Seattle Cascades Topple Oregon Steel 20-18
By Becca Weinberg
The Seattle Cascades moved to 2-0 on the season against the Oregon Steel with their 20-18 win this weekend. Seattle currently remains in second place in the West Division amid a tight playoff race. Impact players in this game include handler Conor Belfield with three assists and 214 throwing yards, hybrid player Zeppelin Raunig with two assists and four goals, and handler Kodi Smart with three assists and one block.
Seattle Cascades’ Ricky McLeod jumps for the disc during the team’s 20-18 victory over the Oregon Steel on June 26th, 2026 in Seattle, Washington (Photo by Jonathan Red Photography, provided by the Seattle Cascades).
First quarter: 6-3
The Cascades built an early lead in the first quarter by stacking multiple goals in a row and combining deep looks with quick handler movement in the red zone. Three goals by hybrid player Zeppelin Raunig and one each by cutter Langley Fitzpatrick, handler Spencer Lofink, and cutter Caleb Campbell were assisted by handler Tommy Li, handler Ian Sweeney, handler Kodi Smart, hybrid player Garrett Martin, and handler Derek Mourad. Both cutters Eric Aadalen and Fitzpatrick secured blocks for Seattle to set up their fast-break offense, and the Cascades looked comfortable after the first 12 minutes of play.
Second quarter: 12-8
A largely back-and-forth second quarter extended the Cascades’ lead to four goals, with many efficient points requiring few passes to score. Goals from Lofink, Raunig, Mourad, Martin and handler Ricky McLeod were assisted by handler Conor Belfield, handler Ben Kass-Mullet, Li, Smart, and Martin. Additional blocks by Smart and McLeod retained possession for Seattle, and led them into halftime with a comfortable lead.
Third quarter: 16-13
Oregon began to break through in the second half and create a tighter game. Raunig connected with wide open cutter Ethan Murray to begin the third quarter, and Oregon followed with a well-fought goal. Belfield launched a deep throw to Kass-Mullet for the next Cascades goal, but the Steel responded with three in a row to bring their goal deficit to just two. Goals by cutter Nick Mahan and Li with assists by McLeod and cutter Sawyer Blair concluded Seattle’s scoring, but the Steel continued to fight back heading into the fourth quarter.
Fourth quarter: 20-18
Both teams continued trading goals, but Oregon’s comeback attempt was too late in the game to make a difference. Belfield, Martin, McLeod, and cutter Brandon Li scored the team’s final goals through assists from Lofink, Belfield, Smart, and cutter Jack Brown. Blocks by Kass-Mullet and McLeod retained possession for the Cascades as they snuck out a close rivalry win against the Steel.
Stat of the game:
In their eighth game of the season, the Seattle Cascades recorded an 82% red zone conversion rate, scoring 14 out of their 17 chances. The Cascades worked around the Steel’s tight defense as they approached the endzone and valued the frisbee in the red zone to convert important chances.
What’s next:
The Cascades will embark on a road trip next weekend and play back-to-back games, beginning against the Colorado Apex on Friday, July 3rd at 7 PM, and continuing on Saturday, July 4th against the Salt Lake Shred at 7 PM. Every game matters as Seattle gets deeper into the regular season, and they will be looking for strong results against both teams.
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Instagram: @CirclingSeattleSports Twitter: @CirclingSports Threads: @CirclingSeattleSports Tiktok: @CirclingSeattleSports Facebook: Circling Seattle Sports BlueSky: @circlingseasports.bsky.social 〰️
Check out our previous Seattle Cascades articles here.
Check out our previous articles with writing for CSS by Becca Weinberg here, and her work with Lookout Landing here.
Cover photo and photos in this article by Jonathan Red Photography, as provided by the Seattle Cascades.
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