The DC Breeze announced the 14 game-schedule for the upcoming 2018 season a couple weeks ago. The schedule includes two cross divisional games for the first time, including the first ever game against the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds.
By Noah Fleischman
February 20, 2018
The Breeze look to make another postseason run after falling in the AUDL East Division Final against the Toronto Rush, 29-26. DC finished second in the Eastern division last season with a 10-4 record, one game behind the Rush.
Sat Apr 7 vs Montréal 6:30pm
Sun May 20 at Montréal 1:00pm
To kick the season off, DC will welcome the Montréal Royal on April 7. The Breeze have a long history with the Royal dating back to 2014, as DC holds a 6-4 all-time series record. Montréal came to the District twice last season, and the Breeze took care of business as they won both meetings, including the East Division Playoff game. The Breeze knocked Montréal out of the playoffs in convincing fashion, 29-16.
Game highlights from the Breeze’s 2018 playoff win over Montreal.
DC will also travel to Montréal on May 20 for the seventh game of the season and the final regular season meeting between the two foes. The Breeze are 2-3 against the Royal in Montréal, including a loss in their visit last season. In the all-time series, DC holds a 6-4 record and 245-212 goal advantage over the team from Québec.
Montréal ended last year’s campaign in third place in the Eastern division, trailing the Breeze by one game with a 9-5 record.
Sun Apr 22 vs Ottawa 1:00pm
Sun Jun 24 at Ottawa 2:00pm
The Breeze will host the Ottawa Outlaws April 22 in the second game of the regular season. DC and Ottawa have faced each other six times overall, and the Breeze hold a 5-1 series lead. The Breeze faced Ottawa twice last season and were victorious in both meetings, 29-24 at home and 28-13 on the road. The only loss to the Outlaws came in 2016 in Ottawa as DC fell 22-27. The Breeze will travel to Ottawa on June 24 for the final of two 2018 meetings against the Outlaws.
Game highlights from the Breeze win against the Outlaws in their final meeting of 2017.
Ottawa brought up the rear in the Eastern division standings last season, finishing 2-12.
Sat Apr 28 at Philadelphia 6:30pm
Sat June 30 vs Philadelphia 6:30pm
The first road trip for DC will come on April 28 as the Breeze will travel to play the Philadelphia Phoenix. DC has played very well historically against Philadelphia, holding an 8-1 advantage all-time against the Phoenix.
Last season DC played Philadelphia three times, once at home and twice on the road. The Breeze fell to the Phoenix for the first time in team history in their first meeting last season. After the loss, DC won the next two games against the Phoenix, 25-17 and 23-20. DC will play host to Philadelphia on June 30 at Hotchkiss field in the second of only two meetings against the Phoenix this season. The Breeze are 3-0 against Philadelphia at home over the last three seasons.
Game highlights from the Breeze win over the Phoenix in the final weekend of the 2017 regular season.
Philadelphia finished in fifth place in the Eastern division last season after a 4-10 campaign, two games ahead of Ottawa.
Sat May 5 at New York 7:00pm
Sat May 26 vs New York 6:30pm
Sat July 14 vs New York 6:30pm
The Breeze will celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the Big Apple as the team travels to take on the New York Empire for its second straight road contest after two home games to start the 2018 season. DC has a rich history against the Eastern division foe, as they have faced off 17 times since 2013. The Breeze hold a slim 9-8 series lead over the Empire overall.
The Breeze played New York three times last season, finishing on top in all three while outscoring New York by a total of only five goals. The final meeting between DC and New York in 2017 went to double overtime as the Breeze won by one goal at home, 18-17.
Highlights from the Breeze’s thrilling win in sudden death, double overtime against the Empire in 2017.
That was not the first time these two teams needed more than four quarters to find a victor. During the 2016 season, DC and New York went to double overtime twice at Hotchkiss Field, and the Breeze took both of those games as well. Including a 2016 playoff victory, the Breeze have won the last 7 games overall against the Empire but only outscored them by 12 total goals in those seven games.
DC will play the Empire three times again this year, once on the road and twice at home. After the May 5 matchup in New York, the Breeze host the Empire on May 26 and again in their final regular season game on July 14. DC is 6-4 at home overall against New York.
New York finished with a 6-8 record last season, good enough for a fourth-place finish in the Eastern division.
Sat May 12 vs Raleigh 6:30pm
The Breeze return home May 12 to welcome the Raleigh Flyers to the District for the first time in league history. Raleigh, the champions of the South division last season, play DC in cross division play for the second straight year. DC played Raleigh in North Carolina last season, giving up a five goal lead and losing in overtime 21-23 in the only game so far between the two playoff caliber teams.
Highlights from the Breeze’s Cross Coast Challenge matchup with the Flyers from 2017.
Raleigh ended the 2017 season in first place in the AUDL South with a league best record 13-2.
Sat May 19 at Toronto 6:30pm
Sat Jun 9 vs Toronto 6:30pm
Sat Jun 23 at Toronto 6:30pm
After the home contest against Raleigh, DC will travel north of the border to take on the Toronto Rush May 19 in the first of three meetings this season between the two East Division rivals. The Breeze will then host the Rush on June 9 at Hotchkiss field before traveling back to Toronto for the final of the three regular season meetings with the Rush on June 23.
Toronto has been DC’s kryptonite since the inception of the AUDL, as Toronto leads the all-time series 13-3 while winning the Division title in every year of their existence. Last season, the two foes played each other four times including the division final, splitting the series at two apiece with the Rush taking the big prize in the division title game yet again, 29-26. DC’s two wins against Toronto last year both came at home.
Highlights from the Breeze’s close loss to the Rush in the 2017 East Division title game.
The Breeze are winless in their eight trips to Toronto to date. The games up north generally haven’t been close, either, as DC has been outscored 239 to 156 in the Ontario province. All three Breeze wins over Toronto have come in DC over the past two seasons.
The Rush finished first in the East Division last season with a record of 13-4. Toronto made it to the AUDL championship game against the San Francisco FlameThrowers but came up one goal short of their 2nd AUDL title, 30-29.
Sat Jun 2 at Pittsburgh 6:00pm
On June 2, the Breeze will travel to the steel city for its second cross divisional matchup of the season, facing the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds for the first time.
Pittsburgh finished last season with a 10-6 record and in third place in the Midwest Division, winning a playoff game to make it to the division final before losing to the Madison Radicals. Like the Breeze, the Thunderbirds narrowly missed their chance for a spot at Championship Weekend.
July/August: AUDL Postseason
The furthest any Breeze team has made it in the AUDL playoffs is the division title game, which DC has made the last two seasons only to fall short to the Rush both times. DC looks to make a team best postseason run this season that finally gets them to Championship Weekend.
The Top 10 plays from the entire 2017 DC Breeze season.