly has a history of cultivating Ultimate talent and putting together a strong home-grown roster, it has two notable players that actually come from your Minnesota Wind Chill. Andrew Roy and Cole Jurek both moved out to the East Coast and joined the DC Breeze in 2023, where they joined up with familiar faces from their club team, Truck Stop. As far as possession-driven handlers go, Andrew Roy is up in contention for being one of the best. With a completion rate near 97%, and an unmatched ability to create openings in junked space, ARoy could be a particularly nasty matchup for a Wind Chill defense that thrives on limiting handler options. On the other side of the coin we have Cole Jurek. With 30 goals and 9 blocks on the season, Jurek has had a phenomenal season with the Breeze. On a team that seems to have an infinitely deep roster, he manages to stamp his unique play style and impact on every game and matchup he has. Jurek thrives in the one on one matchup, baiting teams to test him on either side of the disc. He is a snake in the grass that Minnesota needs to flush out early.
Together, Andrew Roy and Cole Jurek provide some of the most entertaining matchups of championship weekend. Their history with the Wind Chill, along with their standout ability as individuals will undoubtedly make them must watch opponents, and this a must watch game. It will be up to Minnesota to mitigate their impact and momentum generating abilities if they want to come away with a win and send a message that leaving was their mistake.
Navigating The DC Breeze System
In an attempt to save you from reading a scouting report of DC’s roster, I will broadly summarize the rest of the team in a few quick sentences. The Breeze are one of the most well-conditioned teams in the league. Every player could play back to back points and look less tired than their opponents. Not only that, but DC is very patient. They know what they are looking for and they will wait for their moment. And when their moments come, they pounce with no hesitation. Their decisiveness on offense leads to few mistakes being made because every player knows what to look for.
But it isn’t just the players — it’s the entire DC system. Every player always looks like they are on the same page, coming into every matchup looking more prepared than their opponents, even in the two losses they suffered this season. This is because DC’s coaching staff is excellent, and the players fully believe in them. When they make a game plan, it is almost always the right one, and DC’s players trust that their coaches have made the right plan. This system allows them to be decisive and patient, and to use that along with their individual talent to leave next to no room for their opponents to win.
Defending DC
The Breeze are in no short supply of players to hype up, systems to compliment, and dedication to be in awe of, but let’s focus on how to beat them. Because damn do I want Minnesota to win.
DC has next to no weaknesses. This season, Minnesota has not had the most fortunate time with hucking the disc. Against playoff teams, Minnesota has a 52.5% huck completion percentage, which is abysmal. The Breeze also boast an impressive huck defense. With DC’s game plans being nearly flawless, you can expect to see them preying on Minnesota’s low-percentage long game.
That is unless Minnesota decides to play the short game instead. However, DC thrives here as well. With players like Bloodgood poaching lanes and clogging the handler space, the Wind Chill can’t be lazy with the disc. Every throw, even routine reset passes, will have defensive pressure. It is where DC shines the brightest. Minnesota players will need to go to every disc, punch in every hold, and make sure DC has little to no opportunity to strike. The Wind Chill’s offense has to give their defense the ability to build a lead, not make them come back from a deficit.
Because, as much as it pains me to say this, defense will win this game.
The Breeze come in expecting the game to go a certain way, so Minnesota will need to be rapidly adapting, never playing two consecutive points the same on defense. One point a force middle, the next, force flick. Play tight player defense, then a zone and poach approach. Double team sideline traps off of some pulls, and back of the end zone shots for others. If the Breeze can’t execute their plan, if they can’t be prepared, they are more likely to make those mistakes. To not remember which way a cutter is going to go, to overthrow a disc, or to not see a defender. And we know Minnesota’s D-line will be there.
The Chill can also look to capitalize on the Breeze’s more patient nature. The longer a point gets on offense, the more likely that the Breeze makes a mistake. If Minnesota forces DC to play patiently, force long points early, and keep their own offensive points short, their opponents’' conditioning will eventually fail them. They’ll eventually get more tired and become more prone to making mistakes.
Semis in Salt Lake
While Minnesota will be playing at Zions Bank Stadium for the first time, the Breeze are returning for their second game there this year, the first time being a disappointing loss to the Salt Lake Shred. So this time, DC is looking to bring a strong Breeze to the stadium.
But they forget, a Breeze can become quite Chilly.
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