Bay Area Falcons celebrate a score in their eventual upset of San Diego Super Bloom in Week 6. (Photographer: Ron Sellers)
Last weekend, Seattle Tempest broke things wide open with a dominant second-quarter run against Oregon Soar, while Bay Area Falcons closed strong to hand San Diego Super Bloom their first loss of the season. Two tight starts, two decisive finishes.
Game 1: OR @ SEA
A Run Too Big to Answer
A 4-4 deadlock at the end of the first quarter had all eyes on this game. Oregon matched pace, spacing, and energy, forcing Seattle Tempest to earn every inch early. Then the second quarter happened.
Seattle Tempest detonated a 9-1 run that flipped the entire script. Clean holds turned into quick breaks, and suddenly Oregon was chasing a game that had slipped two gears ahead. SEA’s Cheryl Hsu was the engine—five assists and a game-high 442 throwing yards—pulling strings and punishing any defensive hesitation.
Downfield, the trio of Ciona Antolin, Meg Manning, and Yeh-Sun Lee (four goals each) turned that pressure into production. Antolin (220 RY) and Gemma Munck (240 RY, 3A) stretched the field relentlessly, forcing Oregon into tough matchups they couldn’t consistently win.
To Oregon’s credit, they didn’t fold. A strong fourth quarter push—outscoring Seattle by 1—showed real grit, with contributions across the roster including Haley Bollier (195 RY) and Emily Pozzy (243 TY). But the second-quarter avalanche was too much to climb out of.
SEA’s Anna Pettee had three blocks that highlighted a defensive unit that found its rhythm once the game tilted. From there, Seattle Tempest controlled tempo and never let Oregon get within striking distance again
Game 2: SD @ BAY
Undefeated No More
The first quarter played even—tight, physical, no easy breaks. In the second, Bay Area Falcons started to pry things open, finding small cracks and turning them into a lead that felt fragile but real.
But San Diego Super Bloom punched back.
A third-quarter surge erased the deficit and reset the game, putting pressure right back on Bay. The undefeated streak was still very much alive—and suddenly the Falcons had to prove something.
They did. In the fourth quarter, the Bay Area Falcons slammed the door.
Timely defense—led by Bridget Wipfler and Dawn Culton (three blocks each)—shifted momentum, and the offense capitalized. Eliza Pugh (3A, 356 TY) orchestrated efficiently, with support from Olivia Goss (3A) and a balanced downfield attack led by Alex Barnett (3G).
San Diego had answers all game—Merideth Byl (3G), Kristen Pojunis (3A), and Yu Ishii (3A) kept the offense humming—but couldn’t generate the final push when it mattered most.
Bay Area Falcons earned their first win over San Diego since 2024—and handed San Diego Super Bloom their first loss since late 2025 when a lightning delay cut a game short.