2016 U.S. Open - Men's Day Two Recap
Morgan Wilbur
Posted: July 3, 2016 01:00 AM
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The fifth-annual U.S. Open Championships is underway in Kingston, R.I.
Thirty-four teams across the men's, mixed and women's divisions are competing to take home the first leg of the 2016 Triple Crown Tour.
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Day two of the 2016 U.S. Open subjected teams to the mercilessly fickle winds notorious to URI’s tournament grounds. All day long, international athletes were to be found chasing after unreachable discs riding the edges of sudden gusts of air. The brutal conditions battered players’ morale and wore them down to a steeper fatigue than they’d shown yesterday, and yet, the second day of pool play yielded further victories to allow the leading teams to pull boldly ahead.
Pool A
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Revolver
(1)
4-1 |
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Ironside
(3)
5-0 |
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Patrol
(6)
3-2 |
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Guerrilla
(7)
1-4 |
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Turbine
(10)
2-3 |
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Urutau
(12)
0-5 |
Teams in Pool A had the early bye today, so Revolver took on Guerrilla in round two. After an evenly paced first half, Revolver prevailed 13-8. In the afternoon, Revolver handled well in the increasing winds, carrying them to a safe 15-4 triumph over Urutau. Revolver has bagged themselves a semifinal spot against Sockeye tomorrow at 12:30 p.m.; with a 4-1 record, their sole loss came at the hands of the pool’s only undefeated team, Ironside.
This morning, Ironside set out on a path to dominate every challenger. The Boston team ruthlessly steamrolled Urutau with a smothering defense that granted a 15-1 win. In their next game, Ironside held Patrol at bay, though with more weariness than was apparent yesterday. The wind had taken a toll on players from both sides and taught them to be hesitant, but still, Ironside persisted to a 15-11 win. Tomorrow at 6:00 pm Ironside will take on against Chicago Machine.
Patrol’s first matchup with Turbine was a dramatic back and forth bout until the game ended. Unlike the other men’s division games, the Patrol v. Turbine field was oriented to allow for a clear downwind advantage in one direction. Naturally, every point concluded in or contained at least one deep look, and players battled in the air for floating hucks all game long until Patrol clinched the 14-12 win. Patrol went on to lose to Ironside, but their 3-2 overall record gives them a chance for fifth place as they take on Madison Club tomorrow morning.
During day two, Guerrilla sustained two difficult losses. Though Revolver bested them 13-8, Guerrilla ought to be commended for their fortitude. The Revolver zone bore down on them in a tide of black uniforms, but Guerrilla’s offense used a tranquil set of precise in-cuts to break through the cup several times. Game two versus Turbine was a series of floaty contests until players transitioned to shorter passes. The 12-14 loss was bitter and will leave Guerrilla in the ninth-place bracket facing General Strike tomorrow.
Turbine struggled along with the rest to establish dominance in the wind. The tall roster performed well by attacking aggressively in the air. They broke a few times early in game one, but Patrol outplayed them in the second half and won 14-12. Turbine flipped the tables on Guerrilla later, conquering out of reach discs for their own 14-12 success. Turbine faces Florida United tomorrow in the fifth-place bracket.
Urutau lost both games today as well. The Colombian athletes approached their Ironside opponents with the bravest faces they could manage, but Boston’s enthusiasm couldn’t be checked. Urutau avoids the bagel by a single point, 15-1. Unfortunately, their second match up was against the other top team in Pool A, Revolver. Again Urutau stalked onto the field with determined purpose, and this time they scraped a 15-4 loss. Tomorrow, Urutau is pitted against Ki.e in the ninth-place bracket.
Pool B
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Sockeye
(2)
4-1 |
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Machine
(4)
4-1 |
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Madison Club
(5)
3-2 |
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Florida United
(8)
3-2 |
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Ki.e
(9)
1-4 |
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General Strike
(11)
0-5 |
Sockeye leads Pool B with a 4-1 record. After three wins today, the Seattle team will enter the championship bracket with the other three top pool finishers. Sockeye patiently worked through game one, beating Machine 15-10. Building momentum, they broke Florida United several times before and after half to seize it at 15-8. The strongest exhibition of wind mastery came in game three’s 15-6 victory against General Strike. Here as in other games, both teams’ increased number of throwaways was proof of endurance levels lagging.
Chicago Machine played exceptionally well considering the tough conditions. Though they lost to Sockeye, Machine’s self-control far exceeded all others’. Easy over-the-top throws and calm swings around and through a zone defense allowed them to handily vanquish both General Strike (15-7) and Madison Club (14-8). With a 4-1 record, Machine’s opponent will be Ironside tomorrow in the championship bracket.
Madison Club added a win to their total, though they lost both other games today. In the morning, they suffered a loss at the hands of Florida United, then earned redemption with a 13-7 comeback against Ki.e in a tense game of several turnovers generated by both sides. Madison’s final match wounded prides up and down the field. A dropped pull led to a quick break, followed by a few more rapid breaks. Madison succumbed to Machine, 14-8, and now goes on to face Patrol in the fifth-place bracket tomorrow afternoon.
Although Florida United lost to Sockeye 15-8 in the middle of the day, the team began and ended the day with wins. Florida charged out onto the field in the morning to beat Madison Club (who’d beaten top seeded Sockeye just yesterday!) 14-9. Facing Ki.e in the afternoon, Florida battled steep headwinds. One memorable pull reached halfway up the field before it was dragged back down to Florida’s own end zone. Florida wins 13-10. Tomorrow’s game is versus Turbine in the fifth-place bracket.
Ki.e stood out in a musical way today. The sideline during round two versus Madison Club let out a chorus of whistles in rhythmic unison when a teammate scored, as well as during a timeout huddle. Ki.e’s defense was fierce, but Madison claimed it at 13-7. Ki.e went on to lose to Florida United as well; but in round one Ki.e met with their first success, 15-12 over General Strike. Ki.e versus Urutau, 9th place bracket in the morning.
General Strike finishes our day two recap. The Canadian team lost to Ki.e in round one, though they put up a fight with 15-12. Machine had just hit their stride in round two, firing hucks into the wind to escape Strike’s zone pressure. The wind ferocity only intensified in the final round when Strike faced Sockeye. Both teams were struggling in the wind, and the discs were thrown away far more frequently. Seattle prevailed 15-6, and Strike moves on to face Guerrilla in the ninth-place bracket.
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