UPA Club Championships - Open, Day 3By Derek Gottlieb 
10/26/02 
Day 3 quarters: Sockeye comes out looking flat, but manages to take half 8-6. 
Pulling to start the second half, they allow an easy score for Chain and then 
give the Atlanta Boys a turn on the next point. Poised to tie the game at 8, 
Chain throws a woefully inaccurate hammer to Mark Driver, and the Fish put on a 
three-point run. When Chain finally scores their 8th point, Sockeye's already 
got 11 and it's a downhill run from there. Or so it seems. But Sockeye lets down 
and Chain picks up the slack - when the cap goes on, it's 14-12 Sockeye, and 
Chain has all the momentum. But Sockeye buckles down and scores the game winner 
on a short, low throw to the corner. Furious comes out looking strong and Sub 
Zero, by contrast, comes out as flat as the Alberta plains. Furious takes half 
by quite a few and continues to roll through the game. There is no drama here. 
Furious routs Sub Zero 15-7. DoG and Condors trade three-point runs in the first 
half, and DoG finishes the half up a break 8-6. Both of these teams must play 
champion-caliber ultimate in the day's first round, which will undoubtedly tax 
the winner later on. Neither wanted this matchup. At 9-7, DoG throws away a pass 
intended for Moses Rifkin but the Condors can't convert and DoG doesn't give 
them another chance. The teams trade out and DoG unseats the reigning champions 
by the score of 15-12. It's now a question of whether DoG can sustain this level 
of play for the rest of the day. Bravo and Ring looked fairly even early, but 
Bravo gets the first half break 8-6 and starts the second half with a score. 
Bravo has had trouble winning games they should win in this tournament, and Ring 
is not helping them out. They've been improving round by round since the 
tournament began and have punished teams for not punishing them. A big victory 
over Sub Zero yesterday is carrying into quarters At 10-8, Bravo gets a turn but 
overthrows Bob Krier in the endzone and Ring scores to keep the game within one. 
At 11-10, Ring gets a turn and converts, tying the game. Bravo continues to 
struggle: their scores are hard-won and the their frustration gets more visible 
with each point. The game is capped at 13 all, Bravo's advantage, and the teams 
trade to double game point, 14-14. Bravo receives and looks a little frantic as 
they go down the field, and finally Ring's Chris Hinkle steps in front of a 
short pass and gets the turn. A couple of swings, and a big throw goes up to Ray 
Parrish in the end zone. Bravo's Josh Greenough is right with him, but it's 
Parrish who brings it down. Ring upsets Bravo 15-14 and has a semifinal matchup 
with Sockeye to look forward to. 
Open day 3 - semis: Ring of Fire would, at first blush, seem outgunned by a 
charging Sockeye, who thus far has looked dominant in this tournament. However, 
Sockeye looked somewhat less than dominant against a severely outgunned Chain in 
quarters, and they came out that same way to start the semis. Ring, still 
running on the adrenaline of a big quarters upset and eager to prove that 
yesterday's 8-15 loss to the Fish was something of a fluke, started the game on 
fire. Ray Parrish lit up the first half with big skies over more than one 
Sockeye defender en route to an 8-5 halftime lead. Sockeye's first-half offense 
made a few too many mistakes and Ring was all too happy to convert them. Out of 
the gate to start the second half, fans expected to see a resurgent Sockeye 
team; instead, with multiple chances to score, Sockeye gave the first break to 
Ring and the score stands at 10-6. A big hole to climb out of. Sockeye goes on 
to give Ring the second break of the half as well, as Chris Bass climbs the 
ladder on Kevin Monohan. Ring converts again and leads the game 12-7. On the 
next point, Barney Ahouse leads Jeremy Dewitt too far and gives the disc right 
back to Ring. But Ring can't convert as Chris Hinkle chucks one way out of 
bounds. Sockeye gives it right back on Ring's goal-line, and this time Ring 
doesn't let it slip away. 13-7 Ring. The game has had many points with three or 
more turnovers ­ neither team is playing particularly well, but such a situation 
works in the scrappier Ring's favor. Looking exhausted, Sockeye put up one more 
point and Ring ran away with the game 15-8. 
DoG versus Furious is another rematch from the previous day. Like the last game 
between these two teams, the first half is even, with the teams trading early 
breaks. At the half, DoG leads 8-7. Jim Parinella deserves mention here. Playing 
an enormous game against the Condors, he has brought the same game against 
Furious. After the half, however, is when DoG let down yesterday. If Furious 
comes out hard to start the second half, DoG could find themselves in big 
trouble. But DoG maintains its intensity and plays a nearly flawless second 
half. Unfortunately for them, Furious did play a flawless second half. DoG's 
only turnover, at 11-11, was the only turnover of the half. Furious converted it 
and took the lead. I tell you, this is an easy game to report on but a hard game 
to describe. Both teams' play is so high-caliber and so intense that it makes 
every other open game played thus far look like college. Which is saying a lot, 
given the great matches here. But with five total turnovers between the two 
teams, there is really no contest. In the end, Mike Grant, Andrew Lugsdin Kirk 
Savage made the difference. In Ben Worthen's words, "we couldn't find a way to 
stop those guys." On double game point, 16-16, Furious receives the pull and 
fights their way down field against an unrelenting DoG defense. A little 
backhand to the corner, Oscar Pottinger lays out with his defender and comes up 
with the goal. The audience stuck around to applaud both teams for about fifteen 
minutes after the game, which one bystander noted "may have been the best game 
ever played." Furious will meet Ring tomorrow morning in the finals.