2013 Masters Championships - Day 2
Posted: July 27, 2013 11:07 PM
Pre-Quarters
The women’s division went off without a hitch with each of the higher seeds emerging victorious. Darkhorse continued their run with a 10-7 victory over Brood Squad. Quarterbacked by Krista McDonald and June Srisethnil, they used quick handler movement to initiate their offense and open up deep looks.
Retro got off to a running start in their game against the highest-seeded hometown team, Well Done, going up 7-1. In a game full of turns and countless opportunities for each team, Well Done pulled the score back to 9-6. But Retro was able to hold on long enough and earned their spot in the quarterfinals with a 13-9 victory.
Stormborn and Jezebel joined Darkhorse and Well Done in the quarters with victories over C.O.U.G.A.R.S. and Atlantiques, respectively. In one of the more exciting games in the division, the C.O.U.G.A.R.S. battled with Stormborn. The C.O.U.G.A.R.S.’ Laura Meyer opened the game with a Callahan. The teams traded points throughout, with the C.O.U.G.A.R.S. maintaining a small lead. But Stormborn never went away. They continued to make up any ground lost and capped off their fight by scoring two in a row to steal the game.
In the grand masters division, the original two seed in Pool A, T-Rex, slowed by a very small roster, fell to BigWheel in a lopsided 15-9 decision. T-Rex arrived in Denver with only 17 people, but the number shrunk by the end of the day on Friday to only 15 healthy athletes. BigWheel took advantage of their numbers and played an effective deep game. T-Rex simply couldn’t keep up, and BigWheel ran away with the game, straight to a quarterfinal match up with local team, Yomo Fog oho.
Not to be outdone for excitement by the masters women, grand masters played host to their own double-game point contest between Afterburn and BiGS. With the score sitting at 8-6, the soft cap horn blew. BiGS scored on the ensuing point, making it 8-7, game to 10. BiGS snagged a poach D and converted the offensive opportunity to tie the game at 8-8. Afterburn held their offensive point, and BiGS did the same with great grabs from John Neill. To continue the trend, Afterburn held again on universe point on the back of great cuts and catches from Erik Rudin to secure the win. For their trouble, they earned a quarterfinal game against frontrunners Surly.
Quarterfinals
The top seeds in the masters men’s quarterfinals ended up 50-50. Flashback was involved in yet another close game, but this time, they came out on the losing end. Borderline came away with the 10-9 win in the tightest game of the round. They were joined in the quarterfinals by fellow higher seed Tejas as well as Reckon and Burnside who both managed to pull off upsets to advance.
With the higher stakes come the calls. Johnny Encore and Tejas met in an evenly matched quarterfinal game that had its share of calls. Both teams have full rosters and were able to rotate through to keep everyone fresh. Athletic receivers from both teams met their matches in athletic defenders, and competition in the air and on the mark brought about call after call. Despite the slower pace created by the discussions, Johnny Encore had time to pull away to a 13-8 win.
Boneyard found themselves in a relatively easy quarterfinal match up against Maine/Canada’s Borderline. Like Encore, Boneyard has kept open lines throughout the weekend to keep legs (and their all-stars) fresh for the late games, which are sure to prove more of a challenge. Lockdown handler defense across the board from Boneyard, but particularly from masters rookies Josh Mullen and Mike Moore, made disc movement difficult for Borderline. After creating turnovers, they converted opportunities, steadily adding to their lead, eventually winning by a score of 15-4.
In the division’s closest quarterfinal game, regional rivals Seattle’s Kelt and Portland’s Burnside faced off in a competitive and spirited contest. The familiarity may have helped Burnside against the stacked Kelt that had stymied other talented teams so far this weekend. The teams traded points throughout, remaining on serve until 6-6, when Kelt earned the only break of the game. It was enough. They took half 8-7, and held on to a final score of 12-11. Burnside’s Mark McGhee kept them in the game, scoring five of their 11 goals. Per the usual, Alex Nord was both literally and figuratively huge for Kelt. He ended up with four goals of his own along with one assist. Despite what the close score may suggest, they are a force to be reckoned with.
As expected, Surly rolled through a Reckon team that isn’t playing their best ultimate. In their pre-quarterfinal round against New York Masters, they had great runs, tallying five or so points at a time. It was enough to move them through to the quarterfinals, but they couldn’t string those runs together against the more talented Surly. True to their deep roster, Surly spread the disc around well, with no one person earning more than three points in any statkeeping category. Not surprisingly, Bart Watson was particularly solid accumulating two assists, two goals and no turnovers.
In the masters women’s division, Darkhorse’s run as the tournament’s dark horse ended quickly at the hands of defending champions, Stickdog. Although the 10-1 final score didn’t match the level of play shown on the field, Stickdog ultimately made fewer mistakes and took advantage of their opportunities more consistently.
The longer the tournament lasts, the more the division’s top teams separate themselves from the rest of the field. The closest semifinal score came from Godiva and Retro with a final tally of 13-6 in Godiva’s favor. BH&G and Baylands Kite Flying team also easily moved on to the semifinals.
Similarly, the top seed in each of the grand masters quarterfinals advanced as well. With the closest score coming from Yomo Fog oho and BigWheel, which ended 15-9 in the local team’s favor. Surly, Georgetown Brewing and No Country all moved into the semifinal round after quick games with considerable cushions.
Consolation Rounds
Well Done entered the weekend with high expectations. Based on past performance, including two championship titles, and their hometown advantage, other teams and spectators expected big things. Their weekend was full of ups and downs, with impressive wins over First Ladies and fellow Denver team DirtyXXX, followed up with crucial losses against Darkhorse in pool play and Retro in the pre-quarterfinal round.
In the grand masters division, the Charred Guys have already exceeded expectations. Entering the weekend, they said they would be happy ending up in 15th place. Tomorrow morning at 9 a.m., they will play WSUC from Western Springs, Ill., for 13th place. After going 0-4 to start they weekend, they got their first win against Kingfish, upsetting their initial seeding and guaranteeing them at least 14th place. For a team in only their second tournament ever, that equates to success.
Semifinals
The semifinal round arrived, and things started to get interesting. The heavy favorites were tested for the first time on the weekend, and several had their runs end earlier than they had planned.
Grand Masters
In the first close games of the weekend, the favorites fell. In the Battle of the Breweries, Surly GM faced off against Georgetown Brewing, the only one seed in pool play to look vulnerable yesterday. Surly GM is a different team in 2013 than in years past after many players who comprised the top end of their roster in 2012 defected to the Surly masters team, leaving big shoes to fill this year. For the first time this weekend, those gaps were apparent. Both teams moved the disc quickly and cut efficiently, conserving energy while still gaining separation, and the game stayed on serve through 3-2. Georgetown grabbed two breaks to head into half with an 8-5 lead. Scores were traded again throughout the second half, but Georgetown held on to their early breaks and earned the 13-10 win.
In the second semifinal, Denver locals Yomo Fog oho squared off against No Country. Compared to their counterparts playing on the next field, both teams utilized a higher risk, higher reward game plan. Riskier throws went up on the end zone line and, when there were turns, deep shots were used as counters. With the score at 2-3 in Yomo’s favor, No Country went on a six-point run to go up 8-3. Yomo was able to earn back a couple of breaks in the second half, but No Country held on for a 12-8 win and a date with Georgetown Brewing in tomorrow’s finals.
Masters Men’s
Despite not having more than eight points scored on them in any game on the weekend, Johnny Encore met their match in Boneyard. The North Carolina squad played as they had in each of the prior rounds, grinding on defense and using their talented d-line handlers to convert on break opportunities. The first half stayed relatively close with Boneyard leading at the break 8-5. But the second half was an entirely different story. Boneyard’s tight handler defense coupled with their underneath defense downfield forced uncharacteristic turns from the Denver team. After several dump-swings, they took several risky, high-stall chances, but Boneyard won the deep game on both sides of the disc. Boneyard closed out the game on a seven-point run for a final score of 15-5.
In the second men’s semifinal, Surly was tested for the first time all weekend. Both teams have picked up some talented contributors this year, loading up to provide the best chance possible of earning a Worlds bid. Despite the pure speed of the athletes, the game was riddled with stoppages stemming from all manners of calls: fouls, travels, picks, you name it, it was called, but rightly so on both sides. The game remained spirited but lacked momentum for either team. Turnovers also abounded, more than are expected in any semifinals match up. The soft cap horn blew in the midst of a marathon point. Surly finally punched in the score for 10-8, game to 12. Alex Nord came through again for Kelt, getting big in traffic, bringing down the score and keeping his team alive. But it was not to be. Surly held on their offensive point, and after a drop from Kelt, Surly picked the disc up close to their goal line. Patience on the end zone line earned them the win, with the final score coming on an up-line dump cut.
Yet again, the finals will pit Surly against Boneyard. In both the 2010 and 2012 Masters Championships finals, Surly pulled out victories over Boneyard in tightly contested matches. Maybe the third time is the charm for Boneyard. Lucky '13?
Masters Women’s
The defending champions are out. Stickdog hit a wall in Godiva. Godiva threw a 1-3-3 zone that slowed down the Stickdog handlers and forced difficult throws on high stall counts, despite the handlers’ patience. Stickdog had a hard time finding space in the zone, while anything thrown over the top was affected by the late afternoon breeze that was swirling around the showcase fields. Godiva took half at 8-2 and never looked back. Final score: Godiva 14, Stickdog 6.
The second women’s semifinal pitted two teams from the western part of the country against each other: the Big Sky region’s BH&G and the Southwest region’s Baylands Kite Flying [All-Star] Team. Baylands continually changed up their defensive strategies, starting with a zone look and moving to a sideline force to flick to backhand. Their constant changes kept BH&G on their toes. BH&G was able to run with Baylands but wasn’t quite quick enough to make up steps. And with the entire field a viable possibility given Baylands’ ability to break the mark, they were often a step behind on defense. Despite a similar number of turns per team, Baylands was able to use their tough marks, particularly from players like Dominique Fontenette, to force difficult throws, often giving them second opportunities to punch in scores. Delia Chiu and Julie Baker also came up big on defense for the Kites, while Alicia White set herself apart on offense (not to take away anything from her two Ds) with four goals and three assists in the game. A valiant effort from Candice Tse and BH&G couldn’t keep Baylands from pulling away. Baylands advanced to the finals with a 12-8 win.
Finals Match Ups:
- Grand Masters: Georgetown Brewing v. No Country – 1 p.m.
- Masters Women’s: Godiva v. Baylands Kite Flying Team – 1:30 p.m.
- Masters Men’s: Surly v. Boneyard – 2 p.m.
Photos by UltiPhotos.com (Extended Highlights)
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