Women's Division Final - submitted by Jessica Sipperley
The title rights of the club women’s division have traded hands between Fury, of the Bay Area in California, and Seattle-based Riot since 2002. The Northwest region has been a powerhouse in recent years, and this re-match in the finals set the stage for fierce competition, as Fury prepared to defend their 2006 title. In the last meeting of the two squads at the Northwest regional competition, Fury slid by with a win, 11-10. The sidelines were littered with a handful of spectators, and the crowds slowly increase in numbers by halftime. The game was filled with hot D’s, smooth throws and impressive hucks: this was no surprise. But the landslide victory by Fury, 15-6, over Riot solidified Fury’s place as an unbeatable team in this year’s Club Championships. Here’s how the game went down: the huge plays and the crucial mishaps on the championship field.
Fury’s Alex Snyder (4) pulls the first disc of the game, a looping backhand near Riot’s own end zone. Riot turns their first huck, as the disc sails past Maddy Frey (16). Riot comes back and sets the four-man cup, but the Fury handlers swing the disc around, forcing Riot to convert to man defense. Snyder connects to Alicia White (19) to crack the scoreboard first. “We talked about…what they do, and how we can try to stop whatever their first looks are,” Fury captain Bryn Martyna (27) says about pre-game preparation. “We put a lot of time into strategizing against whoever we’re playing.”
Fury player Gwen Ambler (5) intercepts a disc meant for Miranda Roth (25) as the Riot offense attempts to reboot, and Julie Baker (11) finds Ambler on a pretty inside-out forehand for the score to put Riot up 2-0.
“Our offense was not 100 percent – they played really great defense and it was very hard to get throws off,” Riot co-captain Roth says. “They got those first two (points) really easy, really fast, and that was brutal.”
The defensive mindset of the Fury players is evident, as Riot’s Kate Kingery (4) calls two fouls on her mark. On the swing, Roth snags a questionable backhand and easily lopes it into the end zone to teammate Joanne Harman (29) to bring Riot within one and eschew any Fury hopes of a several point run.
Miscommunication in the Fury backfield causes the disc to change hands, but Fury’s Snyder eats up Riot’s huck attempt. The possession includes a series of turnovers on both sides: a rather atypical showing from both teams all weekend. After an impressive huck down the field, Snyder (4) converts the scoring opportunity with a backhand pass to Fury’s Martyna (27) to increase Fury’s lead to 3-1. Riot’s Shannon O’Malley (11) turns the disc on a dump throw to Klingery (4) right on the Fury end zone line, presenting the California team with a chance they won’t miss. After swinging the disc on a series of backhand throws, Baker (11) finds Jody Dozono (24) on the last of the backhand set for the score, leading Riot to call a time-out.
Riot seems to be struggling with throwing with the constant wind, and this is not allowing their offense to mount an attack. Riot’s Jenn Willson (31) tries to connect on a backhand huck, but Fury’s Ambler (5) knocks the disc from mid-air. Riot gets the disc back again and solves the puzzle of Fury’s four-man cup, as Willson connects to Harman (29) in the end zone to make it 4-2 in favor of Fury. The disc barely escapes the outstretched arms of Ambler (5) as she lays out for the D. On the next possession, Fury takes advantage of Riot’s disarray on defense and works the disc easily toward the end zone in a cross-field pattern. Dozono (24) finds Snyder (4) for the Fury score, widening the lead to 5-2.
Riot finds a bit of luck by forcing Fury back into their own end zone, but Ambler (5) hucks it out of dangerous territory. Fury’s Stacey Schoemehl (22) gets a hand on the disc as she lays out in a bid that draws appreciative shouts from the audience, but it rolls out of bounds. Schoemehl (22) makes up for it on the same possession with a backhand toss to a streaking Baker (11), making the count 6-2 in favor of Fury.
Riot co-captain Kari DeLeeuw (20) bobbles a disc to give Fury possession, but they fail to convert right on the end zone line. Riot’s O’Malley (11) scoops up a huck between two Fury defenders and calls a time-out, zapping up all of Riot’s stoppage opportunities for the half. O’Malley (11) starts out with the disc, and she dumps it to Willson (31). Willson’s forehand throw to the end zone forces Roth (25) to slide on her knees to make the grab, but the Riot co-captain does it with ease, diminishing the lead to 6-3 Fury and leading Fury to call their first time-out. A few points later, Riot’s Val Dion (66) hooks a forehand around to Roth (25) in the end zone, and she lays out for the two-handed grab and the Riot score: 7-4 Fury.
Riot tightens up their defense, and O’Malley’s lay-out defensive bid makes Fury’s White (19) bobble the disc, but O’Malley leaves the game with an injury. Roth’s (25) defensive bid chance puts her in the path of the Fury offender, and the collision draws a gasp from the crowd as well as an injury call by Fury. The Riot defense traps Fury along the sideline, forcing a forehand huck to the other end of the field in desperation, which is easily knocked down by Dion (66). Unfortunately, Riot’s DeLeeuw turns the disc on the possession with a throw right in the hands of a poaching Fury defender. The disc changes hands a few times, and DeLeeuw (20) serves the defense right back, knocking the disc straight down with two hands. In a point littered with air-bounced throws, mis-reads and errant hucks, Fury follows suit and uses up their last time-out of the half. A great cut by Baker (11) foils the defensive mark by Riot’s Liz Duffy (37), and Fury takes the game to halftime, 8-4.
“We knew we were going to have to (come back) on defense, so we were mostly talking about how we really needed to ramp up, find our intensity and get blocks,” says Roth of Riot’s mid-game attitude.
Fury starts with possession of the disc in the second half. Riot’s Harman (29) denies the huck attempt for a score from Snyder (4), but Riot continues to fail to take advantage of Fury turnovers and loses the disc. Ambler (5) connects to Dozono (24) in the end zone, and the observer rules her in, putting Fury further out of Riot’s reach, 9-4. Riot’s Dion (66) puts a great backhand up, stepping around her Fury defender, and finds Frey (16) in the end zone to narrow the score to 9-5. Riot is working on closing the gap in this competition. “We expect them to come out, play a hard defense, play a solid offense, like they’ve been playing all year,” Dion (66) said before the game.
The Riot pull is shoved down by the wind, putting Fury in great position near half-field. Fury’s Ambler (5) doesn’t pass up the chance to score, looping a backhand huck to White (19), catching her defender out of position and stretching the score to 10-5. Riot’s O’Malley keeps up her impressive in-cuts and receives the disc, putting it around the Fury defense into the hands of teammate Kathryn Lawson (38) to shrink the gap to 10-6.
Ambler (5) gives up the next possession when her huck falls short, and Riot’s Frey (16) intercepts the mis-thrown disc. An uncontested foul on Roth (25) lengthens the Riot possession, but only briefly, as Roth’s throw ends up out of bounds. The Fury handlers swing the disc cross-field, and Fury’s Martyna (27) shakes her defender to integrate into the offensive attack with excellent in-cuts. Martyna cashes in on the same possession, grasping the throw from Arlie Stern (44) against her body: 11-6, Fury. Dozono (24) racks up another score for Fury, receiving the disc from Jenny Hanscom (32) to make the count 12-6.
“Our biggest focus was our defense,” Martyna says. “We’ve had close matches with them all year…and both sides have played really intense defense, so we knew we just had to bring intense defense.”
With their national hopes slipping away, Riot tries to regroup with a time-out. The stoppage doesn’t seem to help Riot’s focus, as Eva Cham (12) is forced deep into her own end zone after a lengthy pull from Fury. Cham is left to face Fury’s tight cup, and a backhand pass to DeLeeuw (20) is scooped up by the wind and floats out of bounds. Fury doesn’t hesitate to counter, as Martita Emde (15) finds White (19) in the end zone. Fury looks to go on the board with 14 points, as Riot’s Molly Suver (19) knocks the disc out of the air in a defensive move and it falls cruelly into the hands of a falling Fury player. However, the disc returns to the point a few plays back, to Fury’s Baker (11). Fury turns it over in an uncharacteristic move for this match, but Riot fails to take advantage and gives it right back. With a backhand toss by Hanscom (32) to Gen Laroche (10), Fury comes within one point of their second consecutive club championship, capping off a five-point run.
An incredibly solid point block by Riot’s DeLeeuw (20) keeps their title chances alive. However, Riot continues to be plagued by air-bounced throws, and they turn the disc back over to Fury. Fury’s Snyder (4) throws a bender forehand to Joy Chen (33) on a strike cut to get that telltale 15th point after about 90 minutes of play and lock down the club national title for the second consecutive year. “We always came prepared and our team is just fired up,” Martyna (27) says after the game and medal reception. “Everybody made such amazing plays – the entire roster.”
Women's Division Day Three - submitted by Jessica Sipperly
Fans, observers and volunteers feared the threat of rain from overcast skies, but the players took no heed, warming up and focusing on the fundamentals of the game. If the weather should turn sour, accurate throws, sure catches and solid defense were going to determine the winners of each game, and who moved one step closer to a national title. Although the rain held off for the quarterfinals, semi-finals and the consolation bracket matches, the air still hung heavy with tension. A break throw could determine a team’s fate; a lay-out grab could keep possession alive; a handblock could trigger a momentum shift and a comeback. With all of the questions about the day’s possibilities, the only constant was the desire to make it to the finals. Here’s how the quarterfinalists performed, and who earned the hard-fought right to play in the only game tomorrow.
Godiva v. Ozone: Quarterfinals
Godiva was looking to ride its wave of success in close games in this quarterfinal game, and the well-matched athleticism of Ozone proved to challenge that winning mentality. Godiva took the game to 2-1 when Amy Cooper (30) found co-captain Dominique Fontenette (12) with a forehand huck. Ozone utilized its sharp throws and patience of the handlers to work it up field, while Lady Godiva combated this on offense with inside-out break throws. Godiva was more successful on the offensive front, jumping out to a 9-5 lead.
Ozone wasn’t about to lie down, however, and Adrienne Tecza (17) led the defensive charge, knocking the disc down through several Godiva players and adding a sick lay-out D in the end zone to prevent a Godiva score. Tecza cashed in on the other side of play as well, working off solid in-cuts to narrow the score to 9-7. On the next possession, Ozone pulled it deep into the Godiva end of the field and set up a trap zone. The defensive tactic forced a desperate throw that Ozone player Deb Cussen (27) intercepted. Ozone’s Shanye Crawford (83) continued her sharp cuts in the backfield, and she hit Annie Newton (12) streaking up the line to make the score 9-8.
With the game knotted at 10-10, Fontenette looped a backhand around to Anna Quinn (4) to put Godiva back on top. “We have a structure that’s classic,” Fontenette said. “We felt like if we could just keep to our structure, then we could give anyone a game and possibly beat anyone.”
A few possessions later, defensive pressure forced an Ozone turnover and Godiva player Victoria Chow (29) converted the chance with a low throw to co-captain Maureen McCarnley (27) to make it 13-13. Chow tossed the game-winner, a bendy forehand break to Fontenette, after a series of inside-out throws, and Lady Godiva continued their march toward the national title with the 15-13 win.
Riot v. Capitals: Quarterfinals
As the only team to qualify for quarterfinals from the bottom bracket, Capitals was riding the high of victory into their match with the 2006 Championship runner-up, Riot. Capitals came out with incredibly tight man defense early, but Riot co-captain Kari DeLeeuw (20) found Shannon O’Malley (11) with a forehand huck to strike first on the scoreboard. A few plays later, DeLeeuw lit the defensive fire by stall counting Anne Mercier (5) twice. Riot co-captain Liz Duffy (37) followed suit with a lay-out D while marking the dump, forcing a Capitals turnover and a second Riot score. Capitals looked a bit disoriented with the tight Riot defense, but they managed to work the disc through Riot’s four-man cup zone. However, the disc was turned over on a floaty forehand, which was scooped up by Duffy and placed easily into the hands of Alyssa Weatherford (69) for a score and a 3-0 Riot lead.
Riot’s combination of accurate hucks and speed in the backfield had Capitals scrambling, and handlers Melina Coogan (17) and Jenn Willson (31) worked through the Capitals defensive cup with a series of give-go passes. Capitals got the turnover, but a hotly contested foul call by Riot’s Duffy on Mercier put the disc back into Riot’s hands. Riot took the game to halftime and never let the Capitals squad back into the match. “I think we got jittered and had a few unforced errors,” Capitals player Monica Kerr-Coster (4) said. “We weren’t always capitalizing on our turns, and Riot’s the type of team that you just get one chance, and if you turn it over again, they will score.” A lay-out D attempt by Capitals player Hadiya Roderique (77) couldn’t stave off the victory. Riot took the match by a score of 15-5.
Brute Squad v. Zeitgeist: Quarterfinal
Brute Squad showed no sign of wear from the previous day’s battle with Fury, and the Boston team stormed out to a 4-0 lead over Zeitgeist. The Zeitgeist handlers used their remarkable faking abilities and Zeitgeist player Maggie McKeon (66) created a turnover with a handblock so solid, the sound echoed along the sideline. Chelsea Witte (25) kept Zeitgeist possession with a one-handed grab, and after a time-out, Zeitgeist cracked the scoreboard. Overall, Brute Squad looked sharp and faster than the Zeitgeist marks, and Peri Kurshan (24) answered the Zeitgeist count with a score of her own. A few possessions later, Brute Squad threaded the disc through Zeitgeist’s cup defense, and Vivian Zayas (21) hucked the score to Rana Suh (7) to take the game to halftime, 8-5.
Zeitgeist handlers Kath Ratcliff (13) and Jamie Nuwer (12) combined with solid cutters Susan Batchelder (2) and Witte to lead the offensive attack, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Brute Squad barrage. Ellie Graeden (9) made a great cut to receive an inside-out break score for Brute Squad, and the Boston team went on to win, 15-12, and advance to the semi-finals.
Fury v. Backhoe: Quarterfinals
Prepared to defend their national title, Fury came out hot in their quarterfinal match, running up the score quickly on Backhoe, the other team picking up a backdoor entry into the championship bracket. Backhoe’s Sarah Immel (73) had a one-handed grab from among a slew of Fury defenders to cut the deficit to 7-4. On the brink of halftime, Fury didn’t hesitate to close our the half, as Enessa Janes (7) threw a backhand to Gwen Ambler (5), and Ambler caught it before running out of the back of the end zone in celebration, making the score 8-5.
In the second half, a Backhoe drop was negated when Backhoe’s Frannie Goodrich (34) D’ed the disc to regain possession. The next play sparked a huge debate, as Fury’s Amanda Dauphinee (6) caught the disc in the Backhoe end zone on a lay-out D, and let it fall to the ground as she got up to resume play. The Backhoe players argued for the turnover, as Dauphinee had possession and then let the disc go. However, it was decided to send the disc back to the original thrower, Backhoe’s co-captain Lindsey Hack (23), and Goodrich eventually turned the disc over for Backhoe after her inaccurate dump throw. Fury’s Manu Argilli (88) got the next score with a two-handed grab behind the whole Backhoe defense to put Fury up 10-4. Fury spread the Backhoe defense and used their long throw capabilities to take the quarterfinal match, 15-7, and advance to the semis.
Riot v. Brute Squad: Semi-finals
Riot’s impressive long game and focus on defense clashed with Brute Squad’s athleticism and ability to swing the disc in one semi-final match, resulting in one of the most entertaining games in the women’s division. Riot co-captain Miranda Roth (25) led the offensive charge, as she threw several huck scores over the Brute Squad defense. The teams traded points at first, and Suh (7) found Kurshan (24) on a seamless backhand just behind Riot defender O’Malley (11) to tie it up, 2-2. Riot’s Drew Johnson (55) left the game with an ankle injury, but she eventually returned. Riot’s offense looked a bit shaky at first, with some unforced turnovers, but Molly Suver’s (19) lay-out D led to a score by Roth, putting Riot up 3-2.
Sharp Riot throws outmatched the Brute Squad zone, and Roth (25) connected with O’Malley (11) to extend the Riot lead to 5-3. Brute Squad’s Zayas (21) led the offensive recharge with her speed and brilliant break throw that triggered a domino effect across the field: 5-4 Riot. Brute Squad regained possession of the disc deep in their own zone, and a sliding grab by Graeden (9) kept the play alive. Brute Squad’s Dory Ziperstein (12) completed a pass to Graeden in the end zone to tie up the game and force Riot to call a time-out.
Riot took the game to halftime by a score of 8-7, and Roth’s (25) two-handed lay-out grab set the stage for a Riot score, making the count 9-8 Riot. Brute Squad’s Zayas (21) worked hard to prevent more Roth hucks, and her defensive efforts earned a turnover, but the disc sailed just past Kathy Dobson (6) as she bid for it in the Brute Squad end zone. Brute Squad’s offense looked solid, with impressive in-cuts and integration of all seven players on the field, and Shuang You (28) outran her defender and came down with a two-handed grab, tying up the game at 9-9. After Roth turned it over on an errant dump pass to Eva Cham (12), Riot regained possession and Roth put an impressive pass to Maddy Frey (16) in the end zone. “This is what we do, Riot!” Roth shouted as she rushed up the field to meet her teammates celebrating in the end zone.
“This team is just incredible,” Riot player Val Dion said. “There (are) 14 new players on the team, and throughout the weekend, every one of them has been playing fantastic.”
Riot jumped a few points ahead, and Dion (66) completed an impressive backhand throw down the field from a lowered lunge position. Riot called a time-out to regroup, but the stoppage did not play in their favor, as Brute Squad got possession of the disc. However, Zayas (21) had a bit of trouble with the accuracy of her hucks to her streaking Brute Squad receivers. Riot worked the disc upfield and Kathryn Lawson (38) came down with a seemingly impossible one-handed catch in the end zone to bring Riot within one point of qualifying for the Championship game. Holding off such celebration, Brute Squad players Lakshmi Narayan (66) and Dobson (6) scored consecutively to narrow the score to 14-12, and the team was electric with the thought of toppling a women’s club division giant. But Narayan dropped the disc on her next possession and Roth (25) worked it upline and put the pretty game-winning pass to the forehand side to Dion (66) for the 15-12 victory.
“Brute Squad played a fantastic game,” Dion said after the win. “They played really really hard, and at the end, we just got the few blocks we needed to get. We had a bit of a close start, (then) played nice sharp offense and totally pulled it off.”
Fury v. Lady Godiva: Semi-Finals
Fury was prepared to defend their title, and Godiva was prepared to keep up with their trend of coming out on top in close games over the course of the weekend. Fury went up early by a count of 3-1, as Nicole Beck (17) ran through the backhand put in the end zone. Not to be overshadowed, Godiva’s McCarnley (27) broke her mark, triggering a series of solid throws up the field, and she eventually made a one-handed grab through the Fury defense, narrowing the score to 3-2. After breaking the Godiva zone for a score, Fury matched the defensive tactic on the next possession and pushed the Godiva handlers back into their own zone. A few possessions later, Ambler (5) knocked down a Godiva huck attempt and connected with Alicia White (19) to put Fury up 5-2. The focus on defense and chilly offense led Fury to take half at 8-3.
“When we came out, we wanted to stick to our structure and fire ourselves up, and we got away from that,” Lady Godiva player Fontenette (12) said.
The start of the second half carried a hotly-contested call: Fury’s Beck (17) thought the disc was up when she caught it on a lay-out, and despite protests from the sideline and several Godiva players, the observer ruled in her favor. Lyrica Hammann (42) got the D for Godiva, but they lost possession, and Ambler (5) threw the Fury score to increase the score margin to 9-3. The next possession was full of lay-outs, hucks and just-misses accompanied by gasps from the audience, but Fury would cash in again, as Janes (7) laid out for Alex Snyder’s (4) backhand put to make the score 10-3. Fury left no doubt about their intentions to be in full force to defend their national title, as they left Lady Godiva with a 15-4 defeat.
After the third day of play, only two teams remain in contention for the national title. After their impressive semi-final performances, Lady Godiva and Brute Squad tied for third place overall. Capitals won out over Backhoe by a count of 11-10 to take fifth place, and Ozone held strong over Zeitgeist, 13-11, for seventh. In the placement bracket, Safari strung together victories over Wicked and Layuma to take ninth place. Wicked beat Box 15-11 in the 11th place game, and MOJO rode their victory over regional rival Small Rackages into the 13th place game to win over Loose Cannon, 12-10. Small Rackages finished out the placement bracket games with a solid 15-1 victory over Ambush. But the real news is the title game between Northwest Region competitors Fury and Riot. Will Fury be able to defend their title, or will Riot be the force that knocks them down?
Women's Division Day Two - submitted by Jessica Sipperley
After a hard-fought day of pool play, the elements came out to wreak havoc on the women’s teams, sorted into power pools based on yesterday’s performance. First came the sun, then the rain during the pre-quarterfinal matches; an up-field wind hung around all day, sometimes stronger than others. The top three teams in the two power pools were guaranteed a spot in the quarterfinals. For the two teams with losing records in these power pools, and the top two teams from the bottom pools, one more match would determine the set of teams vying for the national title. Despite a brief thunderstorm, the games would go on and finish, and the quarterfinal field was set. Here’s how the big games shook down and which teams captured a coveted quarterfinal spot.
As expected, Fury blasted through their two games, knocking off Safari 15-4 and Brute Squad 15-8. After some minor miscommunication among the Fury handlers in the beginning of the Safari game, Fury took the first point and never looked back. Brute Squad gave Fury a bit of a scare, with arguably the best athleticism Fury had faced all weekend. Although the women were feeling confident after their win over Safari, Fury player Erin Percival (21) said the team was thinking very seriously about smart match-ups for the Brute Squad game. “They’re a very good team and they’re very athletic and smart,” Percival said. “Our warm-up drills (will be) very focused.”
Leila Tunnell (88) led the Brute Squad charge with a layout score to narrow the count to a 3-2 Fury lead, but solid swing cuts and impressive inside-out throws allowed the Fury offense to patiently work the disc and jump to a 5-2 lead. Although Brute Squad did come within one, with a 6-5 score, Fury’s quick movement and successful strike cutting allowed them to pull away and take the game.
Brute Squad’s opening match against Ozone looked full of first-game jitters, as both teams traded turnovers early. Ozone’s tight man defense stifled the ability of Brute Squad’s backfield to make quality in-cuts at the game’s start, but a hot catch in the end zone by Lakshmi Narayan (66) and a lay-out D by Amber Sinicrope (10) helped put Brute Squad ahead 3-0 on the scoreboard. The Brute Squad handlers threaded the needle through Ozone’s cup zone defense, and they jumped out to a 7-2 lead. Even Ozone’s solid in-cuts can’t stop an offensive barrage from Brute Squad, and the Boston team took the game 15-5.
Safari had a tough morning, with the Fury loss and the difficulty in stopping the solid in-cut attack from Ozone in their second game. Ozone took the game to half with a score of 8-3, and Chelsea McGehee (33) carried the team’s defensive mindset with an interception and another D in the end zone, stopping a sure Safari score. Catching an inside-out break throw by Julia Echterhoff (4), Erin Coker (9) scored the winning point for Ozone, ending the game at 15-9. Finishing at the bottom of Pool E, Safari prepared to fight with Capitals for backdoor entry into the championship bracket.
Once again, Lady Godiva racked up another close game, with many points and a lengthy match. Godiva opened play in the other power pool with a match against Backhoe. After trading points (long points) in the beginning of the game, Lady Godiva’s Maureen McCarnley (27) threw a pretty forehand score to take it to half at 8-6, after an intense run-through D by teammate Anna Quinn (4) put the disc back in Godiva’s hands. Lady Godiva’s threatening defense made Backhoe to work it shakily upwind, but Godiva failed to take advantage of many forced turnovers. Despite this, Godiva went up 13-8 after an inside-out backhand throw to the break side by McCarnley. Managing to hold off a late Backhoe surge, Lady Godiva emerged with a 15-11 victory.
Godiva couldn’t ride the thrill of victory forever, though, and Riot took advantage of the series of hard-fought games by Godiva to blaze their way to a 15-3 victory. Riot easily took the game to halftime with a count of 8-1, and Karen Brimacombe (23) fueled the Riot fire after the break to go up 9-1. The sharp throws by Val Dion (66) and the cut-huck combinations from Miranda Roth (25) led Riot to a win over Zeitgeist in the opening game. After Roth’s forehand put tied the score at 4-4, Zeitgeist went on a tear, led by the impressive handling of Kath Ratcliff (13), and took the game to half. But Riot wasn’t done, and the team went on a four point run. A connection between Jenn Willson (31) and Kate Kingery (4) put Riot up 13-10, and they went on to get the 15-11 victory.
“I think our zone looked really strong, both our zone offense and zone defense,” Zeitgeist player Kelley Bagby (23) said after the close loss. “On offense, I think our throws are incredibly steady and our sideline game is totally in it. We’ll work on confident throws, 100 percent throws.”
Zeitgeist and Backhoe were certainly both tired, but this didn’t change the fact that the loser of their match would have to compete again to earn a quarterfinal spot. Both teams used a poaching method on defense to shut down the open lane. After a hotly contested foul call by Backhoe’s Cate Foster (17) on a lay-out attempt to get the disc, Foster caught the following strike throw and put the winning score in the end zone, tying the game at 7. The game stayed close, as Ratcliff snagged a shaky backhand to tie it 12-12, and the teams traded dropped discs and optimistic hucks that sailed past receivers. Foster put Backhoe ahead after a catch over the Zeitgeist defense, but Zeitgiest scored two in a row to take the game, after employing a horizontal stack to spread the defense and Maggie McKeon’s (66) cross-field forehand put earned the final point of the game and a 14-13 victory.
The top six teams solidified their spots in the quarterfinals, but No. 7 and No. 8 were still up for grabs. After losing seed in pool play yesterday, Capitals found themselves in one of the lower brackets, and their solid victories over Loose Cannon, by 15-4, and MOJO, by 15-8, showed the team members were serious about preserving their shot at the national title. Box’s two victories in the same pool didn’t help them advance, as Capitals won out in the head-to-head competition from Thursday’s pool play. Layuma emerged as the second contender in pre-quarters from the bottom pools, after beating Ambush 15-10 and Small Rackages 15-9 in two hard-fought games between well-matched teams.
The Backhoe versus Layuma match-up was intense, as Layuma’s sideline fled up and down the sideline and rushed the field after a Layuma score. Although Backhoe found ways to break through the Layuma cup zone defense, Layuma went on a four point run, leading to an 8-5 halftime score. However, Backhoe found new life after the halftime break, and the North Carolina team went on a six point tear. The brief thunderstorm and pause in competition did not faze Backhoe, as they went up 11-8 after Sasha Romantseva (25) found Sharon Tucker (00) in the end zone. The Backhoe victory was complete as Teresa Rouse (10) snagged the disc out of the air, cradling it against her wrist and celebrating once she landed behind the front end zone line.
Capitals had a similar resurrection in their pre-quarterfinals match against Safari. Safari found early success with zone defense, pushing the Capitals handlers back deep into their own zone. Safari was led by the play of Manisha Daryani (71), as she had a great lay-out D on the sideline and came up big with a score at the other end of the field. After this impressive pair of plays, Safari went up 11-6. The teams had a chance to regroup during a thunderstorm, and Capitals were the team that came out with the firepower. The Safari offense struggled to work through captain Shar Stuht (20) and her strong dump cuts and hucks, and Capitals cut the margin to 12-11. Capitals player Monica Kerr-Coster (4) tied the game at 12 and eventually scored the game-winner, taking the match from Safari by a count of 14-12.
Fury, Riot and Zeitgeist: It’s no surprise this trio of Northwest Region powerhouses made it to quarterfinals. Brute Squad, Capitals and Godiva: The Northeast Region packs some punch as well, and these teams fought long and hard to earn their quarterfinal spots. Ozone and Backhoe: The pre-seeded No. 7 and No. 8 squads are firing up for competition, ready to give some dominating women’s teams a run for the title. Quarterfinal play starts tomorrow, and the real quest for the Championship title can finally begin.
Women's Division Day One - submitted by Jessica Sipperley
Early on a Thursday morning, after the night rains had ceased, the only sounds heard across the Sarasota Polo Grounds were discs clapping into palms and cleats turning up grass and dirt in their wake. It was opening day of pool play at the 2007 Club Championships, and as each team called their first lines and huddled for pre-game cheers, the stakes of competition were buzzing through the fields. Here’s how the Championship qualifiers matched up on the first day of pool play and how the stage is set for re-seeded matches tomorrow.
Pool A
Fury ruled Pool A, with a focus on defense that said everything about their intentions to repeat as nationals champions. Fury stormed through their pool, affirming their status as the top seed of the tournament and leaving their opponents with four or fewer points to their names. Small Rackages and Ambush fell 15-3 and 15-2 respectively, and Ozone was expected to give the greatest challenge to Fury’s reign. However, after a close start, Ozone became another casualty, losing by a score of 15-4. Ozone had success at first with breaking Fury’s cup, but the lay-out D’s and hot marks stifled Ozone’s offensive attack.
Ozone took second place in the pool, handing Ambush a decisive 15-4 loss in the first game of the day and taking it to Small Rackages as well. Rackages gave Ozone a good fight, as the Ames, Iowa team went into halftime only down by one, and the women put together two solid point runs, including a hammer throw by Melissa Gibbs (23) to go up 9-8. But Ozone scored three in a row, with methodical, patient throws across the field and solid in-cuts from the backfielders, and the Atlanta team went on to win 15-10. Small Rackages made it on the victory board with a 15-7 win over Ambush, a team reeling from the impact of sanctions for a rostering error.
Pool B
From the first day of pool play, it seems like a Fury v. Riot rematch is highly possible, as Riot rolled through their pool opponents with relative ease as well. Riot’s biggest competitor was No. 2 pool seed Backhoe, and although Riot was only up by two points at halftime, the Seattle team blew past Backhoe and never looked back on the way to a 15-9 victory. Riot was led by co-captain Miranda Roth, who displayed excellent in-cuts and equally impressive hucks for several scores. Riot began the day with a 15-3 win over MOJO, who struggled with breaking the Riot zone for several points.
Although Backhoe couldn’t catch a break in the Riot match, with two players colliding on the way to a disc and a foul call leading to an easy huck score, the North Carolina team blazed past MOJO and Loose Cannon, by scores of 15-3 and 15-6, respectively. Frannie Goodrich (34) set the tone for the day with a lay-out score on a hammer throw in the first point of the opening game against Loose Cannon, and Backhoe used their skill in swinging the disc across the field and their ability to take advantage of Loose Cannon turnovers to win. Loose Cannon did upset MOJO, the three seed in Pool B, in the closing round with a score of 15-10. Although Martha Carlson (2) and Emily Baecher (3) had chemistry in the primary handler positions, the MOJO backfield had difficulty breaking into the Loose Cannon zone defense, and this ended up disabling a key part of the MOJO offense. MOJO finished last in pool play, behind Loose Cannon.
Pool C
Keeping with the top seed trend of winning out in pool play, Brute Squad found themselves with a 3-0 record, largely due to their focus on swinging the disc and success with breaking marks. Safari hung close with Brute Squad in the final game of the day, but Brute Squad proved to be too much, and a 6-4 margin eventually widened into a 15-8 Brute Squad victory. Hailing from Boston, Brute Squad also beat Wicked by a 15-9 count and Layuma by a score of 15-8.
The thrill of Pool C came in the opening round, between Safari and Layuma. Safari suddenly found themselves in a 4-1 hole, and they battled back with six straight points, utilizing open up-line cuts and causing a big turnover with some tight zone defense. In the second half, Layuma player Jenny Brown’s (97) lay-out D led to an inspired score, closing the gap to 9-6 with Safari still ahead. Noemi Toth (50) led the Layuma offensive attack with convincing fakes and break throws, and Layuma eventually caught up to tie the game at 13. Despite the comeback, Safari captain Shar Stuht (20) ran in for the universe point score, leaving Layuma wondering what happened to their initial fire. Layuma was victorious over Wicked by a score of 15-8, and they earned third place in the pool.
Pool D
The trend of top seeded teams going undefeated in pool play was squelched with the intense performance of Lady Godiva, as they knocked off No. 1 seed Zeitgeist by a score of 16-14 in the opening round. Lady Godiva pushed Zeitgeist back into their own end zone with zone defense, but the tandem disc-handling skills of Kath Ratcliff (13) and Jessica Wilson (84) eventually led to a Zeitgeist score and an 8-7 count at halftime. Zeitgeist found success with quick kick-outs to the handlers, and Lady Godiva was bolstered by scores by Jamie Nuwer (12) and Kelly Baptiste (27). The teams traded points through the soft cap time limit, and Lady Godiva ended it, 16-14, after a pretty break forehand pass into the end zone.
Lady Godiva also served Capitals with a bit of trouble, taking the game to universe point, but Capitals managed to escape with a 16-15 victory. The quick disc movement by Capitals allowed them to work around the Lady Godiva defense, but the low throws through the Capitals zone made Lady Godiva just as notable on the attack. Capitals were up 11-9 at one point in the game, and they held off a three-point tear by Lady Godiva to come out on top. Although the match against Zeitgeist proved close, Box lost by a 15-10 count and finished at the bottom of Pool D with an 0-3 record.
Women's Division Preview - submitted by Jessica Sipperley
Following weeks of competition in the club Ultimate scene, the stage is finally set for the National Championships. After intense sectional tournaments and brutal matches in the regionals, 16 women’s teams have emerged victorious and fired up after earning a highly-coveted bid to Championships, but there is no chance to relax. Awe-inspiring grabs, risky lay-out Ds and calm, concentrated offense will dominate the style of play at this tournament, but only one team will successfully complete the quest for the 2007 Championship title. Ultimate enthusiasts have been waiting eagerly for the field of teams to be set for the tournament, starting on Oct. 25, and here’s a preview of what’s in store for the women’s division in Sarasota, Fla.
Central Region
1. Small Rackages (Ames, IA)
2. MOJO (OH/MI/IN)
Small Rackages is a new team this club season, created after picking up former Bait players and some CLX (Mixed) women, but their regional performance wasn’t affected by first-time jitters. Small Rackages plowed through the region, winning all of their games and capturing the top bid to Championships. MOJO is no stranger to the Championships: the team, based out of Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, earned a 13th-place finish at last year’s Championship Tournament. To qualify for this year’s tournament, MOJO rebounded from an earlier loss to Nemesis in pool play and won the second bid after a 15-9 victory over Nemesis in the second-place game. Small Rackages and MOJO are both seeded third in their respective pools.
Mid-Atlantic Region:
1. Backhoe (Raleigh, N.C.)
2. Wicked (Philadelphia, PA)
3. Loose Cannon (MD/PA/DE)
Capturing the Mid-Atlantic championship, Backhoe established its regional dominance by never allowing a team to score more than five points against them in any game. At the Championships, Backhoe will be riding its hot streak of 11 straight wins at sectionals and regionals, and this will be difficult to stop. Despite two losses to Backhoe, one in pool play and another in the play-offs, Wicked earned the second bid to Championships after a 15-10 victory over Loose Cannon in the second-place game. After wins against Pounce and Scandal, Loose Cannon was able to sneak into nationals with the 3rd bid, even after falling to Wicked.
Northeast Region:
1. Brute Squad (Boston, MA)
2. Capitals (Ottawa/Toronto, ON)
3. Lady Godiva (Boston, MA)
4. Ambush (New York, NY)
The Northeast Region earned a Strength Wildcard Bid for the 2007 series, and the competitive nature of the region showed this bid was well-deserved. Brute Squad stormed through the region, knocking off teams in pool play and earning the top bid with a 15-8 victory over Lady Godiva. Brute Squad is seeded first in their pool at the Championships. On the road to the remaining bids, Capitals and Lady Godiva battled for the whole regional tournament. Lady Godiva beat Capitals in the first round of play-offs, only to meet them again in the 2nd-place game. Although Capitals had the final victory, a heated rematch is likely, as both teams are in the same pool for the opening day of the national tournament. Ambush is making its first return to the Championships scene since 2001 and will be looking to make a run in the tournament after a strong regional performance.
Northwest Region:
1. Fury (San Francisco, CA)
2. Riot (Seattle, WA)
3. Zeitgeist (Bay Area, CA)
A rematch between last year’s National Championship contenders could be in the works, as Fury and Riot both earned bids, with Zeitgeist snapping at their heels. Each part of this trio of Northwestern powerhouses is seeded first in three respective pools, and it’s very likely they will all advance far in Sarasota. The defending National Champions, Fury, earned the top bid after posting wins over Traffic, Zeitgeist and Riot in the regional tournament. However, Riot showed no sign of conceding total defeat, as they narrowly lost out on the regional championship after a brutal 11-12 loss to Fury. Zeitgeist snagged the Strength Wildcard Bid for the region after beating Traffic 15-14 in the close third-place contest – another Northwest game decided by mere inches.
South Region:
1. Ozone (Atlanta, GA)
2. Layuma (Gainesville, FL)
Ozone will be looking to avenge a quarterfinal loss to Backhoe at last year’s Championships, and their regional performance indicates this team is ready for such competition. Ozone rebounded from a 10-11 loss to Layuma in pool play to post a tight 9-8 win in the regional championships in the rematch between the two teams. The team’s quest for a strong finish will start right away, as Ozone is seeded second in the same pool as Fury, who will be avidly defending their 2006 Championship title. Layuma posted an otherwise perfect record on the way to capturing the remaining bid with a 15-4 win over Alloy in the second-place game, after being seeded second overall in the region. After forming in 2006, Layuma earned its second trip to the Championships in just as many years of existence.
Southwest:
1. Safari (San Diego, CA)
2. Box (Denver, CO)
Safari and Box both fell to Boulder, Colo. contender Rare Air in the first day of regional play, but the eventual Championship qualifiers did not let history affect the results of the crucial play-off games. Safari earned the regional championship after a close 11-10 victory over Rare Air, and Box stifled any Rare Air Championship hopes with a convincing 11-6 win in the second-place game. After a 6th-place finish at the 2006 Championships, Safari will be riding the thrill of a regional championship in their efforts to finish higher at this year’s tournament. As Box Lunch last year, Box finished 16th at the 2006 tournament, and is seeded fourth in their pool this time around. However, the team’s six victories at regionals, including the win over anticipated Championship qualifier Rare Air, indicates Box is poised to make a run deep into the standings at Sarasota this year.
