The Saint Louis University Men’s Archangel Ultimate Frisbee team has stayed strong this season. Despite suffering some early losses, they have stayed focused and passionate about winning. So far, the team has won four games, including one by disqualification, and lost six games.
Following the graduation of most of the team’s starters in the spring, it is now up to the younger players to fill the positions left by those students. Aridan Hoxhaj, senior accounting major and captain of the club, has high hopes for the team.
“So far throughout our season, I’ve liked what I’ve seen,” Hoxhaj said. “With that being said, the team has risen to the challenge [despite initial losses]. We have multiple freshmen competing for a starting spot on our lines this year.”
Hoxhaj has played the sport for seven years, representing Saint Louis University High School and now SLU’s club team.
“From a president and captain perspective, I don’t worry much about our record during the fall, but rather seeing continuous improvement in our skills and playing ability, which will matter when we start competing at sanctioned tournaments during the spring,” Hoxhaj said.
Although the team’s results are not where they would like to be at this point in the fall, the main goal during this semester is to practice for the tournaments and prepare the players to win against teams they have been competing with in the past. The team, which plays its home matches on Vandeventer Field, holds practices twice a week, as well as intrasquad scrimmages every Saturday morning.
Preston McClure, a freshman majoring in sports business, is not worried about how the season has been going either. He has been playing for three years and has experienced both unsuccessful and successful seasons.
“I’m very hopeful about us doing well this year. The team is running systems and different strategies to ensure we understand the game,” McClure said.
This year, the ultimate team is going above and beyond to prepare for the spring tournaments. To stay ahead of the competition, the SLU team has adopted different strategies to outdo its competition. The team has traveled across the country to play, from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana to here in St. Louis at Washington University.
Thomas Gentry, a freshman studying biochemistry, has played ultimate for four years now. While some members of the team are nervous, Gentry still thinks the team can achieve great things.
“Our practices consist of drills to help fundamentals and then introducing new concepts and techniques to improve both our offense and defense,” Gentry said.
In past seasons, the team has rigorously practiced offensive formations, such as the vertical and horizontal stacks, to keep their opponents off balance as they move down the field. On the defensive end, the Archangel unit practices zone coverages and schemes like the “force,” which pressures the handler to work their weaker side of the field.
This year’s team is composed of players who are ready to put in the effort and go all in to become a better team than they were last year. As they practice throughout the fall and winter, the Billikens are preparing to come out strong when additional tournaments start in Spring 2026.