All of the favorites, contenders, and sleepers because the regional championships start.
September 23, 2022 by Laura Osterlund, Graham Gerhart, Edward Stephens, Jenna Weiner, Ben Murphy and Kelsey Hayden in Preview with feedback
Ultiworld’s 2022 protection of the membership girls’s division is offered by Spin Final; all opinions are these of the creator(s). Learn how Spin can get you, and your staff, trying your greatest this season.
The common season and Sectionals at the moment are behind us. We will lastly get right down to enterprise. After a daily season the place incentives and motivations had been continually in flux, groups are on the level the place their targets are on the road. After this weekend, labels shall be slapped on their accomplishments, evaluating their season for higher or worse. We check out who’s on observe to get grade — and which groups may surpass expectations and upset the order.
Nice Lakes
Competitors Schedule
Dates: October 2-3
Location: Zeeland, MI
Variety of Bids: 1
Pleasure Degree: 🔥
For the previous a number of years, the Nice Lakes area has been dominated by Nemesis and Rival. #14 Chicago Nemesis had a tricky common season in 2022 and in another 12 months they may be sweating heading into Regionals with just one bid obtainable to Nationals. They went 3-8 in sanctioned video games through the common season, together with slender wins over Siege and BENT at a spherical robin close to Washington, D.C. in July, after which a 3rd skinny margin at Professional Championships in Raleigh, this time over Visitors. This 12 months, although, they’re clearly the category of the area and will nonetheless be heavy favorites.
The second seed is #25 Indy Rogue, who had a stable common season. They began sturdy, successful each SCINNY and Heavyweights, and performed nicely at Elite Choose, beating Dish and Rival and firmly establishing themselves because the second greatest staff within the area. Sadly for his or her hopes of stealing the bid, they misplaced to Nemesis at Sectionals 15-1. The groups are nearer collectively than that rating would point out, but it surely’ll nonetheless be an excessive longshot for them to advance previous Chicago.
Rival has seen vital turnover, as all three captains from the beginning of the 2021 season at the moment are taking part in blended elsewhere, and lots of gamers from their consecutive Nationals appearances are scattered on rosters of extra coastal groups – the realm continues to be a transitory space for final, as former Rival gamers transfer away to greater final hubs like Boston, Raleigh, and Seattle. As a staff shaped between the school packages Ohio State Fever and Michigan Flywheel and their alumni, the Rival roster has depreciated as these faculty packages have declined lately and the realm has not retained the gamers that raised them to nationwide prominence.
Nemesis ought to be anticipated to cruise to the Nice Lakes title and proceed to tune up for Nationals until there’s a major upset. Nevertheless, there’s loads of alternatives for the opposite groups to proceed to develop and enhance within the postseason – the Nice Lakes solely has seven groups that performed sanctioned video games within the girls’s division and people groups have an important likelihood to get significant expertise in opposition to all kinds of competitors.
Mid-Atlantic
Competitors Schedule
Dates: September 24-25
Location: Frederica, DE
Variety of Bids: 3
Pleasure Degree: 🔥🔥
For the primary time, Mid-Atlantic has three groups that earned bids within the girls’s division, as many as any area. The favorites are #5 Washington DC Scandal, who had notable turnover after taking a 12 months off. Most notably, Claire Trop, Kat Ritzmann, and Lisi Lohre have been pushing Scandal into the dialog as one of many prime groups within the nation. Scandal notched a number of proof-positive wins late within the season by beating Phoenix at a showcase sport, and beating 6ixers and Brute Squad at Professional Champs to associate with convincing wins over Nemesis, Visitors, and BENT.
The second greatest staff by ranking within the common season was #15 Pittsburgh Parcha, incomes a bid for the area of their second season. They return principally all the roster that received the MA in 2021, together with Carolyn Normile, Erica Baken, and Erin McCann. Parcha stumbled a bit at Sectionals, dropping to in-state rival Philadelphia Flight within the de facto ultimate of the spherical robin format. Consequently, Parcha will discover themselves seeded no.4 coming into Regionals, under Flight, and needing to struggle up into the highest tree so as to win the bid that they earned. (Notice that an up to date rankings after Sectionals can be anticipated to land Parcha behind Grit.)
The third greatest staff by common season ranking was the second staff out of the District, #11 Washington DC Grit. After lacking out on Nationals in 2021 by the narrowest of margins, Grit had a robust common season. Their solely losses had been to Brute Squad and Parcha on the spherical robin in DC in July, and so they received the Choose Flight Invite East, establishing themselves as a bid earner with convincing wins, particularly over Philadelphia Flight.
Essentially the most hopeful staff to not earn a bid is clearly #21 Philadelphia Flight, who proved at Sectionals that they’re able to toppling Parcha and successful the bid come Regionals. The Philly squad is to be taken critically, with a roster that may compete on the prime finish with Grit and Parcha and a sport plan that performs to their strengths. Flight will get key contributions from Emma Soiles, Maia Nguyen, and Allison Milligan. Soiles is a matchup problem in open house with peak to win any leap ball and velocity to get open beneath and distribute the disc. Flight shall be a tricky impediment within the sport to go bracket that each Grit and Parcha would quite keep away from.
With three bids and 4 succesful groups, there’s certain to be some pleasure. The format could make a significant distinction for a way the match performs out, as Scandal is probably going sufficient to win that the majority groups will most likely be centered on successful the tighter video games. All three of Parcha, Grit, and Flight shall be centered on beating the opposite two, and after Scandal, the opposite two bids are up for grabs to the 2 groups that play greatest on the weekend.
North Central
Competitors Schedule
Dates: September 24-25
Location: Hartland, WI
Variety of Bids: 1
Pleasure Degree: 🔥
This season, we’ll be studying the identical previous story that’s been occurring for years within the North Central division. It’s nearly sure that #19 Minneapolis Pop will once more safe the area’s solely bid to Nationals. The long-time Nationals attendees made an look at WUCC this 12 months for the primary time in staff historical past, the place they proved that they nonetheless have a aggressive fireplace in them. Their USAU match appearances this season additionally present this with a robust 4-2 report at Elite-Choose Problem, their solely losses had been to 6ixers and a robust Tabby Rosa facet, leading to a cushty fifth place end. Additionally they proved that they’re nonetheless the strongest staff round with straightforward victories at Northwest Plains Sectionals; the one staff to essentially problem the regional powerhouse was Madison Heist, who solely managed a 15-8 loss.
With core gamers reminiscent of Makella Daley, Sara Helm, and Stephanie Wooden on the wheel, Pop appears to be like as sturdy as ever. Combine in a big fraction of others who competed with Minnesota Strike for its first season (Reebs Enders, Alicia Carr, Kallie Poletto, Adrienne Baker, Kayla Blanek) and you’ve got a recipe for regional success; they’re all however certain to make one other journey out to San Diego.
Whereas there’s actually little query of Pop reaching Nationals, they might want to nonetheless play the video games. The staff whom they’ll most likely face within the ultimate will most certainly be St. Louis Stellar. The staff from Missouri has had a stable season, with success at Choose Flight Invite East and Chicago Heavyweights of their early season and a middling look at Elite-Choose Problem. Stellar rocketed previous their competitors at West Plains Sectionals, with not a single shut sport, proving that they need to be in rivalry for Regionals finalists. As at all times, Madison Heist is one other staff to stay up for watching at Regionals with a season report that appears nearly similar to Stellar’s. They confirmed that they’ll dangle with many different elite-level groups, performing solidly at Heavyweights and Elite-Choose Problem this 12 months. Their solely loss at Sectionals was to top-seeded Pop. The Wisconsinites will definitely be searching for to succeed in the regional ultimate.
With one bid to Nationals for the area and one staff that may end ranks above the remaining, the drama will lie in the place the opposite groups will fall.
Northeast
Competitors Schedule
Dates: September 24-25
Location: Devens, MA
Variety of Bids: 2
Pleasure Degree: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
The Northeast Area has at all times been an thrilling one, however it might be particularly so this 12 months. For years, folks have complained about Canadian groups not taking part in sufficient common season video games to earn bids of their respective sections and areas after which swooping in through the sequence to “steal” them, although at the least there have been normally a whole lot of bids to go round. However this 12 months is totally different – there are solely two bids for girls’s groups from the Northeast. Earlier Nationwide rivals #8 Boston Brute Squad, #6 Toronto 6ixers, #16 Boston Siege, #18 New York BENT, and #12 Quebec Iris — together with new-kids-on-the-block #23 Northampton Starling — will all be attempting win a superb, no bills paid journey to San Diego, however most groups are merely not going to get a seat on the airplane.
Past the numbers merely not including up by way of bids and groups, the panorama of the Northeast area has undoubtedly began to shift. For years, Boston Brute Squad was the plain favourite, with Toronto 6ixers champing on the bit to overhaul them. In 2019, the Canadian crew clinched the regional title, however Boston acquired the final chortle with their commanding efficiency within the Nationwide Championships. However after dropping a lot of their prime contributors up to now couple of years, Boston is solely not the infallible staff they was once. Their efficiency at Professional Champs a few weeks in the past left a lot to be desired — they misplaced to 6ixers, Scandal, Visitors, and Phoenix — giving some hope to the opposite regional contenders that perhaps they’ll knock off the previous perennial favorites.
Toronto 6ixers are the clear favourite to earn a bid in Devens, contemplating they’ve crushed practically all the highest girls’s groups within the area this season.1 They’re nonetheless a comparatively younger squad, however with World Video games-level expertise like Britt Dos Santos, Lauren Kimura, and Sarah Jacobsohn on the roster, they definitely don’t lack huge sport expertise. A pleasant end-of-season pickup in Molly Wedge, a Nice Britain World Video games star, provides much more fireplace to a scorching squad.
Quebec Iris, Boston Siege, New York BENT, and Northampton Starling are all on the doorstep, and every has the potential to stir the pot ought to the celebrities align good. Quebec Iris completed thirteenth at WUCC in July and received their part over Northampton on universe earlier this month. Boston Siege and New York BENT have each performed rather a lot this season and are undoubtedly hoping to peak on the proper second. And Starling are a enjoyable addition to an already stacked area, heading into regionals with a 15-2 report.
Northeast Regionals shall be an enormous one. Six groups with Nationals aspirations, one favourite, one perennial powerhouse attempting to indicate they haven’t fallen too far, 4 groups wanting to show themselves, and two days to depart all of it on the sphere in Devens.
Northwest
Competitors Schedule
Dates: September 24-25
Location: Lacey, WA
Variety of Bids: 3
Pleasure Degree: 🔥🔥
Three groups, all alike in historical past, are again once more to battle it out for Northwest supremacy. #7 Vancouver Visitors, #9 Seattle Riot, and #10 Oregon Schwa return to Northwest Regionals this weekend because the decisive favorites to as soon as once more take the area’s three bids to Nationals for what can be a decade straight for every staff. With solely perpetual upstarts #24 Seattle Underground seeming to pose a menace to snag a shock bid, the joy in Lacey will seemingly come from the order during which Riot, Visitors, and Schwa end.
Riot leads the Northwest contingent in a bounceback 12 months after a 2021 season that noticed Seattle carry again a mere six veteran returners. This 12 months, although, the roster has been strengthened with the return of Steph Lim, Abbie Abramovich, and Alyssa Weatherford, in addition to Washington Factor superstars Sophia Palmer and Abby Hecko, the latter of which joins after an All-Membership Second Staff efficiency with Seattle Mixtape in 2021.
The additions have helped Riot rebound with a stable if unspectacular season the place they took losses to Fury, Flipside, Molly Brown, and in-region rivals Visitors whereas successful all of the video games they might have been anticipated to. Though Seattle did take two losses to Vancouver on the season, each got here again in June on the Eugene Summer season Solstice, and Riot didn’t get the chance to avenge the defeats at Sectionals after the ultimate spherical was canceled as a consequence of poor air high quality. With their reloaded roster, nonetheless, Riot will really feel that they’ve nearly as good an opportunity as any to reclaim the regional crown this weekend.
Reigning regional champions Visitors will look to retain their title as they return the overwhelming majority of their 2021 roster that completed fifth at Nationals after taking a universe loss to semifinalists Raleigh Phoenix in pool play. Led by the unbelievable Catherine Menzies and a number of UBC Thunderbirds standouts together with Madison Ong, Helena Tremblay, and Nancy Yang, Vancouver definitely has the firepower to take down Seattle for the third time operating. Certainly, Visitors’s victories over Riot are two of their strongest wins of the season, alongside shut wins in opposition to Boston Brute Squad and regional rivals Schwa that helped salvage an uneven weekend on the Professional Championships. Sitting at 3-0 in opposition to your closest competitors heading into Regionals is nearly as good a spot as any to be for those who’re Visitors, and there’s little cause to suppose that the Canadians received’t take their place at US Nationals as soon as once more.
What a couple of seasons it has been for Schwa. Semifinalists in 2019 to winless in pool play in 2021 to this season that has seen them each lose to youth membership staff Oregon Downpour at Summer season Solstice and win in opposition to Raleigh Phoenix on the Professional Championships. Oregon’s outcomes this season encapsulate a staff that also carries on the proud historical past of a title-contending staff whereas having to continually iterate as star gamers depart and arrive. Out are the likes of Georgina Tetlow and Mariel Hammond, key elements of that 2019 ultimate 4 squad. In are Greta Eisenbrey, Jaycee Jones, and coach-turned-player Aly Steinfeld, all three of whom had excellent seasons within the Western Final League with Oregon Onyx. As the one girls’s membership staff in Oregon this season, Schwa didn’t must play Sectionals and as such their solely notable in-region crossover sport is the aforementioned loss to Visitors on the Professional Championships. Nonetheless, it was an in depth match that completed 14-12 to Vancouver, and with no notably potent chasing pack Oregon’s Regionals focus will primarily be on merely securing their place at Nationals. What awaits them there, although, feels troublesome to foretell.
Talking of the very best of the remaining, Underground seem poised because the staff most certainly to take down one of many three favorites. Whereas this system does have a historical past of pulling out some surprising outcomes together with an upset win over Riot on the 2021 Washington Sectionals, their outcomes this season are much less promising. Positive, Underground did play shut with Riot at Sectionals once more, this time dropping 12-9, however outdoors of that sport there’s little to counsel that Underground will discover the magic-in-a-bottle that they’ll must steal a bid out from beneath the ft of the favorites. The title of Abbi Shilts on Underground’s roster could increase a couple of eyebrows after her excellent faculty season, however it will be rather a lot to ask of the younger phenom to outperform such skilled packages.
After Underground come the winners of the Huge Sky part, Utah Swell, who’ve rebranded and constructed off of the staff that was previously Utah Elevate. Swell performed their singular common season match at Ski City Basic and completed fourth after being seeded no.8, earlier than they blew out Seven Devils to take the Huge Sky title. With a cohort of gamers from the WUL’s Utah Wild, Swell might be a sneaky lure sport for any of the highest groups between their lack of accessible footage to scout and chemistry constructed from a tight-knit Utah final scene. Mackenzie Perkett, Brittany McCready, and Sailor Ong are among the many carryovers from the Wild’s 2022 squad, and shall be key if Swell are capable of pull off a shock at Regionals.
South Central
Competitors Schedule
Dates: September 24-25
Location: Spherical Rock, TX
Variety of Bids: 1
Pleasure Degree: 🔥
New season, similar story for the South Central girls’s division. With only a lone bid to Nationals and #3 Denver Molly Brown the dominant drive within the area, it’s all however assured that the Professional Championships champions will declare the regional crown for the fourth 12 months operating. #22 Colorado Small Batch leads the groups that may in all probability battle it out for second, whereas Texas tandem Houston Crush Metropolis and Austin Vengeance carry the banner for the Lone Star State.
Regardless of taking part in solely a pair of tournaments this season on the Bay Space Match and the Professional Championships, Molly Brown’s report on the season is sterling. Their solely two losses had been on the Bay Space Match to San Francisco Fury and San Diego Flipside, whereas their Professional Championships title was earned in decisive vogue—a 15-11 ultimate win in opposition to Raleigh Phoenix being Molly Brown’s closest win all weekend. The names stay a lot the identical for Denver: Claire Chastain and Lisa Pitcaithley current matchup issues for practically each opponent, Ronnie Eder and Manuela Cardenas present spotlight reel footage aplenty, and Rena Kawabata and Alika Johnston gentle it up ultimately zone. Add collegiate standouts Clil Philips, Kristen Reed, and Saioa Lostra amongst others to this star-studded roster and you’ve got a possible nationwide semifinalist in your arms, with an all however sure Regionals title only a step alongside the best way.
For the majority of this season, the leaders of the South Central weren’t Molly Brown, who didn’t play their first match till the top of August, however Small Batch. Colorado took second to Flipside at SFI West in July earlier than taking down the title at Ski City Basic with aplomb. Whereas Small Batch weren’t capable of dangle onto a second South Central bid because the season progressed, they nonetheless confirmed off a degree that different groups of their area outdoors of Molly Brown haven’t been capable of match. This included dominant wins over fellow Rocky Mountain part groups Jackwagon and Trainwreck, in addition to Crush Metropolis at SFI West. Colorado’s roster contains its fair proportion of recognizable names reminiscent of Colorado Quandary’s Emma Cortright, Abbie Gillach, and Emma Williamson, however Small Batch’s eleven-point loss to Molly Brown demonstrates simply how a lot of a niche stays between the 2 prime Colorado groups.
In rivalry for second with Small Batch are the 2 main Texas groups, Crush Metropolis and Vengeance, and though Houston has the season head-to-head lead at 3-1, it was Austin fittingly taking their revenge at Sectionals with an 11-8 win within the ultimate. Neither staff has fairly the efficiency that Texas Showdown previously had2, however each have loads of succesful gamers to attempt to knock off Small Batch. Crush Metropolis are led by Anastasia Foster, who has not solely led Houston to success but in addition the PUL’s Indy Pink, whereas Vengeance have the abilities of present and former Texas Melee gamers to name on, together with Sanja Stojcic, Olympia Walker, and Emma Berrigan. The battle for Texas could as soon as once more rear its head at Regionals, and the winner has nearly as good an opportunity as any of claiming the second spot within the area behind heavy favorites Molly Brown.
Southeast
Competitors Schedule
Dates: September 24-25
Location: Bermuda Run, NC
Variety of Bids: 2
Pleasure Degree: 🔥🔥🔥
First issues first: #4 Raleigh Phoenix are going to win this area going away. They won’t have appeared their very best within the Professional Champs ultimate, however there will not be going to be any Molly Browns within the Southeast area to scuttle their plans. Sarah Meckstroth, having retired from blended, may simply be the very best participant within the girls’s division. The participant whose crown she takes, Kami Groom, additionally joined Phoenix within the low season. They be a part of an outstanding, principally home-grown line-up that features the likes of Ashley Powell, Daybreak Culton, Amanda Murphy, and Mary Rippe. Rising with the identical tide that introduced UNC Pleiades two consecutive titles within the faculty division, Phoenix have star energy all over the place you look. Southeast regionals is only a tune-up for them as they press for a fair increased end than their 2021 Nationals semifinal exhibiting.
The competitors for the second spot is the place the joy is available in. A pair of rivals are aiming to make Nationals as soon as extra, with room for under certainly one of them. #17 Florida Tabby Rosa earned the bid. They took the area’s second spot in San Diego in 2021, as nicely, spoiling a decades-long qualifying streak belonging to #20 Atlanta Ozone. Kelsea LeBeau and Erin Goding are amongst Tabby’s main contributors returning to assist defend the Southeast crown. However they’ve additionally misplaced quite a bit on the offensive facet: Gabby Krajniak, Lauren Bahng, and star Kate Travaglini. Will newcomers Natalie Wilson and Erynn Schroeder play nicely sufficient to beat these departures?
If Tabby have the data that they’ll take the bid, Ozone have the psychological edge that comes with a win within the groups’ solely earlier assembly this season: 13-11 at Terminus in July. Sammy Daugherty and Cate Woodhurst are among the many storied Atlanta membership’s returners, but when they win will probably be on the power of an infusion of latest blood. Chupzi Lema and Liz Leon determine to have distinguished roles; in the meantime Soju Hokari and Fiona Cashin, each present faculty gamers, may discover ways to make their impacts extra constant all through a sport.
With little hope of defeating Phoenix and little likelihood of falling to any of the groups within the area seeded behind them – at the least not this 12 months – the stress within the Southeast will all gather round that single, high-pressure second-place sport. Ozone have the load of historical past behind them and an edge in depth, however Tabby have the marginally higher season and, in Schroeder, most likely the very best particular person participant on both staff. Given the stakes, it might be a doozy.
Southwest
Competitors Schedule
Dates: September 24-25
Location: Tucson, AZ
Variety of Bids: 3
Pleasure Degree: 🔥🔥
In earlier years, the relative closeness in staff power between groups like San Diego Wildfire, San Francisco Nightlock, and Oakland LOL helped feed the moniker of a ‘Wild Wild West’ at Regionals. San Francisco Fury might need held an iron grip on the area as a prime seed, however there was loads of alternative for wild outcomes with the extra bids the area did or didn’t earn. This 12 months is a bit totally different. The panorama has modified over the previous few years, and there’s much more stratification within the division. It’s unlikely we’ll see any staff outdoors of the highest three make their approach to Nationals, however the order is something however sure.
The toast of the ladies’s division remains to be #1 San Francisco Fury. Regardless of some shut video games, probably the most adorned final staff in historical past spent the common season persevering with the win streak they constructed final season, now 28-0 in USAU sanctioned occasions since final September. The staff is headlined by the identical core that has saved them aggressive over the previous decade, and even youthful gamers like Anna Thompson or Julia Butterfield seem to be veterans at this level. Whereas the staff has seen some turnover, their newcomers are a major instance of the wealthy getting richer. Nobody would ever actually name Calise Cardenas, Michelle McGhee or Julianna Werffeli rookies within the conventional sense. Beating Fury means matching their depth and self-discipline, which is why they’re nearly assuredly making it to Nationals in October.
Whereas Fury’s return to San Diego is all however a given, their place on the prime of the pecking order is lastly in query. The Bay Space staff may nonetheless be the presumptive favorites, however this 12 months they’ll must undergo #2 San Diego Flipside, a brand new staff out of SoCal that has lastly rallied collectively the very best expertise within the space, poaching gamers from different girls’s groups, blended groups, and even Fury itself. The core of this staff is made up of UCSD girls’s alumni who received Faculty Nationals collectively in 2019. You may keep in mind names like Dena Elimelech, Alex Diaz, Avery Jones, and Kelli Iwamoto, who’re only a few of the ten rostered UCSD alumna on this staff. They’ve additional stacked their line with stars like Kaela Helton (US World Video games choice), Kristen Pojunis, and Dena Slattery. Flipside’s roster isn’t solely spectacular on paper, both. Their solely losses as a staff this 12 months have come to Fury, and two of these went to universe. If a single level is all it takes for them to topple the reigning champs, there’s undoubtedly an opportunity it comes at Regionals. The Flipside vs. Fury rematch ups the warmth degree by one by itself accord and ought to be probably the most anticipated sport of Regionals weekend within the girls’s division.
By now, #13 San Francisco Nightlock must be sick of listening to about all of the expertise on the opposite groups of their area, particularly after they have put in a ton of effort to safe a 3rd bid for the Southwest. Nightlock continues to be the blue collar model of Fury’s ruling class; they won’t get the {hardware} of their same-city rivals, however you’ll be able to at all times depend on them to make it to Nationals by fundamentals and exhausting work. That doesn’t appear prone to change this 12 months, as their in-season outcomes present them to be a step under the likes of Fury and Flipside, however forward of the remainder of the area. You may depend on Rachel Chang, Sally Mimms, Malina Wiebe, and Eliza Chang to maintain producing for his or her staff on the offensive finish, and a number of proficient defenders to maintain the strain off their O line. The significance of Nightlock’s defensive expertise can’t be understated, both. The staff has developed a repute for getting stops after less-than-clean offensive factors, maintaining them from getting damaged and staying atop their competitors. Contemplating the groups they’ll must fend off to maintain the third bid, this defensive depth shall be essential.
On the subject of the packages that may attempt to supplant Nightlock for third place on the rostrum, there are three within the combine: the Bay Space’s FAB, Oakland LOL, and San Diego Wildfire. Of the three, LOL has put up probably the most resistance to Nightlock to this point, dropping 12-8 at Sectionals. This won’t seem to be outcome for LOL, however they’ve some components working of their favor. Sectionals was solely their first match of the season and so they had been very clearly nonetheless figuring out a few of the kinks. Whereas it’s unlikely they’ll have perfected the whole lot by Regionals, they nonetheless performed Nightlock nearer than one would count on for a staff that largely took the common season off. Having Bree Cahn and Meeri Chang on the staff definitely helps bolster the staff’s probabilities, and a full roster of 28 will give them the depth that they’ve lacked in earlier years. Don’t depend on the upset from them, however don’t depend them out.
After LOL, neither FAB nor Wildfire have actually proven a lot this season to show that they’ll beat Nightlock, though FAB may maintain the sting over Wildfire, having beat the staff at SFI West earlier within the season. FAB has embraced their mix of older veterans and youthful gamers contemporary out of faculty, which implies the staff is constructing at an encouraging tempo. Of their youthful stars, Betsy Siegal is understood within the faculty sport for her throwing prowess and Madison Tenney was part of the UCSD girls’s staff that noticed such nice success between 2018-2020. Mara Saltzman, Allyson Lutz, and Elena Good are among the many veteran returners on this staff which have saved them churning all 12 months, and can seemingly nonetheless be relied upon to maintain the disc shifting. Regionals will proceed to be an uphill battle for this staff, as FAB has but to beat both of LOL or Nightlock, but when the playing cards play out appropriately, they’ve simply as a lot of a shot on the third bid as Wildfire or LOL.
San Diego Wildfire’s in a really totally different place to the opposite groups on this checklist, as they’ve gone by a large upheaval since final 12 months’s roster as Flipside absorbed a lot of the staff’s prime expertise. That’s after their 2021 roster noticed a large upheaval from their 2019 roster… and the staff nonetheless made Nationals! This iteration of the San Diegan squad has various gamers which can be of their first aggressive membership season of final however are balanced out by a few of the extra acquainted faces within the San Diego masters3 scene. Wildfire has needed to cowl a whole lot of floor from the beginning of the 12 months, however have sufficient pedigree that they’ll’t be missed. Vivi Stevens has returned, as have her full area throws, and he or she’s flanked by a squad of youthful handlers from Santa Barbara, together with Yu Ishii, Mika Leslie, and Hani Pajela. Defensively, Rachel Johnston and Liana Lin have made a huge impact, and their chopping core has been bolstered by Lili Gu and Fabiola Lopez. The staff has already confronted some powerful competitors within the tournaments they’ve attended, in order that they’re nicely geared up to know the issue and the stakes at Regionals.
There’s no straightforward path to a bid for any staff outdoors of the highest three, so San Diego should present how their course of targets have added up right into a cohesive complete in the event that they need to return house with a bid.
