USA Ultimate

@TripleCrownTour Scoreboard

PHOTO CREDIT: CBMT Creative

 

	Boston Ironside	vs.	Seattle Sockeye

 

The flags blew slightly in under a cloudless sky this afternoon at Memorial Stadium in Frisco, Texas. Moments before the first pull, both sidelines were full of chanting teammates urging on their brothers on field. With Sockeye pulling, the game began with textbook work from Ironside, with cuts out of the back and controlled swings from of the handlers before Peter Prial brought the first point to close with a force side swing to Alex Kapinos in the end zone. After an OB pull from Ironside’s Will Neff, Sockeye’s Adam Holt started from the brick mark. A shot to the end zone was taken after successive throws, only to have Ironside’s Jack Hatchett swat the disc intended for Nate Castine out of the air. A few quick handler motions later from Ironside and Sockeye’s Aly Lenon put his team back on offense with a clean hand block eventually leading to the score, and saving the defensive break, after Adam Holt struck up the force side and into the end zone responding to make it 1-1.

Game play picked up speed, and in the next sequence we saw a huge collision mid-field ending with Sockeye’s Jacob Speidel limping off the field after minutes on the ground. Despite the entrance of Adam Simon, who has had an amazing tournament, Ironside punched in another offensive score with back-to-back scoobers to the break side before a rifle flick to Misha Sidorsky for the score. Continuing to trade points, Sockeye’s Matt Rehder hucked a bomb of a hammer to Phil Murray, who went up big in the end zone over the defense, saving a potential turn and Rehder’s faith in his hammer. Points went back and forth over the next two points to bring the score to 3-3.

The next point was critical for both teams and one that offered scoring opportunities to both as well. The first turn came from a poached defensive bid near the red zone from Sockeye’s Xtehn Titcomb for the D and turn, but a foul call from Danny Clark was upheld by observers and possession remained with Boston. Upon tapping in the disc, Clark immediately misread his dump. Seattle quickly shot the disc to Frank Barich who received possession after an uncontested foul. Two swings and the disc was sent back to Barich in the end zone only to be called back on a pick. A second attempt into the end zone for the break ended with a turn on the swing. Ironside, looking to capitalize, sent a low-flying huck to Peter Prial which would be intercepted by Reid Koss. Needing to end this point on offense, Sockeye called their first time out. Out of the break, Sockeye moved the disc all over the field with a 40-yard, cross-field swing to Barich before distributing to Reid Koss and back to Barich streaking across the force side providing Seattle their first break of the game at 3-4 Sockeye.

Points continued to trade between these evenly-matched teams. Following Sockeye’s break, Ironside had a scare when a George Stubbs shot to Alex Kapinos was nearly intercepted in the end zone. Matt Rehder seemed over-confident in his throws throughout the weekend, making big plays and feeling entitled to throw the disc how he wanted, when he wanted. The throws consistently resulted in his teammates making insanely athletic plays. Towards the end of the second half, Ironside’s defense found another gear, causing Sockeye to battle through physical defense to maintain possession. 

At 6-6, after an Ironside score, Sockeye called a time out to strategize the last few points of the half. Out of the time out, Seattle put up a big shot to the end zone where Ironside’s Jack Hatchett blazed past the intended receiver, knocking the disc down without needing to go vertical or horizontal. After effective work up-field, a disappointing hammer from Will Neff out the side of the end zone put the disc back in Sockeye possession. Luckily for Ironside, on their first throw, Seattle attempted a huck from the front cone that never came in bounds and put Boston on the goal line. After a few quick tosses, Russell Wallack found Rusty Ingold-Smith in the end zone for Ironside’s first break point, 7-6.  Coincidently, the celebration of said break produced Ironside’s first TMF of the game for use of profane language.

Sockeye, unphased by adversity, put up a big huck to Rehder out of the gates and off to the sidelines went Ironside’s Seth Reinhardt with an injury after attempting the D. With quick motion across the field, Nate Castine found Joe Sefton for an easy score, bringing the teams even at 7-7. To take half, Sockeye’s Reid Koss got a brilliant poach D which was converted when Tim Gehret found Joe Sefton in the end zone. 

Receiving the pull after half, Sockeye moved the disc to mid-field before a questionable shot was made down the sideline from Phil Murray to Chris Kosednar into double coverage. Miraculously, Kosednar brought the disc down. Sockeye rode this one point/two point exchange with Ironside deep into the second half. It looked as if the Seattle team had dialed in their spot in the finals until, at 13-12, Jack Hatchett got a D in the middle of the field on a terrible Sockeye throw. Stubbs put the disc into the end zone for Will Neff. Ironside had tied the game, sending the two teams to universe point.

On serve in the final point, it looked like Sockeye was going to give Ironside a shot at the win after a full-field huck to Rehder coasted far out of bounds, but a foul on the throw kept the disc in Sockeye’s possession. Bogged down near the end zone, thanks to relentless Ironside defense, Sockeye called time out. Out of the time out, a break swing to Chris Kosednar and continuation to Matt Rehder in the end zone finished the game and Ironside’s chance at the national title this year.

	San Francisco Revolver	vs.	Denver Johnny Bravo

 

After round one of the men’s semifinals, the sun dropped behind the horizon, and the temperature followed. The first point was underway in breezy 50-degree conditions. What came next was utterly unexpected out of these two teams: seven turnovers in the first few minutes of the first point of the game. That kind of statistic is something you’d expect out of a young college team, not from two of the top teams in the world. The turns were silly throws straight into static defenders or discs launched 10 feet over the head of intended receivers, not posterizing Ds. Veteran player for Bravo (and previously of Revolver), Bart Watson called a time out, providing his team the focus needed to drive in their first point and open the game 1-0 Bravo. Retaliating, Revolver put a long shot to Beau Kittredge just shy of the end zone, ending with a dump and dish for the score, 1-1.

Both teams seemed evenly matched, dealing and taking blows in like kind all the way to 4-4 with no breaks yet to separate the teams. Chiefly, one man on each team created havoc for his opponent—Jimmy Mickle for Bravo and Ashlin Joye for Revolver. For very different reasons, the two were nightmares for their defense. Revolver reigned in their first break of the game at 5-4 after another five-turnover point gave Revolver a chance to once again put the disc in the end zone only to have Hidde Snieder layout at full extension to knock the disc away from the intended receiver, but unfortunately the new trajectory of the disc was directly toward another Revolver player who caught the mac-ed disc for the score. Disappointed, but not a team to sulk, Bravo drove in the next point. However, Revolver then scored back to back bringing the score to 7-5. In the next point, we finally saw the match up everyone was waiting for, a huck to Jimmy Mickle with defender Beau Kittredge hot on his heels. An early bid from Beau was just enough to throw off Mickle, and the disc hit the turf in the end zone. Working the disc back towards Bravo territory, a put from Mac Taylor to Patrick Baylis brought the game to half at 8-5 Revolver.

Pulling to start the half, Bravo sent the disc down field, and the quick feet of defenders flew behind it. The defense earned a turn, but a Kittredge hand block returned possession to Revolver. In exchange, Revolver immediately threw the disc away, allowing a cross-field hammer from Bravo’s Eric Johnson and then a shot to Hylke Snieder for the break and score. 

Unfortunately for Bravo, the excitement essentially stopped there. Revolver rattled off four points with only one from Bravo squeezed in there. Both teams were geared for action: back-to-back layout Ds, first from Revolver and on the next throw from Bravo, gave the fans something to cheer about. But the Colorado team couldn’t put this one in this time. At 11-8, the future looked decidedly in favor of Revolver. At 13-9 with the cap on, Revolver decided to test some of their rookies and fielded a line of first-year players to box the Bravo beast. With ease, Denver picked them apart and worked smoothly into the end zone. Bravo broke on the next point with a big shot to Mickle who dished to Hylke Schnieder in the end zone, 13-11 Revolver. 

It was unlikely that Bravo would tack on three consecutive in order to pull out this win. Nevertheless, the late-game break lent energy to the stands, who all began chanting in unison "LET’S GO BRAVO!" The crowed was silenced along with the dreams of Bravo’s division title when Revolver’s Marcelo Sanchez hucked to Martin Cochran for the win, 14-11.

And so, we have our finals match up decided: San Francisco Revolver v. Seattle Sockeye. Two very different styles of play will meet tomorrow, the big linear game of Revolver and the short, eye-rattling pace of Seattle Sockeye. As the temperature drops, things will be heating up tomorrow evening in Frisco, Texas.    

Photos

Day 3 - Highlights - Images by CBMT creative

---

Have any questions or comments? We welcome community feedback and discussion made in a respectful manner. Please refrain from profanity or personal attacks, as such public comments negatively reflect on our sport and community.