Nationals, Day 2
I guess I wasn't edgy enough for Luke in my day 1 recap. Unfortunately, I'm not into providing bulletin board fodder prior to the next rounds, except for the fact that I'm sure none of the other players at this tournament will be reading my blog between now and tomorrow. Nonetheless, this will be the 'softer side of Sears'.
We started this morning against Sockeye. We pulled with them going upwind, and it was a great start when Seigs got a layout Callahan on the first point of the game, and today was his birthday. Incidentally, tomorrow is Rob Barrett's birthday, so we are expecting something at least as spectacular from his defense. Sockeye gave us opportunity after opportunity on defense, as they continued to employ their 'big play' offense not quite to perfection. There was a medium cross/down wind, but not enough to justify all the turnovers from both teams. Meanwhile, Sockey eventually took the lead in the first half before our defense bore down and got a break so that the O was receiving at 7-7 for half going upwind. A big backhand curving pull, Lyn misplayed the roll, which ran to the back of the endzone. I was the first pass, so I had to run back to him as the Sockeye defenders were thundering down. He picked up the disc, threw it to me slightly behind and it rose slightly towards me, so I decided to drop it and it nailed me in the throat (probably a 5 yard pass). They slowly took it to the line, we forced one dump throw, then a long break mark backhand that one of the players had to make a spectacular catch for a goal.
However, we were definitely in this game. We started on offense out of half, and scored relatively easily to retake the lead. After some trading (there may have been some lead changes in there), we took the lead 11-10. We were on our stride, until the O got back on the field. 3 ugly long turns later (moving away from our strengths), we were down 13-11. Finally, at 13-11, we worked the disc upwind before I threw a 25 yard hammer to Ziperstein for a goal to finally score. The D proceeded to get at least 3 turnovers on the next point without scoring. Sockeye started making it a callfest, as there were at LEAST 6 stoppages within 2 or 3 passes. It was a lot to ask the defense to have the equivalent of that many possessions within one point. So, 14-12 Sockeye, and we're going upwind again. After a few throws against a force forehand, Sammy throws me a break mark backhand, and I turn and jack a long backhand to Parinella for a goal. Never seen that combination before. I can't remember if the D gets the disc, although considering how the rest of the game went, I feel like they did, or at least they had some good opportunities. Regardless, Sockeye put in the goal, game 15-13. I'm sure they'll play better next game, but I'm sure that we can also. At this point, we have played the theoretical two best teams here, Furious and Sockeye, and they haven't shown us something that we can't answer. Obviously, we need to be on our game, but...
Meanwhile, on the next field, JAM and Bravo were battling to an epic finale. We were going to play the loser in the quarterfinals, so we were very interested in watching the game. Well, they made it exciting. JAM had started the game up 5-1, but Bravo had tied it by halftime 7-7. Don't remember who took half, but in the second half, Bravo took the early lead before JAM was up 12-11. The Bravo went on their own run to go up 14-12. For awhile, we were trying to figure out who we wanted to play in the quarters, but after watching both teams, it didn't seem to matter. They were playing the same Sockeye big play game, with WAY too many long turnovers. JAM scored on O to make it 14-13, then Rouisse threw a late short backhand to Deaver that Mike Zalisk(!) made a layout D on to make it 14 all. Something else happened, and JAM took the lead 15-14. Some more trading, and finally 16-16 with JAM receiving. They work it up a little, and then normally sure-throwing Jambalanza fires a long forehand to nobody, as the cutter had stopped his cut short. Bravo has the disc to win, so naturally they return the favor with their own long backhand turnover. JAM works it up the far sideline before an errant throw on the backhand sideline is maybe caught in bounds, but regardless, the JAM player plays it as a greatest, fires a long cross-field backhand that Jamabalanza lays out for in the endzone and comes up with for the game winner and the number one seed. VERY exciting. Bravo was clearly deflated after the loss.
So, in the morning, JAM/Pike, Bravo/DoG, Sub-Zero/Furious, Doublewide/Sockeye. And the rest, well, that's just the losers bracket... Meanwhile, my team lamed out and took off back to the hotel. Naturally, I had to go mill in the beer tent, and try and see the few players left playing open from my generation, including randoms like Eric from Vicious who was back for a year from Masters, Worm (with the big Potomac choke, I hear they are tremendously wasted already), and then basically moving onto the masters people, like most of the Above and Beyond players from NY, who extended me the easy contract for next year (hmmm), and a bunch of other masters players. Damn, I'm old.
Finally, with Twisted losing, Boston just missed having 6 teams in the quarterfinals in 3 division (Slow White/6TM in mixed, Brute Squad/Godiva, and DoG/almost Metal in Open). Even with 5 teams, I assume that we have set a record, but somebody else will be able to set the record straight.
On a personal level, I have been playing well, racking up 2 turnovers over 4.5 games, including a great save today on a zone scoober by Jim (thanks Jim). But it is all irrelevant before tomorrows game. Let's watch...
We started this morning against Sockeye. We pulled with them going upwind, and it was a great start when Seigs got a layout Callahan on the first point of the game, and today was his birthday. Incidentally, tomorrow is Rob Barrett's birthday, so we are expecting something at least as spectacular from his defense. Sockeye gave us opportunity after opportunity on defense, as they continued to employ their 'big play' offense not quite to perfection. There was a medium cross/down wind, but not enough to justify all the turnovers from both teams. Meanwhile, Sockey eventually took the lead in the first half before our defense bore down and got a break so that the O was receiving at 7-7 for half going upwind. A big backhand curving pull, Lyn misplayed the roll, which ran to the back of the endzone. I was the first pass, so I had to run back to him as the Sockeye defenders were thundering down. He picked up the disc, threw it to me slightly behind and it rose slightly towards me, so I decided to drop it and it nailed me in the throat (probably a 5 yard pass). They slowly took it to the line, we forced one dump throw, then a long break mark backhand that one of the players had to make a spectacular catch for a goal.
However, we were definitely in this game. We started on offense out of half, and scored relatively easily to retake the lead. After some trading (there may have been some lead changes in there), we took the lead 11-10. We were on our stride, until the O got back on the field. 3 ugly long turns later (moving away from our strengths), we were down 13-11. Finally, at 13-11, we worked the disc upwind before I threw a 25 yard hammer to Ziperstein for a goal to finally score. The D proceeded to get at least 3 turnovers on the next point without scoring. Sockeye started making it a callfest, as there were at LEAST 6 stoppages within 2 or 3 passes. It was a lot to ask the defense to have the equivalent of that many possessions within one point. So, 14-12 Sockeye, and we're going upwind again. After a few throws against a force forehand, Sammy throws me a break mark backhand, and I turn and jack a long backhand to Parinella for a goal. Never seen that combination before. I can't remember if the D gets the disc, although considering how the rest of the game went, I feel like they did, or at least they had some good opportunities. Regardless, Sockeye put in the goal, game 15-13. I'm sure they'll play better next game, but I'm sure that we can also. At this point, we have played the theoretical two best teams here, Furious and Sockeye, and they haven't shown us something that we can't answer. Obviously, we need to be on our game, but...
Meanwhile, on the next field, JAM and Bravo were battling to an epic finale. We were going to play the loser in the quarterfinals, so we were very interested in watching the game. Well, they made it exciting. JAM had started the game up 5-1, but Bravo had tied it by halftime 7-7. Don't remember who took half, but in the second half, Bravo took the early lead before JAM was up 12-11. The Bravo went on their own run to go up 14-12. For awhile, we were trying to figure out who we wanted to play in the quarters, but after watching both teams, it didn't seem to matter. They were playing the same Sockeye big play game, with WAY too many long turnovers. JAM scored on O to make it 14-13, then Rouisse threw a late short backhand to Deaver that Mike Zalisk(!) made a layout D on to make it 14 all. Something else happened, and JAM took the lead 15-14. Some more trading, and finally 16-16 with JAM receiving. They work it up a little, and then normally sure-throwing Jambalanza fires a long forehand to nobody, as the cutter had stopped his cut short. Bravo has the disc to win, so naturally they return the favor with their own long backhand turnover. JAM works it up the far sideline before an errant throw on the backhand sideline is maybe caught in bounds, but regardless, the JAM player plays it as a greatest, fires a long cross-field backhand that Jamabalanza lays out for in the endzone and comes up with for the game winner and the number one seed. VERY exciting. Bravo was clearly deflated after the loss.
So, in the morning, JAM/Pike, Bravo/DoG, Sub-Zero/Furious, Doublewide/Sockeye. And the rest, well, that's just the losers bracket... Meanwhile, my team lamed out and took off back to the hotel. Naturally, I had to go mill in the beer tent, and try and see the few players left playing open from my generation, including randoms like Eric from Vicious who was back for a year from Masters, Worm (with the big Potomac choke, I hear they are tremendously wasted already), and then basically moving onto the masters people, like most of the Above and Beyond players from NY, who extended me the easy contract for next year (hmmm), and a bunch of other masters players. Damn, I'm old.
Finally, with Twisted losing, Boston just missed having 6 teams in the quarterfinals in 3 division (Slow White/6TM in mixed, Brute Squad/Godiva, and DoG/almost Metal in Open). Even with 5 teams, I assume that we have set a record, but somebody else will be able to set the record straight.
On a personal level, I have been playing well, racking up 2 turnovers over 4.5 games, including a great save today on a zone scoober by Jim (thanks Jim). But it is all irrelevant before tomorrows game. Let's watch...
posted by Alex de Frondeville at 9:19 PM
1 Comments:
As the observer on that sideline, the greatest in the Jam/Bravo game would have been very difficult to catch in-bounds.
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