APRIL 11, 2026 GAME RECAP
In case you haven’t heard, DC Shadow is officially 1-0 on the season. What a merry day!
DC procured their first win of the 2026 season on Saturday, April 11 in Raleigh, North Carolina. With plenty of grit, effort, and highlights to go around, Shadow prevailed over Radiance 21-17. The game started very tight with both teams trading smooth offensive possessions for several points. Never fear though, because it was Shadow who came up with the game’s first break at 4-2! Ashleigh Jentilet found Amanda “Beans” Murphy on one of her quintessential big flick hucks (a fruitful connection that flowed both ways all game) who then had an easy dish to Emily Kiver for the score. Huzzah!
Up 5-2 at the first quarter break, Shadow felt well in control. Kudos to Radiance though who got those breaks back and tacked on some much-needed holds throughout the second quarter to bring the game back on-serve by halftime, DC 9 - 8 Radiance. Although the stream did not have any coach interviews (we always love some insider info!), we know both teams were making adjustments at the intermission particularly on the defensive end as there were holds ‘a plenty (very technical ultimate term) throughout the game’s first two periods.
Shadow saw the first successful break again in the second half to extend a dicey 12-11 lead to 15-11, then piling on to a commanding 17-12 advantage at the 3rd quarter break. We can’t forget to mention the score during that run that came from a massive toe-the-line goal by Jentilet. It was truly breathtaking! Not only has she never missed a DC Shadow game since the team’s inception, but Vegas odds of a Jentilet highlight in any game are -1000 at worst ;) That pretty much sealed the game for Shadow as Radiance never eclipsed a deficit of at least 3 for the rest of the game
While not necessarily a highlight type of player, DC’s offensive unit was anchored by Kira Flores who was the game’s leader in assists (5) and blocks (tied for first with 2). Any layman watching might not have been impressed with Flores’ play, but it certainly wasn’t too tough to recognize the effortlessness that she embodies, which brings trust and confidence to the entire offensive line. Sydney Rehder and Rita Feder filled the backfield on O due to the absences of Tyler Smith (former Raleigh Radiance member!) and Sami Smalling (recovering from a concussion). We hope to see you at the next one, ladies!
Despite the victory, unfortunately, DC was never able to convert on end-of-quarter possessions, turning it over on each of the first three and holding the disc until time expired in the fourth. That will certainly be something upon which the team will look to improve for future games. Head Coach David Maniloff will be the first to say that the team clearly shows a high ceiling, but has plenty of room for growth: “I think we certainly are talented enough to win, but we will need to level up to beat [other teams in the future].” Stay tuned to help Shadow rise to the challenge! Until next time, ta-ta for now.
Photos by @das.b00t (Check out Instagram!)
