Ontario Open Regionals

Earlier today Too Bad and Firebird faced off in the game to go for Nationals in Sherbrooke.

How they got there is two days of drama with unexpected results.

Unlike the last few years Ontario has always had a sufficient number of bids for Open teams wanting to head to Nationals.  This year six spots were available and seven teams wanted to go.  The seven teams were (by seed):

  1. Moondoggies
  2. Phoenix
  3. Maverick
  4. Grand Trunk
  5. Too Bad
  6. Firebird
  7. ROY

A seven game schedule is complicated and requires pool play followed by a modified playoffs.

Pool play was chock-full of upsets for every team (aside from Firebird and ROY); Moondoggies to Phoenix, Phoenix to Maverick, Maverick to Grand Trunk, and Grand Trunk to Firebird.  Day 1 left the top three seeds tied for first and tough games ahead for all.  Sunday morning brought the Maverick vs Moondoggies game which didn’t result in an upset although it went to Universe point.  Firebird also came close to upsetting Maverick but ended up losing 13-11 .

At the end of pool play the new seedings were:

  1. Phoenix
  2. Moondoggies
  3. Maverick
  4. Firebird
  5. Grand Trunk
  6. Too Bad
  7. ROY

Firebird showed that athletic ability can overcome a lack of experience repeatedly in pool play and grabbed a much deserved spot.  Unfortunately their inexperience and inconsistency combined with ROYs inexperience and inconsistency resulted in a play off win for ROY.  Where Firebird had won 12-8 earlier in the day they now lost 10-9 in a game filled with spectacular defensive efforts by both teams.  Surprisingly (for almost everybody including ROY players) ROY qualified for Nationals without having to play in the game to go.

One field over GT battled Too Bad and came from being 8-4 down at half to win on Universe 12-11.  It was an unexpectedly close game and a wonderful one to watch.  Too Bad headed off to play Firebird for the right to attend Nationals.

At the same time on Field 1 Moondoggie and Phoenix faced off while uninterested in playing.  Their lack of attention and anemic commitment to the match at hand led to a very slow paced game with a final result of 11-9 in Phoenix’s favour.

The game to go was one sided with Firebird jumping out to a 3-0 lead.  A frustrated group of Too Bad players continued to play their mishmash of styles but were unable to overcome the differential losing 11-8.

The final seed:

  1. Phoenix
  2. Moondoggies
  3. Maverick
  4. Grand Trunk
  5. ROY
  6. Firebird
  7. Too Bad

An exciting tournament all the way through it was great to see the intensity that player brought to the game.  At the same time there were plenty of spirit issues and heated arguments that makes me wonder that perhaps I should get some Observers next year .

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