Club Power Rankings [11/9/23]

The last Power Rankings of the 2023 club season!

November 9, 2023 by Ultiworld in Rankings with 0 comments

Each week, we’ll post an updated edition of our Power Rankings here on the front page to facilitate discussion in the comments and help us share each week’s rankings via social media. The most up-to-date version can always be found on our permanent rankings page.

Women’s Discussion

• After starting the year at #3, the 2023 Club Champions Boston Brute Squad finish the season as the #1 overall team in our women’s division power rankings. There was some internal debate about whether Brute or Washington DC Scandal should be #1, as the pair split games at Nationals. But Brute’s six-point final win far outshone their two-point loss a few days prior, and they finish on top.
• San Diego Flipside and Vancouver Traffic scored the only pool play upsets in the division and ascend the rankings after earning quartefinal berths. They were felled by powerhouses San Francisco Fury and eventual champions Brute Squad, but rallied in consolation play to score two more upsets (over New York BENT and Raleigh Phoenix) and face off in fivals. There, Flipside got the 15-10 victory and so finish at #5, identical to their preseason ranking, while Traffic end the season at #6.
• Raleigh Phoenix slide the furthest this rankings, dropping six spots after going 4-3 at Nationals. They were on the wrong end of Flipside’s upset in pool play, which set them up for a quarterfinals date with Scandal. Despite beating Scandal in their last two matchups of the season, Phoenix fell to the finalists 15-9 and then lost again in fifth place semifinals, 15-13 to Traffic. They wouldn’t be bested by another Canadian team, topping Toronto 6ixers on universe in the Pro Flight Play-In, but their losses see them settle at #7.
• Minneapolis Pop enjoy the largest jump post-Nationals. Despite going 1-6, they leapfrog Washington DC Grit after beating them on universe in the 15th place game.
• Oh what could have been! Washington DC Grit went winless at Nationals but had opportunities, taking half in two games, including one they lost on universe. Grit were up 4-3 on the Toronto 6ixers and brought the score as close as 12-11, but lost 15-12. They took half on Traffic 8-6 but lost 14-11, were up on Nightlock 5-4 but lost 15-12, rattled off two breaks in a row to tie Schwa at 9s before losing on universe, and were up 10-8 against Pop before, again, losing on universe. Grit flashed upset potential in most games they played at Nationals, but their inability to finish out see them slide four spots to end at #18.
• Shoutout to the three teams that proved us wrong and finished the furthest ahead of where they were ranked in the preseason! None of San Diego Wildfire, Oakland LOL, or Denver Small Batch were ranked coming into the 2023 season, but all finish in the Top 25, with San Diego Wildfire finishing the highest at #16.

Men’s Discussion

• Washington DC Truck Stop claim the 2023 club title and the #1 spot in the Men’s Division Power Rankings. Whatever you think of their path to the championship, there was no debate among our staff that they were the strongest team at the end of the season, and so finish at #1 after four straight rankings in the top spot.
• Fellow finalists Chicago Machine slot right behind at #2, only losing to the eventual champs at Nationals.
• Denver Johnny Bravo rocket seven spots to #3. They looked like the best team at the tournament during pool play, downing Truck Stop on universe in the first round and handing Raleigh Ring of Fire, the other semifinalists and claimant to #4 in the Power Rankings, a 15-12 loss. They were a hair’s breadth away from a second-consecutive finals appearance, taking half on Machine 8-5 before losing on universe.
• New York PoNY end the season at #5 after a quarterfinals exit at Nationals. Our preseason #1, PoNY had moments of greatness throughout the 2023 season, flashing the talent we knew their roster to be capable of, like the US Open final victory over Truck Stop. But injuries hit the team at the worst time, and they lost on universe to Ring. PoNY did forfeit the fifth place final against Boston DiG, but given PoNY’s 15-11 win over DiG at Northeast Regionals, PoNY end at #5 while DiG remain at #6.
• San Francisco Revolver slide four spots after also losing in quarterfinals. While their 15-11 loss to a hot Bravo team is understandable, more damning are their two losses to DiG, first in pool play 15-9, then in consolation on universe. They rallied to beat down Vancouver Furious George in a Pro Fight Play-In final, and so finish the season right behind DiG.
• Another quarterfinal exit, #8 Portland Rhino Slam! end the season behind Revolver, who they lost to 15-12 in the first round of pool play, but finish just ahead of Atlanta Chain after defeating them in the other Pro Flight Play-In final.
• Canada’s sole men’s division representative at Nationals, Vancouver Furious George finish up three spots, courtesy of beating Minneapolis Sub Zero and Austin Doublewide in consolation play. Their losses to Chain and Revolver keep them from greater heights, but Furious can be proud of a spot in the Top 10.
• Raleigh-Durham United and Minneapolis Sub Zero both rise three spots after notching their own wins in consolation play. Both beat Vault in consolation, RDU 15-10 and Sub Zero 15-11, and send the team from Virginia down the rankings to #14.
• Eugene Dark Star also fall three spots to stay behind Vault after losing to them 14-11 in crossover play.
• A number of men’s division teams finish inside the Top 25 despite not appearing on the preseason rankings. Congratulations to #16 Berkeley Zyzzyva, #17 Winnipeg General Strike, #20 New York Blueprint, #21 Ottawa Phoenix, and #24 New Jersey Garden State Ultimate!

Mixed Discussion

• Fort Collins shame. have been at #1 since September 9 and finish the season there. The first-time national champions got revenge on #4 Philadelphia AMP, the only team to beat them all season, in quarterfinals and took down the #2 and #3 teams to claim the title.
• Despite not making the final, Seattle BFG are rewarded with the #2 for taking the eventual champs to universe point in the semifinal.
• Ann Arbor Hybrid, the other finalist, convincingly nab the #3 spot, making it to the championship game on the back of wins over Philadelphia AMP and New York XIST. Said loss drops AMP just behind, at the #4 spot.
• We’ve been hyping them since the preseason, and #5 New York XIST put their best foot forward when it mattered, beating Drag’n Thrust 13-10 to win the pool and riding their team defense to a second-consecutive semifinal appearance. Drag’n’s loss to XIST, as well as a prequarters universe loss to AMP, see them fall three spots to #6.
• #7 Boston Slow had an incredibly impressive Nationals. They started with a bang, beating BFG on universe in the first round of pool play, and were one point away from knocking off Hybrid and claiming their own spot in semis. While they did lose to the team right below them in the rankings, Arizona Lawless, in the last round of pool play, Slow were ultimately awarded the higher spot on account of taking Hybrid to the brink and playing AMP to universe in fivals.
• #8 Arizona Lawless shoot up the rankings into the Top 10 after earning a berth to quarters despite coming in as a bottom-seeded team. We were showed just how wrong we were for fading Travis Dunn in our Top 25 Player Rankings as he led the division in both goals and assists.
• Vancouver Red Flag handed former champions Seattle Mixtape a trip to consolation play with a stunning 13-10 victory in prequarters. A 15-8 loss BFG in quarters saw them follow shortly, their win over ‘Shine in a Pro Flight Play-In final see them rise six spots to #9.
• While we expected chaos from mixed’s Pool C, such as Mixtape losing to AMP, what was less expected was Mixtape’s exit in prequarters…and then their loss to ‘Shine in Pro Flight semis. While we don’t ding them much for the consolation play loss, and they did score a win over Hybrid in pool play, our preseason #1 still slide six spots to round out the Top 10.
• Despite splitting games with Sprocket at Nationals, Nashville ‘Shine got the all-important most recent win in Pro Flight Play-In quarters. Coupled with their win over Mixtape in the next round, #11 ‘Shine rise three spots.
• Not many expected Cleveland Crocs to win their pool, but a tough 0-3 pool play eliminated them from title contention altogether. They righted the ship in consolation with wins over ‘Shine and Rally, but it was too little too late. Coupled with a loss to Mixtape in their final game, the Crocs slide four spots to finish at #12.
• Washington DC Rally had the last laugh, beating Boston Sprocket on universe in the 13th place final, but Sprocket laughed louder, throttling Rally 15-7 in pool play. As such, Sprocket finish #13, and Rally #14.
• Another former finalist who fell from great heights, Madison NOISE not only went 0-3 on the first day of play to miss out on the bracket, but went entirely winless until their very last game, a 15-8 victory over Mischief in the 15th place final. Their 15-11 loss to Rally see them slot right behind the team from DC, at #15.
• To everyone’s credit, no mixed team went winless at Nationals. But a team had to come last, and that honor fell to San Francisco Mischief. Despite splitting games with NOISE – and coming out with the higher point differential – Mischief’s loss in the final game see them drop ten spots, the most of any team in any division, to #16.
• Arizona Lawless had one of the biggest pre- to postseason rankings jump of any team across divisions, starting at #23 and ending within the Top 10, while #23 Oregon Scorch, #22 Charlotte Storm, and #19 Bay Areas Sunshine went from unranked to top in the nation.