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(Matthew Brooks, Keturak Jacobs Christmas)
Austin’s professional ultimate frisbee team is likely heading to the playoffs after a surprise comeback win over the weekend.
The team, Austin Sol, is having its best season yet after beating Atlanta Hustle, putting the Sol at 7-3 for the season. The Sol was born in 2016 as part of the Southern Division of the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL). For those unfamiliar with the sport, think of it as a mix between soccer and football, except played with a quick-moving frisbee.
Although the Sol are now solidly in position to make the AUDL playoffs—which puts the two top teams in each conference against each other before the AUDL Championship weekend Aug. 26-27—they still have to win their next two games. They’ll play the Dallas Legion on July 16 and Tampa Bay Cannons on July 29, each of whom has not won a single game this season.
Alongside their June 4 victory over last year’s AUDL champions, the Carolina Flyers—which are 10-1 this season—the Saturday night win was certainly a highlight in the Sol’s season.
The Sol launched a four-point comeback in the second half to win 18-17. This probable playoff-berth is monumental in the six-year history of the Sol. After enduring several losing seasons and changes in coaching staff, it looks like the patience and dedication of Owner, Founder, and General Manager Patrick Christmas is paying dividends.
“Being able to share the sport we love with friends, family and fellow Austinites has been a dream come true,” Christmas told Austonia. “The team has put in a ton of work to get here and proven that they can compete with anyone in the country.”
The Sol turned a page through the COVID lockdowns, during which the 2020 season was canceled. They hired coach Steven Naji and brought on a new core of young, hungry players. After going 3-9 in 2019 and losing a couple of their top players to their in-state rivals Dallas, the Sol went 6-6 in 2021, narrowly missing the playoffs in a 22-23 loss to Dallas in the final game of the season. This year, the Sol are the undisputed superior in Texas, having beaten Dallas four times this season.
You can learn more about the Sol and buy tickets for the games here.
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