Machine News
ICYMI: Special guest contributor, Hickory Johnston, provided Machine with the post-game video recaps for the team Twitter account while at Nationals (below you can see those tweets). In lieu of a formal tournament recap, we asked Hickory to provide a video recap vlog:
High Five edges us 13-15. Here's Hickory Johnston with the recap. #NationalsIL pic.twitter.com/hpiwylQfJm
— Chicago Machine (@MachineUltimate) September 30, 2016
Recap of our 15-11 win over PONY. #NationalsIL pic.twitter.com/vDg2nujj2r
— Chicago Machine (@MachineUltimate) September 30, 2016
Hickory Johnston offers a recap and deep statistical analysis of our 6-7 DGP loss to @MadisonClub. #NationalsIL pic.twitter.com/fjEMZpJpmJ
— Chicago Machine (@MachineUltimate) September 30, 2016
Chicago Machine will make a short trek to Rockford, IL next week for the USAU Club National Championship Tournament. The tournament features the top 16 teams in the country from the Men's, Women's, and Mixed divisions, and takes place over the course of 4 days (Thursday September 30th - Sunday October 3rd).
Machine enters as the 5th overall seed, putting them in a pool with Denver's Johnny Bravo (#4), Houston's HIP (#9), and Vancouver's Furious George (#16). Pool play games kick off on Thursday, followed by bracket play on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. (Full USAU Score Reporter Page)
Within the pool, Machine has only played Johnny Bravo previously in 2016. Bravo won that matchup 13-10 at the Pro-Elite challenge in Denver in early August.
New for 2016, the Nationals tournament format has been adjusted so that the First place finisher in each pool receives a bye directly to quarterfinals. Second and Third place finishers advance to pre-quarters, and Fourth place finishers are eliminated from the championship bracket.
Machine will be bushwhacking 27 deep, as the full roster is in good health and expected to attend.
Given the proximity to Chicago, spectators are encouraged to come out and watch the best men's, women's, and mixed teams compete. The field complex is at Mercy Sportscore 2 in Rockford, and tickets can be purchased in advance: https://www.ticketriver.com/event/21036.
Machine plans to have team flags marking their fields for spectators, and will be selling discs on our sidelines and Machine gear/jerseys through DiscStore's merchandise tent. In the meantime, if you would like purchase gear beforehand, you can do so online via our team store at DiscStore.
None of Machine's game's are currently slated for live streaming, but select Semi-Final matches, and all Finals games will be streamed by USAU through ESPN3.
For those interested in attending the tournament party, details can be found below:
https://www.ticketriver.com/event/21036
This past weekend, Machine ventured out to Rockford, Illinois for the 2016 Great Lakes Regional Championship. Rockford, also known as the Oasis of the Midwest, provided weather that challenged every aspect of a team. Wind and rain on Saturday, followed by calm and sunny skies on Sunday, made for an exciting weekend of ultimate that resulted in Machine winning the region, and securing another consecutive bid to Club Nationals.
Strong performances by Machine and Michigan High Five in the regular season secured two bids to Nationals for the Great Lakes. This allowed for a 16 team, double elimination bracket format. That is, win it all and you’re going to nationals. Lose once, and you’re still in contention for the second place bid. With everyone available this weekend except for Brett Matzuka, Machine looked poised to make a run to Sunday’s Final.
As Machine made it to the fields Saturday, they were met with cloudy skies and moderate wind. Their first game was against Ascension, a new team hailing from Bradley, Illinois. Offensive handlers Bob Liu, Pawel Janas, Ron Kubalanza, and Brett Kolinek worked quickly and efficiently, throwing strikes deep and under to build an early lead. Taking half 8-1, Machine’s defense sought to capitalize on turns and made it a quick second half with a final score of 15-3. This gave Machine extra time to eat and rehydrate, while also learning more about their fellow teammates.
REGIONALS 2016 FACT #1: - Jonathan “Goose” Helton hates the Top Gun soundtrack. Who knew.
The second team Machine faced was Cinncinnati’s own Schweingeist. German for “Pig Ghost” Schweingeist looked to take quick strikes deep against Machine’s cutter defenders. Defensive line veterans Kevin Kelly, Michael Schwenk, Jack Shey, and Von Alanguilan did not allow this tactic to work. A combination of hucks and shorts passes on the turn allowed Machine to take half 8-3, and then finish the game 15-6, pushing them into semifinals and two wins away from a spot at Nationals.
REGIONALS 2016 FACT #2: - Percy Stogdon hopes to be a motivational speaker one day.
Beachfront Property, another men’s team based in Chicago, met Machine in semifinals ready to fight. Beachfront came out swinging, taking advantage of an early turn and punching it in to start the game 0-1. Offense quickly readjusted to work the disc up the field and found their first score of the game to make it 1s. Beachfront displayed great speed and athleticism, but Machine’s defense dictated how the rest of the game would be played. Creating turns with layouts helped Machine take half 8-1, and strong sideline energy helped a quick repeat in the second for the eventual 15-1 win, and a meeting with High Five Sunday in the Championship.
REGIONALS 2016 FACT #3: - Jack Shey CANNOT eat a whole potato in under 75 seconds.
Even off the field, Machine likes to do things as a team. One of the main attractions in Rockford is the Machine Shed, a country style restaurant that provides home cooked meals at a convenient price. Needless to say, Machine had to make a visit. Maybe it was a combination of the day’s results, or maybe it was the feeling of being in Rockford Paradise, but things started to get rowdy. Rockford Rowdy.
REGIONALS 2016 FACT #4: - Alex Evangelides can convince anyone to play Credit Card Roulette.
Before anyone knew it, Alex had 13 cards in a hat and High Five’s Sam Greenwood pulling one card out at a time. With 3 cards being insured by Andrew Sheehan, and at least 1 card that was certain to get declined, the pressure was on.
Is Credit Card Roulette a dangerous game to play? Absolutely. Should you avoid it if you’re financially unstable? Probably. Has anyone called Machine the smartest team in club? Definitely not.
One by one, cards are removed from the hat and fist pumps are thrown in the air. First it was Jeff Zhao, then Jack Shey, then Buchsbaum, and so on. Yet, it was Machine rookie heartthrob Trent Kuhl who found himself matched against salty veteran captain Cullen Geppert for the final drawing.
“Trent put his card in knowing he wouldn’t even have enough money to buy his own meal, let alone 12 of his teammates.” Von Alanguilan joked as he grasped Kuhl before the final standoff.
Greenwood took his time mixing the last two cards in the hat. Some say he took seconds, Trent would say he took hours. Finally, his hand went still, and Greenwood retrieved a single card from within.
Do you believe in fate? Or do you believe everything is a coincidence?
As the words “It’s Trent” left Sam Greenwood’s mouth, the very public restaurant erupted in cheers. Kuhl promptly left the restaurant, shouting “I’m going to live forever” as he disappeared into the darkness, leaving Geppert with a receipt to sign. That same confidence seemed to carry over into Sunday when Machine faced off High Five in the regional final.
REGIONAL 2016 FACT #5: - Von Alanguilan is a bad, bad man.
Michigan High Five is a team that will challenge you in every facet of the game. They can huck deep with strong consistency, and they can work the disc to any side of the field. They have the defense to wear you down, and to also contest your deep looks. Machine and High Five both had their fair share of turns to start the game, but it was Machine that jumped out to an early 3-1 lead with multiple breaks by the defense. High Five went on a break train of their own to grab the lead and extend it to 3-5, but Machine used it’s handler core and the skying abilities of AJ Nelson and Jesse Buchsbaum to bring it to 7s. It was
High Five that brought it to half, after catching a tipped disc in the end zone. Luckily, that wasn’t the end of the game. High Five continued the momentum to 11-9 until Von Alanguilan made one of the best layout Callahan catches this world has ever seen. Taking an inside route on a routine swing, Alanguilan made an unreal left handed catch, landing into the endzone. Unfortunately, a foul was called and the point was replayed. It seemed the damage had been done, though. Machine’s energy cascaded to unprecedented levels, captain Walden Nelson responded with a hand mack and break, bringing it back to 11s. Cap proceeded to go off, and the game would be decided at 13. High Five drew first blood, but Machine was able to score on offense, and get the final deciding break to win on double game point, and earn a bid to Nationals 13-12.
3 weekends from now, Machine will find themselves back in Rockford, playing more CCR and playing for a national title. Come out and see us play September 29th through October 2nd.
Lastly, Machine wants to give huge ups to Nemesis (Chicago's Elite Women's Team) and UPA (Chicago's Elite Mixed Team). Both teams made it to finals at Regionals and came up just short. Nemesis busted their asses all season and have been great supporters of Machine throughout the season. A tough Columbus Rival team was able to knock them out, but we are very proud of their efforts throughout this season. Similarly, UPA came together to valiantly fight until universe point against a Columbus Steamboat that was ranked 5th in the country.
Highlight Video:
The USAU Club Series is in full swing, as Machine looks to qualify for Nationals this weekend at the Great Lakes Regionals in Rockford, IL.
Based on Machine's top 4 finish at Club Nationals in 2015, and their attendance at two USAU Triple Crown Tour event's (the US Open & Pro-Elite Challenge), they were able to advance directly to Regionals without attending Sectionals.
The Great Lakes Region has two bids to Nationals up for grabs after both Machine and Michigan's High Five finished in the top 16 of the USAU Regular Season Rankings.
Machine enters the tournament as the overall number 1 seed, and will dive straight into a double elimination bracket to determine first and second place.
Full Game Schedule: http://play.usaultimate.org/events/Great-Lakes-Mens-Regionals-2016/ or here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BpXOR8SHgTeCgMSjf8ad42DuCuif9AaATYmbxF1cwRg/edit#gid=1841845737
Machine expects to have their full roster healthy and in attendance for the first time this season, with all 27 players expected to dress. Machine will also be keeping close tabs on the Women's and Mixed division play over the weekend, which takes place at the same complex. Chicago's elite women's team Nemesis and "elite" mixed "team" UPA are both fighting for a single bid to Nationals, entering the weekend as the number two seed in their division's behind respective teams from Columbus, OH.
To follow along for live updates: http://twitter.com/machineultimate
Check back after the tournament for a recap, highlight video, and much more throughout the season!
Two weekends ago, Machine traveled to the east coast for their final regular season tournament, the Chesapeake Open. The tournament took place in Boyds, Maryland, a small town between Baltimore and Washington DC, which was temporarily doubling as the hottest place on earth. With temperatures hitting triple digits, and the heat index cracking 120, Machine withered en route to a 6th place finish.
Machine expected a full roster of 27 for the weekend, only missing veteran coach Andy Neilsen, but ended up losing a few key players on short notice. Jesse Buchsbaum was sidelined due to a lingering leg injury, Ron Kubalanza was unable to make the trip due to last minute issues, Bob Liu sat with wrist issues for the first half of day 1, and Von Alanguilan missed most of Sunday with a knee injury. Despite the losses, Machine still had its largest roster of the season, aided by the late season addition of Julian Childs-Walker (formerly of Sockeye/ Sub Zero). The XL roster and sideline support from several friends and family with food, drinks, and ice, helped Machine manage the dangerous weather with very few heat related issues. The tournament volunteer staff was on top of providing shade, water, and ice, adjusting the tournament format to shorten games, and building in an extra bye for all teams during the hottest portion of the day.
Despite being prepared off the field, Machine’s on field performance looked anything but. The tournament started out smoothly, as Machine got out to an early lead, taking half 7-4 over Raleigh’s Ring of Fire. Machine continued to apply pressure, generating multiple breaks in the second half, closing out with a 13-7 victory. The momentum would not carry over against Machine’s next opponent, New York PoNY. Both teams started the game by trading points, but Machine’s O-line stumbled late in the first half. A 3 break effort by Machine's defense was able to keep things close, going into half down 6-7. In the second half, the offensive struggles persisted and the defenses ability to generate turns and convert break opportunities dried up, allowing PoNY to stretch their lead, handing Machine a 9-13 loss.
During a tournament wide bye for the heat, Machine headed to a local restaurant for food and air conditioning. Despite the loss, Machine still controlled their destiny to finish in the top two of the pool and earn a Sunday bye to quarterfinals. To do so would require beating Atlanta’s Chain Lightning and Toronto’s GOAT to finish the day. Unfortunately, Chain Lightning had other things to say about that. The first half went very similar to the start of the PoNY game, with Machine getting a few breaks, but giving up more. In the second half, Chain began to pull away, before a late push by Machine narrowed the gap to tie things up. A Chain Lightning break to go up 12-11 then coincided with the hard cap going off, handing Machine their second defeat of the day. Hoping to salvage some momentum going into the bracket, Machine laced up against GOAT in the final match-up of the day. In a turn of fortune, the offense began to click in the first half, but the defense looked increasingly ineffective. A few hiccups in the second half cost the O-line breaks, but a back breaking 30 minute long point, in which Machine was unable to convert, sealed the deal, as GOAT walked away with a 9-8 victory under the setting sun.
Machine had little downtime to do anything but sleep after finally leaving the fields at 7:30pm and before being back at the fields the next morning at 7:00am.
With a fresh slate, Machine looked to put day 1 behind them as they faced off against Florida United, a team they previously beat in a close contest at the US Open. While the O-line and D-line had their struggles at times, down 1-2 points throughout the game, a break to take half and a late surge was enough for Machine to take back control, giving Machine a 13-12 pre-Quarter victory. Advancing to quarterfinals, Machine was excited to have a chance to avenge the previous days loss with a rematch against PoNY. An early break gave Machine some life, but PoNY was quick to even things back up, and converted an additional break to create separation. Machine’s d-line again struggled to take advantage of several opportunities to convert scores, and the offense ran out of steam as they grinded through several long points. PoNY kept their arm’s length lead throughout, eventually winning 13-11
Relegated to the 5th place bracket, Machine had another date with Ring of Fire. The game went very much the same as day 1, with Machine’s white line defense grabbing a few early breaks. The offense struggled at time, but consistent pressure on the turn was able to keep Ring out of the end zone, ultimately allowing Machine to hold. Machine kept a comfortable lead throughout, winning 11-8. In the final rematch of the day, Machine took on GOAT once more for 5th place. The game had a loose feel to start, but both teams quickly ratcheted up the intensity. Keeping with the theme, the rematch looked an awful lot like the original, with GOAT breaking early and often, then both teams traded out until it was GOAT for the win at 9-13.
A long, hot, and frustrating weekend on the field, Chicago was happy to get back home and reflect on the struggles. Following the tournament with an off-weekend provided a much needed physical and mental break. Machine now sets it sights on the post-season, with the start of the USAU series taking place at Great Lakes Regionals in Rockford, IL on September 10/11 (previously set for Joliet, IL).
Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter until then!
Full Tournament Score Reporter
TL:DR
Our weekend in a nutshell...
Machine heads to Maryland this weekend to compete in the 2016 Chesapeake Open. The tournament is Machine's third of the season, and their final regular season event prior to the start of the USAU Series. In Machine's previous two tournaments, the US Open and the Pro-Elite Challenge, Machine finished 1st and 3rd respectively. Though the Chesapeake Open is not part of the USAU Triple Crown Tour, Machine elected to attend based on scheduling fit, the high quality of competition, and cost differential from the Pro-Flight Finale in Portland, OR.
More information on the tournament schedule and attending teams can be found at http://play.usaultimate.org/events/Chesapeake-Open-2016/
Machine will compete in the Elite Division as the second seed in Pool B. Their pool includes Toronto's GOAT, New York's PoNY, Raleigh's Ring of Fire, and Atlanta's Chain Lightning. The top two finishers in the pool will advance directly to Sunday's Quarterfinals. Fourth and Fifth place pool finishers will cross over with Pool A in Pre-Quarters, and 3rd place pool finishers will play the pool winners from the Open Division.
Full Game Schedule: http://play.usaultimate.org/events/Chesapeake-Open-2016/schedule/Men/Club-Men/
Machine is expecting to send the entire roster of 27 to Maryland, but will be without Coach Andy Neilsen. Neilsen will be at the Youth Club Championships in Blaine, MN coaching the Illinois' U19 team. Per usual, several players are nursing mid-season injuries but are expected to test the waters come Saturday: Alex Evangelides (groin), Percy Stogdon (foot), and Brett Matzuka (attendance uncertain due to moving). [Update: Not expected to dress are Jesse Buchsbaum (shin tear) and Bob Liu (wrist).] Machine will however be featuring a new addition to the squad, adding Julian Childs-Walker to the roster, a travel player with connections to the team through past playing experiences with Machine counterparts at Carleton, Sockeye, and Sub Zero.
The trip to Maryland holds extra significance for local home town hero, Ben Spielman, who grew up in Potomac, MD, just 20 minutes from the tournament fields. "Psycho Ben", as he is affectionately and ironically called by teammates due to his even keel demeanor, is looking forward to a chance to play in front of family and friends.
To follow along for live updates: http://twitter.com/machineultimate
Check back after the tournament for a recap, highlight video, and much more throughout the season!
ICYMI: Our US Open Highlight Video -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsLe2UGYnsU
Machine ventured west to the Rocky Mountains for last weekend’s Pro-Elite Challenge in Denver Colorado. An almost full squad ended the weekend with a 5-1 record and a 3rd place finish.
Missing only Nick Prozorovsky (wedding) and Percy Stogdon (in attendance but injured), Machine started the weekend out against regional counterpart High Five (Michigan/ Ohio). Both teams traded points to start the game, but Machine was able to gain separation after High Five had a series of miscues in the backfield, as they adjusted to the thin air carrying discs further than expected. Machine played comfortably to a 7-3 halftime lead before High Five was able to pressure Machine into several throwaways in the second half, leading two breaks. Machine was able to respond after both breaks, and after a few late breaks of their own, finished with a 13-7 rout. An underlying story to the game was the seamless integration of several players not in attendance at the US Open, including D-line starters Mike Schwenk, Alex Evangelides, and Stephan Mance, as well as O-line stalwarts Ron Kublanza and Brett Kolinek.
After a second round bye, Machine faced off against local Denver squad, Inception. The hometown men came out aggressive, connecting on several deep shots in stride to a 4-4 stalemate. The Machine defense was then able to tighten the screws, slowing down disc movement, and capitalizing on the turn by converting 7 of 8 opportunities to convert a break score. A 7-4 halftime lead was stretched to a 13-6 final, as the Machine offense did not have a single turnover for the game.
In the last round of pool play, Machine matched up against Kansas City’s Prairie Fire, with a chance to win the pool and earn a bye into Quarterfinals. Despite a poorer conversion percentage on both offense and defense, Machine was able to grid to another 7-4 half-time lead. The Machine o-line grinded hard on the turn, getting the disc back several times as the team pushed ahead for 13-7 victory.
With an early end to the day after winning the pool, Machine was able to take advantage of the great outdoor Colorado scenery, with several players enjoying the opportunity to swim in the Platte River rapids.
On Sunday, Machine crossed paths with Madison Club in the quarterfinals. Madison jumped out to an early lead off an offensive miscue, and controlled the game early on. Machine brought Goose Helton, AJ Nelson, and Brett Matzuka over to the D-line going into half and was able to break to put the game back on serve 7-6. Madison would respond again early in the second half, and Machine saw itself playing from behind in a second half for only the second time this season. At 12-12 Machine pulled on universe and was able to generate a high pressure turnover before working it up for the game winning score.
Advancing to semi’s, Machine took on another local squad in Denver’s Johnny Bravo. Both team’s traded until 3-3, when Bravo was able to take advantage of Machine execution errors. As the game wore on, Machine looked flat, and Bravo continued to accelerate scoring on quick string plays and capitalizing with break side hammers and blades for efficient breaks. A late push was not enough, as Bravo extended a 7-5 halftime lead to a 13-10 victory. The weight of the loss fell heavily on the Machine D-line, who was unable to generate many turns, and had very poor conversion percentages on the opportunities they did receive.
Out of contention, Machine dropped to a 3rd place consolation game against High Five, who had lost to Truck Stop in the other Semi (Truck Stop would go on to beat Bravo in Finals). The rematch from day 1 had a very different feel, as High Five played clean offense and regularly found deep receivers for 1-2 pass points. Losing Pawel Janas and Ron Kubalanza to injury, Machine’s offense had up and down stretches, and High Five was able to convert break opportunities to take half. Similar to the Bravo game, Machine’s D-line struggled to convert break opportunities, but some timely conversions closed the gap in the second half, giving Machine a late lead at 13-12. With the cap not yet on, each team would trade until hard cap, with Machine squeaking out a 15-14 win and 3rd place finish.
With time to kill before flying back to Chicago, Machine met up with Chicago’s elite Women’s team, Nemesis, for some bocce and bags prior to departing for home.
