I'm rolling out my previews as soon as I finish each one. The Great Lakes and New England will come soon.
NORTHWEST (3 bids)
Oh. My. God.
I love the Southwest (where I am now), and I love the Atlantic Coast (where I come from). The reality is that the Northwest has by far the toughest region with six national-caliber teams and only three bids. I think the Southwest and Atlantic Coast rank two and three in terms of the depth of quality teams (and higher than the NW if you factor in the next tier of teams like Colorado State, Claremont, Emory, Georgia). The other fact is that the Northwest has produced the Champion for several years in a row. This could be the year that changes, but the top two to emerge from the region are good bets to make semis and all three qualifiers will be strong bets to make quarters.
Just as it is difficult to determine who the best of the Northwest teams is, I think it is comparably difficult to decide which of the 'Arrested Development' characters is my favorite. Let's take a look at the parallels.
The Young Star (aka George Michael Bluth) - Oregon. Fugue has been strong in the past, but compared to UBC, UW and Stanford, they seem like the young ones in the region. Of all the cast members, Michael Cera's career has been the hottest since AD. Likewise, Fugue has been the star of the Northwest this year. The question marks for them include their relative inexperience as frontrunners and the long layoff between highly competitive tourneys. Almost two months will have passed since their last official game against a top-tier opponent. Still, with performances like that in Superbad (Pres Day) and Juno (Stanford Invite), I think I've got to go with George Michael (even if it means stepping outside the constraints of a contrived comparison to AD).
The Matriarch (aka Lucille Bluth) - Stanford. Like Lucille, Superfly can seem like a cold, merciless and power-hungry entity that seems to be deeply involved in every facet of the region's affairs. The reality is that the Northwest is like the Bluth Family and there would be no drama and no power in the region without all that Stanford has done. One thing I learned from the show is that you don't mess with Lucille Bluth and walk away without scars. I have questions about Lucille but I'm afraid to go against her. Plus, she is really funny.
The Crazy Liberal Starlet Wannabe (aka Lindsay Bluth Funke) - Washington. Apologies to Boulder, Boston and San Francisco, but Seattle is the center of the Ultimate world and they know it. Like the character played by Mrs. Ellen Degeneres (Portia de Rossi), Element is an attractive team that demands your attention, but beneath the pretty veneer is a certain kookiness that is best reflected in their complicated relationship with the Tobias of the Ultimate world. Who's Tobias? Consider Cu1timate, the attention-craving folks who a lot of people love to make fun of but end up as a major topic of discussion for so many. Tobias may be talked about more, but Lindsay is the much more interesting and fully developed character.
The Wildcard (aka Gob/George Bluth II) - British Columbia. "Illusion, Michael. A trick is something a whore does for money." Whether UBC's struggles during the season were illusion or reality, the truth will come out this weekend. Much like Colorado, they have been a bit all over the map. They were very good at Centex and then struggled at Sectionals. Last year, I think a lot of people considered Gob to be their favorite Bluth, but times do change.
The Late (or Never) Bloomer (aka Buster Bluth) - Cal. It's time for the Pie Queens to come out of the Matriarch's shadow. Or womb. Or something less awkward. If Cal can survive their battle with the loose seal (or Lucille), they'll be sporting a hook and that is definitely something to fear.
The Spunky Upstart (aka Maeby Funke) - Western Washington. It's hard to call them an upstart when they have been solid for three years now. Like Maeby, Western Washington hates being in the shadow of the Crazy Liberal Starlet Wannabe and gets furious when people forget about them. The real key for Chaos is to get their cousin Oregon to fall hopelessly in love with them, strike a deal with a studio for a horror film that is based on the Matriarch and hopefully not cross paths with the Starlet after pool play.
Who Goes to Columbus: Oregon, Stanford, UBC
Tough Luck Loser: Washington
My take: The funny thing is that pool play really doesn't matter much here. No offense to seeds 7-16, but only the top 6 have a shot at Nationals. Whitman and Santa Cruz could pose challenges and upset one of the top six, but they simply don't have enough to go the distance.
The top eight teams are so obviously ahead of the rest of the region that the crossovers will just serve as perfunctory warmups to Sunday. That said, the one truly important thing that will come out of Saturday's play is something that is mostly beyond a team's control -- the quarterfinals matchups. Given that there are so many different possibilities in terms of who matches up with whom in the quarters, it is really difficult to predict out who has a leg up on Sunday.
Oregon will face either Santa Cruz or UBC/Cal in the quarters. Stanford will face either Whitman or Western Washington/Washington. Those are some huge differences. The top two seeds could lose their crossover games and actually benefit by drawing a better matchup depending on how the other crossover goes. Wacky.
Whoever draws Whitman and Santa Cruz in the quarters will benefit immensely. For whoever ends up in the B1 v. D1 matchup (almost certainly Stanford and a coin flip between UBC/Cal), I would pay attention to the other crossover and seriously consider tanking the game if it means getting the matchup with Whitman in the quarters. Unfortunately, the potential Oregon/Washington matchup would likely be a tight game that would be tough to call until the very end.
Some people will think my strategy is stupid and you should look to win every game. I'm not advocating actively looking to lose. I'm just saying that if the right circumstances arise, you have to go for the best matchup on Sunday, especially when you consider the smallest elements might make the difference between 3rd and 4th.
The four teams that get to the semifinals have a big advantage over the two other teams who don't. That's just a fact. I think Oregon and Stanford are deep enough that they can get by in any scenario. The other four teams need to seriously examine how to keep their top line as fresh as possible. I would be willing to be a lot of money that the team that wins the 3rd place game will be the one whose playmakers are fresher partially by virtue of a more favorable path to that game. As Tory Hislop, Cree Howard, Alyssa Weatherford and Shannon O'Malley go, so go their teams. Certainly, there are other great players on these teams, but each of these four players are the engines for their teams' offense. You take them out of the picture and you severely cripple their teams.
So my predictions... I can't believe I'm going against Washington, but honestly I'd say that about whomever would be the last team out. I think Cal and Western Washington are a step below the other four so it basically comes down to which of the top four is most vulnerable after a series of tough games. UBC is wacky unpredictable but I'm betting they'll do whatever it takes, including tanking the right games, in order to keep Tory and Candice fresh. Plus, you can't underestimate the defending champion thing.
I think Element will run hard in every game. If Shannon O'Malley and Lindsey Wilson are tired in the big game, that's trouble. For all I know, they'll just win the tourney and render my predictions useless. The more I think about this debate, the more confused I get and the more I just want to go back to my Arrested Development DVDs and just enjoy the show.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Southwest Regionals Recap
Before I go into my recap, I want to briefly address my picks from last weekend's Regionals. I ended up with 11 of the 13 teams correct (thankfully, one of the 11 was USC). I'll give myself a B+ for the predictions.
In the Metro East, I'm not sure anyone could have seen UPenn's backdoor win coming after Helpful Corn shellacked Venus in the semis (15-4). I'm looking forward to hearing a recap. Until then, I will make absurd speculations based on nothing but random comments on RSD, the UPA score reporter and a set of tarot cards I don't know how to read.
I'll be honest; I didn't think Maryland had the guns to seriously challenge Ottawa in the finals. I wish I could have watched that game. The fact that Maryland had a legitimate shot at winning may have been their undoing. In a two-bid region, the loser of a tight finals game is often vulnerable in the backdoor game. I don't know to what extent fatigue and the letdown of losing against Ottawa factored into their loss, but I'm sure that those two elements could have made a one-point difference.
I don't want to discredit UPenn either; they seized the moment and believed that they could take down Maryland after losing the previous day by 11. I am excited to see UPenn in Columbus. I was a big UPenn fan back when I was in school, and in my days of smoking crack, I was an ardent supporter of Val Kelly in her successful bid to be the first women's Callahan winner in history.
In the South, I incorrectly picked Texas to trump Washington. I forgot one really important rule when making my picks -- the Washington Corollary. When there is a realistic shot of having a Washington (University) vs. Washington (University of) matchup at Nationals, always go with Washington.
Washington, WA-SHING-TON
Two schools playing and hucking a ton,
Opponents beware
Proponents beware,
They're coming... they're coming... they're coming...
Let me drop a little rhyme,
They have seven on the line,
Two sets of seven gals so divine,
From the middle of the heartland
to the Emerald State
The only school that's missing
is by the Potomac Strait
Here comes the Washingtons
They're packing discs instead of guns
To shoot down teams and poop on your dreams,
They're coming... they're coming... they're coming...
I truly fear the day when GWU, UW and Wash U. all show up at Nationals. Make sure you hide your children (if you're British) and your pet bears.
Anyway, the real important thing here is that two St. Louis schools will be attending Nationals. SLU is joining Iowa State and the USC Hellions as first-timers at the Big Show.
SOUTHWEST REGIONALS RECAP
The primary points of interest in pool play were the following:
1) Would the real Colorado stand up and win their rematch with Colorado State?
2) Could UCSD challenge UCSB?
3) How would New Mexico and Colorado College perform?
The answer to number one was an unequivocal yes. Because we won our game against Claremont so quickly (details below), we were able to watch the Colorado vs. Colorado St. game. I hadn't seen Hell's Belles all season, and I was very impressed by them. By the time we started watching, the game was already out of reach (Kali was up 12-5). Even so, CSU kept fighting and they looked much improved from last year. In years past, I thought CSU was pretty solid but they seemed to have limited upside. The addition of a coach (Charles Stone) and a solid player in Brianna Quigley of Rare Air has made a tremendous difference. They have a much clearer system in place, and I expect good things from them in the near future.
The facile answer to number two is no, but I spoke with Steve Dugan before our semifinals matchup and he had nothing but good things to say about the Psychos. The score was lopsided but his respect for UCSD was very clear. As it turned out, UCSD scored more against the Burning Skirts than anybody else and turned out to be the only team to prevent them from reaching the point cap. It may seem like I'm grasping for straws, but on a weekend when UCSB was simply dominant, you have to grasp a little bit.
Regarding UNM and Colorado College, I didn't know much about either squad and took a stab in the dark by suggesting seeding UNM above UCLA-B and seeding Colorado College last. I don't know if they played out the last few placement games, but I think I was about right with UNM and completely wrong about Colorado College. Unfortunately, because of the uncertainty regarding both teams, pool C ended up as a difficult pool and I think UNM was prematurely eliminated from Nationals contention. Speaking of pool C...
POOL C
University of New Mexico
The Bombshells are a solid squad and they were a fun team to play. We played them in the first round and we came out on fire. Our defense forced them into difficult throws, and we managed to score three Callahans. UNM was very good-humored about it and at halftime, they cheered 'NO MORE CALLAHANS!' They fought hard in the second half, and though we emerged victorious, they succeeded in their halftime goal.
Colorado College
Coached by Emily Anderson of Rare Air, Colorado College has a number of exciting young players, led by Sophie Herscu. She is the engine for their offense, and her flick huck is their primary weapon. They very nearly knocked off Claremont in the first round, and ended up 8th in the region after beating Long Beach in a rematch. Lysistrata's Tools will need to develop their offense next year if they are going to take the next step up and contend with the top 6 or so teams, but the potential is there.
Claremont
We had played Claremont three times in the spring so we knew each other very well. I think this may have led them to tank the game quickly, a decision that I think was absolutely the correct one given their circumstances. The Greenshirts had an unexpectedly difficult first game against Colorado College where they were pushed to double game point. Erica Baken was on the sidelines for the bulk of the game with what may be a cracked femur. When Claremont was unable to pull away in the second half, she put on her cleats in order to help them beat Lysistrata's Tools.
I feel torn about Baken's decision to play hurt. I mean, this is the time of year you want to show up. Regionals is what everyone plays for. I just don't want to see her cause any long-term damage. She's an exciting part of the Southwest's future and she has many years of Ultimate to play. That said, she is one hell of a gutsy player. Apparently, she's been dealing with this injury since Santa Barbara Invite (in January). Wow.
Semifinals vs. UCSB
Well, they kicked our ass. I think it was the first loss of the season where our opponent gave an obviously superior effort when we were playing fairly well. Our defense was solid and produced some turnovers, and our offense was able to move the disc against one of the best defenses I've seen all year. We had plenty of scoring opportunities where we didn't convert and UCSB capitalized by marching it downfield.
The game was a respectable 8-5 before Santa Barbara demonstrated why they are the favorites to win it all. When they are firing on all cylinders, they will not give you another opportunity to score. Katie Barry's return to the team is obviously a huge boost. Fatigue was big factor in their collapse against UBC last year. This year, they should be able to keep Dre and Kaela fresher by simply picking and choosing points where the big four (add Finney and Katie) are on the field together.
Backdoor Game #1 vs. Colorado State
I was really nervous about this game because it was the perfect cocktail for an upset. We were facing an unknown opponent, we ended Saturday with a dispiriting loss, and we were facing a high-pressure day where each round would get progressively more difficult.
After trading the first few points, I actually felt relieved. We were playing at a high level, and I felt certain that the breaks would come. Our O line was moving the disc confidently, and despite not getting an early break, our D line was making Colorado State work hard much harder than they were making us work when we had the disc. Sure enough, the breaks started coming and we ran away with the game. The finishing blow came when we were up 12-5, and we played the hell point to end hell points. I guess that was only fitting given the teams involved. The point began with a quick turn on a block by Carrie 'Bubbles' Williams who read a swing pass perfectly. We had the disc in the red zone, but Katie 'Punky' Killebrew forced a high-stall throw that resulted in a turnover. Twenty-five minutes later and three times out later, Shinyi Chen lofted a floaty jump disc that was fittingly caught by Bubbles.
The point also featured one of the best bids of the weekend. Punky launched a deep throw to Balls whose bid at the disc made an observer (who will remain nameless) audibly express his admiration. I think Balls had the disc but the forceful impact on the ground caused her to lose control of the disc. Balls seriously has some of the most impressive layouts I have ever seen. I think it gets her injured often, but man, they are beautiful to watch when the situation calls for it.
We found ourselves on the other end of a 15-6 score, and in all seriousness, I definitely felt like it was the closest nine-point victory I've been a part of. The win made a huge difference for us as it ensured that we would only have two more games and two shots at one of the Southwest bids.
Game-to-go #2 vs. UCLA
What had been a beautiful day with virtually perfect conditions changed during the bye before our game against UCLA. While we were at Panera, the wind picked up and clouds started to approach. The game would unfortunately be primarily an upwind/downwind affair.
UCLA won the flip but we started the game with an immediate upwind break. We were unable to break BLU for the ensuing downwinder. When the game was tied at 4s or 5s, we got another upwind break, but again, BLU was able to score upwind to prevent us from taking the downwind advantage.
In the second half, I think we were down 9-10 when BLU got an upwind break. Unlike us, they were able to convert the back half and get a critical three point cushion. We fought hard to get one of those upwind breaks back but we couldn't make good on any of those chances. The final score was 14-11.
BLU did a good job of employing the huck-and-play-D approach. I think they also did a slightly better job of working the disc upwind, especially in the second half. They took some shots upwind and Bossa and Hawkins were critical in coming up with some tough grabs. A couple of lucky bounces ended up in their favor as well. I think Norm had something like 3 or 4 blocks that macked off her hands and were caught by BLU receivers. Kudos to BLU for making the big plays. I think the game basically came down to BLU making more of these plays than we did.
Game-to-go #3 vs. UCSD - The Do-or-Die Game
This was secretly the game I wanted to avoid at all costs (alright, it wasn't so secret). I was nervous about how the Hellions would respond in a high pressure situation, the highest they would likely face in the season. Also, this game felt like the season had come full circle. We began the fall with a scrimmage versus UCSD, and there we were facing them for the last spot to Nationals.
With the rain approaching and the prospect of an upwind/downwind game that could possibly be decided by the disc flip, I suggested to the Psychos that we change the field orientation to facilitate a crosswind game. For whatever reason, they elected to keep the field the way it was. As it turned out, the wind wasn't near as big a factor in this game.
We won the flip and broke the Psychos twice to take a 3-0 lead. At 5-3, the wind died down and the Psychos produced an important break to close to 5-4. The Air Squids were cheering in full support. A couple were crossing the line with obnoxious comments -- supporting your women is one thing, but heckling the other team in a game this important is another. Also, there is a double standard (justifiably so) when it comes to men heckling women's teams. It's something that you just don't do.
Anyway, the Hellions stormed back and broke the Psychos twice to take a huge 8-4 lead. The lead seemed insurmountable when you factored in the wind having changed directions 180 degrees, giving us the downwinder to start the second half. After trading the first few points, the wind died again. The Psychos held serve to close within 10-6 and then broke us to make it a three-point margin.
The next point ended up as the turning point of the game. The momentum was with UCSD and they were playing with the full confidence that a comeback was within reach. The point went back and forth but we ended up stopping their momentum with a critical score. On the next point, the cap horn sounded just a bit before we broke them. Up 12-7 with less than 15 minutes to go, victory was well within sight.
As I had been hoping to do, I put our senior line on in the hopes that they would close out the game. We only have six graduating players (Bambi's coming back for a fifth year), and four of them were with the team before Tracy and I joined the team. Unfortunately, Balls had to come out of the point after a collision at mid-field, but that line produced a break and put us on the brink of our first appearance at Nationals.
A couple of the players on the senior line were gassed and had to take subs, but I was able to get Balls back in for what was hopefully the clinching score. UCSD turned the disc just short of midfield and I think everyone could feel that the moment was imminent. Mary Kate controlled the offense and got the disc about 10 yards out and nicely centered. She spotted Rex breaking to the front of the backhand side, and she was able to zip the disc into the tight space. Rex dove for the disc and came up with the most important score in USC's short history.
I really loved that the clincher came on a no-turnover point, something we had been working on for the past weeks. In adverse conditions, we came through and I'm really proud of how far we have come. The mental game is something we have been working on all year long and I think it was extremely evident at Regionals that the mental work has paid off.
UCSD was a very worthy adversary and had been playing well over the weekend. Losing Molica to an ACL tear was really tough, but they battled all weekend and nearly took out UCLA in the first round on Sunday. As I've mentioned several times before, bouncing back from a one-year suspension is no small thing and I think they would have represented the Southwest well if they were attending Columbus. They lose great players like Meeko, Sir Robin and Ferris, but their program is one of the greatest in the women's division, and they have a number of talented, young players like Joule, Bonds and Loryn. They will be in the mix for years to come.
We had been aiming for 2nd in the region, but we are all ecstatic about our Regionals performance. We'll be going into Columbus with little pressure and the right amount of hunger. Our season is not done and we still have a lot that we want to prove. We're ready to show our stuff at the biggest stage.
My previews for the remaining Regionals and thoughts on All-Region will be coming up soon.
In the Metro East, I'm not sure anyone could have seen UPenn's backdoor win coming after Helpful Corn shellacked Venus in the semis (15-4). I'm looking forward to hearing a recap. Until then, I will make absurd speculations based on nothing but random comments on RSD, the UPA score reporter and a set of tarot cards I don't know how to read.
I'll be honest; I didn't think Maryland had the guns to seriously challenge Ottawa in the finals. I wish I could have watched that game. The fact that Maryland had a legitimate shot at winning may have been their undoing. In a two-bid region, the loser of a tight finals game is often vulnerable in the backdoor game. I don't know to what extent fatigue and the letdown of losing against Ottawa factored into their loss, but I'm sure that those two elements could have made a one-point difference.
I don't want to discredit UPenn either; they seized the moment and believed that they could take down Maryland after losing the previous day by 11. I am excited to see UPenn in Columbus. I was a big UPenn fan back when I was in school, and in my days of smoking crack, I was an ardent supporter of Val Kelly in her successful bid to be the first women's Callahan winner in history.
In the South, I incorrectly picked Texas to trump Washington. I forgot one really important rule when making my picks -- the Washington Corollary. When there is a realistic shot of having a Washington (University) vs. Washington (University of) matchup at Nationals, always go with Washington.
Washington, WA-SHING-TON
Two schools playing and hucking a ton,
Opponents beware
Proponents beware,
They're coming... they're coming... they're coming...
Let me drop a little rhyme,
They have seven on the line,
Two sets of seven gals so divine,
From the middle of the heartland
to the Emerald State
The only school that's missing
is by the Potomac Strait
Here comes the Washingtons
They're packing discs instead of guns
To shoot down teams and poop on your dreams,
They're coming... they're coming... they're coming...
I truly fear the day when GWU, UW and Wash U. all show up at Nationals. Make sure you hide your children (if you're British) and your pet bears.
Anyway, the real important thing here is that two St. Louis schools will be attending Nationals. SLU is joining Iowa State and the USC Hellions as first-timers at the Big Show.
SOUTHWEST REGIONALS RECAP
The primary points of interest in pool play were the following:
1) Would the real Colorado stand up and win their rematch with Colorado State?
2) Could UCSD challenge UCSB?
3) How would New Mexico and Colorado College perform?
The answer to number one was an unequivocal yes. Because we won our game against Claremont so quickly (details below), we were able to watch the Colorado vs. Colorado St. game. I hadn't seen Hell's Belles all season, and I was very impressed by them. By the time we started watching, the game was already out of reach (Kali was up 12-5). Even so, CSU kept fighting and they looked much improved from last year. In years past, I thought CSU was pretty solid but they seemed to have limited upside. The addition of a coach (Charles Stone) and a solid player in Brianna Quigley of Rare Air has made a tremendous difference. They have a much clearer system in place, and I expect good things from them in the near future.
The facile answer to number two is no, but I spoke with Steve Dugan before our semifinals matchup and he had nothing but good things to say about the Psychos. The score was lopsided but his respect for UCSD was very clear. As it turned out, UCSD scored more against the Burning Skirts than anybody else and turned out to be the only team to prevent them from reaching the point cap. It may seem like I'm grasping for straws, but on a weekend when UCSB was simply dominant, you have to grasp a little bit.
Regarding UNM and Colorado College, I didn't know much about either squad and took a stab in the dark by suggesting seeding UNM above UCLA-B and seeding Colorado College last. I don't know if they played out the last few placement games, but I think I was about right with UNM and completely wrong about Colorado College. Unfortunately, because of the uncertainty regarding both teams, pool C ended up as a difficult pool and I think UNM was prematurely eliminated from Nationals contention. Speaking of pool C...
POOL C
University of New Mexico
The Bombshells are a solid squad and they were a fun team to play. We played them in the first round and we came out on fire. Our defense forced them into difficult throws, and we managed to score three Callahans. UNM was very good-humored about it and at halftime, they cheered 'NO MORE CALLAHANS!' They fought hard in the second half, and though we emerged victorious, they succeeded in their halftime goal.
Colorado College
Coached by Emily Anderson of Rare Air, Colorado College has a number of exciting young players, led by Sophie Herscu. She is the engine for their offense, and her flick huck is their primary weapon. They very nearly knocked off Claremont in the first round, and ended up 8th in the region after beating Long Beach in a rematch. Lysistrata's Tools will need to develop their offense next year if they are going to take the next step up and contend with the top 6 or so teams, but the potential is there.
Claremont
We had played Claremont three times in the spring so we knew each other very well. I think this may have led them to tank the game quickly, a decision that I think was absolutely the correct one given their circumstances. The Greenshirts had an unexpectedly difficult first game against Colorado College where they were pushed to double game point. Erica Baken was on the sidelines for the bulk of the game with what may be a cracked femur. When Claremont was unable to pull away in the second half, she put on her cleats in order to help them beat Lysistrata's Tools.
I feel torn about Baken's decision to play hurt. I mean, this is the time of year you want to show up. Regionals is what everyone plays for. I just don't want to see her cause any long-term damage. She's an exciting part of the Southwest's future and she has many years of Ultimate to play. That said, she is one hell of a gutsy player. Apparently, she's been dealing with this injury since Santa Barbara Invite (in January). Wow.
Semifinals vs. UCSB
Well, they kicked our ass. I think it was the first loss of the season where our opponent gave an obviously superior effort when we were playing fairly well. Our defense was solid and produced some turnovers, and our offense was able to move the disc against one of the best defenses I've seen all year. We had plenty of scoring opportunities where we didn't convert and UCSB capitalized by marching it downfield.
The game was a respectable 8-5 before Santa Barbara demonstrated why they are the favorites to win it all. When they are firing on all cylinders, they will not give you another opportunity to score. Katie Barry's return to the team is obviously a huge boost. Fatigue was big factor in their collapse against UBC last year. This year, they should be able to keep Dre and Kaela fresher by simply picking and choosing points where the big four (add Finney and Katie) are on the field together.
Backdoor Game #1 vs. Colorado State
I was really nervous about this game because it was the perfect cocktail for an upset. We were facing an unknown opponent, we ended Saturday with a dispiriting loss, and we were facing a high-pressure day where each round would get progressively more difficult.
After trading the first few points, I actually felt relieved. We were playing at a high level, and I felt certain that the breaks would come. Our O line was moving the disc confidently, and despite not getting an early break, our D line was making Colorado State work hard much harder than they were making us work when we had the disc. Sure enough, the breaks started coming and we ran away with the game. The finishing blow came when we were up 12-5, and we played the hell point to end hell points. I guess that was only fitting given the teams involved. The point began with a quick turn on a block by Carrie 'Bubbles' Williams who read a swing pass perfectly. We had the disc in the red zone, but Katie 'Punky' Killebrew forced a high-stall throw that resulted in a turnover. Twenty-five minutes later and three times out later, Shinyi Chen lofted a floaty jump disc that was fittingly caught by Bubbles.
The point also featured one of the best bids of the weekend. Punky launched a deep throw to Balls whose bid at the disc made an observer (who will remain nameless) audibly express his admiration. I think Balls had the disc but the forceful impact on the ground caused her to lose control of the disc. Balls seriously has some of the most impressive layouts I have ever seen. I think it gets her injured often, but man, they are beautiful to watch when the situation calls for it.
We found ourselves on the other end of a 15-6 score, and in all seriousness, I definitely felt like it was the closest nine-point victory I've been a part of. The win made a huge difference for us as it ensured that we would only have two more games and two shots at one of the Southwest bids.
Game-to-go #2 vs. UCLA
What had been a beautiful day with virtually perfect conditions changed during the bye before our game against UCLA. While we were at Panera, the wind picked up and clouds started to approach. The game would unfortunately be primarily an upwind/downwind affair.
UCLA won the flip but we started the game with an immediate upwind break. We were unable to break BLU for the ensuing downwinder. When the game was tied at 4s or 5s, we got another upwind break, but again, BLU was able to score upwind to prevent us from taking the downwind advantage.
In the second half, I think we were down 9-10 when BLU got an upwind break. Unlike us, they were able to convert the back half and get a critical three point cushion. We fought hard to get one of those upwind breaks back but we couldn't make good on any of those chances. The final score was 14-11.
BLU did a good job of employing the huck-and-play-D approach. I think they also did a slightly better job of working the disc upwind, especially in the second half. They took some shots upwind and Bossa and Hawkins were critical in coming up with some tough grabs. A couple of lucky bounces ended up in their favor as well. I think Norm had something like 3 or 4 blocks that macked off her hands and were caught by BLU receivers. Kudos to BLU for making the big plays. I think the game basically came down to BLU making more of these plays than we did.
Game-to-go #3 vs. UCSD - The Do-or-Die Game
This was secretly the game I wanted to avoid at all costs (alright, it wasn't so secret). I was nervous about how the Hellions would respond in a high pressure situation, the highest they would likely face in the season. Also, this game felt like the season had come full circle. We began the fall with a scrimmage versus UCSD, and there we were facing them for the last spot to Nationals.
With the rain approaching and the prospect of an upwind/downwind game that could possibly be decided by the disc flip, I suggested to the Psychos that we change the field orientation to facilitate a crosswind game. For whatever reason, they elected to keep the field the way it was. As it turned out, the wind wasn't near as big a factor in this game.
We won the flip and broke the Psychos twice to take a 3-0 lead. At 5-3, the wind died down and the Psychos produced an important break to close to 5-4. The Air Squids were cheering in full support. A couple were crossing the line with obnoxious comments -- supporting your women is one thing, but heckling the other team in a game this important is another. Also, there is a double standard (justifiably so) when it comes to men heckling women's teams. It's something that you just don't do.
Anyway, the Hellions stormed back and broke the Psychos twice to take a huge 8-4 lead. The lead seemed insurmountable when you factored in the wind having changed directions 180 degrees, giving us the downwinder to start the second half. After trading the first few points, the wind died again. The Psychos held serve to close within 10-6 and then broke us to make it a three-point margin.
The next point ended up as the turning point of the game. The momentum was with UCSD and they were playing with the full confidence that a comeback was within reach. The point went back and forth but we ended up stopping their momentum with a critical score. On the next point, the cap horn sounded just a bit before we broke them. Up 12-7 with less than 15 minutes to go, victory was well within sight.
As I had been hoping to do, I put our senior line on in the hopes that they would close out the game. We only have six graduating players (Bambi's coming back for a fifth year), and four of them were with the team before Tracy and I joined the team. Unfortunately, Balls had to come out of the point after a collision at mid-field, but that line produced a break and put us on the brink of our first appearance at Nationals.
A couple of the players on the senior line were gassed and had to take subs, but I was able to get Balls back in for what was hopefully the clinching score. UCSD turned the disc just short of midfield and I think everyone could feel that the moment was imminent. Mary Kate controlled the offense and got the disc about 10 yards out and nicely centered. She spotted Rex breaking to the front of the backhand side, and she was able to zip the disc into the tight space. Rex dove for the disc and came up with the most important score in USC's short history.
I really loved that the clincher came on a no-turnover point, something we had been working on for the past weeks. In adverse conditions, we came through and I'm really proud of how far we have come. The mental game is something we have been working on all year long and I think it was extremely evident at Regionals that the mental work has paid off.
UCSD was a very worthy adversary and had been playing well over the weekend. Losing Molica to an ACL tear was really tough, but they battled all weekend and nearly took out UCLA in the first round on Sunday. As I've mentioned several times before, bouncing back from a one-year suspension is no small thing and I think they would have represented the Southwest well if they were attending Columbus. They lose great players like Meeko, Sir Robin and Ferris, but their program is one of the greatest in the women's division, and they have a number of talented, young players like Joule, Bonds and Loryn. They will be in the mix for years to come.
We had been aiming for 2nd in the region, but we are all ecstatic about our Regionals performance. We'll be going into Columbus with little pressure and the right amount of hunger. Our season is not done and we still have a lot that we want to prove. We're ready to show our stuff at the biggest stage.
My previews for the remaining Regionals and thoughts on All-Region will be coming up soon.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Regionals Previews
I really love this time of year. I think the anticipation before Regionals is much greater than that before Nationals. I liken it to the NCAA basketball tourney where the buildup to the Final Four is considerably more exciting than the Final Four tourney itself.
SOUTHWEST (4 bids)
Even with four bids, nothing is guaranteed in this region.
Frontrunner (aka Tiger Woods on Sunday when leading): Okay, I retract. UCSB is a lock.
Virtual Lock (aka the Lakers chances of making the NBA finals): UCLA. BLU would have to fall apart in order to not qualify.
Strong Bet (aka UNC winning the NCAA tourney): USC. Hellions love.
The Next Contenders: Colorado and UC San Diego could end up in a rematch of 2007 Regionals which resulted in a double game point win for UCSD. The two squads are 1-1 against each other with UCSD victorious at Pres Day and Colorado winning at Centex. The potential rubber match is an exciting one.
The X-Factor: The weather in Denver is definitely a wildcard and both days are projected to be windy.
Who goes to Columbus: UCSB, UCLA, USC and Colorado (not in that order).
Tough luck loser: UC San Diego.
My take: Colorado is the most unpredictable team at Regionals. They beat UCLA at Centex and they are capable of being very good. I don't think they have the depth to win the tourney, but they are definitely capable of winning their pool and upsetting UCLA in the crossover. They are also capable of losing to Colorado State as evidenced at Sectionals. I still think that they will get it together and return to Nationals for the first time since they lost in the semifinals in 2006.
Arizona would have muddled the picture even more as they were 2-0 against UCSD and 1-0 versus Kali. Unfortunately, they took themselves out of the race by failing to turn in their paperwork on time.
Claremont and Colorado State both have outside chances of taking the fourth bid. I haven't seen Colorado State play this year, but I suspect that they need to adopt the same strategy as Claremont. The Greenshirts need to pick and choose their high intensity games and keep their key players as fresh as possible to go as deep as possible. These two squads and Long Beach are more likely to be spoilers than they are to be Nationals bound, and all of the top contenders will have to take these teams seriously.
ATLANTIC COAST (2 bids)
The Frontrunner (aka Rock): UNC-Wilmington. Honestly, the difference between the three Carolina teams is tiny, but Seaweed does have a 3-0 record vs. UNC and split their two matchups with Wake Forest. Always go with rock.
Best Bets for the Second Bid (aka Paper and Scissors): Wake Forest and UNC. Pleiades is 2-0 against Ruckus which bodes well for Chapel Hill in their potential matchup in the semifinals.
The Best of the Rest (aka Dynamite): Florida. When I was a kid, we used to play with dynamite as a special throw. Yeah, it was stupid. If FUEL can catch fire, they could take down any of the Carolina teams. I like their potential matchup against Wilmington. They suffered a surprising loss to Georgia at Sectionals, but I think they are the biggest threat to the big three from Carolina.
The Spoilers (aka Matchsticks): Georgia, William and Mary and Virginia. If these teams catch fire, they could end one of the previous four teams' national ambitions. I think each of them is unlikely to run the table to win the backdoor bracket, but they are dangerous squads for the primary contenders.
Who Goes to Columbus: UNC-Wilmington and UNC.
Tough luck loser: Florida.
Who I'm rooting for: William and Mary. My wife was and will always be a Mother Hucker.
My Take: The Atlantic Coast is the most compelling Regional to watch outside of the Northwest. The AC deserves to have three teams in Columbus but alas, they have only two spots. USC got to play all three of the Carolina teams this year, and each is stylistically different. Wilmington wants to bomb the disc and attack vertically while UNC has more of a balance of the deep game and possession offense. I can't really speak on Wake Forest because our game against them was in heavy wind, but last year at Nationals, Ruckus tended to run their offense through one or two players and everyone else centered on getting the disc back to them, especially Lucia Derks.
CENTRAL (3 bids)
The Frontrunner (aka The Moon Landing Happened): Wisconsin. I mean, there's a chance that the Moon Landing was fake... actually, no, there isn't.
The Virtual Lock (aka Crop Circles are a Hoax): Carleton. I can see Syzygy faltering in one game, but not two. It's also possible that aliens were responsible for crop circles, but again, not really.
The Next Contenders (aka All That Da Vinci Code Stuff Has Merit): Iowa State and Wisconsin Eau-Claire. I haven't seen Iowa State play this year. Come to think of it, I've never seen them play but never underestimate the power of a team named Woman Scorned. Scary. One of these two teams will be going to Columbus but there is much more uncertainty about which one. Consider Iowa State the stuff about Da Vinci hiding stuff in paintings and Eau-Claire the stuff about the Priori of Sion and Mary Magdalene as wife.
Who goes to Columbus: Wisconsin, Carleton, Iowa State
Tough luck loser: Wisconsin Eau-Claire
My take: Wisconsin is very strong but as their losses to St. Louis indicate, they are definitely beatable, especially by a team that values the disc really well. I think Carleton can be this kind of team, and as longtime regional rivals, they certainly won't be fazed by Bella Donna. I'm going to be boring and predict that the region goes Wisconsin, Carleton and Iowa State.
I think the drop off between the top four and the rest is really big and all three bids plus the game-to-go loser should could from this bunch.
METRO EAST (2 bids)
Allow me to dork out with some X-Men references. Yup. My dork factor just shot up several points. I'm okay with that.
The Frontrunner (aka I'm the Juggernaut, Bitch): Ottawa. I think the easiest bets for qualifying for Nationals are Ottawa, UCSB, Wisconsin and Michigan.
The Gauntlet (aka the Brood): The separation between Maryland, UPenn, Pitt, Penn State and Cornell is very small. If you look at their matchups against each other, you will see a lot of games decided by one point.
The Spoilers (aka the Morlocks): NYU, Georgetown and Delaware. I have the feeling that one of these squads will pick off one of the top six seeds in the backdoor.
Who Goes to Columbus: Ottawa and Maryland. Man, I'm boring.
My take: I think Maryland benefits greatly from being the overall 2 seed. They will likely get a bit of an edge on the rest of the field since they should be able to get through pool play much more easily than their counterparts in the C and D pools. The 3-6 seeds play each other and the pool winners have an immense edge going into bracket play. I think the foursome of Pitt, UPenn, Penn State and Cornell have to treat pool play as a must win situation. If last year's ME Regionals are any indication, nobody has the depth to play two extra games and still have enough to win the backdoor game.
SOUTH (2 bids)
Last year, I dorked out and compared the South Regional to Highlander. This year, I'll do a complete 180 and do a comparison with my favorite Woody Allen movies.
The Frontrunners (aka Annie Hall and Manhattan) - St. Louis and Texas. Just as the conventional wisdom is to go with St. Louis this year, Annie Hall is regarded as Woody's greatest picture. What's wonderful about Annie Hall is that there's an adorable awkwardness to the film and it was very unconventional for the time. Sounds like SLU to me. You can pick apart the individual components but the whole package is there and you can't argue with their results.
On the flip side, you've got Texas aka Manhattan. This classic B&W flick is my personal favorite Woody Allen film, and I think it is one of the most perfect films ever made. That's a lot for Texas to live up to, but I fell in love with Melee at last year's Nationals. Just as my intellect tells me that there may technically be better Woody Allen movies, I keep coming back to Manhattan. The same is true for Texas -- I can't go against them until someone knocks them off. [One glaring difference from the brilliant aesthetics of Manhattan is Melee's new Five-Ultimate jerseys. I don't know when I became obsessed with fashion, and I'm certainly in danger of alienating more folks with my fashion sense, but wow, those are some interesting looking threads. They definitely fall below BLU level.]
The Challengers (aka Hannah and Her Sisters and Crimes and Misdemeanors)- Washington University and Truman St. After Woody Allen tapered off a bit in the early 80s, he came roaring back with these two amazing films in the second half of the decade. Hannah and Her Sisters is a warm, sensitive film that heavily featured my favorite e.e. cummings poem. When I think of Wash U., I think of my friend from college who did her graduate work there in poetry. Ch-ching! Connection is made.
Crimes and Misdemeanors may be the most complex and challenging film in Woody Allen's oeuvre. I know quite a few people who think that this flick trumps the big films of the 70s. Likewise, Truman State isn't a popular choice to take one of the bids, but they are a familiar name and nobody would leave them completely out of the discussion.
The New Blood (aka Match Point or Vicky Cristina Barcelona, take your pick) - Vanderbilt. Alright, Woody has fallen off quite a bit as he got through the 90s and into the new millennium. These two flicks demonstrated that he's still got a lot to offer. Perhaps not so coincidentally, these two films feature Scarlett Johansson. Perhaps Vanderbilt should consider themselves Scarlett. I think they'd take that. They are the exciting new team on the scene and believe that they have the stuff to get to the top of the region.
Who will win: St. Louis and Texas
Tough luck loser: Washington U.
My take: I was excited to see Woody Allen come back with a couple good films recently, and I do have a soft spot for his 80s flicks. I also have a special place in my heart for the early slapstick films like Sleeper. In the end, I always go back to Annie Hall and Manhattan. St. Louis and Texas, you're like the eggs.
Best of luck to all teams (except those in USC's path)!
SOUTHWEST (4 bids)
Even with four bids, nothing is guaranteed in this region.
Frontrunner (aka Tiger Woods on Sunday when leading): Okay, I retract. UCSB is a lock.
Virtual Lock (aka the Lakers chances of making the NBA finals): UCLA. BLU would have to fall apart in order to not qualify.
Strong Bet (aka UNC winning the NCAA tourney): USC. Hellions love.
The Next Contenders: Colorado and UC San Diego could end up in a rematch of 2007 Regionals which resulted in a double game point win for UCSD. The two squads are 1-1 against each other with UCSD victorious at Pres Day and Colorado winning at Centex. The potential rubber match is an exciting one.
The X-Factor: The weather in Denver is definitely a wildcard and both days are projected to be windy.
Who goes to Columbus: UCSB, UCLA, USC and Colorado (not in that order).
Tough luck loser: UC San Diego.
My take: Colorado is the most unpredictable team at Regionals. They beat UCLA at Centex and they are capable of being very good. I don't think they have the depth to win the tourney, but they are definitely capable of winning their pool and upsetting UCLA in the crossover. They are also capable of losing to Colorado State as evidenced at Sectionals. I still think that they will get it together and return to Nationals for the first time since they lost in the semifinals in 2006.
Arizona would have muddled the picture even more as they were 2-0 against UCSD and 1-0 versus Kali. Unfortunately, they took themselves out of the race by failing to turn in their paperwork on time.
Claremont and Colorado State both have outside chances of taking the fourth bid. I haven't seen Colorado State play this year, but I suspect that they need to adopt the same strategy as Claremont. The Greenshirts need to pick and choose their high intensity games and keep their key players as fresh as possible to go as deep as possible. These two squads and Long Beach are more likely to be spoilers than they are to be Nationals bound, and all of the top contenders will have to take these teams seriously.
ATLANTIC COAST (2 bids)
The Frontrunner (aka Rock): UNC-Wilmington. Honestly, the difference between the three Carolina teams is tiny, but Seaweed does have a 3-0 record vs. UNC and split their two matchups with Wake Forest. Always go with rock.
Best Bets for the Second Bid (aka Paper and Scissors): Wake Forest and UNC. Pleiades is 2-0 against Ruckus which bodes well for Chapel Hill in their potential matchup in the semifinals.
The Best of the Rest (aka Dynamite): Florida. When I was a kid, we used to play with dynamite as a special throw. Yeah, it was stupid. If FUEL can catch fire, they could take down any of the Carolina teams. I like their potential matchup against Wilmington. They suffered a surprising loss to Georgia at Sectionals, but I think they are the biggest threat to the big three from Carolina.
The Spoilers (aka Matchsticks): Georgia, William and Mary and Virginia. If these teams catch fire, they could end one of the previous four teams' national ambitions. I think each of them is unlikely to run the table to win the backdoor bracket, but they are dangerous squads for the primary contenders.
Who Goes to Columbus: UNC-Wilmington and UNC.
Tough luck loser: Florida.
Who I'm rooting for: William and Mary. My wife was and will always be a Mother Hucker.
My Take: The Atlantic Coast is the most compelling Regional to watch outside of the Northwest. The AC deserves to have three teams in Columbus but alas, they have only two spots. USC got to play all three of the Carolina teams this year, and each is stylistically different. Wilmington wants to bomb the disc and attack vertically while UNC has more of a balance of the deep game and possession offense. I can't really speak on Wake Forest because our game against them was in heavy wind, but last year at Nationals, Ruckus tended to run their offense through one or two players and everyone else centered on getting the disc back to them, especially Lucia Derks.
CENTRAL (3 bids)
The Frontrunner (aka The Moon Landing Happened): Wisconsin. I mean, there's a chance that the Moon Landing was fake... actually, no, there isn't.
The Virtual Lock (aka Crop Circles are a Hoax): Carleton. I can see Syzygy faltering in one game, but not two. It's also possible that aliens were responsible for crop circles, but again, not really.
The Next Contenders (aka All That Da Vinci Code Stuff Has Merit): Iowa State and Wisconsin Eau-Claire. I haven't seen Iowa State play this year. Come to think of it, I've never seen them play but never underestimate the power of a team named Woman Scorned. Scary. One of these two teams will be going to Columbus but there is much more uncertainty about which one. Consider Iowa State the stuff about Da Vinci hiding stuff in paintings and Eau-Claire the stuff about the Priori of Sion and Mary Magdalene as wife.
Who goes to Columbus: Wisconsin, Carleton, Iowa State
Tough luck loser: Wisconsin Eau-Claire
My take: Wisconsin is very strong but as their losses to St. Louis indicate, they are definitely beatable, especially by a team that values the disc really well. I think Carleton can be this kind of team, and as longtime regional rivals, they certainly won't be fazed by Bella Donna. I'm going to be boring and predict that the region goes Wisconsin, Carleton and Iowa State.
I think the drop off between the top four and the rest is really big and all three bids plus the game-to-go loser should could from this bunch.
METRO EAST (2 bids)
Allow me to dork out with some X-Men references. Yup. My dork factor just shot up several points. I'm okay with that.
The Frontrunner (aka I'm the Juggernaut, Bitch): Ottawa. I think the easiest bets for qualifying for Nationals are Ottawa, UCSB, Wisconsin and Michigan.
The Gauntlet (aka the Brood): The separation between Maryland, UPenn, Pitt, Penn State and Cornell is very small. If you look at their matchups against each other, you will see a lot of games decided by one point.
The Spoilers (aka the Morlocks): NYU, Georgetown and Delaware. I have the feeling that one of these squads will pick off one of the top six seeds in the backdoor.
Who Goes to Columbus: Ottawa and Maryland. Man, I'm boring.
My take: I think Maryland benefits greatly from being the overall 2 seed. They will likely get a bit of an edge on the rest of the field since they should be able to get through pool play much more easily than their counterparts in the C and D pools. The 3-6 seeds play each other and the pool winners have an immense edge going into bracket play. I think the foursome of Pitt, UPenn, Penn State and Cornell have to treat pool play as a must win situation. If last year's ME Regionals are any indication, nobody has the depth to play two extra games and still have enough to win the backdoor game.
SOUTH (2 bids)
Last year, I dorked out and compared the South Regional to Highlander. This year, I'll do a complete 180 and do a comparison with my favorite Woody Allen movies.
The Frontrunners (aka Annie Hall and Manhattan) - St. Louis and Texas. Just as the conventional wisdom is to go with St. Louis this year, Annie Hall is regarded as Woody's greatest picture. What's wonderful about Annie Hall is that there's an adorable awkwardness to the film and it was very unconventional for the time. Sounds like SLU to me. You can pick apart the individual components but the whole package is there and you can't argue with their results.
On the flip side, you've got Texas aka Manhattan. This classic B&W flick is my personal favorite Woody Allen film, and I think it is one of the most perfect films ever made. That's a lot for Texas to live up to, but I fell in love with Melee at last year's Nationals. Just as my intellect tells me that there may technically be better Woody Allen movies, I keep coming back to Manhattan. The same is true for Texas -- I can't go against them until someone knocks them off. [One glaring difference from the brilliant aesthetics of Manhattan is Melee's new Five-Ultimate jerseys. I don't know when I became obsessed with fashion, and I'm certainly in danger of alienating more folks with my fashion sense, but wow, those are some interesting looking threads. They definitely fall below BLU level.]
The Challengers (aka Hannah and Her Sisters and Crimes and Misdemeanors)- Washington University and Truman St. After Woody Allen tapered off a bit in the early 80s, he came roaring back with these two amazing films in the second half of the decade. Hannah and Her Sisters is a warm, sensitive film that heavily featured my favorite e.e. cummings poem. When I think of Wash U., I think of my friend from college who did her graduate work there in poetry. Ch-ching! Connection is made.
Crimes and Misdemeanors may be the most complex and challenging film in Woody Allen's oeuvre. I know quite a few people who think that this flick trumps the big films of the 70s. Likewise, Truman State isn't a popular choice to take one of the bids, but they are a familiar name and nobody would leave them completely out of the discussion.
The New Blood (aka Match Point or Vicky Cristina Barcelona, take your pick) - Vanderbilt. Alright, Woody has fallen off quite a bit as he got through the 90s and into the new millennium. These two flicks demonstrated that he's still got a lot to offer. Perhaps not so coincidentally, these two films feature Scarlett Johansson. Perhaps Vanderbilt should consider themselves Scarlett. I think they'd take that. They are the exciting new team on the scene and believe that they have the stuff to get to the top of the region.
Who will win: St. Louis and Texas
Tough luck loser: Washington U.
My take: I was excited to see Woody Allen come back with a couple good films recently, and I do have a soft spot for his 80s flicks. I also have a special place in my heart for the early slapstick films like Sleeper. In the end, I always go back to Annie Hall and Manhattan. St. Louis and Texas, you're like the eggs.
Best of luck to all teams (except those in USC's path)!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
So Cal Sectionals Recap
Yup, I've been a bit MIA with my posts. Things got busy with Centex and Sectionals. Plus, I got a bit wary of further alienating UCLA with my personal musings. Apparently, they have taken my words as being insulting. I hope that the BLU folks understand that I was only playing up the UCLA-USC rivalry and it was all meant as good fun. I thought making fun of their threads and calling them the Westwood Smurfs was fair game, but I guess I took it too far (one of my special talents). The fact is that I have a ton of respect for UCLA (past and present) and all that they have accomplished in the past six years, and my hope is that the bulk of my writing has reflected that. As one of the top programs in the division, they are going to draw their fair share of attention and criticism. That said, if I have caused any hurt feelings over there, I apologize.
Pool Play
Our schedule was eerily reminiscent of last year's schedule when we started off with Cal Poly-SLO, faced off against Irvine in the next game and finished the day with a big showdown against Santa Barbara. The only difference was UC San Diego-B in place of Redlands. The more things change...
I hadn't really seen SLO all year, but they were pretty much the same team that I remember them being last year. They don't have Rock anymore, but they have a bunch of solid if not spectacular players who have a good understanding of the game. I didn't see Jessup on the sidelines so I don't know if he's still coaching SLO Motion, but they did have someone else helping them out. Unfortunately, I don't get much of a chance to meet the other team since the Hellions have adopted the spirit circle in lieu of slapping hands and exchanging good-games after our matches.
We followed up our SLO game with a match against Irvine. We hadn't seen them this spring but they remain a very familiar team to us. Iris Leung and Annie Ngo are two of their standouts and you would have to be Charles Manson to not like the attitude that they bring to the game. Like Cal State Long Beach, I think Irvine is a ripe place to develop a great program. I'm ecstatic that both Irvine and CSULB are going to Regionals; programs like theirs are vital for growth in the region.
Our last game of the day was against Santa Barbara. This was an upwind-downwind game and UCSB got the first upwind break of the game. We worked the disc upwind on the next point to regain the advantage but UCSB returned with another upwind score and grabbed the momentum in the game. They pushed the advantage with the downwind half and produced another upwind break en route to a 4 point run that led to a 7-3 halftime score.
We received going upwind to start the second half. Both teams held serve scoring five upwind points in a row. This was particularly impressive since the wind was definitely a factor. We finally broke UCSB for the first downwind score of the half to close to 9-7. The soft cap was on and we battled UCSB on a critical point where the Burning Skirts worked against our zone for 53 throws in a row. Their patience finally broke about 10 yards out when one of their younger players turn the disc near the sideline. Our D line was gassed and unable to generate disc movement. We gave the disc back to UCSB after a couple of throws and they put it in the end zone for an easy score. At this point the game was virtually out of reach and the Burning Skirts seized the moment by finishing us off with an upwind score.
By and large, I think we've developed a fun rivalry with the Burning Skirts. It has certainly been one-sided, but the gap is closing. I do really like the bulk of UCSB's players and have tremendous respect for both Steve Dugan and Jenny Hanscom. That said, there is still an ugly element on the Burning Skirts that bothers me. I think it is limited to a few players, but I feel like there are a few that carry a superiority complex and negative attitude towards us. These players are likely the same ones who hate the spirit circle. That's fine and dandy if people hate things like that, but I can't support acting like you are okay with it and then snickering about it later. If that sounds hateful on my part, check out the title of my blog. I am a snakehead eating the head of the opposite side.
Bracket Play
In the semis, we matched up against UCLA, and it was pretty clear from their vibe during and after the game that they were none too pleased with the stuff on this blog. Sigh. I've come to the realization way too late that I have to watch what I say more closely because I don't know this generation of BLU very well.
Personal feelings aside, I hope that everyone can appreciate that this was a good game where both teams played well. I'd be curious to hear Korb's take, but I thought the game basically came down to two critical points. After we took half, we were on serve for the first couple points. I think it was 10-9 when we had the first really good break opportunity of the half. We worked the disc to within five yards of the end zone and called a time out. Based on how both teams were playing, I think we would have won the game if we had scored this goal. UCLA played some very tight defense and forced us into a high stall count turnover.
After they evened the score, they found themselves with a golden opportunity when we had an unexpected drop in our own end zone. Our end zone defense was up to the challenge and after the first few looks were shut off, I think it was Danger who looked to make a swing pass to Megha Shah (best name in the entire women's division). Bambi had the inside position and read the cut well to get what appeared to be a block. Megha called a foul that I am convinced would have been overruled immediately by any observer. If anything it looked like Megha had fouled Bambi in trying to get to the disc.
There's of course no guarantee that we would have scored on the next possession, but I think the game essentially came down to this moment. UCLA maintained possession and scored on an upline cut. With the wind being a pretty big factor, this break was huge. When BLU got to game point (12-11), we did produce one hell of a fight to get the do-or-die upwinder. I think we generated at least four turnovers and had two decent upwind possessions. In the end, BLU's defense and the wind were just too much to overcome. BLU wins 13-11.
On a random note, one of the low points of the game (or unintentionally high point depending on your perspective) occurred in the first half when BLU was up one upwind break and we worked up the field to put it in (or close to in) the end zone. Korb and I lined up on the end zone to debate whether a USC player (Kate Schlag) was in or not. Neither one of us had any business involving ourselves in the discussion and probably looked like tools. One thing Korb and I share is that we are masters of unintentional comedy. We ended up continuing the point and scored on the next throw.
Our next two games against Long Beach and Claremont were blowouts where fatigue on the other side pretty much guaranteed a win for us. Both are much stronger teams than the scores would reflect, but the lack of depth is a big issue for them and remains a factor in their hopes of doing well at Regionals.
I was able to see UCLA and UCSB play a bit from our field. UCSB had been up a couple of upwind breaks in the first half, but UCLA fought back to regain the advantage. The Burning Skirts had a number of uncharacteristic drops that gave UCLA additional chances to score. Andrea Romano was out for UCSB (foot injury?) and certainly impaired UCSB's ability to handle in the wind and stretch the field downwind. Kudos to BLU though for winning Sectionals and ensuring the top seed at Regionals.
As UCLA and UCSB were duking it out in the finals, Claremont and UCSD were locked in a tight affair that was arguably the game of the tourney. In the rematch or their pool game (the first of which was won by UCSD), Claremont had been up by four points late in the game (12-8, I think). UCSD stormed back and looked like they could do no wrong with five straight points. Somehow, Claremont sucked it up and found a way to score the next two points. Bayliss, Carny, Krump and Baken all factored in heavily as they took out the Psychos and further muddled the picture for Regionals.
I'll be posting again soon with predictions for this weekend's Regionals.
Pool Play
Our schedule was eerily reminiscent of last year's schedule when we started off with Cal Poly-SLO, faced off against Irvine in the next game and finished the day with a big showdown against Santa Barbara. The only difference was UC San Diego-B in place of Redlands. The more things change...
I hadn't really seen SLO all year, but they were pretty much the same team that I remember them being last year. They don't have Rock anymore, but they have a bunch of solid if not spectacular players who have a good understanding of the game. I didn't see Jessup on the sidelines so I don't know if he's still coaching SLO Motion, but they did have someone else helping them out. Unfortunately, I don't get much of a chance to meet the other team since the Hellions have adopted the spirit circle in lieu of slapping hands and exchanging good-games after our matches.
We followed up our SLO game with a match against Irvine. We hadn't seen them this spring but they remain a very familiar team to us. Iris Leung and Annie Ngo are two of their standouts and you would have to be Charles Manson to not like the attitude that they bring to the game. Like Cal State Long Beach, I think Irvine is a ripe place to develop a great program. I'm ecstatic that both Irvine and CSULB are going to Regionals; programs like theirs are vital for growth in the region.
Our last game of the day was against Santa Barbara. This was an upwind-downwind game and UCSB got the first upwind break of the game. We worked the disc upwind on the next point to regain the advantage but UCSB returned with another upwind score and grabbed the momentum in the game. They pushed the advantage with the downwind half and produced another upwind break en route to a 4 point run that led to a 7-3 halftime score.
We received going upwind to start the second half. Both teams held serve scoring five upwind points in a row. This was particularly impressive since the wind was definitely a factor. We finally broke UCSB for the first downwind score of the half to close to 9-7. The soft cap was on and we battled UCSB on a critical point where the Burning Skirts worked against our zone for 53 throws in a row. Their patience finally broke about 10 yards out when one of their younger players turn the disc near the sideline. Our D line was gassed and unable to generate disc movement. We gave the disc back to UCSB after a couple of throws and they put it in the end zone for an easy score. At this point the game was virtually out of reach and the Burning Skirts seized the moment by finishing us off with an upwind score.
By and large, I think we've developed a fun rivalry with the Burning Skirts. It has certainly been one-sided, but the gap is closing. I do really like the bulk of UCSB's players and have tremendous respect for both Steve Dugan and Jenny Hanscom. That said, there is still an ugly element on the Burning Skirts that bothers me. I think it is limited to a few players, but I feel like there are a few that carry a superiority complex and negative attitude towards us. These players are likely the same ones who hate the spirit circle. That's fine and dandy if people hate things like that, but I can't support acting like you are okay with it and then snickering about it later. If that sounds hateful on my part, check out the title of my blog. I am a snakehead eating the head of the opposite side.
Bracket Play
In the semis, we matched up against UCLA, and it was pretty clear from their vibe during and after the game that they were none too pleased with the stuff on this blog. Sigh. I've come to the realization way too late that I have to watch what I say more closely because I don't know this generation of BLU very well.
Personal feelings aside, I hope that everyone can appreciate that this was a good game where both teams played well. I'd be curious to hear Korb's take, but I thought the game basically came down to two critical points. After we took half, we were on serve for the first couple points. I think it was 10-9 when we had the first really good break opportunity of the half. We worked the disc to within five yards of the end zone and called a time out. Based on how both teams were playing, I think we would have won the game if we had scored this goal. UCLA played some very tight defense and forced us into a high stall count turnover.
After they evened the score, they found themselves with a golden opportunity when we had an unexpected drop in our own end zone. Our end zone defense was up to the challenge and after the first few looks were shut off, I think it was Danger who looked to make a swing pass to Megha Shah (best name in the entire women's division). Bambi had the inside position and read the cut well to get what appeared to be a block. Megha called a foul that I am convinced would have been overruled immediately by any observer. If anything it looked like Megha had fouled Bambi in trying to get to the disc.
There's of course no guarantee that we would have scored on the next possession, but I think the game essentially came down to this moment. UCLA maintained possession and scored on an upline cut. With the wind being a pretty big factor, this break was huge. When BLU got to game point (12-11), we did produce one hell of a fight to get the do-or-die upwinder. I think we generated at least four turnovers and had two decent upwind possessions. In the end, BLU's defense and the wind were just too much to overcome. BLU wins 13-11.
On a random note, one of the low points of the game (or unintentionally high point depending on your perspective) occurred in the first half when BLU was up one upwind break and we worked up the field to put it in (or close to in) the end zone. Korb and I lined up on the end zone to debate whether a USC player (Kate Schlag) was in or not. Neither one of us had any business involving ourselves in the discussion and probably looked like tools. One thing Korb and I share is that we are masters of unintentional comedy. We ended up continuing the point and scored on the next throw.
Our next two games against Long Beach and Claremont were blowouts where fatigue on the other side pretty much guaranteed a win for us. Both are much stronger teams than the scores would reflect, but the lack of depth is a big issue for them and remains a factor in their hopes of doing well at Regionals.
I was able to see UCLA and UCSB play a bit from our field. UCSB had been up a couple of upwind breaks in the first half, but UCLA fought back to regain the advantage. The Burning Skirts had a number of uncharacteristic drops that gave UCLA additional chances to score. Andrea Romano was out for UCSB (foot injury?) and certainly impaired UCSB's ability to handle in the wind and stretch the field downwind. Kudos to BLU though for winning Sectionals and ensuring the top seed at Regionals.
As UCLA and UCSB were duking it out in the finals, Claremont and UCSD were locked in a tight affair that was arguably the game of the tourney. In the rematch or their pool game (the first of which was won by UCSD), Claremont had been up by four points late in the game (12-8, I think). UCSD stormed back and looked like they could do no wrong with five straight points. Somehow, Claremont sucked it up and found a way to score the next two points. Bayliss, Carny, Krump and Baken all factored in heavily as they took out the Psychos and further muddled the picture for Regionals.
I'll be posting again soon with predictions for this weekend's Regionals.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)