May 1, 2013 by Charlie Eisenhood in Analysis, Other, Rankings with 0 comments
As Major League Ultimate teams have begun to separate themselves in the wins/losses column, we’re getting set for some big games between the league leaders. The teams topping out the Ultiworld Power Rankings — San Francisco and Seattle — match up this weekend in the Bay Area for a chance to get to 3-0 on the season and take sole control of first place in the Western Conference.
In the East, the Spinners host the Current in a grudge match at the Philadelphia home opener — should be a battle. DC is desperate for a win, sitting at 0-2.
Here are this week’s MLU Power Rankings. See below for discussion.
1. San Francisco Dogfish (2-0) — The Dogfish got a gutsy 18-17 road win in Vancouver (at their home opener) with a late 4th quarter score from Ashlin Joye to Nic Schlag. But they face their toughest test of the young season next weekend at home against the Rainmakers.
2. Seattle Rainmakers (2-0) — The Rainmakers have two strong wins to start the season, but both at home. They also let Vancouver back into the game in the 4th quarter in Week 1. How will they respond on their first road trip?
3. Boston Whitecaps (2-0) — Boston hasn’t been getting the wide margins of victory we thought we’d see, but they’ve shown resilience, especially in this week’s thriller road win over the Current. Wins are wins!
4. Philadelphia Spinners (2-0) — Philadelphia moves up this week with their second straight road win, this time with a late closeout over a tough New York Rumble team. Their experience has really shown through in the early goings, and they will give Boston a run for their money.
5. Vancouver Nighthawks (1-2) — Easily the best sub .500 team in the league, Vancouver battled hard against the league’s top team this week and nearly beat them. They’ve got work to do to make the playoffs, but they are dangerous, especially at home in front of their raucous fans.
6. New York Rumble (0-2) — Two straight nailbiter losses for the Rumble almost makes the 0-2 record worse. They’ve had opportunities to win games late; this week, they turfed the disc with a chance to tie in the waning second of the 4th quarter. Not the way you want to lose.
7. DC Current (0-2) — The Current, like the Rumble, have been right there with the Eastern Conference’s top teams. But they’ve had two home games and two losses. You’ve got to protect the home turf to be a playoff contender. They’ll get a shot at getting the season back on track with a rivalry game this week in Philly.
8. Portland Stags (0-3) — The Stags have been the only team in the league to be consistently blown out. Some of that is due to their roster, which is missing some key players right now, but they just don’t stack up well with the Western Conference powerhouses.
