Chicago Machine heads to Sarasota, FL this week for USA Ultimate Club Nationals. The tournament runs from Thursday October 19th to Sunday October 22nd, and features the top 16 teams in the country from the Men's, Women's, and Mixed divisions.
It has been over five years since the last time the Club Championships were held in Sarasota (after a 13 year run from 2000-2012). Only 8 members of 2017 Machine have been on the squad long enough to remember the white sand beaches of Siesta Key, and the legendary escapades of Captain Curt's/ Daiquiri Deck.
This season, Machine comes in seeded 7th overall, pitting them in a pool with Seattle Sockeye (#2 seed), Florida United (#11), and New York PoNY (#14). Pool play games will take place on Thursday, leading into Pre-Quarters/ Quarters on Friday, Semi-Finals on Saturday, and Finals on Sunday. (Link to USAU Score Reporter Page)
The Nationals tournament format has been adjusted as of 2016 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.
Notes:
- Machine has played Sockeye once this season, winning a close quarterfinals at the Pro Championships in Burlington, WA.
- Machine has yet to play Florida United in 2017.
- Machine is 0-2 against PoNY, having lost on universe point at the Pro-Elite Challenge in Colorado, and in a lopsided affair at the Elite-Select Challenge in Appleton, WI.
While a few players are coming off of minor injuries, Machine will have a full roster in attendance.
Machine is not the only Chicago based team attending the tournament. The Chicago women's team, Nemesis, will also be attending. Both teams will be staying in the same beach villa complex in Siesta Key, creating a Chicago home base in the Sunshine State.
None of Machine's game's are currently slated for filming/ live streaming, but Machine will be filming games to be used for a post-tournament highlight video.
To follow the results over the weekend you can check in on the Chicago rowdy boys through Facebook / Twitter for regular updates.