• Seriously thought provoking stuff coming from Ultiworld this week. This article from Charlie Eisenhood questions those on the inside if two professional leagues can coexist. It didn’t work out for football. Nor basketball. Can it really work for ultimate?

• Next, let’s switch back over to the MLU. Get yourself ready for the holiday weekend with this great Nighthawks preview and highlight vid. Oh, you’ve been ready for Memorial Day weekend since President’s Day? Yea, us too…

Still can’t get enough MLU? That was a rhetorical question. You can never get enough MLU! How about some Whitecaps highlights to keep you going? Again, rhetorical. Malecek to Clark for a huge huck and score:

Carleton Syzygy (#2)

Carleton has definitely earned the #2 seed overall this year, coming out on top of the toughest region by avenging three earlier-season losses to #3 seed overall Iowa State and finally defeating them 12-10 in the Regional Finals. Syzygy is a team capable of running with anyone else in the country – they’re full of players with great juniors experience, others with scary athleticism who throw themselves around the field with no regard for personal injury, and still more who tower over defenders at 6′+ and are unstoppable endzone targets.

Starting from behind the disc, Carleton is led by All-American Anna Reed as a quick, explosive handler with quick pivots who can break the mark with ease as well as put great hucks up for her receivers. Reed is no stranger to the give-and-go, and if she catches her defender trailing her she’s off to the races, bouncing discs off receivers on her way to the endzone while her mark struggles to catch up. She’s joined by young phenom Kirstie Barton, whose juniors experience has allowed her to slot in as a mainstay on offense for Carleton. Her smooth throws and smart decision-making were on display at Stanford Invite, when food poisoning took down Reed and Julia Snyder and forced Barton to center stage.

Julia Snyder is also a big player for Syzygy, and while she may not be as big of a name as Reed, she has a very similar skillset. Reed and Snyder can play together behind the disc and run handler motion to attack the defense, or they can alternate with one starting downfield and the other breaking the mark to her teammate. That setup allows tall, athletic cutters like Flannery McArdle and Marley Hartman-Filson to break free from the stack off of Snyder or Reed’s initiating cut and receive a huck in the endzone.

While Carleton is a strong and deep team that forces matchup problems across the board, they have also been prone to falling behind late in games. It took remarkable comebacks against Stanford and Minnesota at Centex to give Carleton the pool victory, and a lack of discipline plagued them in those games and in quarterfinals against Iowa State, a game they lost 7-10 in strong winds. Carleton was prone to missing wide open players on throws that should have been completed, forcing their best players into the dirt again and again. With Reed, Snyder, and McArdle, they have the tools to play small ball or the field position game, but at Centex Syzygy seemed reluctant to let their stars take over and either run a handler dominator or commit to putting it deep to height, while Iowa State relentlessly attacked downwind, forcing Carleton to go 70 yards each time. But Carleton got their revenge in the finals of Regionals, showing that they may have turned a corner at just the right time.

British Columbia Thunderbirds (#7)

The British Columbia Thunderbirds finished the regular season ranked #2 in Skyd’s Power Rankings, but they come into the College Championships in Madison seeded seventh. That’s no surprise, as their inconsistent Stanford Invite and Series results have seen them slip in the seeding discussion, although they are still one of the favorites to win it all, and they’re still the only team to defeat #1 Oregon this year. A large part of their inconsistent play in the latter half of the season has been due to spotty tournament attendance from some of their star players. Two of their star players, Skyd 5 Callahan Candidate and All-American Catherine Hui and her Traffic teammate and Freshman of the Year honorable mention Mira Donaldson, were named to Team Canada for the 2013 World Games and missed Northwest Regionals. Donaldson and Amira Maddison (Traffic/Canada U-23) also missed Stanford Invite.

This UBC team is incredibly strong in the cutter positions, with Hui and Rena Kawabata (Traffic) doing the most damage, either stretching deep or more likely being backed by their defenders, catching an in-cut, and putting great throws out to space for their other receivers. Donaldson can move between the handler and cutter positions with ease – at Club Nationals in Sarasota this year, her huge upwind hucks helped Traffic earn much-needed breaks, but she was also the target of many deep throws, and her height and long arms helped her come down with most of them. Crystal Koo may be the most irreplaceable player on the O line – she’s the most reliable handler and keeps the offense moving if their flow ever breaks down, and her wide array of throws scares off teams that try to throw zone.

It’s handler defense that helps UBC separate from the pack, however. Their defensive line has players like Laurel Jay, Victoria Lam, and Gera Stancheva who are quick, agile, and have great strategic minds for frustrating other team’s handlers. Stancheva in particular had a great matchup with Oregon’s Sophie Darch in the Stanford Invite semifinals, pushing her downfield and shutting down many of her dump cuts. Any team that faces UBC needs to be prepared to run more for their resets and be comfortable putting the disc out into space – you won’t be getting many wide open dump looks against the Thunderbirds.

With Donaldson and Maddison back in the fold, UBC also adds more of a much-needed deep presence on defense beyond Hui – in the past, smart teams have avoided hucking to whoever Hui is guarding and tried to beat UBC’s other defenders, but that strategy won’t work nearly as well against a full-strength British Columbia. Teams’ best bet may be to play zone defense and try to force a short field and convert quickly, like Washington was able to do at Regionals in pool play. But Hui and Donaldson weren’t there, and Donaldson hasn’t played a big tournament with the team since Pres Day in February – British Columbia has the players, the system, and experience to upset Carleton and win this pool.

Update: Ultiworld is reporting that Mira Donaldson is injured and out for the tournament. If true, British Columbia drops down from being a favorite to merely another very dangerous team.

Georgia Dawgma (#11)

Georgia Dawgma holds the auspicious title of being the last college team not from the west coast to win gold at the College Championships – dating all the way back to 2001. This is also their first appearance at the College Championships since 2006, but they’ve come back in dominant fashion, earning a top-1o regular season ranking, winning three tournaments and finishing second at another, and winning the finals of Regionals 13-4 over Central Florida. However, the big question is not how well Georgia can do against the Southeast Region – that’s proven and well-answered. But at their only tournament this season where they faced meaningful competition, Queen City Tune-Up in February, Dawgma went 3-4 with losses to Tufts, Iowa, Northwestern, and Florida State. A 13-9 victory over Ohio State on Saturday of Music City Mash-Up was solidly countered by Fever in the finals, when Georgia was trounced 6-14. How good is Georgia really?

And Pool B is a rough pool for Georgia to play the third seed, with traditional powerhouse Santa Barbara seeded fourth and Lien Hoffmann and Northwestern, already with a win over Georgia this season, seeded fifth. But this is a team loaded with seniors and veterans, and that kind of experience can’t be emphasized enough for a team where almost nobody has played on this kind of stage before. Star Lane Siedor has been hobbled by injury all season, but she was huge for Ozone at the 2012 Club Championships, and if she’s healthy in Madison she’ll add another dimension to Dawgma’s game as either a powerful deep receiver or another solid handler. Handler Hannah Leathers also played in Sarasota, for the Atlanta mixed team Bucket.

At Southeast Regionals, playing in the mud and the rain, defense kept Dawgma out in front against their competition. Emily Lloyd and Julia Fuster make life difficult for cutters, and they’ll need to step up against some of the most difficult players to guard in the game when they face Carleton and British Columbia. On offense, Lloyd is a main target for handlers like Margie Quinn and Leathers, pulling down discs in difficult situations and never giving up on a play. Quinn and Leathers are experienced handlers with good breaks and field vision, but their range is sure to be tested by British Columbia’s handler defense.

Georgia can’t afford any nervousness on Friday – they face Santa Barbara in their first game, followed by Northwestern at the end of the day. If they win these two games, they should be assured of a place in the prequarters. But with one slip-up, they’ll find themselves fighting an uphill battle against two of the top teams in the tournament on Saturday. Georgia let teams like Emory and Georgia Tech hang with them at Regionals, and whether it was the weather, injuries, or complacency, they don’t have the luxury of any warmup games in Madison.

California-Santa Barbara Burning Skirts (#14)

A year after missing the College Championships completely, and two years after winning gold, the California-Santa Barbara Burning Skirts return to the show in 2013 with a chip on their shoulder and two superstars leading the way. If there’s any program that knows how to ride a few strong players to the finals, it’s UCSB – the Skirts made the finals of the College Championships five years in a row from 2007 to 2011 (winning in 2009 and 2011) behind the talents of players like Andrea Romano, Katie Barry, Kaela Jorgensen, Marie Madaras, and current Santa Barbara coach Carolyn Finney. This year’s two stars are All-American Lisa Pitcaithley and honorable mention Alicia Thompson.

Lisa Pitcaithley of UCSB makes a catch for Polar Bears in the 2012 Mixed Finals (Brandon Wu - Ultiphotos)

A familiar name to people who follow Bay Area mixed ultimate, Pitcaithley emerged as a star for the Bay Area Mixed YCC team in 2010, winning gold with them before moving on to bigger things and winning gold with Polar Bears at the Club Championships the same year. She followed that with a gold medal at the 2011 World Championships of Beach Ultimate and two more silver medals with Polar Bears on the club scene. But in the fall of 2012, she enrolled at California-Santa Barbara and played competitive women’s ultimate for the first time. Known as an explosive and athletic cutter in the mixed circuit, at Santa Barbara she’s taken on a handler role that enables her to play more points and use her athletic advantage to easily get open on handler cuts and make dangerous throws downfield before a mark can set on her.

Adding Pitcaithley to the mix has freed Alicia Thompson to go downfield from the handler spot she’s played well before and move the offense as an initiating cutter. Thompson is free to return back to handling near the endzone, where her break throws can be put to use finding quick cutters like Katie Hawn and Noelle Neason. Thompson’s impact on the team is huge – her play at Centex led Santa Barbara to a great comeback victory over Wisconsin during pool play, but she missed the rest of the tournament due to an ankle injury and Santa Barbara couldn’t advance past prequarters without her. When healthy, she throws her body around with near-reckless abandon on defense as well as offense, making her a difference maker on both sides of the disc. Both Pitcaithley and Thompson missed the Santa Barbara Invite due to U-23 tryouts, and the Skirts lost games to Victoria and Southern Cal that they otherwise would have won.

But this Burning Skirts team is more than two players deep – Kaila Pollart may be mistaken for Pitcaithley by the casual observer, but this second redheaded handler is nearly as dangerous with her throws. Katie Hawn and Noelle Neason are speedy cutters who are confident enough with their throws to continue the disc downfield. The format plays to Santa Barbara’s advantage perhaps more than any other team’s – with only two pool play games per day, they’re able to play their stars more. And with their game against first-seeded Carleton coming at the end of pool play, UCSB and Carleton probably won’t both be facing a must-win game, and UCSB will either be able to take advantage of Carleton resting players or rest players themselves in preparation for prequarters.

In order for UCSB to upset one of the teams above them, they’ll need to eliminate the short-field turnovers and unforced errors like drops and dump set miscommunications that have plagued them at times this season. On offense they like to take shots, and if they can complete more than 70% of their away throws while cutting out short turnovers, they’re a very hard team to beat. At Regionals, Stanford stymied them with a tough zone defense, slowing down their free-flowing offense and coming back from a 3-8 deficit upset Santa Barbara – by the time the College Championships roll around, they’ll also need to have a better answer for zone defenses.

Lien Hoffman gets huge for a sky at Great Lakes Regionals (Nick Lindeke - Ultiphotos)

Northwestern Gung-Ho (#18)

Everyone’s immediate mental word association with Northwestern Gung-Ho should produce two words: Lien Hoffmann. The two-time All-American has led Northwestern back to the College Championships, this time defeating defending Great Lakes champion Michigan to take the sole bid. Hoffmann is the classic do-everything superstar for Gung-Ho, cutting from the center of a horizontal stack on offense or moving back to handle against a zone, while taking the other team’s toughest matchups on defense. She’s quick, can get up for a floaty disc, and can throw with the best of them. But these days it’s not all about Hoffmann – her two best handlers, disc-slinging captain Carol Li and solid possession handler Angel Li, will keep attacking defenses up the line if they’re given the room, and Carol Li will bomb the disc to Hoffmann and Brooke Stanislawski when she gets free of her mark.

On defense, Northwestern will try valiantly to play contain defense against the great athletes and throwers in Pool B. But despite Hoffmann and Katie Raynolds’ best efforts, they just don’t have the defensive depth and athleticism to consistently force turnovers against the top teams in the pool. However, given adverse conditions, Northwestern can pull off an upset – they beat Iowa State at Midwest Throwdown in howling winds, and they beat a turnover-happy Georgia team at Queen City. Georgia and Santa Barbara have demonstrated carelessness with the disc at several points this season, and if they don’t clean up their offenses, they’re susceptible to an upset. On offense, look for Carol Li to initiate to Hoffmann from the center of a horizontal stack, and Hoffmann to either catch it deep or throw it herself to Stanislawski – simple, but definitely effective.

Predictions

1. British Columbia, at full strength, is able to take the pool from Carleton. Donaldson and Hui are two of only six women on Team Canada – they’ll be huge for UBC in Madison.

2. Santa Barbara makes prequarters by beating Carleton or Georgia – the Burning Skirts are a dangerous fourth seed, and Pitcaithley and Thompson have both won gold before. Don’t sleep on experience.

3. Northwestern will win a game in pool play over Santa Barbara or Georgia. Northwestern opens with an 8:30 game against Carleton, then plays at 4:30 against Georgia. If they’re smart, they’ll hit the hotel and the air conditioning before coming back to the fields and laying it all on the line against Dawgma.

Games to Watch

Friday, 12:30 – Carleton vs British Columbia – Field 3. The 1v2 matchup comes early in Pool B, and this one will be a doozy. The winner will most likely take the bye into quarters, while the loser will battle for a spot in prequarters.

Friday, 12:30 – Georgia vs Santa Barbara – Field 1. At the same time as the 1v2 matchup comes this vitally important 3v4 game. Santa Barbara will have had a warmup against British Columbia, while Georgia comes in fresh. If Emily Lloyd and Julia Fuster can make life difficult for Lisa Pitcaithley and Alicia Thompson, Georgia is likely to hold their 3 seed.

Friday, 4:30 – Georgia vs Northwestern – Field 8. This is Northwestern’s best chance to pull off an upset. After a long rest, Gung-Ho will face Georgia in a rematch of their Queen City Tune-Up game, which Northwestern won. Can they do it again? Or will Dawgma live up to their seed and put away the upstart fifth seed?

Feature photo of British Columbia by Kevin Leclaire (Ultiphotos).

Iowa Saucy Nancy (#4)

Iowa Saucy Nancy is a team that knows how to find success at Nationals.  In the last two years, Saucy Nancy has made two consecutive Quarterfinals appearances, each time losing to Oregon. The memory of last year’s heartbreaker—they lost on universe in a game they should have won—must still leave a bitter taste in the mouths of their many returners, and you can bet that Iowa will come out with fire, ready to redeem themselves.

Luckily, they have all the tools to do just that. An experienced team with an experienced coach, Saucy Nancy is characterized by smart play, offensive chemistry, and an arsenal of defensive looks. With a ferocious four-man cup, an effective junk zone, and tight man-to-man coverage, Saucy’s defense is nothing but disruptive.  And on O, Saucy runs their h-stack with precision and efficiency.  The breaks of Chelsea Twohig and Bekah Hickernell permit Saucy to use all parts of the field, while the continue throws of their cutters keep the disc and the defense in constant motion.

As for great players, Iowa has many.  Leading the charge are Chelsea Twohig and Liza Minor.  Twohig is a seasoned handler who will run the offense for Saucy.  This girl is fearless.  Look for her to take an appropriate amount of risks, busting out hammers and breaks like it’s her business.  Liza Minor will often be on the receiving end of things.  A quick precision cutter, Liza Minor is most deadly when she is cutting under and then distributing the discs to her teammates.  Also keep an eye on Dana Demmert, Anna Pritchard, and Jen Nowak, athletic cutters that will make their presence known on offense.

It’s interesting to note that all of Iowa’s losses except for one (against Colorado at Centex, without Twohig) have come at the hands of Regional rivals.  Against out of region competition, their record is nearly unblemished.  Still, Iowa will have to battle Tufts and Washington for the pool, and it will be fun to see how they fare in these high-profile matchups.

Liza Minor scores the final goal in Iowa's 16-15 pool play upset of Washington last year (Christina Schmidt - Ultiphotos)

Players to Watch: Chelsea Twohig, Liza Minor

What to Watch For: Coach Mikey Lun’s strategic adjustments, Minor’s forehand hucks out of the middle, expert use of space.

Tufts Ewo (#5)  

For Tufts, nothing short of a finals appearance will be able to top the surprising success they experienced at Nationals 2012, when as the sixteen seed overall they lost a tight semifinal game to eventual champs Washington Element.  (The Tufts-Washington pool play matchup will be interesting precisely because of this recent history).  But Tufts is no longer a surprise story.  In fact, they have been able to train this season with Nationals in mind.  With a strong showing at Centex and an easy stroll through Regionals, Tufts has set themselves up to repeat their performance of a year ago.

This year’s Tufts’ team is deep and returning their top guns from last year: Callahan nominee Claudia Tajima and Hailey Alm.  These two players are impossible to stop individually.  Put them together, and it’s pure carnage.  Tajima’s throws are among the best in the women’s game with huge hucks, easy breaks, and a punishing hammer.  Her size and smart movement make it difficult to deny her the disc and impossible to stop her on the mark.  As for Alm, there are few players as versatile.  For her height, she is incredibly quick and agile, and the combination of sure hands and smooth throws make her effective from both cutter and handler positions.  Athletic cutters Emily Shields and Qxhna Titcomb will also catch many discs for Ewo, while freshman Laura Fradin has emerged as a solid secondary handler, working with the more experienced throwers to keep the disc moving down the field.

With these players and many more, Tufts has proven that they can absolutely wreck teams—and good ones at that.  At Centex, for example, Tufts went up 8-0 on a tough UVA squad.  The truth is that their experience playing together and intelligent play on both sides of the disc—facilitated by Coaches Sangwha Hong, Meredin D’Arcy, and Josh Mccarthy—allow them to dictate the pace of a game.  Expect them to take care of the disc on offense, frequently running sets with few (if any) dumps as they hit Tajima or Alm up the line early and often.  Above all, Tufts knows, perhaps better than any other team, that upsets abound at Nationals, and they will not be taking any teams for granted.

Players to watch: Claudia Tajima, Hailey Alm

What To Watch For: Strike cuts, Tajima’s throws, well-timed cuts, Titcomb’s big pulls.

Hailey Alm makes a huge grab for Tufts in the 2012 Semifinals against Washington (Kevin Leclaire - Ultiphotos)

 Washington Element (#9)

Despite being the reigning champions, Washington Element is coming in with little pressure to defend their title.  They are free to play their game, a game that is governed by quick movement of the disc, tough D, and teamwork.  Element 2013 is a particularly tight-knit group, and this sense of unity is reflected in their play on both sides of the disc, as well as in their mental fortitude, which will allow them to keep calm and pick each other up when the going gets tough.

Although they recently lost Callahan nominee Sarah “CO” Davis to an ACL injury, Washington has always played a team game and had lots of weapons a their disposal.  This year is no different.  Few college teams, even at Nationals, have the luxury of running O and D lines, but Washington is definitely one of the few.  Their D line is particularly scary.  With massive pulls, shutdown defense, and precision handling, Lucy Williams is a machine.  Alysia LeTourneau will be adding many sick bids and sophomore Sarah Edwards will draw the tough matchups, managing them with intensity and ease.

On offense, Washington has a weapon that will blow away the field, and her name is Amanda Kostic.  Aptly nicknamed AK47, Kostic’s throws can put a bullet through the heart of any defense.  Especially against junk and zone defenses, Kostic is deadly, willing to throw hammers and even blades.  Unfortunately, even if you contain Kostic, Barbara Hoover and Shira Stern are equally capable of running the show.  With such skills behind the disc, Washington’s offense is very, very difficult to shut down.  And, the return of Jeena Huneidi adds an additional quick, active cutter/handler to the mix.  Finally, keep an eye on the many strong rookies (like Soriya Ton and Nora “Lance” Landri), who will be making key contributions to Element’s lines.

Even though they are coming in seeded number nine, and even though they are now without superstar Sarah Davis, Washington is still a huge threat.  They have played Oregon close multiple times this season (even without Davis), and their experience and team unity are sure to help them in tight game situations.

 Players to Watch: Amanda Kostic, Shira Stern, Lucy Williams

What To Watch For:  Team play, the D line, the impact of their rookies.

 Texas Melee (#16)

Texas Melee has been plagued by injury all season, and as a result they got off to an unexpectedly slow start, racking up losses at Pres Day and Music City Mash-Up.  Perhaps a better indicator of their strength was South Central Regionals, where they were healthy and back in form, handily defeating their opponents and cruising to a 15-9 victory over favored Colorado Kali in the finals.

Now that they are back to full strength, Texas has the ability to do some damage.  After all, they are in a familiar position.  At last year’s College Championships, they also came in ranked fourth in their pool, only to surprise everyone by winning the pool over Oregon and breaking into Quarterfinals before losing to Washington.

Their style of play remains unchanged from a year ago.  They will look to utilize their athleticism, speed, and aggressive man defense to apply pressure and wear down their opponents. They may have their fair share of turns, but they will cause just as many or more, and there is no better team at gutting out points.  Look for Melee to win many more than half of the long points that go back and forth with turnovers.  In fact, their success at Nationals will depend largely on their ability to keep the points long and trap teams into playing at their fast pace.

This fast pace will be dictated by key players like Diana Charrior, an athletic cutter that will cause matchup problems for her opponents.  Tall and good in the air, she’s a weapon on O and a monster on D.  Kayla Ramirez is also a shutdown defender, and with her incredible speed and quickness, she will be annoyingly active on offense.  Look for the big throws to come from handlers Brady Stoll, Trisha Talamantez, and Shereen Rabie, who also possesses a ridiculous backhand break.  Finally, captain Sharon Tsao will be everywhere on the field for Melee.  Reliable hands, sweet layouts, and refined disc skills, Sharon is solid in all aspects of the game, and she offers the intangibles needed to lead her team to success.

Melee’s team theme for this year is “It’s all about Melee,” and if they are able to focus their energies on their own game, grinding out one point at a time, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them pull an upset.

 Players to Watch: Sharon Tsao, Diana Charrior, Kayla Ramirez

What To Watch For: Athleticism, ability to win long points, transitions, aggressive defense.

 Ottawa Lady Gee-Gees (#20)

Coming in ranked last, Ottawa will be looking to pull some big upsets in the pool.  They too are no stranger to this position.  They have made Nationals in five of six attempts, and last year they came in with the same seed.  Although they were unable to win any games, they played some of top teams very close, losing to Cal (the #1 seed in the pool) and Iowa State (#3) by four points combined.  With the graduation of Kathryn Pohran (K-Po) and Tessa Van Leeuwen, they have lost their two most dominant players from last year’s squad, but there’s no doubt that the Lady Gee-Gees will be back with the same intensity and enthusiasm this year.  This year, Ottawa is led by two solid players in Kaylee Sparks and Vivianne “Ninja” Fortin—both of whom made the U23 Canadian National Team.  To their experience is added some fresh young talent in 1^st and 2^nd team FOTY winners Hannah Dawson and Romy Proulx.

Pool play will be the first time this season that Ottawa has seen competition of this caliber.  Although they have only lost one game during the spring season, their opponents have been relegated to the Northeast corner of the country, where teams are relatively weak.  With some close games against Cornell and NYU at Regionals, Ottawa is not expected to make much noise at Nationals.  Still, this team has a healthy dose of competitive fire, and with Kathryn Pohran leading from the sidelines, Ottawa cannot be overlooked.

Players to Watch: Kaylee Sparks, Vivianne Fortin, Romy Proulx

What To Watch For: Heart and determination, ability to battle in early points, Proulx’s defense.

Predictions

1. Things will get messy.  With at least three teams of such high caliber, I doubt one will emerge as the clear victor of the pool.  I’m anticipating some sort of tie at the top.

2. The top three teams finish in the top three spots, but they don’t finish in the current order. As good as Iowa is, it’s going to be tough to stay atop the pool.  If I have to pick a winner, my gut says go with Tufts.

3. Weather permitting, we see 10+ hammers in pool play.

4.  I predict that any prediction I make will be wrong.  Pool D is so appealing precisely because of its unpredictability.

Regardless of results, this pool is sure to be filled with exciting plays, incredible chemistry and teamwork, and fierce competition.  I’m especially looking forward to some exciting handler shootouts and intense defensive battles.

Games To Watch

Pool D will be jam packed with games to watch, but make sure to catch any of the games between the top three seeds (listed below).  And don’t underestimate Texas Melee or even Ottawa.  They could make things interesting for any of the teams seeded above them.

Iowa vs. Tufts  (Twohig vs. Tajima, hammer vs. hammer): Friday, 4:30 pm, Field #3

Iowa vs. Washington: (Rematch of 2012 pool play in which Iowa won 16-15) Saturday, 8:30 am, Field #1

Tufts vs. Washington (Rematch of Semis 2012 in which Element won 14-13): Saturday, 12:30 pm, Field #4

Trust me.  Do yourself a favor and don’t miss the action in pool D.

Feature photo of Qxhna Titcomb (Tufts) and Sarah Davis (Washington) by Christina Schmidt – Ultiphotos.com

• Though the spotlight was on Milwaukee this weekend, 2013 USAU High School State Championships were also taking place. Here’s a photo gallery of some of the highlights, from USAU’s Facebook page.

• Finally, we’ve got some awesome MLU highlights for you. Check out Michael Panna of the Spinners grab a Callahan against the Whitecaps, the Rumble’s Lucas Murphy’s huge layout goal, or Seattle Rainmakers’ Sean Sears get absolutely airborn for a defensive bid (foul called).

With all this top-level ultimate all around us–DIII Champs finishing, Madison on the horizon, MLU and AUDL hitting the apex of their seasons–maybe it’s time for a reality check. Here’s a Not Top 10 caliber video of the Push Pass Productions-proclaimed “worst pull ever”:

1. Toronto Rush

The Rush have continued their unbeaten streak, with wins over the Empire and Dragons the last two weeks. The Dragons gave them a little more trouble than expected, the Rush only led by one in the fourth before pulling away to win 28-21. The Rush were playing without Mark Lloyd, their leader in D’s and goals, but this was still a game they were expected to win with more authority. They’ve got a bye week then a big game against the Philadelphia Phoenix in Toronto on June 1. Though the Phoenix haven’t exactly dominated since then, they’re still the team that’s come closest to beating Toronto. It’ll be interesting to see whether they can play with them.

2. Windy City Wildfire

Brodie Smith of the Windy City Wildfire releases a backhand huck (Photo by Alex Fraser-Ultiphotos.com)

The Wildfire are in great position to finish at the top of the Midwest. They only have one more two game weekend this season, against Detroit then Cincinnati on June 22-23. Those are two teams they should be able to beat even under those circumstances, especially given that week 5 saw the Wildfire go on the road in Minnesota and Madison, winning both times. Brodie Smith led the team in Assists in the Minnesota game with eight, and though he didn’t play the next day in Madison the Wildfire got a big win, 16-15. Brodie’s knee injury is a big question mark for this team, but there’s also enough talent on the roster to beat any team in the Midwest without Brodie, as evidenced by the win over the Radicals in Madison. We won’t get to see those two teams play against each other until June 29, when hopefully both will be healthy and Madison will be playing with their full roster, Wisconsin Hodags included.

3. Madison Radicals

The Radicals have clearly established themselves as one of the top two teams in the Midwest, and top three in the league. The difference between the #3 and #4 team in the AUDL is significant. Madison may have lost to the Wildfire by one point at home, but it wasn’t too long ago that they beat the Wildfire by one point on the road.  The key moving forward for this Madison team is whether they challenge the Wildfire for the top spot, or whether they’re content finishing second in the conference. With only one more game against Windy City it’ll be tough to move up. And unlike the Wildfire, the Radicals have a more challenging road schedule remaining. They travel to Minnesota on June 7, and have two remaining two game weekends this season. The first is against Cincinnati and Indianapolis June 15-16, the second against Chicago and Detroit, June 29-30. So I don’t see the Radicals moving up in the standings, but I also don’t think it matters much. They’ll get their shot against Chicago in the playoffs. That’s what’s important.

4. New York Empire

Though the Empire are third in the Eastern Conference, I have them ahead of the Phoenix here. First, two of their losses are against the Rush, the best team in the AUDL. Their other loss was on the road against Rochester, in overtime. Though they still should have won, New York was playing with a depleted roster. Yes, the Empire will have to get used to life without Jack Marsh for a while, but they’re equipped for it. They beat the Breeze 25-11 earlier this season, and the next day the Phoenix only beat the Breeze 23-18. And the 24-16 win over New Jersey is more confidence inspiring than the Phoenix’s 18-17 squeaker over DC. I think that the Empire are more talented and playing better than the Phoenix, which gives them the nod for the #4 spot.

5. Philadelphia Phoenix

Will Hoehne makes the two handed grab for the Phoenix (Photo by Brandon Wu-Ultiphotos.com)

The Phoenix are coming off a come from behind victory over the DC Breeze, a team that was stomped by both Toronto and New York. At the same time though, this is the team that came so close to defeating the Rush in week 2. So it’s tough to peg just where they’re at, which is only compounded by the fact that they’ve only played four games, the fewest in the league. Though they have a nice 3-1 record right now, they’re the team in the East that may soon fall into a four way battle for third place. They have two games each of the next four weekends, an absolutely brutal stretch in their schedule. If they can go 4-4 in that stretch they’ll be just fine, but that’s easier said than done.  At the end of the day a .500 record will most likely be enough for that final playoff spot, and I see the Phoenix making it.

6. Indianapolis AlleyCats

Cameron Brock’s unexpected quick return makes a big difference for this team, and I’m sure they’re more focused on qualifying for the playoffs than ever now. This weekend they’re playing back-to-back games in Cincinnati. After coming off a 28-21 win (playing without Jared Payne) against the Revolution they have to be confident. But winning back-to-back games against any team is difficult, doing it on the road is even tougher. The ‘Cats can survive a split, but a sweep would make them the clear favorites for that final playoff spot in the Midwest. If you believe the Wind Chill are the ‘Cats biggest threat for that spot (and I do), the games to circle are July 6 and July 13. The two teams play before then, on June 23 in Minnesota, but that game is the back end of a two game road trip, so it’s unlikely the ‘Cats win it. On July 6 the Wind Chill visit Indianapolis for the second game of their own road trip, and on July 13 the AlleyCats play Minnesota on the front end of a two game road trip on the last weekend of the regular season. If the AlleyCats can win those two games, they’ll most likely make the playoffs.

7. Minnesota Wind Chill

Wind Chill player Brian Scheonrock bids for the disc against Windy City (Photo by Alex Fraser-Ultiphotos.com)

I actually think the Wind Chill are a better team than the AlleyCats. That was made clear when they won in Indianapolis 34-25. I just think Minnesota is less likely to make the playoffs because of the hole they’ve dug themselves and a more difficult schedule. As gratifying as their 20-6 win (called at halftime because of weather) over Detroit must have been, it also must have been bittersweet too. After all, that game showed they were clearly better than Detroit, and they lost to Detroit 16-22 just two weeks ago. Part of that was coming off a game the night before, and part of it was also a short roster. But that could have been, should have been, win might end up making the difference. The Wind Chill need to finish 8-8 to make the playoffs. They’re 2-5, and have two away games left in Chicago, along with a home game and an away game against Madison. They have to win at home against Madison, and run the table against the Cincinnati and Indianapolis. The key is going to be that July 6 game in Indy. They play in Chicago the day before, and unless they absolutely need that win, if I were the Wind Chill I’d be tempted to pull a Greg Popovich and sit the starters to save them for the next day. Maybe they can avoid having to make that sort of the decision if they can beat the Radicals in Madison Friday night.

8. Cincinnati Revolution

The Detroit Mechanix had a bad weekend, but the Revolution had a pretty bad one too. They lost in Indianapolis by seven, which is excusable if they can sweep them this weekend in Cincinnati. But two of Cincinnati’s three wins have come against a Detroit team that looked like a minor league team compared to Minnesota and Madison this weekend. So those Detroit wins aren’t looking nearly as impressive now. Their other win came at home against an opponent on the second game of a back to back, and was only by one point. After their miniseries with Indianapolis this weekend the Revolution go on a two game road trip to Madison and Minnesota, and have to hope for better results than the Mechanix got. But they could be entering the final five games of the season 4-7, and their last three games take place on the road. That’s why I think the Revolution need a sweep this weekend to make the playoffs.

9. Detroit Mechanix

Things did not go well for the Mechanix this weekend. A 10 point loss to Madison, and a 14 point loss to Minnesota that the weather mercifully ended at halftime. And after their 10-17 loss to the Revolution the weekend before (admittedly without a lot of their O-Line players) this hasn’t been a kind stretch for the Mechanix. The truth of the matter is, the Mechanix had a soft schedule to start the year. They had a home game against Indianapolis, which they lost 24-30. They had a home win over a Radicals team that played the night before in Chicago. They had a home win over a Wind Chill team that played the night before in Madison. They did beat the Revolution on the road the next day, but followed it up with two losses to them since then. The truth of the matter is, the Mechanix are 3-5 and have four games left scheduled against the Wildfire. They might be able to split the games in Detroit, but even then they’d have to run the table to make the playoffs. And this weekend showed they’re not capable of that.

10. Rochester Dragons

TJ Burns has been a workhorse so far for the Dragons, leading the team in goals and D’s, while still throwing the second most assists. In Rochester Saturday he scored three goals against the Toronto Rush, a game where the Dragons were competitive until the Rush pulled away in the final quarter. The Dragons have played well at home so far this season, though not well enough to balance out their very poor start on the road.  Their home away splits are really something. At home they’re 2-1 with a -.33 average goal differential. On the road they’re 0-4 with a  -9.5 average goal differential. And that’s after playing the Rush at home without having played them in Toronto yet. If the Dragons hope to make the playoffs, they have to win games on the road. This weekend they’re playing in DC and Philadelphia. A split would keep them on life support in the playoff race. A sweep would put them right in the thick of it. But the last time Rochester went on a DC-Philadelphia road trip they finished 0-2, with a 14-26 loss to the Phoenix. They can’t afford to come up empty again, and a victory in Philadelphia would go a long way to getting Rochester to the playoffs.

11. DC Breeze          

The Breeze had their most impressive victory of the season in week 5, beating the Hammerheads 18-13 in DC.  That was the first win in a three game homestand, but the Breeze couldn’t follow it up with another victory against the Phoenix on Saturday.

Bill Barnes of the DC Breeze gets the D against the Phoenix (Photo by Brandon Wu-Ultiphotos.com)

The Breeze led 13-10 before allowing a 6-0 run from the Phoenix, who ended up winning 18-17. The Breeze were playing without Justin Solis and Glenn Poole, who lead the team in goals and assists respectively. So the Breeze played tough even without two of their biggest playmakers, but after coming up just short against the Phoenix twice, and this time at home, the Breeze have dug themselves into a hole. They play the Dragons in DC, a must win game for both teams. The next week they travel to New Jersey and New York, and will probably be looking for a split along with a more respectable game against the Empire than their first effort.

12. New Jersey Hammerheads

The Hammerheads were expected to contend for the playoffs, especially after their 21-19 preseason win over the Phoenix. After a 29-13 thumping of the Dragons in week 2, they seemed like a good bet. Since then they’ve gone on a five game losing streak, dropping games to both Rochester and DC, the teams that were supposed to be the cellar dwellers. Their next three games are all must wins if they hope to make it to the playoffs. They host the Phoenix this Saturday, the Breeze the following week, then travel to Rochester. The team definitely has the talent to do it, it just remains to be seen whether that talent can actually translate to wins.

• Don’t you just love seeing ultimate get legitimate national coverage? Here’s the latest from the May edition Women’s Health magazine featuring a short mention of ultimate fitness guru Melissa Witmer’s company, Ultimate Results.

• Washington University Contra released their Spring 2013 highlight reel just in time for Nationals.

The Bowdoin College women just completed the perfect season, going 30-0 on their way to the D-III National Championship. Check out the conclusion to this history-making run against Williams College:

What a great weekend in Milwaukee for the D3 Championships. It was a lot of fun interacting with all of the teams, and more importantly watching some great ultimate being played in the wind and sun. Sunday saw some of the best games of the tournament, with teams that had made the championship bracket fighting to bring the title home with them. Be on the lookout for the recap video, and film of the two championship games.

Going Postal

While there were several games leading up to Middlebury Pranksters vs. Puget Sound Postmen very exciting and very close finals (Claremont vs. Amherst for example), it’s important to note that two of those included the Postmen. Their first game of the day, against Harding, was a back and forth battle between the two teams. As one broke for the lead, the other would respond shortly after with a few breaks of their own – with no team taking a clear advantage, the Postmen had to play their key players a lot more than they had hoped so early on Sunday. Harding did take down the defending champion Carleton College GOP in pre-quarters late on Saturday, and put up a great fight against UPS. But UPS’s unrelenting defense proved to be too much for them, as they fell 14-13.

In the very next game, Stevens Tech gave Puget Sound another challenge. The three seed coming into the weekend, Stevens Tech hadn’t looked steady up until this game – playing without energy at times, and simply making mental mistakes that let other teams stick around during their games. This was painfully obvious during their pre-quarters game against North Park where they were up 7-1, but would only go on to win the game 15-11. Two players for the Ducks, Andrew Misthos and Marques Brownlee, led Stevens this round as they came dangerously close to taking down the Postmen. Through the first half, the Postmen looked noticeably tired, and their defense just wasn’t were it was all weekend long. After taking half 8-5 though, Stevens came out making mental mistakes that easily let the Postmen back in the game – hucks not connecting, wrong defensive positioning, etc. – and when the Postmen started clicking again on defense, they would go on to win the game 15-13 to send themselves to the championship game for the second straight year.

Prank’d

Meanwhile Middlebury was relatively unchallenged until the finals game for most of the weekend. Carleton College GOP played them close in pool play, but that was a long time before Sunday afternoon. I didn’t see much of their first game, quarterfinals against Lehigh (a 15-8 victory), but it seemed like Middlebury was in control on their way to a victory.

Next in semifinals, the Pranksters faced a very tired Amherst College team who was coming off of a double game point victory over Claremont Colleges. As such, Amherst started the game poorly, allowing Middlebury to go up 8-3 at half, in route to a 15-10 win. Middlebury didn’t play as strong of a second half as fatigue was starting to show. But I give a bunch of credit to Amherst – they just simply did not quit. Their defensive play picked up in the second half, and on offense they were clicking as much as they had been in route to winning pool B on Saturday. The deficit proved too much though, allowing Middlebury to advance.

Seeding D3

Before a recap of the finals, I want to discuss an idea I was tossing around with a few people on Sunday. Seeding is a big issue in the DIII championships, only Pool A went exactly to seed (though it was dangerously close). Not that you want the tournament to go to seed, but you do want teams to play their relative talent, and you don’t want the top teams to knock each other out early. Obviously, the reason this is happening is because very few teams within DIII can play each a large amount of out of region opponents and without that, we don’t get a good picture of not only a team’s talent, but where they stand compared to teams across the country – the USAU rankings can only do so much. What if USAU started holding their own tournaments among the top DIII teams? Take the teams that finished among the highest in the rankings this year, and ship them off between tournaments across the country (probably in the southeast and west, to compete with the weather). But if USAU doesn’t want to put the events together themselves, ask the teams to, and tell teams they’ll reimburse part of the trips for them. Anything USAU you can to make sure the seeding in this tournament in both divisions is improved.

Finals

The final matchup was a great game, pitting the Pranksters and the Postmen in the stadium, and right as the wind was starting to pick up. Before the game, the Pranksters expressed some worry about the wind, but the play of senior Davis Whitehead (who got the Spin Ultimate MVP jersey for the game) changed it all. As the game began, both teams exchanged breaks and holds, with the wind proving to be a big factor. No team really established a set defense, or offense going either up or down winds.

It was after those first few points though that the fatigue of having to play two very close games just hours before was starting to show in the Postmen. Middlebury would go on a three break run, as UPS turned it on errant throws and the inability to punch it on the downwind offense. During these points, the play of Whitehead for Middlebury came out – he had a slick upwind flick break that UPS didn’t adjust to until the second half of the game. After a few lengthy points, Middlebury would go on to take half 8-5.

As they had been doing all weekend long, the Postmen came out of half ready to stage a comeback. They looked more rested, and the play of veterans Spencer Sheridan, Jonas Cole, Eric Hopfenbeck and Daniel Mozell stepped up to a point that brought them roaring back into the game – their defense and most importantly sound decisions on offense helped them put points on the board. Elliott Cohen and Sam Berkelhammer (until he went down with an injury) were also vital in the comeback. While they weren’t able to regain the lead during the second half, they were able to tie the game up several times. On the Middlebury side of the disc aside from Whitehead, Stephan Lammers, Nathan Arnosti, Will Lones and Jeff Hetzel were making plays, especially on offense late in the game on to stop more UPS breaks.

In the end, Middlebury would win after receiving downwind for double game point. They benefitted from resting key players during several defensive points. Even as their lead started to slip, they continued to rest those players on defense and in the end, they came out on top.

I’ve mentioned several times already that the Postmen looked tired compared to their play yesterday, and that was clear as the finals dragged on. But with Middlebury not facing many challenges throughout the weekend, perhaps due to their seeding, they were the more rested team and that helped push them over the edge even as they too succumbed to the same mental errors in the second half that UPS had made during the first. And in the end, the Middlebury Pranksters were the DIII Open Champions.

Sunday was full of great games and the finals were no exception. Both Middlebury College and the Puget Sound Postmen played a great game, and a big congratulation to both for their great seasons. Even though only one team came out on top this weekend, they and all of the teams competing this weekend showed that the talent level of DIII is only on the rise amongst the college scene.

Photo by Nick Lindeke – UltiPhotos.com (Full D3 Gallery)

Bowdoin Chaos Theory are Division III National Champions – and deservedly so, after capping off a 30-0 season with a 15-5 beatdown of Williams College in the finals.  Bowdoin ran an extremely tight rotation all tournament, with Pheobe Aron, Hannah Young, and Julie Bender playing most (if not all) the points in games, but they never seemed to tire. This is probably from their efficiency on offense, with Aron’s pinpoint hucks often making the receiver’s job easy. No team scored more than 6 points on Chaos Theory all weekend, which makes some consider just how Bowdoin may even fare at DI Nationals.

Bowdoin started off Sunday with a 15-3 thrashing of Truman State Tsunami in quarterfinals. In the other quarters, Claremont took care of a surprising Philadelphia team, and #1 seeded Valparaiso ended Swarthmore’s championship hopes. But the best quarterfinal game (and really the only competitive one) was the one between Williams and Carleton College Eclipse.  The story of the game was Williams’ patience against Carleton’s zone, led by handlers and captains Rachel Kessler and Haley Eagon. With the game tied at 9’s, Williams broke twice in a row and never looked back, taking the game 15-12 and eliminating an extremely dangerous Carleton team.

In the semis Bowdoin easily handled a good Claremont team. Although Claremont managed to score the most points on Chaos Theory all weekend, Aron, Bender, and Young were just too much. Bowdoin waltzed into finals with 15-6 victory.

The other semi between Valparaiso and Williams looked as if it would be a classic early. Valparaiso took a 5-2 lead early, but Williams came roaring back to tie it at fives. This Skyd Reporter was squirming in his seat with anticipation for what would surely remain a competitive game for the duration. Sadly, it would not be so. Williams’ breaks didn’t stop at 5-5, taking half 8-5 on a six point run. The second half was more of the same. Led by 6’3” Senior Claire Baecher, Williams finished off the upset 15-10.

The final, a matchup of two New England teams, was all Bowdoin once again. While both teams ran tight rotations, Chaos Theory was clearly just fresher than Williams. Rachel Kessler and Claire Baecher’s fatigue finally caught up to them, and Bowdoin jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead. Williams would throw a zone to try to take advantage of the gusty wind, but Pheobe Aron’s hammers quickly tore it apart. Bowdoin cruised to a 15-5 victory and a first place wooden disc. Hannah Young, with 6 goals scored, earned the Spin Ultimate MVP red jersey of the finals. Although it was an extra large and she is a little less than five feet tall (guessing), she seemed to be ecstatic anyway.

Congrats to all the teams this weekend, and especially to Bowdoin on earning their first DIII National Title!

Photo by Nick Lindeke – UltiPhotos.com (Full D3 Gallery)

Feature photo of Jonas Cole from University of Puget Sound. Photo by Nick Lindeke – UltiPhotos.com (Full D3 Gallery)

Round 1

The Middlebury (C3) upset over Stevens Tech (C1) may be a bit understated in the video recap. Stevens mentioned a few times on the sideline that they usually come out slow on Saturday’s, but it didn’t look as close as the 15-10 score suggests for almost all of the game. The Pranksters were very patient and consistent with the disc on offense, while Stevens was looking for the huck immediately but not connecting. That proved to be the difference in this game.

While Georgia College (C4) didn’t quit against Carleton College GOP (C2), they couldn’t do enough to win that game or any other today. They seemed very spirited throughout the day though even with a short roster, and certainly made each team worry after they rattled off a break or two.

Brandeis (B3) would not qualify for the crossover games with a loss to North Park (B4), but they would play Amherst (B2) the closest all day long. The Amherst zone was run pretty much the entire day, and would force turns against impatient teams – as Brandeis proved to be.

Round 2

Early in the day, it was the one seeds getting upset, and John Brown (D3) did just that to Wake Forest (D1). At the start of the game, WOMB was having problems holding a consistent force. This allowed John Brown to work the middle of the field very easily, and score with their O-line and D-line’s offense. John Brown would also throw a zone for most of the day, even though the wind didn’t pick up until the third round, and that proved troublesome for Wake Forest. The WOMB offense wasn’t stretching the field enough, and instead tried to force passes. This led to easy turns. But with tight lines by the short-staffed John Brown squad, they were noticeably tired. If Wake hadn’t had unforced errors at the end of the game, when they looked a lot more energetic, a win would’ve been entirely possible.

Puget Sound (A1) made defensive adjustments early against Lehigh (A3) that helped them win this game. Although they the lead changed a lot in this game until the UPS win at the end, the poachy on handlers and bracket on cutters was working wonders for the Postmen. At times this proved very suffocating for Lehigh’s offense. But when UPS had a few unsuccessful hucks, Lehigh was able to jump back into the game at times – including a 3-0 run.

Claremont (D2) had no answer to Wesleyan (D4). Wesleyan was able to switch between cuts underneath and deep cuts throughout the game. The Braineaters would end up losing this game, but towards the end showed more energy.

In the Bentley (A2) and Rice (A4) game, it was fairly close for a while. Both teams relied on the huck for a large portion of the game – and while it worked for Icehouse, Cloud 9 gave Bentley a lot of break opportunities. Some solid play from Bentley though allowed them to pull away from Rice, and win the game 13-9.

Round 3

The game that I thought going into the round which would be most interesting was Middlebury vs. GOP. I figured with Middlebury beating Stevens, this game could decide the pool. But some first half miscues by GOP, what the Middlebury coach called unlucky, helped give the Pranksters a bit of a cushion going into the second half and made the game a bit less interesting. As the wind picked up, this game especially became an upwind/downwind battle, and that would end up being the difference for Middlebury. GOP was never truly out of the game though, showing their talent and skill to get a break or two back in the second half. A late stall bailout huck finished with a layout grab sealed the game for Middlebury in the end though.

Early in the Puget Sound vs. Rice game, it looked like Rice would keep it close. But tired legs, and that UPS defense, would prevail.

The difference for Wake Forest against Wesleyan was their man defense. While Claremont struggled to control the Wesleyan offense, WOMB forced turns with a very strong man defense – especially the marks. With the hard marks, Wesleyan was forcing throws up the sideline. They had no opportunities for breaks, and the tight window throws gave Wake Forest a lot of break chances in their win.

John Brown would play another close game thanks to their zone defense, this time against Claremont. They were notably tired towards the end of the game again on offense, not generating cuts at times, but the Braineaters also noticeably stepped up their man defense this game as well.

For a quick second, it looked like Georgia College could upset Stevens Tech. But the mixture of tired bodies, and a zone defense from Stevens that was generating a lot of turns, would pull the upset out from under them.

Lehigh played another close game, this time against Bentley. At the end of the game, Bentley was able to pull away though to take a 15-11 victory. A mixture of a solid defense from Bentley, their hucks connecting, and fatigue among Lehigh led to the Icehouse win.

Round 4

Middlebury would go on to win their pool this round after beating Georgia College. Noticeable from the Pranksters was their junk defense. The focus wasn’t there after the defense generated a turn to score on every break opportunity, causing some frustration among them, but was clearly a very effective defense for them.

Wake Forest dominated Claremont in all aspects in route to a 15-6 win. It looked like another energy-less game for the Braineaters. This made the outcome of the Wesleyan vs. John Brown game a lot more interesting, as a John Brown win would knock Claremont out of Championship contention while a loss would keep them (John Brown) out instead. Ironfist looked very tired again this game, yet continued to run zone. With a lead at the end of the game, their choice to throw zone on defensive points meant any break chances left a tired line that made a few mental mistakes. This, and the fact that Claremont had joined the sideline to cheer for Wesleyan, helped swing the game away from a John Brown win. Like Georgia College, John Brown was a very spirited team – not only from my observations, but their opponents made a point of telling me that as well. I count no seniors on their roster, so look for Ironfist to come back next year with hopefully deeper lines and a sound strategy.

While Puget Sound vs. Bentley was close for a while, in the end Puget Sound pulled away to win – with the same thing they did in the previous three rounds, hard defense. Zone from Icehouse seemed to give the Postmen offense a bit of trouble at first, but by the end of the game Coach Adam Lerman and co. had it figured out.

Pre-quarters

Every team was noticeably very tired this round. The wind was also probably at its highest of the entire day during this round, which coupled with the tired play made for some frustrating games to watch.

The Lehigh vs. Wesleyan game was one of these games. Lehigh squeaked out a win against Rice during the last round of pool play to get here, so I figured they’d be very tired against Wesleyan. Both teams were though, and the game was very turn heavy. At the end, Lehigh pulled away from Wesleyan – while I didn’t see the end of this game, they must’ve found some more energy in tank, as they advanced into quarterfinals.

Stevens Tech was up on the North Park Lost Boys 6-1 at one point during their pre-quarters game. But they let North Park right back into the game, and would only win the game 15-11 to advance to quarterfinals – that’s quite the lead to squander. During their fault, the Stevens sideline got very chippy with each other, but they ultimately pulled it together to win the game.

During the first half of the Bentley vs. Claremont game, Icehouse was able to pull away during long points in the later part of the half. These were long points filled with unforced and forced errors and cramping on both sides. This lead to an 8-5 lead over the Braineaters for Bentley.

I spend most of the first half of this round watching GOP vs. Harding. While GOP was making a lot of unforced errors, Rhys Lindmark was being Rhys Lindmark a lot during the first half and making plays on both sides of the disc. You’ll notice that he’s the first name I’ve dropped in this recap so far. That’s because without some of the plays he made that first half, it looked for sure that Harding would’ve ran away with this one. During this first half, Harding was not able to connect on their deep shots while GOP was. Before half though, Harding had a 7-6 lead that they soon squandered to GOP, letting the defending champs take half 8-7. As soon as half hit, I left to travel across the complex to find out what was going on in the other three games.

While wondering across, I got sucked into the second half of the Icehouse vs. Braineaters game. Down 8-5 out of half, Claremont would rattle off 5 straight points. There were plenty of times that they generated break chances, but Bentley also made a lot of unforced mistakes – such as throwing the disc way behind the wide open cutter. For Claremont on offense, they were dominating the sky and that proved to be the difference – especially the ginormous sky to break for the 9-8 lead. After they grabbed the lead, it was all forced turns from the Claremont defense. The had the energy, and they would beat Bentley 11-9.

As soon as the game ended, I ran over to the end of the Carleton and Harding game. While I was gone, GOP had a 12-9 lead at one point during this game. Harding was able to come back into the game though through some very long points that saw a lot of players on both sides (but especially Harding) go down with cramping. Harding simply outlasted GOP during these long points. After a toe-in score by Harding shortly after hard cap went off to make it 12 all, GOP was receiving the disc with a chance to win the game. GOP got the disc to about 5 yards outside of the endzone, and had a player open on the force side. But a combination of the disc being thrown too far in front of the receiver, and fatigue resulted in an incomplete pass as the disc bounced off of the bidding player’s hands. Harding would shortly after huck the disc, and while it looked like the GOP player made the play and they’d get another shot, the Harding player called foul. In my opinion, it was not only a questionable foul call but a questionable ruling by the observer to give Harding the disc on the end line. Harding would shortly after punch the disc in off of an upline cut, knocking off the defending champion GOP. Yes it was a questionable call, but that doesn’t change the fact that GOP had a 3 point lead with little time remaining, and a 12-11 lead shortly before soft cap went off.

Players

Here’s a short list of players that I felt deserved recognition for their solid play throughout the day. Note to teams: There were others who I only caught the numbers of that I didn’t include in this list, mostly because the numbers didn’t match up.

From Amherst College, #22 Lock Whitney seemed to be running the show on their offense. He was steady all day long for Amherst, as they went undefeated and are looking to advance past Claremont in quarterfinals.

From North Park, #45 Reese Samin was crucial for any break chances the Lost Boys defense was presented with.

On GOP, both #9 Brandon Taitt and #90 Sam Rosenberg were working hard on both sides of the disc and were good compliments to Lindmark.

John Brown played tight lines, and it was clear that #20 Aric Powers and #35 Andrew Goode were big off their zone’s turns.

For Bentley, #77 Alex Foo was all over the place. I saw him make plays defensively, but also throw monster hucks off of the turn. In every Bentley game I watched, I have a note to talk about him, that’s how noticeable his play was.

Middlebury’s Jeff Hetzel (#1) was a very balanced and consistent thrower for their offense. He had the throws that were needed to get past the defenses they faced today – especially GOP’s. #2 Andrew O’Connor, only a sophomore, played very well as the team dropped some close games – but was also able to move onto quarterfinals.

For Steven’s, two Hammerheads players, #5 Andrew Misthos and #82 Marques Brownlee helped guide the team through their early lack of energy into second place in their pool, and into the quarterfinals.

After a first round loss, #13 Jay Sehgal and #18 Ismael Salgado helped lead Wake Forest Womb into a quarterfinals appearance.

Harding’s #28 Taren Goins and #10 Gregg Downing helped lead a solid squad.

On number one seed Puget Sound #21, #22, #23 and #44.

And lastly for Claremont, #34 Alex Gruver made some big plays in their pre-quarters game that allowed them to move onto the next round.

Sunday Play

Look for Puget Sound to dispatch Harding, and the winner of Stevens Tech vs. Wake Forest. Their defense looked to be too much for their opponents today.

Amherst and Claremont should be a very interesting game for this round, and the winner will get a challenge in a Middlebury team that is turning heads.

The 2 hour bye in between semi-finals and the finals will allow for much needed rest on both sides. As said, teams today were exhausted by the later rounds. Hopefully the bye means that won’t happen in the finals.