Over the past three days, Revolver has faced off against seven teams, including last year’s other semifinalists and a contingent of international representatives. Revolver came into the US Open with a freshly set roster, so this tournament was our first opportunity to begin to build team chemistry and find this season’s team identity.
Revolver arrived at the fields Thursday morning for the first round of games to find soggy fields spotted with pools of standing water–a result of several days of rain. Missing several players for the tournament due to scheduling conflicts, the new roster began its first warmup in the humid and hot North Carolina air, preparing to match up against Mephisto. Mephisto was able to generate a number of goals, including a break on the Revolver offense, early in the game by swinging the disc among the handlers until a deep look opened up. Revolver made several tactical adjustments to take away Mephisto’s hucks and were able to close out the second half with relative ease. Final score, 15-6.
Next round, Revolver moved to the showcase field to play Denmark’s Ragnarok (the turf showcase field gave us a nice respite from the mud but proved no less slippery). Revolver last played Ragnarok three years ago in Prague at Worlds and so were prepared for the Danes’ unconventional deep game. Ragnarok threw a number of hucks into tight windows–particularly to potent receiver Mads Bakkegaard, who made a number of athletic plays to create goals for Ragnarok. However, Revolver’s defense began to generate turnovers and were able to work the disc the length of the field on multiple points. The defense took firm control in the second half to secure the game. Final score, 15-5.
The final game of the day was the highlight for Revolver, providing us with our first opportunity to match up with Doublewide since our season-ending loss in the finals of Nationals. Doublewide opened the game with a first-throw huck to Tyler Degirolamo, who made an athletic play to put Doublewide on the board. It was clear at this point that their new Pitt recruits would play a key role in Doublewide’s game. From this point, Revolver’s defense was able to put consistent pressure on the Doublewide O–especially the resets–to create break opportunities. Especially notable were two point blocks and a layout D by Revolver rookies Lucas Dallmann and Andrew Hagen, respectively. Revolver’s offense also looked smooth in this game, as Cassidy Rasmussen connected with Devon Anderson for multiple goals. Final score, 15-8.
Friday began with a matchup against Ironside, a team with remarkably little turnover in a season with lots of roster movement. The game began inauspiciously for Revolver, as, after conceding a score to the Ironside O, we gave up consecutive breaks on offensive miscues to go down 0-3. Once Revolver’s offense was able to put the defense back on the field, the defensive pressure mounted, and Revolver countered with a run of its own to take the lead 6-4. From this point, Revolver’s consistent offense kept Ironside pressure at bay until several Ironside breaks brought the game to 12-12. At 14-14, Revolver’s offense took the field on double game point, working the disc up the field smoothly to the goal line before an aggressive throw to the endzone slipped through the receiver’s fingertips. After several short throws, George Stubbs sent a long huck to an Ironside receiver in space to steal the game. Final score, 14-15.
After enjoying the shade for a brief break between games, Revolver returned to the same muddy field to play Ring of Fire. Revolver’s defense started strong, trapping Ring’s O against the sideline for multiple throws near without allowing any upfield gains before forcing a turnover. Feeding off of this pressure, Revolver’s D created several early breaks that would allow Revolver to take a several point lead into halftime. Immediately after, Ring came out firing, breaking the Revolver offense. After refocusing on fundamentals, Revolver’s O and D put the game out of reach for Ring with strong cutting in isolation.
In Friday’s final game, Revolver matched up with Chicago Club. With relatively little defensive pressure, Revolver’s offense played a clean game notwithstanding the absences of Ashlin Joye and Cassidy Rasmussen for much of the game. Chicago Club were able to put up a number of points with big hucks to speedy receivers, who outran their Revolver defenders. Final score, 15-7.
Saturday morning, Revolver made the early trek to the fields to play against Euforia, a Colombian team that has traveled to multiple tournaments in the United States over the past few years. From the beginning, Revolver’s defenders were keyed in on stopping Euforia’s handler movement, but the Colombians gave the Revolver defense fits at points in the first half. Despite forcing a number of turnovers, Revolver’s defensive O was frustrated by smart poaching by the Colombians. Revolver took half in a relatively tight game, 8-6. In the second half, Revolver’s sideline energy fueled a defensive run that helped to put this game away. Final score, 15-8.
Revolver has now hunkered down in its air-conditioned hotel, staying out of the heat in preparation for the semifinals. The semifinals will be a rematch of the round robin game against Doublewide at 8PM ET tonight (Saturday, 7/6). The game will be shown live on television on ESPN3, so tune in to support this year’s team as we continue to rise.
