2013 U.S. Open Thursday Recap - Women's Division
Erin Wiltgen
Posted: July 4, 2013 11:57 PM
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Women's Division:
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Round One
One-seeded Fury took on eighth-ranked Nova, and the powerhouse from San Francisco was in for a bit of a surprise. Nova, a debut team from Montreal, took a quick 3-0 lead, using handler movement and patience behind the disc to move things up field. Fury quickly got back in the game, however, favoring tough defense and a fast-break offense to tie the game and then take the lead 5-4. In the second half, the California squad took over, relying on the plays of experience and strong chemistry to win 15-8.
On the next field over, Phoenix and Showdown sparred in a match up of the fifth and sixth seeds. The hometown, Raleigh-based squad got off to a rocky start, managing to stay in the game after Showdown’s 5-2 jump and sit behind by just two at half. Phoenix’s flat wall zone gave the Texans a bit of trouble, forcing them to make several passes and occasionally generating turns, but for the most part, Showdown maintained a smooth offensive rhythm. They capitalized on Phoenix’s errors in the second half and sailed to a 15-8 victory.
Second-seeded Riot of Seattle battled Colombia’s Revolution. Though the young Colombian squad used good movement and quick cuts to generate flow, the green athletes succumbed to several unforced errors. Riot, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, creating more separation on offense and taking half 8-3. The Washington team only allowed one score in the second half and put the game away 15-4.
Japan’s MUD justified its third seed in their opening match against Scandal, jumping from a close 5-4 game to an 8-4 half. Though Scandal started with clean offense, MUD improved disc movement as the game went on, using quick passes to advance both side to side and up the field. The squads essentially traded points until 11-9, when MUD strung a few scores together to put the count at 14-10. Though the last point saw several Ds by both sides, MUD finally forced a goal-line turn for the easy 15-10 win.
Round Two
In round two, the teams all held seed, as well. Scandal took on Fury, keeping the match to a close 8-5 score at half. The San Francisco team really stepped things up from the first round, forcing turns and again using quick, fast-break offense to keep things moving. Scandal increased the defensive pressure in the second half, getting good separation on offense, but Fury proved too strong and came away with the 15-11 win.
Showdown used momentum from the first round to launch to a 3-0 start over Nova, trading points until 6-4. Then the Texas athletes really hit their stride, going on a four-point run. Showdown fell into a loose, flat zone formation that challenged Nova’s handlers in the slight win. The Canadians tried their hand at a zone, but Showdown shredded it, finding a player deep and advancing the lead to 12-5. Though Nova did stage something of a comeback, the lead was too great to overcome, and Showdown held on for a 15-10 victory.
Riot continued to steamroll the competition, coming out strong against Phoenix and taking half 8-1. The Raleigh team faired better in the second half, creating turns and getting Ds, but Phoenix couldn’t make anything of the opportunities, and Riot walked away with a 15-4 win.
The MUD players also continued on their streak from the previous round, using measured, patient play against Revolution. Though the two teams remained neck and neck for a while, the Tokyo contingent went on a five-point run to make the score 9-3, then another run to give themselves game point at 14-4. MUD relied on short, concise throws, and each player on the field seemed confident behind the disc. They closed out the game 15-5.
Round Three
In the third round, Phoenix pulled out the only upset of the day, finally finding a rhythm after the first two games. After handling teams in the previous two rounds, playing even-keep ultimate with consistent and efficient offense and relentless defense, MUD athletes met their match in the Raleigh squad. MUD scored quickly off the first pull, but Phoenix immediately answered, using great flow to swing the disc across the field with the handlers and find the open cutters up field. The teams traded points, each gaining a break here or there but losing it almost immediately to the other. MUD exercised an efficient offense, using short quick passes among handlers and waiting to find a wide-open cutter down field. MUD threw a zone after going up 4-3, but the Raleigh handlers found holes in the offside deeps for easy gains and ultimately the end zone. On the other side of the disc, Phoenix’s flat zone gave MUD a little bit of trouble, throwing the athletes out of their rhythm from earlier in the day. The teams remained neck and neck until 16-16, when a winner-takes-all universe point decided the outcome of the game. Phoenix won the point and the match 17-16.
Revolution showed some fire in the last game of the day against Showdown, almost coming away with an upset of their own. The two squads stayed even until 11s. Revolution worked it on the open side of the field, jamming it up the line and relying on speed and athleticism to blow by the Showdown defenders. Showdown capitalized on their opponents’ youth, playing strong handler D and locking it up in the last few points to take the game home 15-11 and remain undefeated.
The Fury and Riot matchup proved thrilling as promised, with Fury stringing together four points and three breaks to take an early 7-3 lead. Riot scored a quick goal and set up a zone-to-man transition to try and generate a turn and close the gap before half; though they got the D, the Seattle-based team couldn’t put it in the end zone, and Fury left for the half up 8-4. Riot scored the first point out of the break, and the teams traded points until 9-6. They remained fairly even, with Fury snagging a few breaks to launch ahead 14-9. With the game on the line, Riot made a defensive push, increasing the pressure and stringing together three scores to stave off the loss. Fury called a timeout to regroup, however, and the O-line marched the disc down the field to secure the 15-12 win and go 3-0 on the day.
Scandal rounded out play with a dominant performance against Nova, taking half 8-1. Nova bounced back to claim the first few points after the break with good defense, disc efficiency and taking advantage of Scandal’s turnovers. But the D.C. team pulled things together and took the game home 15-5.
What to Watch For
Coming tomorrow, the two undefeated squads, Fury and Showdown, will start the day in the first round. Riot takes on Tokyo’s MUD, pitting the speedy and athletic Seattle team against the calm and efficient Japanese one. Fury battles MUD in the second round, another fast-break offense testing the measured pace of the Tokyo athletes. Scandal and Showdown will face off in the second round after tying for third at the Club Championships last year.
Video clips by ESPN
2013 U.S. Open Ultimate Championships Welcome Ceremony:
Day 1 video recap:
Photos by UltiPhotos.com (extended highlights gallery)
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