UPA Score Reporter

Women's Division Championship
by Jessica Sipperley

After the open and mixed final games were long over, two women's teams took the field to play the last game of the 2008 Club Championships. Fury was searching for the elusive double strike of gold at the World and the UPA Championships. Riot wanted to avenge a year's worth of losses to Fury, stemming from last year's final match. Only one team would earn the title as the top women's club team in the country. Fury's victory would establish them as a dynasty. A win for Riot would serve Fury their only loss of the season – a distinction no other team could claim. 

The day was overcast, with heavy cloud cover and a consistent cross-field wind. Riot called line with their traditional tunnel, and the top seven ran out to the line, waiting for Fury to do the same. Kelly Green, a 2005 UPA Hall of Famer, kicked things off with the ceremonial first pull. To get things going for real, Riot's Val Dion pulled the disc, and Fury uncharacteristically turned it over right away. A few turnovers soon followed, indicating a case of jitters on both sides. Riot was the first to calm down, as Eva Cham connected to a diving Miranda Roth to put Riot on the board first, 1-0. 

Fury's Lauren Casey and Jenny Hanscom moved the disc up the field with a few quick give-and-go passes, but Casey bobbled the disc and turned it over. Riot's Dion used a quick upstart strategy and bombed it to the end zone, and Maddy Frey came up with the two-handed grab to get the second break of the game and go up, 2-0. On the next go, Fury's offensive miscue almost let Riot strike for the third time in a row, but Gwen Ambler's huge layout D in the end zone preserved the 2-0 score. 

It looked like Fury would get on the board in this possession, as Jody Dozono snagged the disc right along the end zone line, but a call put the disc back into Riot's hands and negated the score. Riot moved the disc upfield, and as she was falling, Liz Duffy threw a completed forehand huck to Lindsey Meyer, who called a time-out. This proved to be a wise move, as Duffy's grab as she was moving across the end zone put Riot up 3-0 and forced Fury to call a time-out.  

The first points of the games were littered with calls, and the observers were even consulted in a few cases. After a particularly lengthy discussion, Riot earned possession after a heads-up defensive play by Drew Johnson and quickly moved the disc within striking distance. Sarah Griffith's diving one-handed grab preserved the attack, and she set an easy forehand to a striking Shannon O'Malley to shock Fury into a 4-0 deficit.  

Deep into the next point, Fury's smart poach defense led to an interception, but a huck try sailed out of bounds. Fury had trouble early moving the disc upfield, relying a lot on their handlers to swing it around. Riot responded with an effective man defense to stifle the disc movement among these handlers. Riot found themselves close to the end zone, and Fury's Alex Snyder had a great defensive effort while matched up against Miranda Roth, but the wind picked the disc up after Snyder's bid and Roth chased it down to put Riot up 5-0. Fury then called their second time-out of the half. 

Early on, Fury was plagued by drops and errant passes, which often gave Riot easy resets with good field position. A pass behind the Fury handler line put the disc into Riot's hands, and they called a time-out to set up a play. Kate Kingery's forehand blade to the other side of the end zone floated long enough to draw a clump of players, and Fury's Enessa Janes came out with the disc. A hotly debated strip call from Riot sent the disc back to Kingery. Fury's Ambler came up with a huge D to keep the point off the board, but an uncontested foul call allowed Riot to once again regain possession on the end zone line. Eva Cham lofted a high toss to Shannon O'Malley to increase the lead to 6-0 in favor of Riot. 

Fury's Alicia White tried to get the offense moving with a high backhand, but Kate Wilson and Robin Davis both went up for the grab, and the disc bounced off both their fingertips. But Fury threw a hot zone on defense, and quickly forced a turnover deep in Riot territory. Alicia White cashed in with the grab to get Fury on the board, 6-1. 

After their first pull of the game, Fury regained possession of the disc and stretched out Riot's zone, but Ambler's huck try was easily intercepted. A pass just out of Roth's reach led to another turnover, but Ambler's pass cross-field didn't have a target and sailed out of play. Riot's Val Dion responded with a bladey forehand to the opposite side of the end zone, hitting Maddy Frey all alone to go up, 7-1. On the next possession, Karen Brimacombe's gorgeous layout D gave the disc back to Riot, but Maddy Frey's pass quickly got eaten up by the wind, giving Fury a chance to extend the half. Brimacombe came right back with another D to steal the disc away. On the attack, Drew Johnson ripped a backhand, and Jenn Wilson chased it down with a great one-handed snag to take half at 8-1 after about 45 minutes of play. 

At the start of the second half, both teams found themselves at a critical juncture – Riot couldn’t let up, and Fury had to get their fundamentals under control and utilize their skilled long game. Fury started out with man defense up top and a minor poach in the end zone, but Kate Kingery still found Kari DeLeeuw behind the whole Fury defense to strike quickly after half – 9-1 Riot.   

Gwen Ambler tried to get things rolling in Fury's favor with a monster huck, but Roth jumped into the lane and knocked the disc awry. With another quick restart, Dion ripped a backhand huck to the end zone, and Gretchen Muller came down with the two-handed grab to widen the lead to 10-1. 

There was still a lot of time left in the round, but would it be enough for Fury to swing momentum in their favor and make up a nine-point deficit? The next few possessions showed Fury wasn't done yet. Fury's offense showed their characteristic bursts of speed, and they moved the disc around Riot's man defense to Cree Howard for the point, making the score 10-2. In an effort to get a fast turnover and remount the attack, Fury came out with zone defense, and a floaty scoober pass over the cup hit the ground. Ambler floated a forehand into the end zone, but Enessa Janes, on the other end, landed out of bounds. But Riot was unable to make it out of their end zone, as Alicia White ran in for a huge Callahan interception on the swing pass attempt – 10-3 Riot. The next point resembled the first exchange of the game, filled with turnovers, and Fury was able to come out on the positive end as White's big backhand hit Enessa Janes, streaking into the end zone to close the gap to 10-4.  

Gwen Ambler's huge pull, coupled with Fury's four-person cup, pushed Riot deep into their own end zone, and they turned it over under pressure. Fury's handlers worked it around for several throws, but Lyrica Hammann lost possession. Miranda Roth hucked it deep to get it out of dangerous territory, and Maddy Frey called a foul on Gwen Ambler as both players went up in the air for the disc. After a discussion, the observer ruled in favor of Frey, keeping the disc with Riot, but it sailed over Val Dion on the next play. Frey came right back with a gigantic layout D, and Sarah Griffith earned the point for Riot – 11-4 Riot. 

With another miscommunication on offense, a pass between Fury players sailed out of bounds. Riot's O'Malley had a huge layout, grabbing the disc with one hand, but the observer ruled her on the line – no score for Riot. Fury's score attempt had the same amount of luck, as Jenny Hanscom's backhand huck sailed beyond her intended receiver. Riot tried to work it up the line, but a strike throw flew past Gretchen Muller, very close to the sideline. Turning the offensive gears, Julie Baker came down with a great grab off a hospital throw to keep the disc with Fury. After threading a few slick passes through Riot's defense, Kate Wilson got the grab in the end zone, bringing the score to 11-5.  

Both teams were forced to adjust to a higher wind, and Gwen Ambler manned the offensive rush for Fury. Ambler's layout on a strike cut didn't catch her up to the disc, and Dion picked up the disc and hucked it to a sprinting Miranda Roth. Roth missed the disc and called a foul, but they lost possession quickly. Fury worked it among their handlers, and Erin Percival had a two-handed layout grab to preserve possession, but she dropped it as she was standing up. Fury earned it right back with a big grab in the end zone off a Miranda Roth huck, and Alicia White's speed pushed the disc near Fury's end zone. Riot's tough man D stifled Fury's march to the end zone briefly, but Arlie Stern got the grab off a high-release throw to close the score to 11-6.  

With about 45 minutes left in the round, Fury looked poised to score with seamless disc movement, but Alex Snyder's huck was knocked down by Riot's Kate Kingery. But Fury got the disc back after effectively utilizing their zone defense once again, and Kate Wilson came down with the score off a forehand put to close the gap to 11-7, coming within four and sparking thoughts of a possible comeback. 

The Fury zone defense continued to fluster Riot, and another pass attempt over the cup fell to the ground. Kate Wilson was able to lose Shannon O'Malley in the end zone, and she came down with her third score of the half to keep the break-point streak going for Fury.  

At 11-8, Riot quickly lost possession after a hammer attempt by Dion fell between two Riot receivers. Fury's Jody Dozono threw the disc into a mass of Riot players, but Fury's Alex Snyder was able to recover the macked disc and keep the offense alive. With a sweet inverse backhand, Julie Baker hit Gwen Ambler in the end zone to bring it even closer, 11-9. Trying to get back in their groove, Riot's offense took the field, but a grab by Maddy Frey was ruled down by the observer. Cree Howard once again played a key part in advancing the disc up the field, and Fury's cutters found the holes in Riot's man defense. Jenny Hanscom came down with the disc off an open-side cut, bringing Fury within one point, 11-10. 

Riot tried to regain momentum with a zone defense of their own, and they pushed Fury back into their own zone. Fury sliced the disc through the holes to get past the cup, but Gwen Ambler's huck flew past Enessa Janes. Riot's offense equally dismantled the Fury zone, and Miranda Roth found Sarah Griffith all alone for the score to make it 12-10 Riot. Before the next pull, Maddy Frey tried to keep the fire going on her team with a series of backflips in front of the starting seven. But Fury's offense kept possession anyway, and Erin Percival found Manu Argilli to pull within one once again – 12-11 Riot. Fury soon tied up the score, after Riot tipped the disc on a defensive bid and Gwen Ambler simultaneously pulled the disc down and toed the line to stay in bounds.  

Riot began again on offense, needing just three points to win but facing a tough climb after their nine-point lead slipped away. Forced to the sideline by the wind, Riot's Eva Cham tossed a scoober over the cup, but it faded away from her receiver. Fury's attack stalled, and Riot was able to successfully spread out the zone and move the disc upfield. But Kari DeLeeuw's forehand throw got eaten up by the wind and sailed out of bounds, making for another point with a high amount of turnovers. Fury's handlers worked it around, and Gwen Ambler's huck completion to Alicia White gave them the yards they needed to get within striking distance. And Jody Dozono found Julie Baker to make the score 13-12. Fury took their first lead of the game. 

Riot tried to get the disc moving right away to avoid Fury's fully-set zone, but the disc bounced off Maddy Frey's chest and to the ground. Fury was able to work the disc around, and Riot's Liz Duffy bid on the mark, opening up Arlie Stern's look so she could find Manu Argilli in the end zone, taking the count to 14-12 and bringing Fury within one point of the title.  

And the last point would prove to be all Fury, as Julie Baker caught the game-winning disc with both hands over her head, past a leaping Val Dion. Riot came out with offense and defense blazing and gave Fury their toughest test of the tournament, but Fury showed impressive tenacity to push their way back into the game with a multiple-point run. Baker's grab capped off an amazing comeback to win the game, 15-12, as Fury earned the double glory of Worlds and UPA titles in the same season.

Women's Division Day 3
by Jessica Sipperley

It might be Halloween weekend, but the field of women's teams in this year's quarterfinal matches hasn't contained very much shock or surprise. Pool play held only two upsets, and Showdown was the only non power-pool team to make it to quarters. But with quarterfinals and semifinals games ahead, this was definitely the day for a surprise. The top eight teams are all packed similar levels of skill and talent, setting the stage for close, anticipation-ridden match-ups. But would anyone be able to pull off the biggest surprise of all, and shove Fury or Riot out of a spot in Sunday's final?  

QUARTERFINALS
Fury vs. Brute Squad

With more riding on the line at the start of every game, each team had a difficult task ahead of them: Brute Squad had to play against the defending champions, and Fury had to show their semifinals bid was all wrapped up. Another team had yet to threaten Fury with a loss, so Brute Squad's early lead, 2-1, off two short high-release backhand scores fired up the sideline. A tough zone pushed Fury's offense back, but the handlers patiently waited for holes to form. This intelligent disc movement put Fury ahead early, 3-2. Fury had some early turnovers, and Brute Squad looked ready to tie it up when Vivian Zayas hucked the disc to Emily Elstad, streaking past Fury's defense. But the disc didn't connect, and that play quickly morphed into an offensive rush for Fury, as Alicia White chased it down in the opposite end zone to lengthen the lead, 4-2. Right before halftime, Brute Squad did convert on a Fury turn right on the end zone line, closing the gap to 7-6 but Fury eventually took half, 8-6.  

Fury continued to calmly work the disc around Brute Squad's zone, and lengthened the field a few times to go up 10-7. On the offensive front, Brute Squad was able to move the disc around some poachy Fury defense, but if disc movement slowed, Fury recovered and Brute's offense stalled. Fury used this tactic to wear on Brute Squad and take the game, 15-9. 

Traffic vs. Backhoe 

In this game, Backhoe was looking for redemption after two power pool losses yesterday, and Traffic wanted to solidify their spot as another serious contender out of the stacked Northwest region. Add in two talented rosters, each with a taste for a spot in the semi-finals, and the result was a long game, filled with hard-fought calls on both sides. Early on, both teams found success with deep looks, and Backhoe's Sarah Morrison made a miraculous scoop grab to put Backhoe up, 3-2. A few points later, Tasia Balding's convincing handblock looked to jumpstart Traffic's offense, but Backhoe responded with great dump defense and forced the turnover. Down 7-6, Backhoe co-captain Lindsey Hack made a sliding grab all alone in the end zone, but hobbled off the field with an injured knee. Traffic then ended the long first half, 8-7. 

The long points with several turnovers kept up in the second half, along with multiple calls and lengthy discussions, some of which were escalated with sideline talk. Backhoe's Melanie Morgan inspired a small run after her great grab from a mass of players. Her throw missed her end-zone target, but she regained possession after a foul. She then turned it over on a similar throw, but Backhoe quickly won it back, and Johanna Vidales was able to score to bring Backhoe within one, 10-9. Hack made it back into the game, running the offense with the quick movement of cutter Cate Foster and strong throws by handlers Sharon Tucker and Becky Ledonne. Tucker's score tied the game at 12-12, and cap limited the game to 13 points. Traffic's Hilary Dunn got it done for her team, throwing a high-release backhand to Su Ning Strube in the end zone to earn a date with Fury in the semi-finals. 

Ozone vs. Lady Godiva 

In the beginning, Ozone stayed about a point ahead of Lady Godiva, but after halftime, their lead widened considerably and they never allowed Godiva back into the game. Ozone's Shayne Crawford continued her skilled cutting, and set up a nice high-release backhand deep into the end zone to put Ozone up 5-3. On the next possession, Lady Godiva was able to break Ozone's defense several times, earning a point and closing the score to 5-4. The second half was expected to hold the same type of point-trading pattern, but Ozone scored two quick points to go up 10-6. Lady Godiva stayed in it with their intense defense, playing tight on individual marks, but Ozone was able to alternate between concentrated swing throws and direct passes upfield to move the disc toward the end zone. Ozone's Deb Cussen had a fantastic layout grab right on the end zone line, and a time-out allowed Ozone to set the attack and score again to go up, 13-8. Lady Godiva would only score once more as Ozone won the game, 15-9, and moved on to the semis. 

Riot vs. Showdown 

After a thrilling upset over Capitals yesterday, Showdown met a huge test in their quarterfinals match, drawing the 2007 defending champions, Riot. Riot capitalized on several early chances to go up 5-2. Riot's handlers were able to keep the disc moving in Showdown's zone, but an errant pass to Riot's Maddy Frey was just out of reach. Despite the turnover, Riot quickly got back possession, and Kari DeLeeuw launched a hammer to Sarah Griffith, who slid in the end zone with the grab. A foul call sent the disc back and negated the score, but no matter – DeLeeuw immediately connected with Miranda Roth to get the point. Showdown responded by quickly dismantling Riot's zone defense on the next point, and Katey Forth gave them another tally, making the count 6-3. Showdown's Marisa Krisanawatara brought the team within one before halftime, catching a crossfield blade, but Riot closed the half, 8-6.  

Fired up after halftime, Riot tallied two quick ones to make it 10-6. Showdown kept up their quick disc movement, but their offense couldn't convert deep in Riot territory. On the other side, Showdown's tight defense allowed them to stop Riot's initial momentum after halftime, but they still couldn't get on the board. Showdown came very close on their own end zone line, but they turned the disc over after calling a time-out to set a play. Riot's Shannon O'Malley ripped a backhand to Kate Kingery, who easily placed it to Val Dion in the end zone to take a 13-8 lead. Showdown got a few points at the end, but they couldn't contain Riot, and Riot's 15-10 victory put them into the semifinals. 

SEMI-FINALS
Fury vs. Traffic
The first semi-final game pitted two Northwest regional rivals against each other – Traffic had everything to prove, and Fury had everything to lose. Traffic struck first, going up 2-0, and they came out on defense with a tough zone. Fury used their characteristic calm to work the disc around and slice it through after many throws, scoring to bring the count to 2-1. Traffic earned the next point and tried to score again with a huck to Jennifer Kwok, but the disc sailed out of bounds and gave Fury a chance to reset. Traffic's Anne Mercier had a hot layout on defense and knocked the disc down, but the wind picked it back up, and Julie Baker easily set it into the end zone for a score – 3-2 Traffic. Fury went on a small run to go up 4-3, bolstered by a score by Kate Wilson after she called for the disc on a wide-open strike cut. Fury's Alicia White continued the rush with dominating in-cuts, scoring the next two points. Traffic didn't let the score slip too much, as their poach defense cut off lanes and often forced Fury's handlers to high stall counts. Traffic's Alyson Walker intercepted a long put in one of these situations, and a few plays later, Megan O'Brien put a pretty bender into the back of the end zone for Hilary Dunn, making the count 7-5 in favor of Fury. Wasting no time, however, Fury's Nancy Sun broke her mark with an inverse backhand to take halftime. 

In the second half, Traffic brought the score within two, but that was the closest they would get. Fury's Gwen Ambler stifled several long attempts with keen defensive awareness, and as for Traffic's hucks that did get through, the receivers just weren't there. Mercier and handler Kira Frew had several big plays for Traffic, and Tasia Balding zipped an inverse forehand to Sanya Pleshakov to take the score to 13-9. Fury's intelligent strike cutting made putting the game away look easy, and Enessa Janes' layout score sealed the win and put Fury in the position to defend their championship title. 

Riot vs. Ozone 

Ozone was riding high from their convincing victory over Lady Godiva, and Riot was looking to crush the regional champion for the South – both teams wanted a shot at Fury in the finals. Riot cruised out to an early lead, going up 4-1 as Michelle Bowlen's handblock near the end zone line provided the set-up for the fourth point. Val Dion's smooth play in the first half set up two scores, and she put Riot ahead 5-1 with a forehand to the back of the end zone into Jenn Wilson's hands. Ozone tried to lengthen the field, but the wind often slowed their hucks down and allowed Riot to catch up, pitting several players against each other in air battles that Riot often won. Ozone did get a break near their own line, as Shanye Crawford broke her mark with a wide throw for the score – 7-4 Riot.  

In the second half, Ozone's offense looked much smoother, falling back on their standard quick in-cuts. They scored the first point after half to take it to 8-5, but on defense, their zone fell apart. Riot popped a hammer over the top of the cup, opening up the entire field and walking into the end zone, increasing the lead to 9-5. Riot piled on the points from that moment, going up 12-5 on a backhand put from Dion and a low one-handed snag from Bowlen. It seemed whenever Ozone strung together some smooth passes, an unlucky bounce or tip would put the disc back into Riot's hands. On game point, Riot's Liz Duffy took advantage of one of these miscues, quickly putting the disc back into play and setting off a chain of passes to give Eva Cham the score and Riot the victory, 15-9, and a chance for redemption against Fury in the finals. 

All that remains are Fury and Riot, just like many people predicted. Will Fury capture the double glory of earning a Worlds Championship and a UPA Championship in the same season, or will Riot be able to serve Fury with their first loss of the year? Tomorrow will reveal whether one big surprise is in store in Sarasota.

Women's Division Day 2
by Jessica Sipperley
Photo - Matt Lane

Every qualifying women's team has the skills to play in uncomfortable or unpredictable elements. But playing successfully through poor conditions can wear on a squad's mindset and throw a wrench into basic fundamentals. Swing throws become more difficult to place. Dump cuts need a wider margin of space. Deep hucks don't end up as envisioned. 

This day's element was the wind, as it returned for another round of play. Every team had to adjust to this extra defender. Some teams did it better than others, but the wind certainly set the stage for close battles. The power pools were set, and each win was precious, moving a team one step closer to the limited quarterfinals line-up. Here's how the second day of play panned out, and which teams beat the wind and their opponents to get into the top eight. 

Pool E: Fury, Backhoe, Lady Godiva, Capitals

Fury came out with smart offense and intense defense to rack up the points on each opponent. Against Lady Godiva in the first match, Fury relied on a tough zone defense, which often pushed Godiva back deep into their own zone and stifled their popping abilities. Early on, Godiva had a chance to jumpstart their offense when Fury's Martita Emde threw a high-release backhand that floated over the outstretched hands of Enessa Janes in the end zone. But Fury quickly drew the turnover, and Gwen Ambler's strike cut gave Fury the point and allowed them to extend their lead to 4-2. Godiva's best chances came when they quickly swung the disc and did not let Fury's defense set, but deep pulls and that zone defense often gave the women from Boston a tough hole to climb out of. Lady Godiva failed to get on the board for the rest of the game, and Fury won 15-2.  

After a win in Pool C yesterday, Backhoe quickly found themselves down 6-3 to Capitals to start out the day. Backhoe came out fired up on defense during the next possession, but Capitals responded by calmly swinging the disc and scoring again, and eventually took half, 8-3. The wind was a factor throughout the game, often eating up ordinary swing passes and lofting hucks way out of bounds. Down 13-8 in the second half, co-captain Lindsey Hack threw two breaks and the score to close the gap, 13-9. Capitals scored one more to bring the match to game point, but Cate Foster's inspired play, first with a determined in-cut and then heads-up defense, kept Backhoe's chances alive. But their intense defense wasn't enough, as Capitals' Heather Adams pulled down the disc between a mass of Backhoe players in the end zone to seal the deal, 15-13.  

Fury had a long time to rest before facing Backhoe, and Backhoe had just come off the intense Capitals loss. Instead of coming out flat, Backhoe showed a great amount of tenacity, and scored the most points on Fury this weekend. Backhoe challenged Fury early, keeping the score tight, but Fury's zone baited the Backhoe offense into an easy interception and conversion to go up, 5-3. Backhoe's Kate Morrison made a great grab over several players in the end zone to bring Backhoe within one, but Fury's overall domination of the air space allowed them to take half, 8-5. In the second half, defense took over. Down 10-6, Backhoe's offense stalled on the sideline, and Ambler took advantage of the turnover to bomb a forehand behind everyone to Alicia White in the end zone. Backhoe was never able to close the gap, and Fury ran away with the game, 15-7. 

Lady Godiva also had a long time to rest, and they started out convincingly, taking the first four points of the game. Several hucks from Capitals that would have been right on target for streaking receivers got eaten up by the wind, allowing Godiva's defenders to catch up and D the disc. In the second half, Capitals used smart poachy defense to fluster the Godiva offense, and on the next possession, Kristin Laurin brought the disc down with a one-handed grab over a diving Dominique Fontenette for the score, narrowing the gap to 9-5 in favor of Godiva. Once soft cap went on, it was too late for Capitals to catch up, and Godiva took the game 14-7. 

Pool F: Riot, Traffic, Ozone, Brute Squad

In power pool games, Riot didn't allow a team to come within five points, and this focus was apparent from the very start of the day. Riot drew Ozone in the first round, and on the initial possession, Eva Cham made a solid in-cut that gave her all day with the disc. She set it to Kari DeLeeuw, who floated a lofty backhand behind Ozone's defense to Kathryn Lawson to put Riot up, 1-0. This heads-up offense led Riot around each one of Ozone's defensive sets and quickly put them in the win column, 15-6. 

In the next round, Riot and Traffic traded points early on, but Sarah Griffith's sliding grab off DeLeeuw's cross-field hammer ignited the Riot sideline and gave them the edge, 6-4. Traffic kept the game close until halftime, but Riot tacked up two more quickly in the second half to widen their advantage to 10-6. A few points later, Traffic's Jennifer Kwok had a beautiful leaping grab and put a backhand into the end zone for a score to close the gap to 11-8, but it wasn't enough. Riot won 15-9 to advance to quarterfinals. 

Pre-Riot, Traffic had a hotly contested game with Brute Squad, both in terms of the close score and the incredible number of calls on both sides. Brute Squad jumped out right away with zone defense, and co-captain Hilary Dunn led Traffic's offense through it with effective popping. Traffic's Alyson Walker ran down the disc on the first look for a score after she jumped over the end zone line. An observer discrepancy over whether she was in resulted in a reset on the end zone line, but Traffic converted anyway to strike first. Later in the half, Brute Squad's Vivian Zayas stayed calm under pressure and prevented Traffic from taking half, as she threaded a low inverse backhand into the end zone to make the count 7-5 in favor of Traffic. After another Brute Squad break point, it was Traffic's turn to stay cool, and they scored an easy point off a series of open-side cuts to take half, 8-6. 

Brute Squad stormed out after half to take the first two points, including a bookends play by Kathy Dobson. The teams traded several long puts that sailed out of reach, but after Sanya Pleshakov expertly read a disc and pulled it down, it looked like Traffic would be the one to convert. But the possession turned into the third Brute Squad break point in a row, putting them ahead 9-8. The teams went back and forth until soft cap went on. Only needing one point to win, Traffic's defense was firing on all cylinders, led by Anne Mercier's intense lay-outs. Despite this, and the rampant flooding of Brute Squad cutters to the open side, Shelly Peyton came down with the disc to tie it, 15-15. On universe point, Traffic kept possession of the disc, and Jill Calkin's score took the game for Traffic, 16-15. 

After yet another tight contest, Brute Squad faced Ozone in a critical game that would impact their placement for pre-quarters. Brute Squad's zone defense stumped Ozone's popping game, but Ozone's handlers compensated with skilled break throws. Up by one point, 5-4, Brute Squad put on the pressure and forced a turnover deep in their scoring territory. But despite a few more switches in possession, Ozone kept the pressure high on their own, and Annie Newton fed Kirsten Unfried for the tying point. As long as Ozone kept the disc moving, they were able to combat Brute Squad's zone effectively, and they took half, 8-7. Ozone racked up the first few points after halftime, and their solid in-cuts on offense allowed them to work patiently and win, 13-9, sending Brute Squad to the pre-quarters.  

Pre-Quarters: Capitals v. Showdown 

Although Capitals topped Backhoe today, Backhoe's sweep of the pool yesterday gave them a record advantage, and Capitals ended up last in Pool E. They were pitted against upstart Showdown from Texas, who beat LaYuma 12-10 and Nemesis 15-9 to emerge from one of the bottom pools in search of a backdoor game win. The teams with seeds No. 1-6 had all solidified their spots in the quarterfinals, but Showdown upset the pre-tournament rankings. 

Both teams traded hasty throws early on, and Showdown cashed in on the pre-game jitters as Christina Choffel scored a Callahan on the first possession. On defense, Showdown relied a lot on zone, but Capitals was able to work it effectively through the holes, and the teams traded quick points throughout the first half. A pretty backhand break throw into the end zone put Showdown on top at half, 8-7.  

Capitals came out fired up to start the second half, and Hadiya Roderique had two crucial lay-outs – one to keep possession and again for the score – to tie it up, 8-8. A few possessions later, Capitals was able to get behind Showdown's defense with some accurate long passes and a score to take the lead, 11-10, but also the last Capitals point. Showdown pushed the disc downfield with calm backhand throws and called a time-out to set a play. The tactic worked perfectly, as AJ Moore's sick juke in the end zone threw off her defender and put Showdown ahead, 13-11. A four-break run ended the game, as Showdown shelved the start-of-game haste for focused intensity and won the first backdoor bid to the quarterfinals, 15-11.  

Pre-Quarters: Brute Squad vs. Rare Air

Brute Squad was projected to finish in the top half of the field, but Showdown had cast aside the seedings to pull out a victory in the first pre-quarters match. Rare Air was looking to conquer the seedings as well, after beating Loose Cannon 15-8 and Pop 15-7 to advance. The game looked like it would go either way for quite some time, as the teams traded long, long points. The wind was a definite factor: Downwind hucks picked up steam and sailed out of bounds, way past streaking receivers, and upwind throws floated on the breeze and became difficult to read, resulting in frequent turnovers. Down 6-4, Rare Air's Katie Dolara had a monster handblock to get the offensive gears rolling, but Brute Squad ate up the following huck. Rare Air's Allison Boyd answered right back with a defensive play of her own, and Rare Air converted on a marathon point and closed the gap, 6-5.  

Despite the wind, Brute Squad's Vivian Zayas still found success with her hucks, and led the offense to close out the first half ahead 8-7. Later in the half, Zayas manned the attack again, and Kathy Dobson keenly brought down Zayas' long throw and immediately put it to Christie Kim to widen the lead to 10-8. Rare Air's Leah Brooks played killer defense to ward off the Brute Squad offense, but after the lengthy first half, soft cap came too soon. Brute Squad was able to get the win, 12-10, and earn the last spot in quarterfinals.  

Women's Division Day 1
by Jessica Sipperley

On the opening day of the Club Championships, the women's teams that have been preparing for this weekend all season finally came together. The seedings were set, the pools were decided, the opponents were in sight. But something else came to play today: A whole lot of wind. Each drill had to be fine-tuned to adjust to the strong breeze. In order to fly, every disc had to be tweaked to have that much more spin on it. The elements usually have a nice way of equalizing the playing field, but not today. Over the whole day of pool play, there were only two upsets, and Fury, Riot, Backhoe and Traffic came out undefeated. 

Pool A
Fury (3-0)
Capitals (2-1)
Rare Air (1-2)
Ambush (0-3) 

The results from Pool A came in just like they were supposed to. Fury was often done with their matches before some others even hit halftime. The Bay Area team flew through their opposition, dismantling Rare Air 15-5 and Ambush 15-2.  

After seeing Capitals play Rare Air very tightly, and anticipating the high level of skill on the Canadian-based team, a match-up between Fury and Capitals was supposed to be the closest in Pool A play. Fury wouldn't have it though, and their athleticism made easy work of Capitals with a 15-3 victory. But in that Fury game, Capitals had just come off an intense game against Rare Air. Down 6-3, Rare Air's Leah Brooks tried to close the gap during the first half with a long forehand huck, but two Capitals defenders came in to swat the disc away. Rare Air regained possession and Brooks struck gold, tossing a backhand score at the end of a few pretty passes – 6-4 Capitals.  

Capitals jumped up to take half at 8-6 and tacked on another one at the restart, but Jana Krutsinger of Rare Air brought her team within two points with two break throws on her own to keep the offense going. Down 9-7, Capitals were nearing runaway territory, and Rare Air needed to start gaining points back. Rare Air threw a trap zone, forcing Capitals to escape with a cross-field hammer throw. The technique worked, and despite having several "this close" defensive bids, Capitals kept possession to get that point, and several afterward, to win 15-10.  

Although Ambush didn't enter the win column, the team from New York rebounded from their Fury loss to make a close game with Rare Air. Ambush's offense was firing early, striving for deep looks to get on the board. But they weren't ready for Rare Air's equally fired-up defense, as a solid footblock and smart poachy plays stifled Ambush's attack. After one such huck sailed into the ground, Rare Air moved into offense off a quick transition, and Tina McDowell earned the score to put Rare Air up 3-1. A few possessions later, Rare Air's Allison Boyd D'ed the disc, nearly scoring a Callahan, but teammate Brooks put it away to put Rare Air up 4-3. Rare Air maintained a cushion of a few points for the rest of the game, before running away after halftime to a 15-9 win.

Pool B
Riot (3-0)
Brute Squad (2-1)
Showdown (1-2)
Box (0-3) 

Pool B also followed the seeding order exactly, with Riot's closest game coming against No. 10 seed Showdown. The team from Austin, Texas came out rocking in the first game, showing no signs of pre-nationals jitters, and quickly tallied two against the 2007 runners-up. On the next possession, Miranda Roth's forehand popped up into the air – another victim of the strong wind – but her Riot teammate Alyson Thieman pulled the disc down to put Riot on the board, 2-1. 

After that small scare, Riot went on a slight run to go up 6-3. The teams trade botched plays and rushed discs, and after another turnover, Riot's Jenn Wilson walked to the disc so her team could regroup. The strategy served well, because Liz Duffy connected to Sarah Griffith in the end zone at the end of the marathon point, putting Riot ahead, 7-3. Riot took halftime, but Showdown's Cara Crouch laid out past Roth to get a hot D to try to set the tone for the second half. Despite this sweet play, Riot struck first after half to go up 9-4, and they never looked back, closing out the game with a score of 15-10. 

Led by handler Vivian Zayas and her impressive resume of break throws, Brute Squad looked ready to tally up several points easily, but in the first game, Box didn't let the game out of its sights. Box's cutters used their height to snag several high discs and keep possession going throughout the first half. After Box scored a few break points in a row to go up 6-4, Brute Squad called a time-out. The break rejuvenated Brute Squad, as they scored to close the gap to 6-5. On the next point, Zayas showed her flair for running the offense by pointing to the break side and then sliding a break forehand under her mark's arm and into her teammate's hands to tie it up, 6-6. 

After halftime, Box found success by threading quick passes around Brute Squad defenders as they scrambled to adjust to moving play. But once the disc stopped momentum, Brute Squad was able to get the key turnovers and tally enough points to stop Box's rush and win, 15-11. In the next game against Showdown, Brute Squad quickly found themselves embroiled in another tight match. As is customary with a strong wind, the teams traded points back and forth, arriving at an 11-11 score. With covered dump cutters, Zayas didn't seem fazed, and she hit Rana Suh on a deep look in the end zone to go up 12-11. Showdown kept things close with fast transitions to offense, but Brute Squad didn't give them enough chances to convert. On the end zone line, Brute Squad called a time-out. The following isolation play worked perfectly, giving Brute Squad the point and the win, 15-13. 

To close out pool play, Riot easily ran through Brute Squad, 15-5, and Showdown took out Box, 15-10. 

Pool C
Backhoe (3-0)
Lady Godiva (2-1)
Pop (1-2)
Loose Cannon (0-3) 

The two big stories out of this pool were the incredibly close game between Backhoe and Lady Godiva, and the debut of Pop, a first-year club team that qualified for the Championships and tacked on a win over a Sarasota veteran. Backhoe easily rolled through Pop, 15-4, and Loose Cannon, 15-5, and kept their eyes on the biggest game in the pool, against Lady Godiva.  

This match was filled with skilled playing, hot defense and dramatic moments on each side. Lady Godiva struck first, going up by two, and the game stayed close throughout. Backhoe's Rachel Gross exemplified the close nature of the game when she caught the disc and fell forward, rooting her feet inside the end zone. With her bottom half inside the coveted white line, the observer ruled her in, putting Backhoe ahead, 10-9. 

The exhaustion wore on each team, as in-cuts came a little less easily. Backhoe ended up having the speedier squad and sealed the deal, even squelching a rejuvenated Lady Godiva team after Rowan Sil laid out for the one-handed score to tie it up, 12-12. Backhoe won, 15-12, to wrap up first place in the pool. 

Losses to Backhoe and Lady Godiva were expected for Pop. But how the Minneapolis-based team would fare against Loose Cannon, a team with a lower seed but Club Championship experience, was a big question in Pool C. The game began just like most of the other women's matches: A consistent point-by-point trade. Loose Cannon was looking to rebound from losses to both Backhoe and Lady Godiva, and they took the game to halftime, 8-6. It appeared Loose Cannon was ready to take apart the newbie squad at the start of the second half, as they took advantage of Pop's disorganized defense to go up, 9-6. Pop wasn't done, though, and the team worked its way back into the match and over to the victory column, holding seed and beating Loose Cannon, 15-11. 

Pool D
Traffic (3-0)
Ozone (2-1)
Nemesis (1-2)
LaYuma (0-3) 

And the pattern-breaker emerges! Nemesis took down LaYuma and Traffic beat Ozone, to mix up the final results in this pool with the only two upsets of the day. Traffic had won the last bid out of the ultra-competitive Northwest Region by only one point, and they were looking to do some damage on the first day of play. They easily took care of Nemesis, 15-3, and LaYuma, 15-5, to move on to the business of breaking seed. Ozone outplayed Nemesis and LaYuma as well, winning 15-7 and 15-5, respectively, setting the stage for a battle.  

Defense was the name of Traffic's game against Ozone. Vivian Krauchek's lay-out D led to a score to put Traffic ahead, 3-2. A few plays later, Anne Mercier bid hard for a defensive block, and missed, and then rebounded admirably and handblocked her mark. The Ozone cutters often had trouble organizing their offense and shaking free from their defenders on the open side. On the other hand, Traffic had a few cases of miscommunication on defense, and Ozone stayed in the game during the first half. 

After halftime, Traffic was on top, 13-10, and Mercier led the charge once again. With a heads-up layout to regain possession of the disc, Mercier kicked off a chain of passes that covered tons of yards and put Traffic inside the end zone, 14-10. The last point of the game was difficult to finish off due to Ozone's intense defense. Traffic was all business though, and when Kira Frew found herself stuck on the sideline with a high stall count, she put an impressive forehand across the field to her teammate. An easy backhand throw into the end zone followed, making Traffic's 15-11 victory complete. 

Nemesis, absent from the Club Championship scene in 2007, kicked the day off in a draining fashion, becoming the first Traffic victims. Traffic set the tone for their 15-3 win early – they took halftime, 8-1, by threading together quick, efficient points. When there was a lengthy point, Nemesis came close to scoring, but a misread or unlucky play often put the score out of their reach.  

Women's Division Preview
by Jessica Sipperley

Will a surprise squad plow through pool play, refusing to bow down to the Sarasota regulars? Will the last victory of the weekend go to a steady team that's always been on the radar, but hasn't been able to break into the top? Or will we see a repeat of the Fury/Riot domination throughout the tournament, ending in a finals rematch for the 3^rd year in a row?  

On the road to the finals, the stage is set after the first day of pool play. A solid performance early can grant a team one of the coveted eight spots in the Championship bracket. The first few rounds of the tournament can play out predictably, or result in some key upsets, especially between closely-seeded teams. How are things going to shake out this year? 

Pool A: Fury (1); Capitals (8); Rare Air (9); Ambush (16)

Pool A is arguably the most difficult pool in the tournament. Each team has to try to take down the Fury powerhouse. So far this year, another team has yet to throw a cog into their operation. Fury closed out the season undefeated, taking down regional rival Riot by a score of 14-8 to win the Northwest regional.  

But even the best machine can become unhinged. Capitals dominated their section to advance to the Northeast regional, but they fell to eventual regional champ Lady Godiva 11-13 and Brute Squad, 11-15. However, these teams were the semi-finalists last year, so look for Capitals to stay competitive with Fury and finish in the top half of the pool. 

With that said, the 8 vs. 9 match-up could definitely go either way. After an absence last year, Rare Air is back, with an impressive resume of competition. Although Rare Air lost to Brute Squad, LaYuma (twice) and Lady Godiva at the Chesapeake Open, three of the matches were on universe point – which could have likely gone the other way. In October, Rare Air took care of business at regionals, beating Box twice to make a return to the Nationals scene. From the Northeast, Ambush earned the fourth and final bid from the region, following up an undefeated Sectionals performance with a 15-8 win over Sugar Shack to take the bid. The high level of competition in Ambush's region will serve the team well during the long weekend. 

Pool B: Riot (2); Brute Squad (7); Showdown (10); Box (15)

Expect more of the same cool-headed and fantastically skillful play from the women of Riot. This team has incredible depth and a domineering streak of wins, blemished only by losses to Riot and one loss to Zeitgeist. Riot will undoubtedly be looking to avenge last year's loss in the finals. But they shouldn't look too far ahead, with 2007 semi-finalist Brute Squad in hot pursuit. Although the team lost to many of the teams competing in Sarasota, Brute Squad finished in second at the Chesapeake Open, behind Backhoe, and has Nationals experience on its side.  

Showdown cashed in on the additional bid awarded to the South, and racked up a tournament win at Chicago Heavyweights. The team eventually lost a close contest to fellow regional qualifier Ozone, 8-11. Box faces a tough climb out of pool play, but they have gotten the best of Lady Godiva at the Labor Day Ultimate Championships, 11-6, and took out last year's qualifier, Safari, with a 15-10 win in the Southwest regional. 

Pool C: Backhoe (3); Lady Godiva (6); Pop (11); Loose Cannon (14)

Backhoe is coming off a regular season filled with accomplishments, capped off with a convincing win at the Mid-Atlantic Regional. At the Labor Day Ultimate Championships, Backhoe went head-to-head with six eventual National qualifiers, winning four games and hanging close in their losses: 9-15 to Fury and 9-12 to Riot. Lady Godiva is no stranger to Nationals. Over the season, they improved vastly, from a winless performance at the Boston Invite 2008 to the Northeast Region champions, defeating Brute Squad and Capitals on the way to the title. 

On the other hand, Pop is completely new to the scene. They have posted close games against Backhoe and Showdown over the year, but couldn't quite pull out the wins. It will be entertaining to see how they fare in the national spotlight, especially against Loose Cannon, with the lower seed but a familiarity with the Nationals. Loose Cannon will be riding a victory high from Regionals – the team fell to Backhoe at that tournament, but won three tough matches in a row to snag the region's final bid.   

Pool D: Ozone (4); Traffic (5); LaYuma (12); Nemesis (13) Ozone hasn't lost a game in close to two months, and they strung together victories over Lady Godiva, Box and Brute Squad at the Labor Day Championships. But one of the tournament's tightest games could come out of this pool, when Ozone has to face Traffic.To earn the final bid from the Northwest Region, Traffic edged out Zeitgeist, a team that cracked the championship bracket in 2007. Traffic's third-place finish in the region came at the hands of Riot, but the loss was on universe point. 

LaYuma joins Ozone from the South Region. This team's biggest exposure to the teams in the Nationals field was at the Chesapeake Open, where they dropped two games to Brute Squad and one to Backhoe. Although the team from the Central Region did not qualify last year, Nemesis won Cooler Classic XX in August and hung close with Pop and Showdown throughout the season. LaYuma has the Sarasota experience on their side, but they shouldn't discount Nemesis, and their match-up will be another must-see for this pool.