2013 U.S. Open Saturday Recap - Women's Division
Erin Wiltgen
Posted: July 7, 2013 07:45 AM
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Women's Division:
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Riot v. Scandal
Though most of the play on Saturday held to seed, Scandal pulled out the big upset of the day in the women’s semifinals.
Facing off against second-seeded Riot, who had trounced the D.C. team 15-8 the day before, Scandal came out with something to prove. Riot came up with the first point, but Scandal got a break to go up 2-1. After trading points, Scandal took advantage of another Riot turn to snag a break and make the count 5-3. Both teams put pressure on the opposing sides, setting good marks and playing tight on the cutters, generating turns more from having bodies in the area than actual Ds. Riot’s downfield athletes seemed more stagnant in the spread than they had in the previous match, not getting enough separation on their cuts. Scandal’s offense moved the disc with handler movement and break throws, finding the end zone on three successive break points, after several turns on both sides, to take half 8-4.
After scoring the first point out of the break, Riot threw a trapping cup zone, transitioning to man after a few passes. Though Elle Burstein of Seattle managed a run-through D, five turnovers later, Scandal secured the score to make the count 9-5. Riot continued to look deep, making throws to covered players and forcing receivers to make tough catches. The D.C. team found an open man on quick transition offense for the 10-5 break.
Scandal threw their own zone, a three-person cup, a few points later, trapping to the flick side. Riot’s Gwen Ambler threw an outside in backhand huck through the trap to a wide-open cutter in the end zone to regain a break and make the score 11-7.
With the soft cap making it a game to 13, Riot kicked it into a higher gear. Seattle’s Sarah Griffith and Katy Craley each got a run-through D, but Riot threw the disc away both times, and Scandal used patient offense to march the disc into the end zone for another break.
Riot marched the disc down the field on Scandal’s game point, but a throw to the cone sailed just out of bounds. Scandal’s cutters found openings in the middle of the field before Octavia Payne put up a floaty huck to the end zone. The disc sailed over the heads of two offensive and two defensive players, but Scandal’s Sarah Itoh came out of nowhere to snag the disc for the win 13-7.
Fury v. Showdown
In the second semifinal, Fury started off strong, earning a break off of a run-through D by Alden Fletcher. Showdown came out on the next pull with their side stack transitioning into a spread, finding Katey Forth in the end zone for the equalizer. Fury followed with a quick huck to go up 2-1 then capitalized on a Showdown turn near the end zone for an easy break. Both teams used handler movement to move through the poachy defense, looking for a deep shot out of the power position. After several turns, Showdown threw the disc away on the goal line once again, giving the San Francisco team another easy chance to go up 4-1. The teams traded for a while with Fury gaining another break, ultimately taking half 8-4. Both teams began throwing a more zoney defense late in the half, generating turns and forcing mistakes, but Fury seemed more efficient in the red zone, coming up with the scores.
In the second half, Fury earned a few more breaks, jumping ahead to 12-5. Fury athletes used their adept skill at breaking the mark, throwing to space and letting their speedy cutters catch up to the disc. The teams traded the rest of the game with Showdown unable to generate and convert on turns, and Fury wrapped up the match 15-8.
Photos by UltiPhotos.com (Extended highlights: Pool Play / Semis)
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