USA Ultimate

@TripleCrownTour Scoreboard

 

Pool A

A1	A2	A3	A4
Philadelphia AMP	Minneapolis Drag'n Thrust	New York 7Express	Montreal Odyssée

Some people have claimed Pool A to be the "pool of death," and they just might be right.  AMP comes in as the first seed, and deservedly so.  However, with a late-season loss to Mischief, they’ve shown they’re not invincible.  While many teams are subject to the volatility that is the mixed division, AMP has kept a familiar roster this year, supplemented with some experienced players who complement their already-established style.  Although AMP does not have the mentality that allows them to have a target on their backs, they are not safe in this pool. Drag’n Thrust’s and Odyssée’s somewhat poorer season performances are seen as shocking more than anything, and neither of them can be underestimated. Don’t be surprised if you see these two teams advancing beyond their seedings, regardless of Thursday’s results. 7 Express may be the youngest team at Nationals, and that could help or hurt them. Their results have been a little inconsistent over the season, so Thursday’s scores should be a lot more telling.  

Pool B

B1	B2	B3	B4
San Francisco Polar Bears	Seattle The DOH Abides	Asheville Cahoots	Washington, D.C. Ambiguous Grey

The Polar Bears have unequivocally earned their spot as the two seed, and it would be easy to argue for them as the one seed. They’ve had a strong season with a just few hiccups, seemingly shoring up their weaknesses along the way and culminating in their victory over CLX at the Pro Flight Finale. Right behind them is The D’oh! Abides, a "master planned" team made up of select talent from Seattle’s history of mixed teams plus some.  D’oh! has seen and defeated both Cahoots and Ambiguous Grey (twice at universe point) this year, leaving Ambiguous Grey hungry for this rematch. Should D’oh reign supreme in this first game, their momentum will carry them through Cahoots and into the Polar Bears game where we’ll see the great experiment begin. First-time qualifier Cahoots is about as mysterious as The D’oh! Abides, with the exception of universe-point losses to the Polar Bears and Drag‘n Thrust and victories over Odyssée and Ambiguous Grey.  

Pool C

C1	C2	C3	C4
Ames Chad Larson Experience	San Francisco Mischief	Boston Wild Card	Los Angeles 7 Figures

Pool C is almost an exact replica of last year’s Pool C, just switching 2013 champion Blackbird for another California team in 7 Figures. Chad Larson Experience is definitely a stronger team this year, having added a few open players who have history with the Ames crew and a returning Rachel Derscheid. If Mischief’s proven strength allows them to coast by Wild Card and 7 Figures, their rematch with CLX will be a game to watch. Mischief’s recent results should not be ignored. They’ve posted close scores against regional rival Polar Bears and beat them twice earlier this year. And Mischief was the only team to keep Wild Card from their hopes of a victory at Emerald City Classic. Though it’s hard to make a case for Wild Card breaking seed against CLX or Mischief, Boston’s third mixed team cannot be dismissed. If they don’t stir up the pool on Thursday, you can definitely count on them making some noise later in the tournament. Despite not playing much high-level competition this year, 7 Figures emerged from a very strong region that had more Nationals-caliber teams than bids to go around. Most of their losses have been narrow and to current Nationals teams. In this pool, they are alone in having seen all three of their competitors this year. All of those games ended in double-game point losses for 7 Figures.  

Pool D

D1	D2	D3	D4
Boston The Ghosts	Boston Slow White	Austin Cosa Nostra	Cincinatti Steamboat

There’s not much to say about The Ghosts v. Slow White match up that hasn’t been said already. These two teams have split three decisions this year and are seeded fourth and fifth, respectively. The Boston mixed scene is very strong, and these two teams who inevitably play each other at nearly every tournament are always pushing each other to the next level to try and usurp the other as Boston’s elite mixed team.  (Wild Card, too, has benefitted from competing against their neighbors.) Whatever the outcome, these two teams will continue to cause trouble for other teams this weekend. This year, Cosa Nostra went through a difficult tryout process to pull together the best from Austin’s thriving ultimate scene and adding ex-Doublewide and current University of Texas players. Cosa has struggled with numbers at the Triple Crown Tour events, yet gained a lot of experience in some close games that came down to the final minutes. Being in a pool with the fourth and fifth seeds won’t be easy, but having a full and healthy team will help them in their journey to avenge a universe-point loss to Slow White. A team that more than anything is just happy to be at Nationals again, Cosa can be expected to play relentless ultimate. Steamboat is fortunate to share a pool with such strong competitors for reasons outsiders may not initially see. Their ability to learn and adjust, combined with meticulously analyzing the game point by point, fuels this underdog toward success. Expect Steamboat to take advantage of every opportunity their competitors give them while never letting up the pressure, in spite of any struggles. Their road to Nationals started in April, and since that time, they have taken every opportunity to prepare themselves for this.

Dark Horse

The team you knew as D’oh! several years ago is back as The D’oh! Abides, and they have made a concentrated effort to get a Seattle team back in the mixed division at Nationals. They just may have the strength to make a run to the finals. In November 2012, this invite-only crew started assembling the team by selecting players they knew would put the team first. By late July 2013, the captains had a finished product, and it was exactly what they set out to build. That’s right – this team, comprised of players from D’oh!, Shazam, Bigfoot, Sockeye, Machine and Ambiguous Grey, among others, just started playing together in late July. They are a team that knows nothing will be given to them and that every point ending in their favor was earned; The D’oh! Abides’ mentality forbids them from taking anything for granted.  Expect that for every point they lose, they will have learned from it. Their road to the finals will not be easy, though if accomplished, would serve to validate their smart, yet unconventional approach.

 

Upset Alert

To say that Slow White winning over The Ghosts is an upset isn’t quite bold enough, as the teams have split wins over three games this year and are the four and five seeds. Odyssée is a sleeping giant, and everyone in Pool A should be a little wary. Their recent results have some people scratching their heads, but don’t be terribly surprised if they rise to the second spot in their pool, behind either AMP or Drag‘n Thrust. Word on the street is they have been a bit distracted with things at home and short numbered at Regionals. But of course, at Nationals, no one is missing out. 

Seven to Watch

• Mat Packard (The Ghosts) – Packard played with Quiet Coyote in 2009 and has rejoined many of his teammates who are now with The Ghosts. He’s a hard-working player who steps up to any role he’s given and whose boundless energy makes him a nightmare to match up against.

• Diana Cornell (AMP) – Most people will first notice her height at 5’11", but it’s her incredible field sense and ability to make game-changing adjustments on defense that make her a stand out. 

• Barrett Davis (Chad Larson Experience) – A former Prairie Fire and Doublewide player who also played on the Van Buren Boys with the Ames crew during CLX’s hiatus, Davis is a savvy and explosive veteran who fits in with the CLX system and will be key to their success.  

• Stephanie Redfern (Cosa Nostra) – A long-time elite player in the Austin scene, she’s an underrated receiver who often attracts favorable match ups.

• Aaron Schwartz (Steamboat) – This late-season sign on interrupted a summer of tracking grizzly bears in Alaska to play with Steamboat, and get this: it’s his rookie year in the club division. His strong defense and crazy vertical undoubtedly helped Steamboat secure their first-ever bid to Nationals.

• Marika Austin (The Ghosts) – She is a tireless defender who matches up on the other teams’ best woman every game. Expect big blocks and explosive cutting after the turn. 

• Allan Laviolette (The D’oh! Abides) – A young player who has played for Voodoo and Western Washington University, he’s worked hard to expand both his throwing and cutting skills, helping make The D’oh! Abides a much more competitive team. 

Games to Watch

Round 1 – Thursday: 

The D’oh! Abides vs. Ambiguous Grey  Ambiguous Grey will be hungry for the win here as they’ve lost to The D’oh! Abides twice on universe point.

Round 2 – Thursday: 

Mischief vs. Wild Card  Mischief is favored over Wild Card, but this could certainly be Mischief’s greatest challenge of the day.   *Note: During this round, Ultiworld will be broadcasting the game between The D’oh! Abides and Cahoots. The game starts at 11:15am CT.

Round 3 – Thursday: 

Slow White vs. Cosa Nostra Cosa will be looking to avenge a universe-point loss against Slow White. If Cosa pulls off the win, they will be in a much better position for a repeat of their epic run last year.

Round 4 – Thursday: 

The Ghosts vs. Slow White The Boston showdown.  So far, Slow White leads this year’s series 2-1. If each team arrives at this game with a 2-0 record, this match up will determine who gets the easier route to the quarterfinals.

 

 

Inside Look

• The United States has three bids to the 2014 World Ultimate Club Championships in Italy. The top three finishers at this weekend’s National Championships will qualify for Worlds. 

• This is Chad Larson Experience’s 10-year anniversary. When they disbanded, the core of CLX stayed together as Alpha Cobra Squadron (2008) and The Van Buren Boys (2007). Current CLX members Joe Nickels, Andrew Wimer and Barrett Davis also played with The Van Buren Boys.

• Odyssée managed to claim their Nationals bid without playing any of the other four qualifiers from their region at the Northeast Regional Championships. 

 

---

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.