A quick look back at Thursday and Friday.
October 21, 2017 by Simon Pollock and Patrick Stegemoeller in Coverage, News, Recap with 0 comments
Ultiworld’s coverage of the Men’s Division at the 2017 Club Championships is presented by Spin Ultimate; all opinions are those of the authors. Please support the brands that make Ultiworld possible and shop at Spin Ultimate!
Trying to catch up quickly on what’s happened at Club Nationals as we enter Semifinals Saturday? Here’s a quick recap of the action.
Sockeye Falls In Pool Play
- The number two overall seed and presumed foil for Revolver went down in pool play. Not only did Sockeye’s demise mean that another powerhouse was off the board, it left Florida United atop Pool B, which allowed Austin Doublewide to make semis without playing any of the top four seeds in the bracket.
Truck Stop Finally Makes Semifinals
- Washington D.C. Truck Stop is a 2017 semifinalist. It’s the first year they can make that claim since they first made Nationals in 2006. Truck has never missed this tournament, but they’ve also never pushed past the quarterfinal round. Longtime team members and rookies alike were ecstatic today, but the moment had to feel particularly special for captain Jonathan Neeley—a seven year vet—and founding member Keven Moldenhauer, here in his sixteenth straight Club Championships appearance.
- Truck got here after taking a loss to Boston Dig but winning everything else. They put away Denver Johnny Bravo, SoCal Condors, Michigan High Five, and Boston Ironside.
- As impressive as Nicky Spiva, Rowan McDonnell, and Tyler Monroe have been, film nerds and fans tuning in should keep their eyes on the young newcomers (when they get minutes): a rash of Maryland Space Bastards alums have been playing well.
Boston Ironside Misses Semifinals For The First Time Ever
- Nine semifinals in a row. The 2016 National Title. Boston Ironside is an ultimate institution. And for the first time, they missed the final four at the Club Championships.
- Truck Stop put up three straight points on Boston to open their quarterfinal game this afternoon. With the Sarasota wind steady, coach Josh McCarthy tightened up lines and looked to his top players to earn back breaks. It didn’t happen—they were outrun and out-planned.
Ring Unleashed In Bracket Play
- After a somewhat unconvincing performance in pool play, including a loss to Ironside, Ring of Fire showed why they were a top three team this weekend in bracket play. They dismantled Chicago Machine in prequarters and used a 6-1 run to put Dig away in quarterfinals. In years past when Ring has made the semifinals, it’s been something of a surprise. This season, their success certainly isn’t.
Revolver Rolls
- While the other three pool winners all fell in quarters, Revolver continued their dominance of the Men’s Division, wiping the floor with PoNY. While every other top seed suffered a loss at some point this weekend, Revolver have all but walked into semis.
Austin Doublewide Returns To Semifinals After Rebuild
- Austin Doublewide is 4-1 and back in semifinals, the first time they’ve made it this far since winning a title in 2012.
- Few of the big names that made that 2012 title possible—a collaboration between Texas and Florida ultimate stars—are left, but enough of the core remains to set the tone for a strong group of young players that can churn out points.
