Category: Ironside

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Nationals – Sunday

Revolver – USA Ultimate Club Championships – Day 4 (Sunday, October 30, 2011)

When we rolled up to the fields this morning we found Ironside already warming up in the cross-field breeze. The crowd was small today but it didn’t reduce the intensity of this finals rematch. In the last four years both Revolver and Ironside have played in three finals. We didn’t have any extra special strategies for this game besides being smart and quick with the disc. Tactically we had several specific notes and match-up assignments for their O-line regulars like Peter Prial, Matt Rebholz, and George Stubbs. After introductions and handshakes with our opponents, we won the flip and elected to start going downwind, while Ironside opted to pull first.

Game 8 – 9:00a v. Ironside (Boston, MA) – Final
We received first and scored quickly. Then we pulled going upwind and they centered the disc to Matt Rebholz, so Jon Levy promptly point blocked his forehand with a two-handed layout that allowed a quick break goal from Mark Sherwood back to Levy. He told us later, “As I dove across I had no idea if it was going to work or not.” We earned our next break after Mark Sherwood stalled George Stubbs after a deep goal had been called back on a pick, resulting in a 4-1 lead. We then traded for a while as Revolver’s O-line took care of business, including a nice two-pass point on a huck from Bart Watson to a streaking Devon Anderson and later an exciting sky grab by Cassidy Rasmussen. Up 7-5, Boston lofted a poor pull to provide us good field position. Bart picked up and sent a long forehand for Robbie Cahill, but Stubbs caught up and slapped the disc for the block… but it popped right toward Robbie, who bobbled it several times before securing an 8-5 halftime lead.

We pulled upwind to start the second half but Ironside turned it over. Mac Taylor bombed a forehand to create a footrace between two of the fastest guys on the field: Sherwood and Stubbs. Sherwood just beat his man for the superb layout snag and a crucial third break. At 9-6 there was a long tough point when Ironside pulled downwind and brought out their zone defense, forcing an early turnover as Bart shot a forehand across that sailed high over the intended receiver. They couldn’t convert the break, though, as they launched a high-stall bailout hammer turnover. Our offense worked it up the field but suffered another turnover on our own hammer that fluttered too much, though Boston gave it right back on a short toss during their fast break. Josh Wiseman dished a short pass to Joel Schlachet between three defenders and a 10-6 lead. Our D-line finally got the downwind break and 12-7 lead after Ashlin Joye knocked down a huck that Rebholz almost snared on the way down. Boston struck with their only break of the game when a nice pull trapped Nick Schlag on the sideline. The pressure was high and the backwards bail pass jumped up for a turnover, as the observers overturned foul calls by both the thrower and intended receiver. This closed the gap to 12-9, though we extended the lead again on patient zone offense to 13-9. On the next point Stubbs made another spectacular play by saving a floaty short pass above a pack of hungry defenders, but Rebholz and Sam Kanner collided heads in a rather bloody mess. After the injury timeout, Tom James hand-blocked a scoober attempt and Revolver worked the disc along the downwind sideline to a series of wide-open cutters, ending in a commanding 14-9 lead from Nick Chapman to Russell Wynne. After Boston scored on the next point on a shot from Peter Prial to Colin Mahoney, the Revolver O-line sealed a 15-10 victory from Josh Wiseman to Adam “Chicken” Simon, who played for the Boston squad that we defeated in the finals last year by the same score.

Rebholz won the Farricker Award (we nominated Beau Kittredge this year) and Chain Lightning won the team spirit award. We re-collected the trophy, some gold medals, and a berth to WUGC in Japan next July! We stuck around to watch the Mixed and Women’s division championship games with beer, stories, snacks, and some friendly heckling. Blackbird defeated Polar Bears in an all-Bay Area final filled with many of our friends. In the afternoon game, Fury won their sixteenth consecutive title over Riot. (Okay, actually just their sixth.)

We stopped for dinner and NFL-viewing on the way back to the beach house, then kept the party rolling with pool noodles, drinks, pool noodle drinks, the beach, and a pinata. For now, it’s off to the Daiquiri Deck to celebrate!

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ECC Sunday

Revolver – Emerald City Classic – Day 3 (Sunday, July 14, 2011)

Game 6 – 8:00a v. Urutau (Colombia) – Pool Play

It was an early start so we rolled to the fields at a leisurely pace, but still started warming up before our opponents from South America. The first half went quickly as we led 8-1 on the backs of the D-line. Nick Chapman and Jon Levy both caught two goals and Martin Cochran and Mac Taylor each served two assists. Nick Schlag showed his skill with an ¡imposible! 40 yard around beak-mark flick to his wingman Josh Wiseman (9-2). Joel Schlachet hit Devon Anderson for the 15-5 win. The inter-squad post-game circle was great as we exchanged compliments and the Colombians invited us to their country for a tournament this fall. Maybe we can make it happen!

Game 7 – 10:05a v. Rhino (Portland) – Quarterfinal

Our offense scored first and we broke right away after Mac notched a deep D against the super-athletic Timmy Perston (orange beanie) off a backhand by Revolver alumnus Seth Wiggins. Mac turned and went the other way, so Ashlin Joye connected with a big backhand; a quick blade over to Russell Wynne made it 2-0. Other first half highlights include Devon with awesome acceleration to run past speedy Breeze Strout for a huck D and Beau Kittredge tallying a D, a goal, and two assists, including a nice backhand huck to Wiseman in stride. 8-6 at half as Rhino kept it close, breaking our O-line once. Mac later outran Seth, no simple feat, to block an away throw, which brought the lead to 13-7. The offense closed out the game and a strong second half 15-8 on a two-throw point, the long ball from Adam “Chicken” Simon to Bart Watson.

Game 8 – 12:10p v. Ironside (Boston) – Semifinal

This was the first rematch of last year’s national championship game, so both sides were eager to hit the ground running. Boston received to start and soon broke first to take a 1-3 lead, but we broke right back to tie it at three apiece after an overthrown huck. At 5-4 Ashlin marked primary thrower Matt Rebholz so well that he was forced to chuck a stall nine blade that fell incomplete. We worked it back and Mark Sherwood threw a break-mark hammer to Martin for the 6-4 lead. Ironside’s Muffin later sent a forehand bomb off a pull play to young gun George Stubbs (who otherwise had an impressive game), but Chapman knocked it out of the air; several throws later Ryo Kawaoka ripped a low backhand huck that Dan Forseter nicely defended, but the disc popped up in the air long enough for Levy to run under with the help goal (7-4). We took half 8-5 after a gorgeous inside-out backhand huck up the break side from Schlag to Bart. Later, Robbie Cahill shot a flick over the stack, where Wiseman made an amazing trailing edge layout grab but landed hard on his knee (11-7). Somebody nicknamed “Kibs” experienced double happiness when he foot-blocked Bart’s backhand then beat him to the spot in the endzone to close the score to 12-10. We traded out, including a couple of great deep plays by Ironside to Peter Prial, as the O-line steadily held on game point for the 15-12 victory.

Some may wonder about our D-line’s unusual approach to the pull this year. Those curious should check out the UltiVillage footage. We’ll let Cassidy do the talking, here:

“The Boston coach came over and asked me about the D team’s huddle. He said, ‘How does that work? How do you know who you’re covering?’ I told him, ‘I have no idea. I had one point with them and screwed it up and now they won’t let me play on the D-line anymore.'”

Game 9 – 2:20p v. Ring of Fire (North Carolina) – Final

A rematch of our first game–the alpha and the omega! After a grade A pull by Jonathan Hester, Russell caught a deep shot for the block; a few passes ensued and Mac threw a blade forehand up the line to wide-open Ashlin for the first break of the game (2-0). We took two consecutive breaks for a 6-2 lead and they broke back once before we won half 8-5. After a successful offensive point out of half we broke three times in a row to 12-5. Hester laced another great grade A- pull and Chapman climbed the ladder for the deep D; then Chapman sprinted the other way and Hester snapped a long forehand to him for the break (10-5). On the next point both Zach Travis and Pat Baylis had highlight-reel layout blocks. Bart subbed in for Baylis after his man rolled over him and immediately bladed a flick to Mac (11-5). On the next point Devon easily blocked a hanging deep throw before Ashlin shot a perfectly placed backhand to Russell (12-5). We pushed it to 13-6 as Hester made up for a turnover by forcing a throwaway and calmly throwing through a nasty multiple-foul mark for the goal to Bart. On game point the O-line swung to Bart, who put a forehand onto Beau, in stride, to win 15-8.

ECC champions! Full results here. It’s a good start, but worth noting that the last two winners in Burlington went on to lose in the finals at Sarasota…