USA Ultimate

Fury By The Numbers: Conversion & Psyche

by Tully Beatty

Despite Backhoe outscoring Brute Squad 9-7 in the second half after starting out the game 0-6, 2-8 at half, Brute never allowed the game to get ugly [ugly meaning a turnover-fest]. Of the 16 goals (37 possessions) scored between the teams in the second half, 12 were scored on one possession: Backhoe was 8 for 9, Brute was 4 for 7; two of the remaining four were 2nd possession goals. Regardless of our unusual second half efficiency (statistically we were strong on O2D and had a high percentage of Offense 2nd possession [O2] goals), we still walked into our match-up with Fury like a wounded animal looking to make too many corrections. And Fury exploited this quickly and easily. 

Fury: 15 points on 29 possessions. Their O received the pull 6 times giving up 1 break. 5 goals on 12 possessions. Though they had zero 1 possession goals, 4 of their 5 were 02 goals. The fifth being an O3 and left us giving up two chances to break and narrow the lead to 3-4 instead 2-5, and here they pretty much stepped on our throat, 2-8 at half. 

Fury's D scored 10 goals on 17 possessions. 7 of those goals were D1. For the other three, one was D2 for a score of 2-7; and the others were D3. These third possession points were for 12 and 14, so some allowances can be made for their lack of efficiency here — late game sloppiness perhaps. However, 7 of 10 goals were D1 and they absolutely took us out of the game. Coming into the second half, down 2 to 8, we received and scored on our second try, and then earned our only break of the game on the next point for 4-8. We got the disc again on the following point to cut the lead to 5-8, but turned it at mid-field. After scoring, Fury called time-out and then rolled off 5 breaks before we scored a meaningless fifth point. Our O touched the disc 21 times for 4 goals, and our D touched the disc 7 times for one break. 

And of course as all this was taking place there was Fury's psyche: creative, unrelenting, unending. While Fury is not in-your-face and intimidating, they are constant and it is loud. If they're not spelling something they're clapping or singing, you know they love each other and you know they mean it — they're not doing it for you. There's nothing less than deliberate or casual about anything they do. When you had the disc three times to break, the third empty possession saw them go 70 yards for the score, and they immediately start singing. There's really nowhere to hide and no ignoring it either. 

By The Numbers

• 0 to 5 Brute Squad: 5 goals on 10 possessions.
• 3 to 10 Brute Squad; their remaining 5 goals scored on 10 possessions. 11-15 final score.
• 2-5 Fury: 5 goals on 9 possessions.
• 4-10 Fury; their remaining 5 goals on 11 possessions. 5-15 final score.
• 3 to 5 Riot: 5 goals on 11 possessions.
• 6 to 10 Riot: their remaining 5 goals scored on 20 possessions. 10-15 final score.