PEC Recap
Machine attended Pro-Elite Challenge - East in Fredericksburg, Virginia on July 15th and 16th. Machine came into the tournament as the top overall seed in the Men’s division. Since this was the first tournament of the year, Machine approached it as a learning experience. The team was divided into two lines, which switched back and forth each point, so each line got reps on offense and defense. Team Leadership also came up with several new and unique defensive tactics to test out in live action and asked for grace in case any strategy was unorthodox or ineffective.
Machine’s pool included Tennesse Tanasi, DC Red Wolves, and Pittsburgh Temper. Machine came out hungry in the first game of the year against Tanasi, taking half 8-0 with zero turnovers, en route to a 15-3 victory. This was a remarkable performance against a team that would recover to make semi-finals of the tournament. The second game was against Red Wolves, a young team from DC who were eager to test themselves against a strong opponent. Machine won this game 15-2. Machine finally faced some adversity in the final round of pool play against Temper. Temper broke on their first d-point to put some pressure on Machine, and the teams traded scores for much of the first half, before Machine started to pull away. The game ended 15-8 for Machine. Machine won the pool and advanced to quarterfinals on Sunday.
Machine and Raleigh Ring of Fire, the top two seeds at the tournament, met in quarterfinals due to Ring’s loss to fellow Great Lakes Region team Omen in pool play on Saturday. Ring of Fire was shorthanded on Saturday due to AUDL conflicts, but brought a mostly full roster to Sunday’s bracket play. This was the first major challenge for both teams this season and both were eager to make a statement. The story of the game was the degree of execution with the disc. Ring received on the first point and converted a clean hold, which was a sign of things to come. Machine and Ring each tried several different defenses, but nothing proved to be effective as the offenses were crisp throughout. Each side managed only one break in the game (both in the first half) and the game finished 13-14, on serve. Since Ring received the pull to start the game, they won on Universe point. Ring converted a clean hold on the game’s final point, but it was not without strong defensive pressure from Machine. After tipping a reset pass earlier in the point, Machine forced a high-stall, floaty punt from midfield that hung in the air for a long time before Jacob Fairfax made an incredible play, coming down with the disc over two Machine players. While there was initially a discussion about a potential foul, the Machine player retracted the call. Ring of Fire scored a few throws later to win the game and advanced to the semifinals.
The weather made a large impact on the weekend. Saturday was very hot and humid. Sunblock was required, although some team members failed to apply properly (looking at you, Asher). Machine’s cotton t-shirt jerseys were drenched with sweat immediately. Sunday brought overcast skies and potential rain and thunderstorms. The rain started falling lightly towards the end of the first round and picked up by the beginning of the second round. The second round of the day was halted after just a few points due to thunderstorms in the area. (Machine was winning 4-1 vs Raleigh-Durham United at the time of the stoppage.) Everyone had to clear the fields and go into their cars to wait it out. After about 90 minutes of hard rain, word spread that the grass fields would have to be examined by the facility manager before teams were allowed to go back on them. The facility manager soon determined that the fields would remain unplayable through the afternoon due to the unexpectedly heavy rain. Semifinals and finals in all three divisions would be moved to turf fields at the complex, but space was limited, so all consolation play was canceled. Although we didn’t know it at the time, our quarterfinal with Ring was a true Win Or Go Home situation. Perhaps it’s a good reminder that we must never take our next game for granted. You never know when you’ll get another chance to put your cleats on and battle with your teammates.
Machine’s next tournament will be US Open, in Aurora, Colorado on August 4th-6th.
Random Shenanigans
Yellow cotton t-shirts. Tim Schoch designed the special cotton t-shirts for each player. The Madcow logo was prominently displayed in black spray-paint on the front of the jerseys. Spray-painted jerseys have become a hit with Machine and were used previously at sectionals in 2021 and 2022.
Watching AUDL games. Machine has players on 7 AUDL teams and spent most of Friday and Saturday evenings huddled around laptops and phones watching their teammates.
The outdoor pool at the hotel, shared with Chicago RAMP.