First of all, this was Vegas. Excitement and shenanigans abounded, and I tried to document them with daily emails to the UVA list, as neither our B team nor the girls team accompanied. I'll keep this entry mostly frisbee-based, but it seems that with this city, business and pleasure intersect with ease. Tomfoolery like...
...us playing Wisconsin first thing Friday morning. We didn't really know what the pool play situation was going to be, but since we were only listed with Harvard, Oregon, and Whitman, it figured we'd have some games added. We just didn't really see one of them being the defending national champs. As a team that's been making steady progress with regard to who we're comfortable playing, a first-round matchup with the Hodags was welcomed. Sure, everyone knows how good they've been since returning to the finals at Nationals in 2006, but with that in mind, what could there be to lose? Couple that their graduation of a large class of elite club caliber players, and really, what's the worst that could happen? With the warm weather, the lights, and the mountains already putting me in a great mood, I couldn't have been more excited as I went to sleep on Thursday night.
...us playing Wisconsin first thing Friday morning. We didn't really know what the pool play situation was going to be, but since we were only listed with Harvard, Oregon, and Whitman, it figured we'd have some games added. We just didn't really see one of them being the defending national champs. As a team that's been making steady progress with regard to who we're comfortable playing, a first-round matchup with the Hodags was welcomed. Sure, everyone knows how good they've been since returning to the finals at Nationals in 2006, but with that in mind, what could there be to lose? Couple that their graduation of a large class of elite club caliber players, and really, what's the worst that could happen? With the warm weather, the lights, and the mountains already putting me in a great mood, I couldn't have been more excited as I went to sleep on Thursday night.
Friday
Wisconsin [10-8]
We got to the fields more than an hour early to warm up, and after the usual plyos and drills, wound up starting the way we prefer: on defense. Wisconsin came out horizontal, pushing two cutters pretty far to each side and having either Jim Foster or Ben Feldman initiate with a horizontal cut that then either came under or went out, with the other mirroring. Throughout the game, I was particularly impressed by how good a job their handlers did of cutting consistently throughout the point, minimizing poaches and getting creative with resetting the disc. All of this seemed to be clicking for them. But then, they crossed half field. One of their handlers threw an errant flick that floated, and Dagley layed out to stop a trailing Hodag from picking up the trash. Turn. After a swing or two, Robert bombed the disc to a streaking Jesse, who was making his first appearance since pulling his hamstring just before ACC. On one hand, the deep shot worked out well: two throws later, Peter caught our first break, taking our already-high intensity to another level. On another, it was the end of Jesse's first and only point in Vegas, and the beginning of what will hopefully be a quick and actual rehab.
The same wind that made games virtually unplayable later in the day stayed calm throughout the rest of this one, but if there was any downwind, it was with us on the next pull and we took the score to 2-0. Wisconsin then held, and the O line got its first run. We held first, but once the score got to 4-2, they broke us twice in a row. Sure, they were a bit off with their own throws and cuts, but we definitely caught glimpses of their D being both complicated and well-orchestrated. They played our cutters in a whole lot, which allowed the deep game to open up after a swing or two, but we did hit trouble here and there when they poached actively. Stalled disc movement led to our real problem, which was uncharacteristic drops on both an in cut and a dump as a result of the disc being forced a bit. One thing I took away from this game: with a team that plays so physical, you've got to trust your dump set to run the wrap, especially if you're dumping it into the middle of the field; doing so just makes for much higher percentage throws.
At the risk of turning this into a soliloquy on our win over Wisconsin (who went 3-6 on the weekend), I'll wrap up the rest of this game quickly. They took half 7-6, and we held to start. Our D then ramped things up and earned a break, doing it again on (I think) the subsequent point. A hold from Wisco made it 9-8, and with the hard cap sounding our O took the field knowing that a score meant a win and a break from them meant double game point, something I didn't realize until well after things had ended. The wind kicked up and there were a number of turns, but after a nice deep D from Greg on Foster and some patience on the goal line, Robert punched it in to Tom for the win, 10-8. A couple more things from this game: For one, Matt King played like an absolute beast. He ripped a couple of floaty discs out of the air, got a few layout blocks, and just as a Stanford guy on the sideline remarked to me about just how nondescript Matt looked, pulled in a layout callahan that, if Rob stays true to his promise, we may be seeing soon. Also, as the game got closer to cap, Wisconsin tightened up and made a travel call or two, but for the most part stayed competitive without the cost of becoming complete dicks. I dig it, and on that note, on to the next game.
Oregon [7-9]
I remarked afterward that I felt like we were in control of this game throughout... until we lost. We started the game with a break and they started it by yelling at each other, but after a hold from their O, we couldn't convert on the endzone line and we gave it right back. The wind started to garner more attention, and they just completed more passes than we did. Both Dusty Becker and Eli Janin are fantastic throwers, and something that worked really well for them was their willingness to throw blades and no-looks. I figure that with that kind of wind, turnovers were inevitable, so this kind of thing was smart strategically because the chance being taken was at least one that, if completed, put the disc where only an Oregon receiver could catch it. Regrettably, the game also got a bit heated, and though the blame can be evenly doled out to both parties, it took us out of things mentally. Combined with what was definitely over-exuberance after our win over Wisconsin, the arguments and useless comments led to a loss of focus, and probably a lost game. Having figured Wisconsin would be our toughest game of pool play, I guess dropping this one was affordable, but still, we felt quite frustrated going into our bye.
Duke [6-9]
After an hour and a half break, the wind had made itself the centerpiece of the tournament by the time this one started. We changed fields so that we were oriented directly up-down wind, and after losing the flip, we knew we'd have to get a break to win; If only we could attribute our loss to the wind and the wind only. The gusts made throwing more than 15 yards upwind extremely difficult, and each pull from Duke landed in a blade that then circled 180 degrees and starting rolling back toward them. On offense, all we had to do was punt the disc into the endzone if there was any trouble because we could count on a turnover from them giving us good position. Holds came from each team, and we started to think about how we could get our break: Greg and Robert agreed to put Conger and me in on D so that we could look to work the disc up for a score, but before we could do it, we had a multiple-possession swill point that ended with them breaking us, 3-5. In all honesty, they earned the break because they were much more tenacious in attacking the disc in the air regardless of a possible bounce or misread. More than once, we swatted it away only to have it picked back up and caught by a Brimstone guy. With the wind at their backs, another Duke break came easily.
We more or less lost hope after their D line scored, and with the cap quickly approaching, didn't get it together in time. A few O line guys did go in on D, but it was too little too late, and even though we were beating them upline consistently, working 70 yards just wasn't happening. The shitty thing, though, was that it was happening for them, and the game ended on us getting broken once again. Like I said, as much as I'd like to blame the wind, them pulling off three breaks to our none is more than enough to prove that we straight up got outplayed. For me, this game emphasized just how timid we can get in the wind, with our sidelines dying down and our movements on the field slowing. Good teams come to play frisbee regardless of the conditions, and if Regionals ends up happening in a below-freezing snow storm, we've gotta be more ready than we were against Duke.
Clarement [5-4]
This game was kinda cool for me because it was the first of three in which I got to play against Northwest kids: Riley MacPhee and Logan Schumacher play for Claremont, Jeremy Norden and Chris Hansmen are on Whitman, and Casey Ikeda just started with Las Positas. For the most part, though, our spirits were still pretty low, and as the score indicates, this game was by no means a pushover. Robert went out with some cramping and our D line stopped converting, but toward the end the O made even things out by giving up two breaks. Claremont played a three man cup with an extra guy guarding the dump, leaving the break side of the field completely open as an unlikely target in the wind. We got trapped on the sideline a lot, having to look upfield late in counts because our crashes were ineffective. On double game point, we turned it at least twice, but Max finally made a real boss grab on an errant huck that was tailing sharply away from him, and after he dumped it to me I threw the score to Justin for the win. Though we had started out on a real high, the day had turned sour quickly, so a final win was definitely useful in looking toward Saturday with optimism.
Wisconsin [10-8]
We got to the fields more than an hour early to warm up, and after the usual plyos and drills, wound up starting the way we prefer: on defense. Wisconsin came out horizontal, pushing two cutters pretty far to each side and having either Jim Foster or Ben Feldman initiate with a horizontal cut that then either came under or went out, with the other mirroring. Throughout the game, I was particularly impressed by how good a job their handlers did of cutting consistently throughout the point, minimizing poaches and getting creative with resetting the disc. All of this seemed to be clicking for them. But then, they crossed half field. One of their handlers threw an errant flick that floated, and Dagley layed out to stop a trailing Hodag from picking up the trash. Turn. After a swing or two, Robert bombed the disc to a streaking Jesse, who was making his first appearance since pulling his hamstring just before ACC. On one hand, the deep shot worked out well: two throws later, Peter caught our first break, taking our already-high intensity to another level. On another, it was the end of Jesse's first and only point in Vegas, and the beginning of what will hopefully be a quick and actual rehab.
The same wind that made games virtually unplayable later in the day stayed calm throughout the rest of this one, but if there was any downwind, it was with us on the next pull and we took the score to 2-0. Wisconsin then held, and the O line got its first run. We held first, but once the score got to 4-2, they broke us twice in a row. Sure, they were a bit off with their own throws and cuts, but we definitely caught glimpses of their D being both complicated and well-orchestrated. They played our cutters in a whole lot, which allowed the deep game to open up after a swing or two, but we did hit trouble here and there when they poached actively. Stalled disc movement led to our real problem, which was uncharacteristic drops on both an in cut and a dump as a result of the disc being forced a bit. One thing I took away from this game: with a team that plays so physical, you've got to trust your dump set to run the wrap, especially if you're dumping it into the middle of the field; doing so just makes for much higher percentage throws.
At the risk of turning this into a soliloquy on our win over Wisconsin (who went 3-6 on the weekend), I'll wrap up the rest of this game quickly. They took half 7-6, and we held to start. Our D then ramped things up and earned a break, doing it again on (I think) the subsequent point. A hold from Wisco made it 9-8, and with the hard cap sounding our O took the field knowing that a score meant a win and a break from them meant double game point, something I didn't realize until well after things had ended. The wind kicked up and there were a number of turns, but after a nice deep D from Greg on Foster and some patience on the goal line, Robert punched it in to Tom for the win, 10-8. A couple more things from this game: For one, Matt King played like an absolute beast. He ripped a couple of floaty discs out of the air, got a few layout blocks, and just as a Stanford guy on the sideline remarked to me about just how nondescript Matt looked, pulled in a layout callahan that, if Rob stays true to his promise, we may be seeing soon. Also, as the game got closer to cap, Wisconsin tightened up and made a travel call or two, but for the most part stayed competitive without the cost of becoming complete dicks. I dig it, and on that note, on to the next game.
Oregon [7-9]
I remarked afterward that I felt like we were in control of this game throughout... until we lost. We started the game with a break and they started it by yelling at each other, but after a hold from their O, we couldn't convert on the endzone line and we gave it right back. The wind started to garner more attention, and they just completed more passes than we did. Both Dusty Becker and Eli Janin are fantastic throwers, and something that worked really well for them was their willingness to throw blades and no-looks. I figure that with that kind of wind, turnovers were inevitable, so this kind of thing was smart strategically because the chance being taken was at least one that, if completed, put the disc where only an Oregon receiver could catch it. Regrettably, the game also got a bit heated, and though the blame can be evenly doled out to both parties, it took us out of things mentally. Combined with what was definitely over-exuberance after our win over Wisconsin, the arguments and useless comments led to a loss of focus, and probably a lost game. Having figured Wisconsin would be our toughest game of pool play, I guess dropping this one was affordable, but still, we felt quite frustrated going into our bye.
Duke [6-9]
After an hour and a half break, the wind had made itself the centerpiece of the tournament by the time this one started. We changed fields so that we were oriented directly up-down wind, and after losing the flip, we knew we'd have to get a break to win; If only we could attribute our loss to the wind and the wind only. The gusts made throwing more than 15 yards upwind extremely difficult, and each pull from Duke landed in a blade that then circled 180 degrees and starting rolling back toward them. On offense, all we had to do was punt the disc into the endzone if there was any trouble because we could count on a turnover from them giving us good position. Holds came from each team, and we started to think about how we could get our break: Greg and Robert agreed to put Conger and me in on D so that we could look to work the disc up for a score, but before we could do it, we had a multiple-possession swill point that ended with them breaking us, 3-5. In all honesty, they earned the break because they were much more tenacious in attacking the disc in the air regardless of a possible bounce or misread. More than once, we swatted it away only to have it picked back up and caught by a Brimstone guy. With the wind at their backs, another Duke break came easily.
We more or less lost hope after their D line scored, and with the cap quickly approaching, didn't get it together in time. A few O line guys did go in on D, but it was too little too late, and even though we were beating them upline consistently, working 70 yards just wasn't happening. The shitty thing, though, was that it was happening for them, and the game ended on us getting broken once again. Like I said, as much as I'd like to blame the wind, them pulling off three breaks to our none is more than enough to prove that we straight up got outplayed. For me, this game emphasized just how timid we can get in the wind, with our sidelines dying down and our movements on the field slowing. Good teams come to play frisbee regardless of the conditions, and if Regionals ends up happening in a below-freezing snow storm, we've gotta be more ready than we were against Duke.
Clarement [5-4]
This game was kinda cool for me because it was the first of three in which I got to play against Northwest kids: Riley MacPhee and Logan Schumacher play for Claremont, Jeremy Norden and Chris Hansmen are on Whitman, and Casey Ikeda just started with Las Positas. For the most part, though, our spirits were still pretty low, and as the score indicates, this game was by no means a pushover. Robert went out with some cramping and our D line stopped converting, but toward the end the O made even things out by giving up two breaks. Claremont played a three man cup with an extra guy guarding the dump, leaving the break side of the field completely open as an unlikely target in the wind. We got trapped on the sideline a lot, having to look upfield late in counts because our crashes were ineffective. On double game point, we turned it at least twice, but Max finally made a real boss grab on an errant huck that was tailing sharply away from him, and after he dumped it to me I threw the score to Justin for the win. Though we had started out on a real high, the day had turned sour quickly, so a final win was definitely useful in looking toward Saturday with optimism.
After hotel showers, brief naps, and dinner at a next-door restaurant that induced a discussion on exactly what it would mean to earn GB points, we hit the strip. In sum, non-stop lights, drinking, gambling, and vice make for a pretty cool tournament nightlife.
Saturday
Whitman [10-5]
As good a thrower as Jeremy is, he really only had one or two receivers to help him out, and this game didn't give us much trouble. I did get handblocked after trying to throw a high release backhand in the same manner as I had two throws earlier, but it was a nice reminder that defenders react to what you as a thrower do, so mixing it up is always beneficial. Also, I got them back with some of my nicest flick hucks of the weekend.
At the start of the Whitman game, the weather didn't look so bad. It had rained a bit and was chillier than Friday, but nothing too unreasonable. This all changed during our bye: the skies opened up and gave way to downpour, and the temperature dropped as the wind returned. We huddled under the hotdog tent, putting our faces and bodies up against the grill in an effort to pick up any warmth possible. Seriously, shit sucked, and most of us wouldn't have been too upset if games had been called instead of warming back up and trying to cut in six inches of mud.
Las Positas [13-6]
Miraculously, though, the clouds gave way to sun, and by the time this one started, the rain had stopped for the day. (Proof of a frisbee God: I wasn't missing this kind of opportunity in a years-old trashtalk saga, and this wouldn't have been a Night Train experience without a debate over SOMETHING [fucking Frenchman's Mountain]). Our D was strong for the first half, taking it 7-1. We may have gotten broken in the second, I'm not sure, but the quick handler game that I expected from LPC was slowed by the mud. Casey told me he had been playing with a pulled hamstring, and I think they'll be helped once he's at full health and clicking more with the other cutters on the team.
Harvard [9-8]
The winner our match-up with Harvard would take second in the pool, meaning stronger competition on Sunday, a big deal when you fly across the country to play. Add to this last year's Roll Call results (double game point loss on Saturday, 2 point loss on Sunday, with us holding a late lead in each), and this game was a pretty big deal. We started the game with two breaks on D. Robert was doing a good job guarding George Stubbs, their focal point on each side of the disc, and we were connecting on deep throws as well as we had in the Wisconsin game. Our O, though, got a bit comfortable with the lead, and we misfired enough times to give them a break or two back. Personally, this was my weakest game of the tournament. I had a few nice long throws and was working upline regularly, but I can count at least three turnovers that would have been avoided with a bit more patience. Coming out of half, we got broken again. And then again. I'm not sure what happened next, but the score was 8-8 and the cap went on. The line was Robert, Greg, Justin, Peter, Conger, Healy, and myself, and after some nice work between the handlers, Robert hit me in the endzone for the score.
We didn't win Regionals, but there were smiling faces all around after this one, and I couldn't let go of the disc for fear of parting with the feeling of satisfaction held in the moment. After what we would all consider to be a disappointing Friday, we had done all we could to put ourselves in the best place possible by the end of Saturday. The up after a feeling that was so down certainly reminded me of Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning at ACC, but it also did more than that, epitomizing the emotional transience that I've come to see as part of growing from a decent college team into a really good one. Last year, we dropped a lot of close games because of an inability to maintain fortitude as the pressure mounted. It's obviously only February, but the contrast of our meetings with Harvard last year and this time around was heartening.
We soon got wind that our games the next day wouldn't be starting until 11:30. In-n-Out. Walk. Calm down, Svet; Good God, Robert; Jump, Mullins! I love Las Vegas.
Sunday
Western Washington [4-8]
My tour of west coast teams with people I know and played with this summer had one more stop. While not as cold or wet, the wind from Friday returned a bit, and with the mud remaining, Sunday was sort of a blend of the previous two days. On top of Matt Knowles and Nate Castine in particular, DIRT has a few good handlers who move the mark and throw to space well, and with Wiggins and Andy Lovseth coaching, they're both disciplined and good at making adjustments. They came zone against us, and we worked it well at times, but as the score indicates, this game wasn't that close. For one, showing up 20 minutes before game time with a hangover and Jack in the Box breakfast sandwich can't help. But I saw a few of them out on Saturday night too, so that's really no excuse for our poor play. In all honesty, they just outplayed us and our D line couldn't fight the wind enough to get back the breaks that the O gave up. I did, however, throw a rather sizable scoober, which took a lot of focus considering I was fighting a breakdown from Alan's heckles that revolved around not-so-favorable comparisons to my brother. Anyway, I hope we play this team at Centex.
Stanford [9-8]
Last game of the tournament. We came out with two breaks, but after that played pretty uninspired ultimate. As with a number of other teams, their zone gave us some fits, and after swinging it patiently a few times we would either drop a dish or jack a swilly huck. Pretty dumb, really. Personally, I played a good defensive game, coming up with a few layout Ds, but as an O line player, I'm not sure how celebration-worthy such a thing is. On their end, handler movement was the name of the game, as none of their cutters was all that impressive. They had one guy in particular who was everywhere for a few points, and a few others that worked hard and with effect. Bloodthirsty took half up a break or two, and were at 8-5 once we started expecting the hard cap horn to blow. Then we scored. Then we scored again. Then, on a downwind pull, one of their guys absentmindedly hit the disc out of the air and onto the ground, so why not go ahead and score again. 8-8. On double game point to end the tournament, Stanford worked it all the way up before Healy came up with a HUGE footblock for the turn. An out-of-bounds huck from us, however, gave them the disc right back, but after a couple of swings one of their guys dropped an open pass. I'll say it now: while I hate a bad cheer, and "We scored! YES!" certainly qualifies, seeing both the pull mishap and this drop gave me the sad feeling I get when someone on the other team drops a pull and we get an easy break. Not that I'd rather feel a loss, but still, it's unfortunate. After a bit of movement from us, the wind picks up a throw to the endzone and looks like it's gonna float over Peter's head. Justin Webster, however, had different plans, matching Healy's block with an equally HUGE sky for the win. The cheers and handshake were pretty anticlimactic by virtue of the exhaustion felt all-around, but the win felt nice nonetheless. Our record against teams from last year's Nationals: 3-0.
So that's our Trouble in Vegas. 6-3 on the weekend, breaking seed from 21 to a tie for 13. After Stanford, we headed to the finals to watch Florida spam Colorado 13-11. They were actually up a lot more when I left for the hotel (10-6 I think?) and started to put their rookies in, so if anyone knows how this got close (and yes, the rookie thing may answer my question for me, but I figure the ol' Broderick and Co. would have done something before it got to that point), I'm curious. Before I go, a few more thoughts...
Best Players
Bearing in mind that I didn't see a number of teams play (CUT in particular), my top 7 is the following:
Brodie Smith (Florida)- While it's hard to take someone who looks and conducts himself like an absolute neanderthal seriously, I'm not sure that there's anyone more physically dominant. None of the guys on Florida other than him impress me with their disc skills, but with Brodie running the show, they get it done.
Mac Taylor (Colorado)- Aside from length and athleticism, I like how quickly and decisively he moves to space. Also, his downfield throwing in the Final got creative, beating Florida's zone a few times. I want to see Colorado play more, but when the going gets rough on them, I expect that he's going to have to shoulder quite the load.
George Stubbs (Harvard)- I'll say this: If you want to beat Harvard, you've got to be able to deal with Stubbs. The dude is electrifying, lightning quick and with throws and ups that can compete with anyone.
Dusty Becker (Oregon)- As I said earlier, he's just a damn good thrower. But he also came up with a few big skies and Ds against us, and he seems to be a strong leader for Ego. Also, I liked his beard.
Nate Castine (Western)- I was most impressed with Nate when I watched him guard Mac. Even while staying with a top player, he's got the field awareness to rack up poach Ds without being caught out of position. His field vision and positioning really impress me.
Evan Klane (Wisconsin)- Amidst Wisconsin's woes on the weekend, I thought Klane was a positive. As the center handler in their offense, he touches the disc all the time, breaking the mark and dropping pinpoint throws while rarely turning it over. And I really like his throwing form.
Robert Runner (Virginia)- Ask anyone who's played us and they'll tell you that Robert is the real deal. Blah blah blah, same stuff that's written on RSD about whatever school's best player every year. But really. Robert's just allright at ultimate.
Other Random Shit
- As far as how the tournament was run, I didn't have any major qualms. I don't really need LCD screens to tell me how games are going and I'd have liked more merchandise at the Five tent and a few of our fields were absurdly long, but really, the event didn't go as poorly as WarmUp! had me fearing it might, and while I don't need that many teams at all of the tournaments I go to, the scale of Trouble in Vegas made it memorable.
- The major story of this year's college season so far has got to be Wisconsin's poor showing, but I doubt I'm alone in saying that I think they'll be fine this year. With as many new players as they have, they certainly won't be the juggernaut they were last year, but still. The Hodags will be good...
- Which leads me to my next thought. Florida won the tournament but had an earlier loss to Carleton, who beat Colorado, who lost to Oregon, and on and on. The obvious point here is parity. Last year, Wisconsin didn't lose until Centex, and already every solid team in the country has a loss...
- ... except for Georgia. Queen City just finished a few hours ago. Thoughts on that are in the works.
OUT.
2 comments:
for anyone who cares, i'm going to look up the html so that i can do cuts and these shits aren't so long on the first page. PEEP GAME.
hay wussup. i read a lot of this until i got sick of not understanding any of the words. it sounded cool though until i gave up
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