Can Lightning Strike Twice?
If you heard about a team that took their region three times in the last four years, made Nationals every year since 2002 and while there, made Quarters three times in the last six years, and the Final Four in 2006 - you'd likely say they were a contender for that elusive Sarasota Gold. So why are people asking if Atlanta's Chain Lightning is truly an elite team?
History
If you look at Chain Lightning's performance over the past six years, their 2006 Semifinal run was really the exception, not the rule. They were solid in 2002, and despite being behind Doublewide in the South at Regionals, they made Quarters when it mattered. They came in as the thirteenth seed and broke seed to face Sockeye in Quarters. They lost 15-12 to the Seattle crew before Ring of Fire handed the Fish their earliest exit in recent history 15-8 in the Semifinals. However, for their encore performance in 2003, rather than take a step forward, Chain ended up third in their region, this time behind both DW and Vicious Cycle. They were the fourteenth seed overall and went out with a whimper, going 0-3 in pool play.
In 2004 they turned it around and took the South Region, but after going 2-1 in pool play, they missed out on Quarters again and finished twelfth overall. 2005 would be more of the same and despite taking the region for a consecutive year, their Nationals was about bragging rights and little more, finishing fourteenth.
Then came 2006. Chain was only tenth overall but they came out strong in pool play beating perennial powerhouse Sub Zero, DC newcomers Truck Stop. They continued to accelerate in power pools, taking out Ring and Bravo. Their only losses came from the two teams that met in the finals, Sockeye and Furious. They beat Revolver 16-14 in Quarters and despite getting blown out by Furious 15-7, they still looked like a team rearing to make the leap from making it, to making it matter.
But like 2003, 2007 would be a year of stymied progress. Chain had a great Thursday, taking their pool 3-0, but barely made it out of power pools. They won a 14-13 squeaker over Boston but got butchered by Sockeye, 15-3 and were ultimately outhustled by Goat, 15-14 in Quarters. So what about 2008? Which Chain will we see?
Roll Call
The first thing to consider is their roster. Chain has picked up several new players that will have immediate impact. Asa Wilson (UCSB, Rival, Gendors) was a fantastic cutter/defender for Black Tide and has competed at Mixed Nationals the last few years, but this is his first Club Open experience. Ben Spears and Joel Wooten are two veterans that have previously played for Chain and should be valuable assets this Summer/Fall. Paul Schrafft is a recent UGA grad that was part of the 2006 Semifinal team that knocked out Mamabird in Quarters. Paul Vandenberg is another major pick up and his big game experience with Brown and DoG will undoubtedly be very valuable for Chain this year. Ultimately, Chain has picked up 8 new players that will offer them much needed depth, especially on defense.
Arrivals aside, one thing Chain has improved on the last few years is their core talent. Jonathan "Frito" Monforti feels that since 2002 "the team has gone through a transitional phase with constant roster turnover. Over the past several years, Chain has been able to retain a large portion of their roster and as a result we've been able to gel as a team." Players such as himself, Dylan Tunnell, John "Kid" Hammond, and Jason Simpson have set the example that the entire team has followed and perhaps they have what it takes to return to Semis or better.
In addition, Chain also has one of the most explosive talents in all of ultimate, 2005 Callahan Winner, National Champion (Brown), and World Games Gold Medalist Josh Ziperstein. Zip played with Boston DoG for four years before moving to Atlanta for Medical School (Emory) and his work ethic and Amherst/Brown/DoG background make him one of the best resources in the country. In 2007 he joined up with Chain Lightning, but even the most elite level players require a season or two to find their niche in a new program. Previous Callahan winners like Tim Gehret, Ben Wiggins and Josh "Richter" Ackley all had their ups and downs right away with their respective club teams but in the end, they found their spot and are now major contributors. Following this trend, Chain can and should get an even better Zip in 2008. In college as well as club, his acceleration makes him basically uncoverable and his experience with New England ultimate makes him a devastatingly patient and methodical player. He is equally dangerous on both sides of the disc and if he can be used to his potential, Chain will have a weapon that few know how to handle. With the addition of ex-Brown teammate Paul Vandenburg tossing him the disc, he will be a force that cannot be underestimated.
However, roster status won't all be rosy in Atlanta as Chain has lost two of the biggest up and comers in the club circuit. Grant Lindsley ('08 Central FOTY Đ Carleton) and George Stubbs (Harvard) are both Junior Worlds Gold Medalists and both were on the '06 Chain team that made Semis. Each has moved onto club teams near their colleges, (Sub Zero and Boston, respectively) resulting in both the loss of great players and the addition of tough competitors on the national level.
But Will They Come to Play?
If history tells us anything, Chain's biggest concern should clearly be consistency. They routinely record up and down results throughout the summer, forcing them into thirteenth, fourteenth, eighth, ninth, tenth, and thirteenth seeds at the last six Nationals. They've proven that they have the talent to break into the top eight or better in Sarasota, but with a low seed comes a tough schedule. Frito is well aware of this challenge and hopes that Chain will "bring it from the beginning and be able to uphold the same level of focus and competition through the entire season." Fortunately for Chain, consistency and experience go hand in hand and with as many veterans as they have, on paper it's just a matter of time before things click.
Lightning, or Just a Flash?
Unlike other up and comers such as Bravo and Sub Zero, Chain has yet to finish the same or better in consecutive years. While JB and SZ have made Quarters consistently in their prep for Semis or better, Chain has been up and down, sometimes making Semis or Quarters, sometimes failing to make bracket play. If Chain wants to stake a claim for Quarters (or better) they are going to have to play their best disc to date. A poor showing at either summer tournaments Chesapeake Invite or Labor Day will stick them with third or fourth seed status in Sarasota's pool play. Even a strong performance at these events might leave question marks associated with what they can do at Nationals, given the volatility of their results. With an unproven merged Florida team (Bulge and Vicious Cycle) and the consistent talent of the South, Chain will have some major challenges both at home and abroad in 2008. They have the experience and the talent but will this finally be the year Chain takes their seat in the Elite, or will the rollercoaster climb and dive yet again?
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