Written by Noam Gumerman
WUL Lead Writer
Week 6 of the WUL season is the first where Championship Weekend clinching scenarios are officially in play! By the end of this week, two teams might have locked up their spot in Championship Weekend 2025. If Colorado Alpenglow win at home against Utah Wild this weekend, they will clinch a spot at Championship Weekend where they will seek for back-to-back WUL titles. Additionally, the winner of Seattle Tempest and San Diego Super Bloom’s clash of undefeated 3-0 teams will clinch a spot in the top four heading to Championship Weekend. There is so much to look forward to this weekend with the top 3 teams in the league on the cusp of clinching. Here’s what you need to know:
Game 1: Arizona Sidewinders @ Utah Wild
Saturday, May 3 | 3 pm PT
Zions Bank Stadium | Herriman, UT
Arizona and Utah are each looking for their first win of the year. For both teams, 0-4 starts means they are just about out of contention for a Championship Weekend spot with only two games still to play. And while their postseason ultimate dreams are long shots, these may be the two hungriest teams in the league. Arizona has had a brutal schedule to start, playing San Diego twice, Colorado, and Bay Area, three teams with a combined 10-1 record. To come away with their first win of the year, Sidewinders will have to play four consistent quarters on both sides of the disc, and be efficient on offense to maintain holds and convert break opportunities. Utah’s schedule tells a similar story, having seen Colorado twice, San Diego, and Seattle. But Wild have shown more spark in their defeats, especially recently. They had a strong start against Super Bloom in Week 3, and against Colorado last week they jumped to a lead, then later had multiple late opportunities to tie. Wild probably have a little more firepower to work with on paper than Sidewinders, Lily Terpstra continues to be incredible on the offensive line with Kat Songer and Kyra Khoroujnikova, but Paige Kercher has not found her stride yet since switching to the defensive line. Arizona has heavy hitters who can show up when it counts too in Chip Chang and LP Aragon. It’s anyone’s game to kick off Week 7 action.
Staff Pick: Utah 17 - 14 Arizona
Game 2: Bay Area Falcons @ Seattle Tempest
Saturday, May 3 | 7:30pm PT
Seattle Memorial Stadium | Seattle, WA
Bay Area head North to Seattle for part one of their weekend double header. Both the Falcons and Tempest have had fantastic starts to their season, with just one loss each to one of the two undefeated teams still remaining. For Falcons, their deep, talented roster has been bolstered as expected by a big time addition in Robyn Fennig. And while they’ve looked good through their first three games, this is their chance to further gel as a team and assert themselves as the next biggest contenders for the WUL Championship behind Colorado and San Diego. It’s a similar story for a resurgent Tempest squad. Cheryl Hsu and Sadie Jezierski have been the beating hearts behind the Tempest’s rise back up the WUL standings. A win this Saturday would heal the wounds from a brutal one-goal overtime loss last week to San Diego. At home, in the likely windy conditions, Seattle should be in their comfort zone and feast. But Bay Area are one of the few teams that can match Seattle throwing and strategizing in such conditions. This game has big implications across the league. Whoever wins is still in contention for number one overall seed, plus with a win Seattle clinches a Championship Weekend spot, and if Bay Area can beat either Seattle or Oregon, they eliminate Arizona and Utah from Championship Weekend.
Staff Pick: Seattle 18 - Bay Area 17
Game 3: Bay Area Falcons @ Oregon Soar
Sunday, May 4 | 3:30pm PT
UO Portland Campus | Portland, OR
Bay Area travels south on their way home for a game against Oregon Soar. Their stakes for this game will largely depend on how they do against Seattle. Either Bay Area will be looking to put the pressure on Colorado and San Diego by moving to 4-1 with two wins on the weekend, or they’ll be looking to avoid Oregon making the final playoff spot with a 0-2 road trip if they lose to Oregon on Sunday. Like Arizona and Utah, Soar are desperate for their first win of the year. Unlike their counterparts though, Oregon has one fewer game played and are more in control of their destiny. They’ve been an exciting team to watch through three games played in their inaugural season. Besides their opening thwacking by Seattle, Soar have played the Alpenglow and this Falcons team tight. They’ve yet to put together a full game of elite play though. They’ve had spurts, bursts, and dramatic comeback attempts where they’ve shown spats of playoff level play. But it hasn’t all come together just yet. Can they hit their stride at home against a team on their second game of the weekend? It won’t be easy, but if Soar want to push for a playoff spot in their first season, this is the time to start winning.
Staff Pick: Oregon 15 - 13 Bay Area