2016 National Championships - Mixed Day Two Recap
Amy Broome
Posted: September 30, 2016 11:55 PM
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Pre-Quarterfinals
AMP v. shame.
shame. started out flat, but put up some serious fight. They led at 4-3 and 6-5, and were knocking on AMP’s door up until 11-10 (game to 13). AMP poured on the defensive pressure all game, and shame. had a few misthrows deep. While both teams showed some struggles moving into the wind, AMP’s small-ball game paid off. 13-10 AMP, moving them onto the quarterfinals.
Mixtape v. Ambiguous Grey
Mixtape and AG traded points in chunks of two or three up until 10-10. Mixtape came out hard with a 2-0 lead but AG came back with some awesome defensive work in a lady-poach zone. Mixtape switched things up with some four-lady points, but Drew Johnson and Claire Revere dominated no matter what line they were on. Revere’s high-stall huck to Cam Bailey was what all bailouts hope to be – Mixtape pulled ahead at 11-10. AG knocked back to put the score at 13-12 (Mixtape), but with some solid play and a well-timed timeout, Mixtape advanced to the quarters. Final score: 15-12.
Steamboat v. Public Enemy
Steamboat was firing on all cylinders in their pre-quarters match with Public Enemy, putting up a fortress of a zone D that kept pressure high all game. Public Enemy came down with some great deep looks to stay in the game, but got knocked out of championship play 8-15. The boat goes full steam ahead to quarters!
NOISE v. No Touching!
No Touching! put up some silky hucks (particularly from the hands of Paul Norgaard and Graham Brayshaw) all game long that earned them an 8-7 halftime over NOISE. NOISE ratcheted up their defense in the second half to take the lead at 9-8 and never looked back. 15-12, NOISE advanced to the quarterfinal.
Quarterfinals
AMP v. Slow White
What wind? Slow White asserted their dominance from point one and did not relent. Miles Montgomery-Butler got a hand block and fired a wind-defying huck to Alex Trahey to make the score 5-1. AMP’s timeout to regroup didn’t break up Slow’s flow, and they went into half with an 8-2 lead. AMP picked up the defensive pressure during the second half but was unable to keep Slow from moving fast and winning more than their fair share of 50-50 discs. AMP looked a bit flustered in the wind, whereas Slow seemed to be enjoying a light breeze. 15-7, Slow and steady into the semis.
Mixtape v. Drag’n Thrust
Drag’n may be named for their ability to ride the winds into victory. They came out unfazed by the gusty cold weather and, despite a few long points, took half at a breezy 8-2, showcasing some stellar high-release flicks along the way. Mixtape looks to Khalif El-Salaam to heat things up, so he threw a goal to Drew Johnson for 3-9, then ripped down a high ball for 4-9, and dished to Claire Revere for 6-12. Drag’n Thrust sunk in their claws to take the game at 13-6, flying into the semifinals at full force.
Steamboat v. Mischief
By far the tightest and perhaps tensest game of the day, Steamboat and Mischief had a battle of a quarters game. High winds, high defensive pressure and high emotions made for a thrilling game for spectators. Steamboat’s early lead kept momentum rolling to an 8-7 half, with Mischief in full pursuit just or to two points behind throughout the first half. The soft cap blew with the score tied at 9-9, and Mischief made their move with a downwind break to go up 10-9. Steamboat’s zone faltered, and they struggled with some upwind hucks, giving Mischief the disc and an 11-9 win.
Metro North v. NOISE
Metro North spread the wealth throughout its ranks, showing off a roster full of talent. Despite a few very long and windy points, Metro North clinched the first half at 8-2, with the help of an intimidating 1-3-3 zone (that 6’5" mark, though!). NOISE put up some scrappy points but couldn’t derail Metro North, who took the game 15-7.
Fifth-Place Bracket
AMP v. NOISE
NOISE brought the volume in the first half, staying a step ahead of AMP at every turn and taking half at 8-7. After a subdued first half, AMP turned it up for the second half going 11-9 over NOISE in a game to 13. NOISE figured out AMP’s zone a bit late, but narrowed the gap to 10-11 before AMP closed out the game at 13-10. AMP was loudest and advanced to play for fifth place.
Steamboat v. Mixtape
Steamboat clearly came out of their quarterfinal against Mischief still steaming, fought their way to a comfortable lead over Mixtape and never gave it up. Mixtape put up some good-looking points, but didn’t have the energy to dig out of the hole Steamboat made for them. 14-8 and Steamboat advances to the fifth-place game.
Pro-Flight Play-In/Seventh-Place Bracket
Shame. v. Blackbird
After a hard loss to AMP to start the day, shame. couldn’t quite get back into their groove. Blackbird extended their wings and their season with a 15-9 win to stay in the seventh-place bracket.
Alloy v. No Touching!
Alloy and No Touching faced off in a tight game that neither team controlled until the very end. They traded points until No Touching! finally won 16-15 after a long battle. No Touching! advanced to play Blackbird in the seventh-place bracket.
Blackbird v. No Touching!
Blackbird was ready to get out of the cold and wind and wasted no time showing No Touching! that they meant business. They looked solid upwind and took the game 15-6 to stay in the bracket. They face NOISE tomorrow for a spot in the Pro Flight.
Public Enemy v. Love Tractor
Public Enemy played true to form with a lot of big looks deep – in both directions. Love Tractor took a deceptively comfortable lead at 7-3, but Public Enemy reminded them why they are on the wanted list and stole halftime with a break at 8-7. Love Tractor couldn’t turn it around and trailed until Public Enemy took the game at 11-10.
G-Unit v. Ambiguous Grey
AG showed G-Unit they weren’t ready to be knocked out of consideration for the Pro Flight by grabbing half at 8-3 and running away with it to a final score of 15-6.
Ambiguous Grey v. Public Enemy
Both teams fought hard in the cold, but AG maintained control even when Public Enemy came knocking with ties at 8s, 9s, and 10s. AG ground to a 13-11 win and will meet Mixtape (again) tomorrow for a spot in the Pro Flight.
13th-Place Bracket
Alloy v. shame.
shame. was unable to reverse momentum from the morning, and Alloy triumphed 15-10 to stay in the bracket for 13th place.
Love Tractor v. G-Unit
Love Tractor had their engines revved after a tight game with Public Enemy earlier in the day and came out strong against G-Unit, eventually winning out at 15-8. Love Tractor faces Alloy tomorrow for 13th place.
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