UPDATES:
Chain scores last 3 in a strong second half to take the top spot!
Chain took half 8-7
now in finals vs. Doublewide, both teams already qualified for nationals
Chain wins semis 13-7: 9-2 run to close
Chain up 8-5 over Tanasi at half in semis

Chain over Six Pack 15-7, on to semis vs. Tanasi
other side has DW vs. Uproar (with 2 Chain alums, Brandon Perales and Will Moore)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Saturday’s play in Little Rock, Chain sits at 4-0, having outscored their opponents 60-12. A nice day, but all it really means is that the Atlantans held onto the 2nd seed, lining up the potential showdown with top seed Doublewide in the finals – assuming both squads advance through the morning’s first 2 playoff games.

If Chain beats Six Pack in the quarters, they’ll likely face another sectionals opponent in Tanasi, who pushed Doublewide a bit yesterday after pushing Chain at sectionals in September. In more common formats, regionals brackets lead to the 1-2 match in the late morning with no games prior. Today’s scenario may gauge teams’ depth, and Chain does seem likely to have the tougher semis opponent (though this sometimes leaves the winner sharper for the next game.)

South Regional schedule and scores
Leaguevine for South Regionals (tournament teams twitter updates aggregated)
Chain Lightning’s twitter (@ATLchain)

In the longest streak of its kind for club ultimate, Chain Lightning has never lost, not once, at sectionals, claiming the title every year since the team’s inception in 1982. Sectionals weekend this year in Chattanooga proved no different, though Tanasi has emerged as a consistent presence over the last few years, with a great chance to return to Nationals. For Chain, it was a good start to the USAU Series, advancing to Regionals as one of the top seeds.

Saturday had only 3 games, with convincing wins over Voodoo (Knoxville), Slow Country Boil, and Duel (Nashville). Before playing Tanasi in the finals Sunday, Chain won the semis 15-7 over fellow Georgians Six Pack, an athletic team with heart.

results from the USAU score reporter

Some nice shots from sectionals from one of Chain’s most faithful photographers, Christina Schmidt, including rookie Michael Arenson getting off the ground:

Will Lokke with the hammer block

Jolian Dahl extends on the forehand release

Rookie Michael Arenson going way up

Arenson finishes at high altitude

Nick Lance rises for the catch, trailed by Russell Snow and Ben Spears

Chain Lightning left Santa Cruz with work left to do after a finals loss, but buoyed by signs of a team progressing. Chain claimed the top seed in Pool A on the strength of a 4-1 record that included a 14-11 win over defending USAU champs Revolver. The lone loss came on double game-point to Furious George; the team otherwise had been thriving in games’ latter stages, including an 8-3 2nd half to knock off a Great Britain squad that had held an 8-6 lead at half.

After a long break before the semifinals, Chain defeated Seattle’s Sockeye 13-12 at double game-point, with rookie Elliott Erickson snaring the winner. Besides propelling Chain to the finals, the win helped salve (a little) the wounds of some recent painful losses to Sockeye. In the finals, Revolver pulled away in the 2nd half and exacted a bit of revenge for their pool-play loss to ATL.

Chain Lightning successfully defended its home turf this weekend, capturing the Terminus title and starting the club season with an undefeated tourney.

champs disc

ATL went 7-0 on the weekend, knocking off Atlanta-based (Ball & Chain-ish) Southern Mash 13-5 in the semis before defeating a game Sentinel squad (St. Louis) 9-5 for the title.

Do-or-die time now that it’s the weekend. The round of 8 opponent is Seattle’s Sockeye, who left Chain with a gut-punch loss the last time the two faced (semis at Worlds in Prague). Winner advances to the semis vs. the Ironside/Ring victor.

updates:
rough start for the ATLiens, 0-3 (broken twice)
2-6, we’ll need a comeback like ’06 quarters (from down 5 vs. Revolver)
3-8 at half, have to score to start the half, then keep the D in
trade to begin, 4-9 — that won’t get it done
3 goal run to get to 7-10; keep hope alive!
7-12, zone has hurt
lead cut to 3, 9-12
last chance, 9-14
can’t afford to get down 4 or 5 at the beginning of a game at this point, and we could never close that gap.

Frustrating 2010 continues for Chain, sent into 5th-8th placement games purgatory by a 10-15 loss to Sockeye.

Southpaw game:
Chain receives, starts 2-0
S’paw gets it to 4-3
Chain extends to an 8-5 lead at half
windier than yesterday, more up/down wind than yesterday’s crosswind
2 breaks to start second half, lead up to 10-5
late 2nd half, Chain holding lead, 13-11
final: Chain Lightning 15 – Southpaw 11

early on, Chain trails 2-4
still down, 3-6
break to get to 6-7
half is 6-8 Truck Stop
now down 8-12
getting late, behind 10-13

Chain falls, 12-15.

On the other hand, it appears that, once the smoke settles, Chain will retain the top seed in its pool, coming out on top of a 3-way tie between 2-1 teams.

If that’s the case, Chain gets lucky to avoid being sent down to the lower brackets and having to stage the long climb back.

Chain was down 7-8 at half, then 8-10 before closing 7-1. ATL fans will no doubt be hoping for those strong second stanzas to continue, especially versus a Truck Stop team trying to claw into Friday’s power pools.

Chain wins, 15-8! 1 down, 2 to go today. ATL finishes strong with a 7-2 2nd half.

Kiran Thomas, via Scott Roeder and the USAU

San Diego has a reputation as an aggressive team that takes big chances in the deep game, a style that helped them upset Boston on Day 1 last year in Sarasota. Reports are that they came out with a strong hucking game this morning, too, but Chain was able to get in a groove with its defense and roll by the end. Next up is Furious George, fresh off an upset over the pool’s 2nd seed, Truck Stop.