USA Ultimate

Fury, Capitals punch tickets to the women's final in Sarasota

2010 USA Ultimate Club Championships

Day 3 Recap

Women’s Division

 

 

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS – WOMEN’S QUARTERFINALS

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS – WOMEN’S SEMIFINALS

 

In celebration of the Capitals semifinals upset over Riot, it’s time for some Canada trivia.

Did you know that…

…Canada holds Canadian Ultimate Championship (CUC) every August?

…the Capitals are a fusion of a Toronto club team (Lotus) and an Ottawa club team (Stella) and that the team was formed for the sole purpose of competing in Sarasota?

…Lotus and Stella faced off in this year’s CUC final and Lotus won 15-14?

…many of the Capitals players competed together on Lotus at the WUCC in Prague?

…the Capitals do not practice as a complete team until after the CUC in September?

…Alyson Walker, Danielle Fortin, Kaitlyn Lovatt and Kristin Laurin are captains for both Lotus and the Capitals?  

… there are seven Canadian teams represented at USA Club Nationals? Bonus points if you can name all seven.*

… Ottawa is the national capital of Canada and Toronto is the capital of one of its 10 provinces, Ontario?**

…Canada got its name from the Iroquois word, “Kanata” meaning “village?”

It took a province to get Canada to finals in Sarasota and the Caps are ready to proudly raise the Maple Leaf on Sunday in the finals against Fury. The five-year old Caps have gotten better even year since it came to Florida as the 16^th seed in 2005. Last year, the Caps were knocked out of the semifinals by Brute Squad on universe point. This year, they came in as the fourth seed and drew a highly competitive pool. On day one, the Caps fought for a 16-14 victory over Scandal. Between Friday and Saturday, they had four 15-10 victories. Meanwhile, Riot opponents did not break 10 goals the one seed – until the semifinals.

While the 15-9 score does not reflect it, Riot did have a challenge against another team of scrappers in the quarterfinals – perhaps rattling the Northwest institution. The underdogs from pre-quarters, Nemesis, played a mighty first half against Riot. Both teams racked up several turns but Nemesis showed resolve by hanging with Riot through 9-7. Soon after half, Riot ran away with it after a crucial upwind break. Coach Pfil Broering was concerned that his young team was talked about of calls and the lack of observers had an impact on the game.

“It was a tough game but I’m so proud of this team. We are only going to get better from this,” Broering said.

In quarterfinals, the Capitals faced compatriots from the West Coast, Traffic. Unlike Lotus and Stella (see “Did you know?” section), Traffic does not compete in Canadian Club Championships unless it’s a Worlds qualifying year. This was their first match-up since 2007 finals at CUC.

The Caps went up early against the Vancouver team and took half at 8-3. Traffic relied on outside-in hucks and blades that did not get around the Caps overpowering zone.

“We used the entire team,” said Capitals captain Danielle Fortin. “Plus, we know [Traffic] pretty well and we were ready for them.” Efforts from key Traffic players Kira Frew and Candice Chan were thwarted by the Caps efficient offense and hard defense. Traffic could not come back from the half-time deficit and the Caps finished the game 15-7.

When asked about her team’s approach to the semifinals, Fortin said, “We just have to stay focused. There will be turns. [The team] who converts on O will win.”

Fortin’s prediction came true – in the very first point of the game. The Caps pulled to Riot to start the semifinals. Riot quickly threw an outside-in forehand huck that missed its mark. The Caps worked it against Riot’s zone which soon transitioned to person defense. The Caps saw the opening, hucked to Sonia Komenda and Fortin eventually scored the Caps’ 1-0 break. Riot got breaks of their own in the first half – both against marks and in terms of serves. Riot’s Wynne Scherf and Sarah Griffith broke Caps’ marks to bring Riot ahead 3-1. The Caps called a timeout to regroup. The next point featured several ill-advised throws included turns in the endzone, off-target hucks and a hammer. The Caps worked finally worked it against Riots’ 1-3-3 zone defense until Riot transitioned to person close to the red zone. Both offense and defense laid out for a layout battle in the endzone and Caps’ captain Kate Werry came away the victor, inching the Caps closer at 3-2.  Riot did not waste time on the next point with a quick huck to Griffith in the endzone making it 4-2.

The breeze starting picking up and both teams began turning it a bit more. The Caps put in the next goal to keep get back on serve. With a slight crosswind wind, the Canadians threw a three-person cup against Riot. Turns went both ways until Anne Mercier threw a beautiful hammer to Komenda to break it and tie it at 4-4. The Caps get another break at 6-5 then Riot called a time out. In the next point, Riot captain Gwen Ambler worked it against the Caps’ four-person cup and threw a spot-on outside-in flick to Kate Kingery to tie it 6-6.

After a couple turns, Caps’ Mercier threw a giant, perfect outside-in forehand huck to a streaking Alyson Walker who tossed to Kaitlyn Lovatt to Martha Paterson for the goal to make it 7-6 Capitals. Riot answered with a Miranda Roth short huck to Griffith in the endzone, 7-7.

Riot came down with its 1-3-3 zone but Caps moved it around with surgical precision before Riot switched to forcing person forehand. The Caps moved up the open side from Mercier to Paterson for half, 8-7.

Riot broke the Caps twice to kick off the second half – putting the game at 9-9. The teams trade big hucks, break marks and zones until the score was tied 13-13. Riot pulled to the Caps and threw a junky defense that the Caps dismantled with chilly handler movement. Lovatt saved the Caps offense with a quick lay-out grab from a short laser flick. The Caps dumped and swung into the endzone in a first possession run putting them ahead 14-13. After an offsides call on Riot, the Caps Mercier repulled into the Riot endzone. The Caps threw a four-person zone that eventually generated a Riot forehand turf. The Caps worked it for a few throws before Fortin called a timeout 15 yards outside their endzone. The Caps isolated Walker in the endzone. Walker popped out to get the lateral throw and she swung it to Mercier who barely missed a glory lay-out in the endzone. The throw came back after a foul was called on the mark. Walker resets, threw it to Mercier who punched it in to Laurel Berkowitz. Caps win, 15-13.

“Every player on this team worked hard,” Mercier said, “On paper, maybe we don’t match up with Riot but we work hard, started strong and kept it strong.”

The Capitals will face off against Fury in Finals, a rematch from a blowout in pool play where Fury won 15-7. Fury faced Phoenix in quarterfinals for the second time this week and allowed one less goal than their first match-up. Quarterfinals parodied the teams’ day one match-up. Phoenix stayed close thanks to big play from captain Lindsey Hack and young guns Kelly Tidwell and Tania Reitz. Fury took half 8-7.

“We were on serve at half then our youth showed its big smiling face,” said Phoenix coach Tully Beatty. “We had the disc in the red zone to tie and youthful decision making lead to a turn. Fury took it and click, click, click, boom, they had 9-7. That was the upwind break that won the game.”

Phoenix scored only two more in the game and Fury moved on to face Brute Squad in the quarterfinals.  Brute Squad stepped into quarters off a battle with Scandal. Last year’s finalists won 15-13 in a game that saw its share of turns, calls and observer contact. Scandal tried to huck around Brute Squad’s zone and was moderately successful . Scandal’s young team failed to use the whole field and instead tried to jam the disc up the open side. Meanwhile, Brute Squad handlers Chrissy Dobson and Dominique Fontenette connected with receivers such as Blake Spitz for important downwind goals. Brute’s big defensive plays came from veterans VY Chow and Maureen McCamley. Scandal had its share of deep looks from Charlie Mercer to the sticky hands and mad hops of Taryn Price and Octavia Payne.

This quarterfinal was close throughout but Brute Squad took half 8-6, a foreshadowing of the final score. Scandal fought back after falling behind 9-6 and brought the score to 9-9 with a HUGE bookend point from Meredith Sheperd who just bounced back from an injury. Brute Squad punched in a crucial goal using the open side of the field to but Brute up 13-12. A epic point of contested plays and turnovers resulted in a Brute Squad upwind score to McCamley. After the soft cap went on, Brute Squad persevered through long points and won 15-13.

Fury was in control of the Brute semifinal game from start to finish. Fury scored on serve at 1-0, got the first break at 2-0, was tied at 2-2, then they never looked back. Brute Squad made a slight run toward the end but the deficit was too big to overcome. Fury won 15-11.

“The main difference in this game was the first half,” said Fury coach Matty Tseung. “We threw three or four junk d’s that created quick turns. In the second half, we were about even on breaks.”

Tseung noted that the reigning championship experimented with a new zone adapted from a Japanese defense they saw in Prague.

“We originally wanted to use it against Riot but it worked against Brute’s handlers,” Tseung said. The defense is essentially a zone in the back field and a loose wall that puts pressure on handlers.

Fury had its share of turnovers against Brute Squad but the team is not concerned. Fury went down early to both Phoenix and Scandal in other games this weekend but pulled out victories in both games.

“We know how to grind it out. It’s not always pretty but we accept that,” Tseung said.

*Capitals, Traffic, Storm, Furious, Glum, Fig Jam, Snowbirds

** Hence the name, Capitals. Pretty clever, eh?