Finals: Chain falls despite strong 2nd half, 11-13. Still a lot of room to grow…

Chain now trailing late, 10-11.

Chain down considerably at half, 3-7 – rally caps now firmly on, score is 8-8.

Semis: Victory over a game Truck Stop 13-11. Finals now versus Boston’s Ironside (now with more Cricket).

Chain Lightning playing Truck Stop (who we narrowly beat last year here) now in one semis, for chance to play Ring/Ironside winner.

Quarters: ATL beat NYC PoNY in quarters 12-7.

via ATLchain twitter

Shaking off the dust of several weeks’ (relative) inactivity since the team took 4th place at the World Championships, Chain Lightning got off to a good start for the 2010 club season on Saturday. Chain beat Madcow 13-4 to help set the tone for the day, only allowing 1 second half goal; the Town Hall Stars and Bodhi were dispatched 13-6 and 13-9, respectively, to finish off the pool victory.

The evening crossover was a 13-10 win over Ring of Fire, setting up Sunday’s action with Chain maintaining its top-seeded position. The schedule has the team facing the winner of Southpaw (Philadelphia, boasting stellar Chain alum Joel Wooten) and PoNY (NYC) in the quarterfinals at 10:20:

*Chesterpeake in honor of Chain’s #1 travelling fan, who has made Poolesville, MD, a priority annual stop for his season itinerary.

Chain Lightning kicks off its fall campaign this weekend with a return to the Greater DC area for the Chesapeake Open, where the ATLiens are 2-time defending champs. The finals 2 years ago with Boston’s Ironside presaged a semi-finals matchup at 2008 Nationals, and last year’s run culminated with a defeat of NC’s Ring of Fire in the finals (as well as a 1 point Saturday loss to the Revolver team we later beat to win the 2009 UPA Championship).

Saturday’s initial pool of play looks like the following, with a possible cross-over with Truck Stop (who gave Chain a tight game here last year) looming later in the day if the teams play well:

Chain’s tournament schedule and results will be up on the USAU score reporter, and updates will be available here as well as through Chain’s twitter account http://twitter.com/ATLchain and the twitter hashtag #copen (for updates on the whole tournament).

Rob White in last year’s Chesapeake finals, via Chad Borer

Chain lost 2 tough, close games today, to Seattle Sockeye 16-15 in the semis, and then to Japan’s Buzz Bullets 17-15 in the game for 3rd.