Machine to Scrimmage Japan's Buzz Bullets in Chicago on 8/19

Chicago Machine is excited to announce that we will be scrimmaging Japan's elite men's ultimate team, the Bunka Shutter Buzz Bullets.

• What: Scrimmage between Chicago Machine and Japan's Buzz Bullets
  • Open to the public for spectating
• Where: Schiller Park Woods
  • N East River Rd, Chicago, IL 60634
  • Field Map (Targeting Field 1)
• Date: Wednesday, August 19th
• Time: 6:00pm

The Buzz Bullets will be in Chicago for one day on their way to Madison, WI where they will scrimmage the Madison Radicals on Thursday the 20th, prior to attending the Bro-Flight Finale (a tournament jointly hosted by Machine and Madison Club).

Spectators are encouraged to come out and watch. 

More on the Buzz Bullet's attendance at the Bro-Flight Finale: http://www.chicago-machine.com/news-archive/2015/5/19/japans-bunka-shutter-buzz-bullets-to-attend-the-bro-flight-finale

Initial USAU Triple Crown Tour Regular Season Rankings Posted - Aug 5th

The initial USAU TCT Regular Season Rankings were posted today, August 5th. Machine currently sits at 4th nationally. For the full rankings visit: 

http://play.usaultimate.org/teams/events/team_rankings/?RankSet=Club-Men

Pro-Elite Challenge Recap - Machine Finishes 5th

Machine got a little rowdy this weekend in Denver, taking 5th in the Pro-Elite challenge, which featured 14 of the 2014 nationals field. Machine's pool included payback opportunities against Furious George and Temper, as well as the tournament's #1 seed Revolver. 

Machine arrives at the Pro-Elite Challenge in Aurora, CO

Machine started strong against Furious, holding on O and rattling off two breaks for the early 3-0 lead. Furious settled down and traded to 5-3 before a Machine hold and a big break gave half to the boys from Chicago 7-3. The second half featured a lot of altitude turnovers for Furious, with their hucks sailing just out of reach. Machine's D line slammed with door with four straight breaks and zero turnovers to win the game 13-5. 

Machine's D line was still fired up at the start of the second game against Pittsburgh's Temper, breaking again after an O hold. Temper stopped the bleeding and traded several O points with Machine until two straight breaks gave Machine a 7-3 halftime lead. In this game, however, the D line was unable to find pressure in the second half, and the O line gave up its first break. Machine held on for a 13-10 win. 

The higher elevation and rising temperatures sent some Machine players back to the hotels, and others scrambling for shade.

Against Revolver, Machine knew they would face much higher pressure defense. After trading early, the pressure paid off for Revolver, who broke twice to take a 3-5 lead that extended to a 5-7 deficit for Machine at the half. Unable to generate pressure on the Revolver O, Machine survived on offensive grit until a turfed swing and huge Kevin Kelly sky D were both efficiently cashed in for breaks to tie the game 11-11. For the first time in the game, the sidelines got loud to spur on the comeback, but Revolver held on O and broke quickly on D to take the game 13-11. 

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Bracket time! Machine matched up with Truck Stop, who had two DGP losses to go with their win against Boost Mobile. The annual match-up with Truck Stop carries extra weight, as the winner is awarded Walden Nelson for the rest of the weekend. As before, Machine's D line broke after an O hold and carried that lead to half, up 7-5. The altitude and the heat wore on both teams, who more or less coasted to the finish after another Machine break to start the second half. Machine's O line led the way in this one, finishing a perfect 11 for 11 possessions en route to a 13-10 win.  It's worth noting that Truck Stop was playing with a depleted roster, missing several of there top players for various reasons.

After a team dinner and a rowdy battle with some Colorado rapids, Machine rested up for a Sunday quarterfinal matchup against Johnny Bravo.

On Sunday morning, Bravo and Machine traded early breaks before two in a row by Bravo put Machine down 4-7 at half. Machine ramped up the defensive pressure in the second half breaking twice to start the half to bring them within one, 6-7. Long points with lots of turns took this game to the wire, and after trading breaks, Machine fell after scoring at the hard cap, 11-12. 

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Down but not out, the squad headed to the 5th place bracket against an efficient Rhino offense. Machine built a big second half lead on strong conversions of break opportunities, but allowed it to lapse, giving back two breaks and making it a little more interesting down the stretch. The O line figured it out and notched a patient score to close the game 13-11. 

In the final game of the weekend, Machine faced Doublewide in a Five-als rematch of 2013 nationals. That back and forth game ended in the Texans' favor, but this one was all Machine, with a gritty defense forcing a Gibson-less Doublewide into multiple turnovers and breaks. A 15 yard gaining layout D from Walden Nelson and a thunderous goalline catch block from Mike Schwenk capped a 13-7 win for 5th. 

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Overall a great weekend for the big dogs from Chicago, who showed that they could roll with the some of the top teams even while not playing at the top of their game for stretches. Lots of work to do in the two weeks before the Pro Flight Finale, Machine's final regular season tournament.

Full USAU Tournament Results: http://play.usaultimate.org/events/TCT-Pro-Elite-Challenge/schedule/mens/club-men/

Pro-Elite Challenge 2015 - Machine Preview

Machine travels west this weekend, heading to Denver Colorado for the Pro-Elite Challenge (hosted under the name "Colorado Cup"). 

• USA Ultimate Tournament Page: http://play.usaultimate.org/events/TCT-Pro-Elite-Challenge/

The Pro-Elite Challenge features almost every top team in the country, split into pools of 4. Each team will play three pool play games on Saturday, with pool winners getting a bye to quarter finals on Sunday. Second and Third place finishers in each pool will head straight to pre-quarters on Saturday afternoon, and Fourth place pool finishers will move straight into a consolation bracket.

Select games will be recorded by Ultiworld, and published online after the tournament is over. It has yet to be determined whether any of Machine's games will be recorded.

Machine's pool features San Francisco's Revolver, Pittsburgh's Temper, and Vancouver's Furious George (all teams that beat Machine in 2014- Revolver at the Pro-Flight Finale, and Temper/ Furious in consolation play at USAU Nationals).

Full Schedule: http://play.usaultimate.org/events/TCT-Pro-Elite-Challenge/schedule/Mens/Club-Men/

The return of George Hughes and Von Alanguilan from injury means Machine will have better numbers than at the Pro-Elite Challenge earlier this season, but they will be without starting handlers Tim Fergus and Bob Liu (both missing for non-injury related reasons). Making their Machine debuts will also be Travis Carpenter and Brett Matzuka. The extra numbers should come in handy as the team expects to battle strong competition, very hot weather, and the higher altitude. 

To follow along during the course of the action on Saturday and Sunday, please follow Machine at: www.twitter.com/machineultimate

Grading Chicago Machine: 2015 Club Preview (via Ultiworld)

http://ultiworld.com/2015/07/24/grading-chicago-machine-2015-club-preview/

Elite-Select Challenge Recap - Machine Qualifies for Pro-Flight Finale

Chicago Machine finished 2nd out of 16 teams at this weekend's Elite-Select Challenge in Columbus, OH. The top two finish qualified Machine to participate in the Pro-Flight Finale the weekend of August 22nd/23rd in Blaine, MN.

Most of Machine drove out from Chicago to Columbus on Friday night, taking advantage of a rare opportunity to avoid flying to a major tournament.

On Saturday, the team arrived looking good in their new reversible jerseys (based on the design of Richard Taylor, our contest winner).

Machine started the weekend (and season) with pool play on Saturday against Sprawl, a team from Phoenix, AZ. With little wind and plenty of sun, the conditions were very nice early in the day (before the heat began to exact it's revenge later in the afternoon). Despite giving up a break on the first point, Machine jumped out to an early lead, kicked off by a callahan on the first D-point. Tight defense would be a staple through out the tournament, generating multiple turnovers each game. Despite an arms length lead, Sprawl stuck tight to Machine down the stretch, employing an effective zone defense that slowed the pace of play. Machine's O-line looked very comfortable against the zone, with several points featuring an extraordinarily high throw count, as the offense patiently chipped it down the field for goals. Final 11-8 Machine. 

Goose to KK to Cullen vs Sprawl

Schwenk to Spielman for the score vs Sprawl

Game 2 pitted Machine against a familiar friend from the north; Madison Club. Dave Wiseman and Pat Shriwise (from Machine's 2014 campaign) returned to Madison Club this off-season, adding depth and top end talent to the team. Having faced Sprawl's zone the game before, Machine was warmed-up and ready to handle the very effective Madison Club zone. With such little wind, Machine was able to move the disc around the field with accuracy, and Madison at bay through the entirety of the game, largely in part to a stellar performance from the Machine D-Line. Madison made a late push to close the gap, but a Bob Liu callahan sealed the game at 13-10 in favor of Machine.

After a third round bye, Machine squared off with Boston's Garuda. Due to an upset from Sprawl over Madison, Machine had already won the pool going into the game, but was not looking to waste a valuable opportunity to continue to develop chemistry and timing as a team.  Machine would jump out to a very fast lead, up 3-0 to start the game, but some mental lapses at the tail end of the half allowed Garuda to claw back into the game. Machine would go on to clean up play in the second half, expanding the final score to 13-8. 

Huddle Break - 3, 2, One Machine!

Going 3-0, Machine advanced directly to quarters, avoiding a 4th game on Saturday. This would prove very helpful, as Machine was running with a smaller squad due to injuries and players being away for the U23 World Championships in London. Instead, Machine enjoyed the incredible barbecue thrown by the tournament organizers, and watched on in support of Nemesis in their Pre-Quarter match up during the final round on Saturday.

Due to some upsets in pool play, all four number one seeds ended up on one side of the bracket going into Sunday. Machine vs Prairie Fire in one Quarter, and Sockeye vs Doublewide in the other. 

Saturday night Machine would find plenty of time for fun, relaxing at the team hotel, and exploring the surrounding neighborhood (including the batting cages at an adjacent family fun center).

Sunday's weather brought rain early, but fortunately the thunder storms missed, avoiding any delays in play. With sloppy weather, slick fields, and shorten round times, many games would be capped.

Machine came out prepared on Sunday morning, catching Prairie Fire off guard en route to a 4-0 lead. The defense was very efficient, converting every time they got the disc. Prarie Fire would finally hit their grove, and then responded by stealing a few breaks in the middle of the game to creep back into contention. Machine's O-line steadied in the second half, and despite another late break, managed to hold Prairie Fire off as the hard cap sounded at 10-8 Machine. 

Machine then took on Doublewide in their semi-final, as the skies began to clear. Both teams were missing key players, with Doublewide only having a cast of 18 in attendance. As was the case all tournament long, Machine would strike first, getting two early breaks, and creating a small bit of separation. Towards the end of the first half, Doublewide would break back, and eventually things got to serve coming out of half. Some unforced errors put Machine in serious jeopardy, as DW would convert to take a 9-8 lead with the hard cap approaching. Machine's O-line would tie it up with a hard fought upwinder that featured multiple turns. The universe D-line would then go on the attack downwind tied at 9-9. An unforced turf flick gave Machine the disc at mid-field. After calling time out, Machine set up and looked to get the disc off the sideline. Doublewide's defense stifled the play, and with a quickly rising count, Goose Helton through a bail out huck towards the end zone that dropped between two DW defenders into the hands of Kevin Kelly for the win.

End of universe point vs Doublewide - Goose high stall huck to KK

The win sealed Machine's fate as a qualifier for the Pro-Flight finale, but the celebration was short lived, as a Final's match against regional opponent High Five (from Michigan) awaited them just moments later. The talented High Five squad had a deep roster ready to go, and their legs were too much to handle from the get go. Machine struggled to get open, and forced careless turnovers. On the turn, Machine could not keep up, as High Five hit multiple away shots to open receivers. The Machine D-line, which had generated blocks all weekend, came out flat and could not slow High Five down. On the few occasions the D-line did get the disc, they were unable to execute and capitalize on the opportunities. High Five ran away with the game and cemented a 13-7 walloping of Machine. (Footage of the game will be available online via Ultiworld's video subscription service: http://ultiworld.com)

Machine learned a lot at their first tournament of the season, and has a better understanding of the team's weaknesses and strengths. The next two weekends will be crucial in the team's development, with another challenging tournament awaiting on August 1st/2nd, in the Pro-Elite Challenge.

Fortunately, the team should be well rested...

Expect a highlight video in the not too distant future, but as a note, we were only able to record footage from Day 1, as Sunday morning's rain put our camera out of commission. 

Machine and Nemesis vs U23 - Post Scrimmage Notes & Elite-Select Tourney Preview

Team USA - U23 Scrimmage

Chicago Machine and the ladies of Nemesis traveled out to North Central College in Naperville yesterday evening for a series of scrimmages with the U23 National Teams. (U23 Rosters: http://www.usaultimate.org/about/usaultimate/international/wu23_2015.aspx)

With the scrimmage starting shortly after working hours, Machine was able to bring a small squad of 10 guys (as well as one practice player and two former players) to the scrimmage, which was played under the lights in North Central's football stadium. After a brief warm-up, and some light drizzle, Machine and the U23 Men's team faced off in front of a modest crowd of spectators. 

Machine got off to an early lead, with a quick break on the second point of play. After trading for a series, Team USA broke back to remain on serve. Up 7-8, Machine broke again to take half. A few early second half breaks put Machine up 4, but TEAM USAU fought back, scoring four straight points to end the game, and win 14-13 at the cap. (Universe point featured turnovers by both teams.) 

There were several big hucks from Machine's Goose Helton and Stephan Mance. Practice player Yiding Hou got player of the game honors, creating several D's while guarding handler resets, and punishing with throw and go movement on the turn. The scrimmage was the first opportunity for first year Machine player Noah Backer to get reps with the team, as he made his move to Chicago the weekend before.

Team USAU was incredibly spirited and welcoming, and looks to be in great position to accomplish their Goals in London next week. It is an incredible group of players they have collected, and a truly talented team with exceptional coaching.

After the conclusion of the Men's scrimmage and Women's scrimmage (between Nemesis and Team USA Women), Machine and Nemesis joined as one team to scrimmage Team USA Mixed. This was a rare opportunity for the Chicago Men's and Women's team's to take the field together. While both teams had a great time playing together, and having fun on the sidelines, the early on-field performance was rocky. Team USA Mixed took advantage of the early miscues and hit several away shots to build an early lead. Late in the first half Neme-chine started to click, and short series of breaks led to a 9-9 tie. The two teams would trade out, and end the game in a 10-10 tie, before coming together for a spirit circle.

We wish nothing but the best to these young athletes who will be representing us on the international stage. We have no doubts in their capabilities, and were more than impressed with their friendliness, spirit, and camaraderie, given their short time together as teammates. To follow their journey, their schedule and other information can be found at: http://wu23uc2015.com/ or you can follow them on twitter at: http://twitter.com/USAUltimateU23

Elite Select Challenge

We'll be following Team USA's success in London, and embraced the opportunity to tune up prior to our first tournament this weekend, the Elite Select Challenge in Columbus, OH.

More information, including seeding and pools for the Elite Select Challenge, can be found here: http://play.usaultimate.org/events/TCT-Elite-Select-Challenge/

Our Saturday pool includes: Madison Club (Madison, WI), Sprawl (Phoenix, AZ), and Garuda (Boston, MA). The top two finishers at the Elite Select challenge will qualify to play at the Pro-Flight Finale in Blaine, MN in late August.

Machine will bringing a 20 man roster to Columbus, with two players away at U23 worlds (Travis Carpenter and Tim Fergus) and two players recovering from injuries (Von Alanguilan and George Hughes). We will be tweeting and providing video highlights after the tournament. 

Machine to Scrimmage USAU U23 Men's and Mixed National Teams

The USA Ultimate Under 23yo National Teams (men's, women's, and mixed) are currently in the Chicagoland area to train for the World Championships taking place in London next week. Machine and Nemesis will be jointly scrimmaging all three teams this Wednesday evening at North Central College in Naperville. The U23 National Team is spending the week in Naperville, practicing twice a day as they prepare for their upcoming international competition. We are looking forward to meeting all these incredible young players, and helping them get practice reps together in their lead up to Worlds!

The U23 team features two current Machine players in Tim Fergus (mixed team) and Travis Carpenter (men's team).

More information on the U23 teams and their rosters can be found here: http://www.usaultimate.org/about/usaultimate/international/wu23_2015.aspx

Jersey Design Contest - Winner Selected!

Machine is excited to announce the winner of our jersey design contest is Richard Taylor. Richard's "Owl" design jersey was the inspiration for the reversible jerseys Machine will be using to start the season. 

Richard is a designer/ ultimate player from the UK, and you can see some of his other great design work (including ultimate jerseys) at: 

Twitter - @openbracketulti 
Facebook - openbracketultimate

Richard has helped Machine convert this design to an appropriate version for mesh reversibles, which the team will be sporting at the Elite-Select Challenge in Columbus, OH the weekend of July 12th. Machine will also be using Patagonia jerseys later this season featuring the traditional red on red tower design, and a white jersey design that is still TBD (an additional jersey design contest winner could be announced at a later date). 

Machine would once again like to thank everyone who participated in the contest, as we truly appreciate all of the incredible designs. With all of the great options, it was a very difficult process in determining a winner. Thanks again!

Support Women's Ultimate

Until the end of June, Machine will be having a sale on discs with all proceeds being donated to the All-Star Ultimate Tour. Get an awesome disc and support women's ultimate!

Chicago Machine 2015 Roster

Coach:

Andy Neilsen

Confirmed Players:

Adrian King 

AJ Nelson 

Andrew Sheehan 

Ben Spielman 

Bob Liu 

Brett Kolinek 

Craig Poeppelman 

Cullen Geppert** 

Dan Williams 

George Hughes [returning]

Gregory Slover 

Jack Shey 

Jonathan Helton 

Kevin Kelly** 

Michael Schwenk [returning] 

Neal Phelps 

Nick Zeman 

Noah Backer

Ron Kubalanza**

Stephan Mance 

Tim Fergus 

Travis Carpenter 

Von Alanguilan

Walden Nelson**

Practice Players:

Eric Johnson

Rory Gallagher [returning] 

Yiding Hou

** = Captain

Italics denotes new addition

Note: Additional roster spots have been offered, but not confirmed as of publishing.

Roster Photos/ Bios: www.chicago-machine.com/roster

Machine Finalizes 2015 Leadership

Chicago Machine has finalized its leadership for the 2015 with the additions of Ron Kubalanza and Andy Neilsen. Kubalanza and Neilsen will join captains Walden Nelson, Kevin Kelly, and Cullen Geppert to complete the leadership circle.

Kubalanza returns after captaining Machine last season with Walden Nelson, Kevin Kelly, and Craig Poeppelman. Poeppelman will be returning to the team, but not in a leadership capacity due to time constraints. Replacing him will be first year captain Cullen Geppert. Geppert, an alumni of the University of Wisconsin Hodags, has been with Machine for 5 seasons and is expected to bring intensity and edge to the leadership. 

Andy Neilsen will be returning to the team as a coach in 2015, after taking a season off in 2014. Prior to that, Neilsen served as a captain for Machine from 2010 - 2013, a period in which Machine's on-field success and internal culture experienced dramatic growth and development.

These 5 will serve as the core leadership for the 2015 season, but many other players will fill leadership roles for the team after the roster is announced in early June. Machine's financial treasurer in 2015 will be third year player Greg Slover. Returning as the team's fitness, strength, and conditioning coordinator is Goose Helton. The team will also feature a social media and web coordinator, jersey logistics coordinator, USAU roster coordinator, travel logistics coordinator, and more.