Open Writeups
DAY TWO
By: Doug Gschneidner and Erik Wyse
With the preliminary pool play complete, the seeding for quarterfinal competition was set as the teams returned to the fields on this cooler, windier day.
Quarterfinals: Disc Northwest “Overcast” vs. Minnesota “Superior”
The first quarterfinal match featured the contest between Superior and Overcast, ending in a 15-5 blowout for Overcast. Although the game began at a heated 3-3, with each team trading points, Overcast finished in a 12-2 blowout run breezing into their semifinals game. Utilizing a strong man to man defense with a hard mark, they were able to shut down Superior’s struggling offense, aided by a number of mental errors on the part of Superior. With a patient offense Overcast had relatively little difficulty earning a clean victory.
Quarterfinals: New England “BUDA” vs. Cincinnati “Flying Pig”
The second quarterfinal competition was between BUDA and Flying Pig. Coming into the half at 8-7, things remained close until BUDA pulled away to a 15-11 victory in the final moments of the game. BUDA did a good job of avoiding a repeat of their game with Mast, limiting Flying Pig’s ability to capitalize on their deep game, with particularly notable play by Ryan Holmes. Despite Pig’s later attempts to throw a zone, BUDA’s handlers maintained discipline and had no problem converting in light of the new defensive looks, leading to a strong finish going into their semi-final match.
Quarterfinals: Delaware Valley “DEVYL” vs. Denver “Cutthroat”
The battle between DEVYL and Cutthroat was the closest of the quarterfinal competitions, ending at 13-10 on the hard cap point. This game seemed to be a tale of two halves. Throughout the first half, both teams relied on their deep game in order to get points on the board, with little in the way of defensive production. Most turnovers in the first half resulted from overthrows and drops which were certainly affected by a wet disc due to the morning dew. In the second half both defenses did a better job of stepping up, but it was DEVYL who managed to more effectively shut down the deep game. In the end, a number of critical mistakes, including more than 3 drops within the end-zone, cost Cutthroat as these sorely needed points could have easily turned the game in another direction. DEVYL’s Dennison Bechis helped lead the team in its offensive production, pulling in 3 scores himself and providing a consistent cutting option.
Semifinals: Pittsburgh “Impulse” vs. Delaware Valley “DEVYL”
The Impulse-DEVYL game in semifinals was a surprisingly close battle the first half, as the previously unchallenged Impulse squad found itself barely hanging to the lead going into the half 8-7, having been down 7-6 earlier. With tenacious defense, the first half bore witness to a number of very long points and consecutive D’s, especially as Impulse’s Jeff Olko racked up several goal-line saves and other midfield D’s giving them good field position for a number of scores. The DEVYL defense was pretty successful at cutting off Impulse’s short and mid-range game utilizing a sponge defense which forced everything to the middle, allowing their defenders to poach on the Impulse cutters. Late game adjustments assisted Impulse as they broke down the DEVYL defense, especially as players such as Ben Funk stepped up to give them the production they needed to put the game away at 13-9.
Semifinals: Disc Northwest “Overcast” vs. New England “BUDA”
The Semi-final competition between Overcast and BUDA was a close game as the west and east coast teams battled for an edge. Trading points for much of the first half, the game concluded with a 14-11 Overcast victory. BUDA’s early lead was largely the product of very effective play by Max Gillet, who pulled in 2 of their first 3 points, and beat his defender on both his in and deep cuts. With their early lead BUDA threw a 1-3-3 zone defense with Conor Hickey following the disc, but while initially successful, Overcast was able to quickly adapt and continue converting after being down 4-2. Fighting their way back from a two point deficit, Overcast’s offensive leaders such as Justin Norden took over the game delivering precise throws past laid-out BUDA defenders, providing an important semifinal victory.
Finals: Seattle “Overcast” vs. Pittsburgh “Impulse”
This year’s championship spotlighted an epic rematch between Overcast and Impulse, giving the Seattle club an opportunity to avenge their loss in the earlier pool play (13-7 Impulse). Coach Brook Martin of Overcast stated that the team was very nervous coming into the match, and that this attitude certainly contributed to Impulse’s 4-0 run to start the game. Overcast managed to get on the board with the help of a couple of precision hammers over Impulse’s cup from Justin Norden, leading to a series of point-trading drives to end the half 8-5 for Impulse. Impulse’s offensive line remained dominant in the first half, with Ben Funk pulling in 3 scores, Jeff Olko 2, and Captain Colin Conner scoring one of his own and assisting 3 others.
Coming out of the half, Overcast was demoralized, but the coaches focused on consistent, patient offense lead by handlers Justin Norden and Austin Killien, adjusting their defense to an aggressive zone (based on a Japanese model, according to Coach Brook Martin). Despite these adjustments, Impulse continued dominating the game, scoring the first two points of the second half. As Overcast transitioned from its more aggressive ‘Japanese’ zone to a more conservative one, they halted Impulse’s relentless advance, and forced them to rely more on the skilled handling of Captain Alex Thorne who became his team’s clear offensive centerpiece throughout the half. With the score now 11-7 in favor of Impulse, Overcast calls a timeout that pays off as Jacob Coate gets the goal, pulling Overcast within three.
A 50 yard inside out backhand throw from Casey Bateman to Norden gets Overcast another break, bringing the score to 11-9. Trading points to 13-11 the momentum seemed to be returning to Impulse, until Overcast made a crucial D putting them in good field position, allowing them to throw in an easy point. Following an Impulse drop in the end zone, Overcast shot deep to Kevin Babcock, who had stepped up scoring 2 goals consecutively, and assisting the one prior. With the game tied up at 13-13, Impulse faced a new sense of urgency, and threw a deep huck out of bounds, giving Overcast control at midfield. Struggling to fight their way to the goal-line, Norden threw a hammer from 15 yards out hitting Jimmy Hooper, who caught the disc left handed as he fell, giving Overcast their first lead of the game, at 14-13.
As Overcast swarmed the field, Impulse calmly walked back to their own line with a renewed sense of urgency. Moving the disc up the side of the field with quick crisp throws, Impulse answered back immediately putting the game at 14-14, now double game point. Overcast methodically worked the disc halfway up the field, and a slight overthrow forced Simon Montague to layout and save the possession. Progressing to the goal line, Cooper Schumacher calls a timeout on the corner. Out of the timeout Overcast lines up with Norden and Austin Killien spread out as swings and four men vertically stacked on the far side of the end zone. Impulse countered by marking Colin Conner on Norden, Alex Thorne on Killien, and defensive leader Jeff Olko on Hooper, with Big Ben Funk trapping Schumacher on the sideline. The move pays off as Schumacher connects with Kelly Van Arsdale, but as the Seattle mixed and girls teams swarm the field the goal is called back by Funk for pushing off. Contesting the foul, Schumacher checks the disc in allowing Funk to tap it back into play starting at stall 8 and quickly claims a stall against Schumacher. Contesting the violation Schumacher again checks it in, and puts the disc back into play hitting Norden for a quick dump, allowing Overcast to punch in the score to complete their comeback. Both teams should walk away feeling proud that they were part of such a great game that is sure to impart a lasting impression on all those present.
DAY ONE
By: Doug Gschneidner and Erik Wyse
As the day began, eight teams could be seen performing their calisthenics with cold precision under a blue sky and light breeze. A palpable tension hung in the air, as each club prepared themselves for the coming contests, knowing that with each challenger new talents and strategies would await.
B-Pool Round 1 highlights:
Madison “Mast” vs. New England “BUDA”
The day’s competition opened with Madison Mast and New England’s BUDA facing off in what ended up as 13-12 victory for Madison in a universe point game. Both clubs brought intensity, but the play for both teams was initially shaky as they gradually found their groove in tournament play. It became immediately clear that Mast and BUDA had radically different playing philosophies, as BUDA unsurprisingly demonstrated very controlled, zen-like play, while Mast favored a high risk strategy. Lead by handlers Dayu Liu (#23) and Dan Park (#28) Madison’s strategy revolved around deep hucks, and big yardage throws. On defense they relied on a poach oriented man/zone combination, design to complicate BUDA’s in-cuts and force them deep. This strategy was necessary due to Mast’s shortage in players, fielding only 12 players on the day making up the smallest team in the tournament. BUDA leaders such as Ryan Holmes (#6) managed to make big plays at the end of the game, pushing them to a 12-11 lead, but they were unable to stop Mast’s Seth Collins (#1) from scoring a decisive goal to tie the game at 12, leading to their hard-fought victory during the universe point.
Minnesota “Superior” vs. Delaware Valley “DEVYL”
This game witnessed a face off between Superior and DEVYL, ending in a 15-7 victory for the Delaware Valley team. Swarming onto the field, the sheer size of the Superior roster is immediately visible. While early in the game the two seemed evenly matched, DEVYL quickly pulled away, exploiting a number of open cutting lanes and relying on long passes as part of their aggressive, fast paced offense. While Superior was able to keep it close with tenacious defense, they seemed disrupted on offense, and often dropped, overthrew, or misread the disc, resulting in turnovers which ultimately cost the team points. Coach Perry Nacionales commented that his team seemed mentally unprepared for the challenge, and that this shortcoming revealed itself on the playing field. The game included outstanding play by a wide variety of players, but Delaware Valley’s Matt Bode (#00) stood out, racking in two consecutive lay out scores for his team and the game winning point.
A-Pool Round 2 highlights:
Denver “Cutthroat” vs. Pittsburgh “Impulse”
The A-pool’s Denver Cutthroat and Pittsburgh Impulse matchup resulted in a decisive 15-6 victory for Impulse. Cutthroat was immediately disadvantaged coming off of a long, exhausting game against Seattle’s Overcast battling through a contentious universe point. Utilizing their advantage, Impulse ran off to a 3-1 lead, with strong play from a number of athletes, particularly Jeff Olko (#0) who managed to record both the turnover and the score in the game’s 4th point. Going into the half at 8-3 Impulse relied on their defense, recording a vast disparity in the number of forced D’s, capitalizing on the opportunities Cutthroat gave them with precision. Combined with a number of highly accurate hucks, Impulse was able to put the game away in an impressive display of teamwork, with few receivers recording repeat scoring. Ben Funk (#19) of Impulse was particularly impressive, burning his coverage deep, and with the help of excellent assists, managed to pull in 3 points.
B-Pool Round 3 highlights:
New England "BUDA" vs. Delaware Valley "DEVYL"
The final contest for first seed out of the B-pool featured a regional rivalry, between New England’s BUDA, who were coming off their second universe point game, and the Delaware Valley’s DEVYL. Concluding with yet another double game point struggle, BUDA sealed first place in the pool with a 13-12 victory. Each team threw varying forms of zone, but each offense was able to pick apart whatever defense they encountered, trading points up to 12-12. During the 16th point BUDA threw up a deep floating flick chased down by DEVYL’s Matt Bode (#00) and BUDA’s AJ Hutchins (#16). Bode managed to get his hands on it with a full extension layout, but only swatted it, and was outdone by AJ Hutchins who layed out over him in epic snag for the goal. The game concluded with a long possession, with BUDA marching down to the goal-line only to be stopped by Justin Principi (#72) at the last second. As DEVYL marched back down, Bode made a layout catch attempt in the end zone, only to knock it further out with his fingertips. Managing again to reach the goal-line, BUDA lost possession, but Max Gillet (#81) pulled through with a suffocating handblock allowing BUDA to punch in the easy score, and put the game away.
Madison “Mast” vs. Minnesota “Superior”
Rounding out the B-pool was the contest between Mast and Superior, in which the latter’s expansive roster allowed them to keep their primary rotation rested and ready, an advantage which quickly manifested itself, leading to a 15-6 victory for Superior. After a slow start, Superior took a 6-1 lead, and by combining an effective offense lead by handler Kyle Geppert (#15) and sweltering defense, they racked up D after D with numerous layout blocks, cementing their control of the game. Ethan Rasmussen (#5) of Superior recorded an astounding ‘flying foot block’ while chasing down his man in the 9th point of play. Superior’s defenseman Jordan Carlson (#21) managed to bring in a Callahan to score their 11th point. Although Mast struggled, they responded with inspired play of their own despite noticeable exhaustion, with players such as Seth Collins (#1) racking up more than a half-dozen D’s.
A-Pool Round 3 highlights:
Cincinnati “Flying Pig” vs. Denver “Cutthroat”
Wrapping up the A-pool, Flying Pig and Cutthroat finished with a score of 15-10 in Cutthroat’s favor. The opening points of the game witnessed a neck and neck competition between the two clubs, with Cutthroat relying on consistent team play, and Flying Pig lead by outstanding play by their handlers Will Teller (#4) and Zach Kaufman (#23) who either assisted or scored nearly all of Flying Pig’s points throughout the game. Despite the commanding field presence of these individual players, Cutthroat’s tenacious defense was able to wear out Cincinnati and neutralize their weapons over time. Cutthroat overcame Flying Pig’s strengths with outstanding plays such as 5’4” Nick Arnod’s (#50) deep-D against the Flying Pig 6’0” Ian Collins (#10) which fired up the entire sideline on Colorado’s march to victory.
Pittsburgh “Impulse” vs. Disc Northwest “Overcast”
The final game of the day featured a battle between Impulse and Overcast, with a hotly contested first half concluding in a 13-7 soft cap victory for Impulse. Neck and neck in most of the first half, the game was tied as high as 5-5, with both teams relying on their deep game. While both sides displayed effective defense, it was Impulses’ ability to achieve big D’s in clutch red-zone situations that gave them the edge to put the game away. On offense Impulse turned to its playmakers such as Jeff Olko (#0), Alex Thorne (#2), and Ben Funk (#19) to pull in much of its offensive production, and leading another team effort they managed the win against the highly talented Overcast roster.
While today’s competition was certainly arduous and tiring, it seems likely that these teams will face their greatest test as they walk out on to the fields again tomorrow. With so much talent on every team, and the wage of exhaustion clearly taking its toll, it seems likely that the winner of tomorrow’s bracket play remains unclear.
