Alexi Zalk (BAY) slides for a score against Colorado Alpenglow. (Photographer: Sloth Jackson)
The seventh full weekend of WUL action brought contrast and clarity. Bay Area held firm in a cross-conference test against Colorado, Arizona defended home turf again, and Los Angeles showed both their potential and their growing pains across a demanding doubleheader.
Game 1: BAY @ CO
Bay Passes The Test
Week 7 Game of the Week delivered exactly what it promised: pace, pressure, and a fourth-quarter push that separated contenders from challengers.
Bay area came out swinging and but Colorado on their heels from the start. Bay’s Alex Barnett anchored a defensive effort that slowly tightened the screws, tallying 3 blocks and flipping field position at key moments. That pressure translated into cleaner offensive looks, with Bay grinding through possessions and capitalizing on shorter fields.
Abby Thorpe was Colorado’s engine (5 assists, 350 receiving yards) while Colorado stretched the field and forced Bay to defend deep space.
The turning point came midway through the second half: a break sequence that gave Bay a 5 goal cushion.
Colorado stayed within striking distance thanks to contributions from Kennedy McCarthy and Rose Bransford (3 goals each), but Bay’s composure in the closing minutes sealed it. With a statement win on the road without Robyn Fennig, Bay makes their best case yet to be title contenders.
Game 2: LA @ UT
Astra Breaks Through
Los Angeles Astra came into Utah looking for a breakthrough—and left with a full-on offensive explosion.
From the opening pull, Astra dictated tempo. Sophie Havranek (3B, 4A) and Karli Steiner (331 ThY) orchestrated the offense with control, slicing through Utah’s defense and piling up contributions across the stat sheet. Chip Yen was the primary finisher, putting up 5 goals and 328 receiving yards, and consistently winning isolation matchups.
Utah’s Casstique Williams (4G) and Eva Bell (399 TY, 4A) kept the Wild offense moving, but they couldn’t match Astra’s pace or defensive pressure.
LA’s Bella Pearson (3B) and Arenaria Cramer (6A) fueled a relentless LA break train that blew the game open before halftime.
By the second half, Astra were playing free and fast—confident, connected, and finally clicking.
Game 3: LA @ AZ
Desert Defense Holds
Arizona Sidewinders leaned into the conditions and their 2026 identity, grinding out a physical, wind-affected 13–10 win at home to complete the season sweep over Los Angeles Astra.
Cramer once again controlled the backfield for LA – leading all players with 443 throwing yards and 4 assists. At one point, AZ held a comfortable 5 point lead before LA went on a 3-point run at the end of Q4 – but couldn’t quite turn the tables before time expired.
AZ’s Kristen Reed (3G) had a nose for the endzone while Caroline O’Connell (2B, 2A, 1G, 335Y) had full field impact. Sidewinders played the long game, trusting their defense to generate chances.