As noted in the game recap, the Breeze’s 14-game winning streak at home came to an end in their first game in Cardinal Stadium. Starting off the season in the loss column is not an ideal scenario. Even taking into account a partial roster turnover and abundance of youth on the team, the DC Breeze (0-1) still had a strong regiment of returners and most importantly they were at home.
WASHINGTON DC — A lot can happen in a 14-home game winning streak. A stretch that has lasted two seasons has included countless comebacks, nail-bitting overtime thrillers, and the occasional blowout. That 714 day streak without a home loss came to a disappointing end for the DC Breeze in frigid conditions Saturday night at Catholic University. Digging themselves into an early hole, the late fourth quarter comeback was not enough as they…
The Breeze return 20 players from the 2017 roster, along with four additional AUDL veterans and 12 AUDL-rookies. The team is among quite a few across the AUDL that changed measurably this past off-season. One team that did not change too much heading into 2018, though, is the Montreal Royal.
After this eventful AUDL offseason, it is fair to say that the start of the 2018 season is going to be compelling. Numerous faces have switched allegiances, players have ‘retired’, franchises moved, and a new crop of talent has emerged as the dust settled. The 2018 DC Breeze organization fits right into these storylines.
After missing the entire 2017 season and a portion of 2016 due to a hip injury and a torn PCL, cutter Brad Scott will be back in a DC Breeze uniform for the 2018 season. Scott and 10 other key returning players have been signed so far for the upcoming season.
The Georgetown University Women’s Ultimate team enjoyed another successful ultimate tournament, charity event and fundraiser with their 2017 Angel Tree Book Dive Tournament November 19th on the National Mall polo fields. The event collected more than 150 books for the Georgetown Angel Tree Book Drive and DC Books to Prisons Project, and also raised >$2500 for the team’s upcoming season.
It is one thing to find yourself with the disc in the end zone, but equally important is the throw that got the disc to you. Unlike in soccer and hockey, each and every goal scored in the AUDL also gets an offensive assist…. well, at least 99+ percent of the time — there is that rare Callahan when the opposing team gets the dreaded defensive ‘assist.’
There are a lot of parallels between the 2017 DC Breeze squad and the one from 2016. In addition to having the same record and ending the season in a similar fashion, the team scored virtually the same number of goals. D.C. had 392 this past season and 396 in 2016, a franchise high.
Throughout the 2017 DC Breeze season it seemed that offensive consistency was the theme for the team and the highlight of most contests. If the offense played well the team would walk away with a victory, and it often did just that. However, the full season statistics may tell a different story.
In the final game of the 2017 regular season for the DC Breeze, mid-season addition Joe Freund shined brightly. Leading the team with four goals and matching the team-high of three assists, Freund was was the key element of the Breeze’s 23-20 win over the Philadelphia Phoenix.
