Revolver battled back from a first half deficit to get past Truck Stop on double game point.
October 3, 2015 by Simon Pollock in News, Recap with 3 comments
Washington D.C. Truck Stop handed San Francisco Revolver by far their biggest physical and mental challenge of the tournament in quarterfinals today, nearly running away with what would have been the second quarterfinals exit for the Bay Area favorites in two year.
But Ashlin Joye and Beau Kittredge had other ideas.
Instead, with wind blowing steadily in his face, Joye stepped to the brick mark on double game point, checked in the disc, and ripped a flick high and far down the center of the field. Beau Kittredge was already streaking down the field, with Truck Stop’s David Cranston hot on his heels. In seconds, Kittredge had position, leapt high and far into the air for a throw meant only for someone with his speed, and closed out the game as his feet landed in the end zone. Revolver 13-12 Truck Stop.
That’s where the ultimate community has expected to see these two familiar faces: Joye stepping into masterful and fearless throws and Kittredge out-running and out-jumping just about everyone. But Kittredge’s heroics don’t tell the full story of this game. His teammates stayed steady, mentally sharp, and positive throughout a game which was defined by and large by a Truck Stop lead. To some, the lead may have seemed insurmountable, but San Francisco continued on unfazed.
D.C. set the tone early with their high-powered offense, a staggering blend of veteran talent that could be one of the best O-line groups in attendance this weekend. Alan Kolick (1G, 4A) and Seth Wiggins were field marshals for the Truck vertical stack, while Peter Prial (4G, 2A), Nicky Spiva, and Jeff Wodatch were huge headaches for Revolver early. When asked about what Revolver might have trouble with before the game, D.C. captain Jonathan Neeley said one word, “Us.”
Receiving with the wind at their back, Truck had no problem slicing through the Revolver man defense, racking up holds. The San Francisco powerhouse followed suit, with neither team truly testing a throw into the wind in the first six points and players all over the field playing physical to both break free and stay tight on marks.
As D.C. sent out their defense with a 4-3 lead, observers issued Revolver a TMF for “too many uncontested fouls.” A bevy of contact calls had already been heard from the sidelines, and the two-person observing crew explained that Revolver’s repeated choice to not contest the fouls amounted to bumping on the mark.
With the point under way, Revolver’s Chris Kosednar threw it away looking for Robbie Cahill and Truck Stop’s Delrico Johnson took a timeout close to the sideline and 25 yards away from paydirt. Johnson pivoted, faked, and then slid a flick down the line and Matthew McDonnell recorded the game’s first break and his only goal. 5-3, Truck Stop.
Kittredge had crossed over to the game on defense the previous point, representing non verbal acknowledgment from Revolver that an adjustment had to be made to slow Truck Stop’s blistering pace. Kittredge settled onto Spiva for much of the game’s remainder, looking to use his size and speed prevent the dangerous D.C. cutter from using his big continuation throws.
D.C. made a similar adjustment, bringing the 6’3” Prial on for defense at with a 7-5 lead in hand and his teammate Markham Shofner set to pull downwind. Prial took on the equally-sized Simon Higgins, who had already tallied two of his quietly impressive four goals in the game.
Working up wind, Kittredge dove to save the possession and collided with D.C.’s Nate Castine on the ground. Castine left the game and would not return, keeping ice on an ankle for the duration. Revolver turfed a reset soon after the injury stoppage, and Prial made his presence felt after the turn, finding his teammate David Cranston (1G, 1A) for the break and taking half 8-5.
Truck Stop pulled up wind to open the second half, with Revolver waiting as patient as ever to receive. The teams lapsed back into a series of holds until 9-7.
Cassidy Rasmussen (1G, 5A) joined Kittredge on defense for San Francisco. Truck came tearing down the field with the wind at their backs, and a throw went zipping into the downwind corner where Kittredge ran it down, but needed an injury sub after the play.
Working steadily against the wind, Rasmussen got a kick out throw to the open side a few moments later and sent a red zone flick cutting at stomach height that bent around a D.C. defender and right into the hands of Eli Kerns for the upwind break that brought San Francisco within one at 9-8.
A pair of holds pushed the game closer to the soft cap, and the break for 10-10 went to Revolver, with recent Ironside-transplant Jamie Quella scoring the goal. At 11-11, the soft cap sounded, sending the game to 13.
One final break came when Greg Cohen sent a huck sailing upwind into the hands Revolver’s defensive captain Lucas Dallmann. The goal gave San Francisco their first lead of the game at 12-11 as they set to pull downwind.
“I just went for it,” Dallman said after the game. “I had Seth [Wiggins] on me I believe, and he’s more comfortable guarding handlers, so I wanted to put him in an uncomfortable position. He’s a great player. I talked to Greg just now and he’s like, ‘Did I throw that to you?’ He doesn’t remember, he’s just on cloud nine. He’s just so intense, and he’s just gonna put it. That’s a big boy throw.”
D.C. mustered one final impressive hold upwind on the back of their O-line, but Joye put the game to rest when he let Kittredge play chase a point later.
It sent D.C. reeling into the Pro Flight bracket, after offering a truly heroic effort against the Division favorites. “We just lost a really important game [that] we were hoping to win,” said Neeley. “It’s a really disappointing feeling.
“I feel proud too, I feel very proud, but right now it’s really disappointing,” Neeley said as his team packed briskly for their upcoming game.
