Here Comes The Sun -- Nationals Day 1 Recap
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Florida’s heat may not have been at full blast on Saturday at the Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch, but the action on the field was definitely on fire.
Following one full day of Australian Football, there are a handful of teams who are spending Saturday night at the 2019 USAFL Nationals with dreams of lifting hardware tomorrow bounding around their heads. Some are hoping that they’ll have fate on their side. And some have begun the year end festivities one evening early.
Whatever happens on Nationals Sunday, however, we know it will never disappoint. Below is a recap of what happened on Day 1, and links to tomorrow for you to have and know:
LINK TO GO LIVE SPORTS CAST – COVERAGE BEGINS AT 8AM US EDT
LINK TO ESPN3 – COVERAGE BEGINS AT 1PM US EDT (available in US only)
MEN’S DIVISION 1 – GRAND FINAL AT 4:15PM EDT ON ESPN3
The Austin Crows resumed their roll towards National Championship #5, steering aside Seattle and Quebec. The Crows-Grizzlies game featured a duel between the Cox brothers, with Nolan’s Crows accounting for Austin’s Grizzlies by 51 points. The Quebec Saints and Los Angeles Dragons turned in 1-1 performances on Saturday. A Quebec win in the early game over Seattle will put pressure on the Crows to beat LA to lock up the pool; an LA win would force the issue to percentage, though Austin has a pretty solid lead in that category.
Pool B will come down to a virtual semifinal between the Golden Gate Roos and Denver Bulldogs at 10am on GoLive SportsCast. The New York Magpies presented the biggest challenge to both sides, as they fell to Denver by just 11 and gave the Roos all they could handle in a 20-15 loss. Minnesota played well in their D1 return, their strongest showing a 48-27 defeat to Denver.
WOMEN’S DIVISION 1:
Semifinal #1: New York v Seattle (10am, GoLive SportsCast)
Semifinal #2: San Francisco v Minnesota (11am, GoLive SportsCast)
GRAND FINAL AT 3PM EDT ON ESPN3
The four semifinalists in Women’s D1 were determined by 1pm on Saturday, with San Francisco and Seattle dispatching of a rebuilding Denver Lady Bulldogs team out of Pool A, and Portland succumbing to Minnesota and New York in Pool B. The matches in the afternoon to ultimately determine the semifinal seeds were the two best on the weekend; New York held onto a 15-14 victory over Minnesota, while the 3-time defending National Champions managed to scratch out a 2-0 triumph over the ever dangerous Seattle Grizzlies.
One thing is for sure; any certainty that the Maidens would cruise to their fourth national title has been erased, and the Women’s D1 title is very much anyone’s to win.
MEN’S DIVISION 2 – GRAND FINAL AT 2PM EDT ON ESPN3
With a thorough win over Nashville, and a see-saw victory over Philadelphia, the San Diego Lions are in the catbird seat for their third Grand Final berth in five seasons, having gone from D4 to D3 to D2 every other year. The Houston Lonestars (1-1) can play spoiler in their match against the Lions, and a win would help them and the Hawks should it come down to the percent sign out of Pool A. A San Diego win, however, ices the group for the pride.
There is a bit of history brewing from Pool B, as the Baltimore Dockers’ 2-0 record after Saturday puts them in prime position to become the first club to make a Grand Final two levels above the one they made the year before. With 29-10 and 29-13 wins over Portland and Orange County respectively, the Dock Show needs to see off 0-2 Dallas to punch their grand Final ticket. A Dingoes upset would open the door for the winner of the OC-Portland game, and both teams are in striking distance of Dallas’s percentage.
WOMEN’S DIVISION 2:
Semifinal #1: DC Eagles v Sacramento (8am, GoLive SportsCast)
Semifinal #2: Philadelphia v Montreal (9am, GoLive SportsCast)
GRAND FINAL AT 1PM
With their eye on graduating to D1 for next season, the DC Eagles knocked back the Montreal Angels and Texas Heat to wrap up the top spot out of Pool A. Dani Marshall-led Philadelphia had to earn both wins, accounting for Columbus and Sacramento to take out Pool B. The Eagles and Hawks will face the two teams who combined for last year’s D2 title in their respective matchups for a chance at the decider.
MEN’S DIVISION 3 – GRAND FINAL AT 1PM EDT ON ESPN3
Both Grand Final spots will be determined by virtual semifinal matches after four teams went 2-0 on Saturday. Pool A pits the Boston Demons/Maine Cats combo against the Austin Crows Reserves, while Pool B sees the Columbus Cats tangle with the Denver Bulldogs Reserves.
MEN’S DIVISION 4 – GRAND FINAL AT NOON EDT
As in Divvy 3, both pools come down to two sets of 2-0 teams trying to play their way into the Granny. Pool A’s combatants are the Ohio Valley River Rats and North Carolina Tigers, while in Pool B it will be the Des Moines Roosters and the DC Eagles/RVA Lions combo.
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