2013 National Championships Preview - Women's Division
Brady Winsten
Posted: October 16, 2013 09:07 AM
Pool A
Fury is the undisputed top seed coming into the National Championships. They are 3-2 and 2-0 against Riot and Scandal, respectively, and have handily beaten the other teams in their pool at every meeting. Toronto Capitals will feel comfortable starting with a face-off against Bent, who they beat twice at Northeast Regionals. Ozone had a strong the season but fell twice to Phoenix at Southeast Regionals, giving them the overall 12 seed. It’s possible that they regain their momentum and pull off an upset, especially given the Capitals’ uneven performance this year. Bent is a team to watch and a tough four seed to have in your pool.
Game to watch: Ozone-Bent. Bent will be excited for the match up, having lost the last meeting by a single point at Chesapeake Invite.
Pool B
Riot is the powerhouse of this pool and should go 3-0 on Thursday. While they’ve dropped games to Fury, Scandal, Showdown and Traffic this season, they are a team that knows how to win when it counts. Heist has a talented roster and a determination to showcase elite women’s ultimate from the Midwest. They’re largely untried against the top tier of women’s teams, but it’s a safe bet that they’ll be an explosive team and make a splash in bracket play. Phoenix has spent the year rebuilding but gained momentum with two big wins against Ozone at Southeast Regionals and is looking to close out the season strong. Nightlock hasn’t seen much elite-level competition, but you can expect tough, talented play from this second-year team. They also have a win over Phoenix from Colorado Cup to give them hope for an upset.
Game to watch: Heist-Phoenix. A close game against Heist at Colorado Cup and momentum from Regionals will give Phoenix the tools to make this game interesting.
Pool C
Scandal is one of the most exciting teams of the last few club seasons. Their rise through the ranks landed them the overall three seed this weekend and the potential to give Riot and Fury a serious run for their money. Their talent and explosive style of play is compounded by the experience of two members of the U.S. National Team and a captain of Team Canada. Brute Squad has a deep and talented roster and gave Scandal two close games at Virginia Fusion shortly before the Series began. They’ll come into Thursday’s game hungry for a rematch. A fair amount of turnover has provided a mixed season for Molly Brown. Their two losses to Showdown at South Central Regionals dropped them in the overall rankings, while they had a couple big wins from the Pro Flight Finale to raise their confidence. Schwa is a refreshed team, competing in their second Championship in recent years and has the potential to cause chaos in their pool. Early-season wins against Phoenix and Nightlock show that they’re a more experienced team than last year and have the mindset to win big.
Game to watch: Molly Brown-Schwa. When two young teams go head to head, often the one with the most mental focus will come out on top.
Pool D
Nemesis comes into the National Championships with a strong record and only two losses: one to Scandal and one to Fury, both at the Pro Flight Finale. However, they have a hard road to maintaining their one seed in the wraparound pool. Traffic went 1-1 against Riot at Northwest Regionals and used their 5-1 record from the Pro-Elite Challenge at Terminus to clinch the overall five seed. Showdown played extremely close games (losing by only one or two points) against Scandal, Capitals and in-pool competitors Nemesis at the Pro Flight Finale. They’re also coming off a pristine performance at South Central Regionals and are looking to capitalize on that momentum. Nova hasn’t had much success against the field but does have experienced Team Canada players and had the Canadian Series to work out some kinks.
Game to watch: Traffic-Showdown. Showdown is going to cause an upset in Frisco, it’s just a question of when.
Highlight-Reel Players:
- Calise Cardenas (Riot)
- Opi Payne (Scandal)
- Sarah Levinn (Showdown)
Movers and Shakers:
- Former Phoenix players Kelly Tidwell and Leila Tunnel will make big plays for their new team, Brute Squad.
- Former Capitals player and this year’s Team Canada captain Anne Mercier will do the same for her new team Scandal.
Young Guns:
- Molly Brown’s Nhi Nguyen (18) and Kaci Cessna (18) bring YCC and WJUC experience
- Nova’s Marie Genest (18) played with Canada’s U-23 Mixed National Team
- You’ll notice Scandal’s Alika Johnston (19) on the field and the stats leader board.
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