...or at least 14 of 16 teams.
Wow, what a great day for ultimate. The series is so exciting because it is the time of the year where results matter the most game to game. Yes, you need to win to advance but leaving it all on the field and losing in a final is a risky venture. It's like bidding on an incut when you are covering a guy with great throws. Yes you may get a huge layout D but if you come up short you are vulnerable to a huge strike your defense can't stop. Georgia understood this and can get their tickets for Boulder. Maryland? Not so much. Here is a run down of Sunday's results.
Florida takes the region for the 3rd year in a row. Great for them. They will be the 1 seed going into Nationals and the golden disc is theirs to lose. Congratulations. I don't need to say anyomore.
On a more exciting note, WOW, go Georgia. Like Delaware, JoJah really showed up when it mattered. At Centex and Sectionals they did not look like the team that could take the 2nd spot out of the most competitive region in the country. While they were losing to Cal, Santa Cruz and Harvard at Centex, UNC was making the finals. In addition, when UNC was murdering UNC-W and NC State at sectionals (two teams in the top 20), Georgia struggled against Georgia Tech.
However, come regionals, the dogs were let out and JoJah came to play. They take out UNC 15-12 on Saturday which is good but it doesn't mean anything. They gave UNC a taste of their strategy and also gave them fire because both teams knew a rematch was coming. However, one of the most interesting moves of the day was Georgia in the Finals. Losing 17-5? Yeah like that's a representative score. There is no way Georgia was going 100% and it makes sense. You have a team with guys like Greg Swanson who are amazing but injury prone going against a team that will frustrate you and run you into the ground if you let them. Georgia must have known this game was not within their grasp, but it didn't need to be. Making it out of the region is all that matters and 2nd is better than not qualifying.
In letting off the gas, it is really easy to stay motivated. You know your weaknesses and you can take some chances in a game you know you are going to lose. Maybe feel out the wind, maybe get some young legs warmed up, get your rookies some experience against the most elite competitions. Meanwhile, UNC is duking it out with Central Florida in a game they HAVE to win. Let them get gassed, let them leave it all on the adjacent field because in an hour or so, we are going to eat them alive and that is exactly what Georgia did. Hats off to the red and white. I look forward to seeing them with their extremely spirited banter at Nationals next month.
Probably the least exciting regionals all weekend but I am sure Wisconsin is thrilled right now. This is their 3rd Regional title in a row ('06-'08) and despite a few mental lapses this year, they were very prepared for Carleton and achieved their primary goal. Good work. They'll be the #2 team at Nationals and we might see a Blue Caller game in Boulder.
As for Carleton, they made the show and that is all that matters. The good thing about making nationals is that it doesn't matter if you struggled against a regional foe because odds are you won't face them in May. The good thing about CUT is that they are only going to improve. Wisconsin is riding several 4th/5th years in Rebholz, Muffin, Shane, Will and Foster and the grunt work for CUT is coming from freshmen and sophmores. I hear Patrick Roberts (freshman) is unreal for CUT, scoring 5 of CUT's 10 goals in the regional finals and with Lindsley, Foster, Fagin, etc... Carleton is only going to get better. Look for them to get some serious experience in 3 weeks, competing at the highest level and I sincerely hope they take notes because next year can/should be an improvement from 2008, but they are going to have to remain focused on their weaknesses as a team in the off-season.
I am really happy for Magnum. I know I keep talking them up but when you have a team that makes nationals every year but gets snubbed out in pre/quarters and then doesn't qualify, it is really nice to see them bounce back. Purcell is a great player and I am really excited to see what Michigan does at Nationals. I see them as the 4th seed with only Florida, Wisconsin and Colorado above them. They are playing incredible disc and their program is ready to take the semis step. However, this is a tough situation to be in. In 2005, Georgia was in the same boat. They won the AC for the first time in recent years and came in as the 4 seed at Natties riding hype they had never seen. However, they came out flat to my alma matter and got stuck playing a dominate Stanford team in quarters instead of Texas. I hope Michigan doesn't go down because they could face a 5th seeded Santa Cruz team and that could give them trouble. However, I think with the team's already experienced roster, they are in good shape to come out hot in pool play.
As for Illinois, I really think they played incredibly well considering that the back door bracket was filled with 15-12 games. All of these teams were close in skill and Illinois' 26 points of ultimate after a finals loss to Michigan to beat an experienced and talented Ohio State team was very impressive. I would have loved to have seen the hand shake after that back door final. Both teams put together great seasons and this was their first meeting. Both had played and lost to Michigan by almost the same score and were so close in ability. This might have been one of the best games of Sunday and I'm really stoked for Illinois. The last time they were at Nationals was 2004 when they finished behind Michigan State at Regionals. This year they have looked good from start to finish and with great leadership from players Joel Koehneman, I am not surprised that they managed to make it back the show.
In addition, I want to give props to Notre Dame. This region has been Michigan, Michigan State, and sometimes Ohio State and Illinois. Now it looks like another team is taking shots at the top. Much like North Texas, they are coming out of the woodwork and I like to see shifts in the hierarchy. Send your kids to club practice in the summer and stay hungry. You played great and do yourselves a favor and get better for next year.
Hats off to Side Show, they are the surprise of the weekend. I look forward to seeing the squirrley Dan Cuoco at Natties, now as the experienced senior making his 3rd trip to Nationals. I don't know if a Florida upset is in the works again, but they are definitely playing their best disc of the year and what a great time to peak.
On the other hand, I feel really bad for Maryland. They come out hot and look like they can make a run for a natties birth but they hit a tough situation. They are going against a team that is historically better than they are but hasn't had nearly the success throughout the season. They then get stuck with a tough time cap situation and get the hex of all hexes, a DGP loss in the regional finals. In playing the cream of their line up, I am sure a 27 point final right before their last chance at nationals was NOT what the doctor ordered. Conversely, i am sure Pitt was absolutely ecstatic, once they realized that they had the legs to walk all over Maryland. Hopefully the Space Bastards learn their lesson and take the Georgia initiative the next time out. Not that they needed to tank that game, but their is no excuse to get so close and then get blown out. Constructive play calling has to come into play because winning does not matter as much as making nationals.
Lastly, wow Pitt. Some day you will make nationals by winning the region. Yes they get their shot at Boulder but their seeding has plummeted because of their loss to Delaware. Had they swept the region they could have been looking a 1, but probably a 2 seed at nationals, something the Metro East hasn't done recently. However, now that they are the 2nd team out the ME, they will be lucky to get a 3 seed. This might not be a bad thing however. In looking up at teams they have pressure taken off of them and could be in a "beat Wisconsin at Centex" mode. 2nd seed teams like Santa Cruz, Georgia, Texas or Arizona are not going to want to have to struggle with pesky 3/4 seeds and Pitt could play spoiler Friday at Nationals.
I might be a bigger fan of DLK than he is of me right now. I am so impressed with the season he and the Slugs have put together. Santa Cruz has not come out of the Northwest since this guy Sammy CK went there and they were riding Stanford's coat tails back then. They took the Northwest for the first time and won their region for the first time since 1995 when it was just "the west". This year Santa Cruz has been in elite discussion, partially because Danny has verbally put them there, despite not really dominating until sectionals. However, they got it done. I hear they played great in the wind yesterday and with no wind today in Davis, they just out hustled UBC. Congratulations and hopefully their Centex, TiV and Stanford experience will make up for their lack of Nationals experience.
Stanford over UBC, wow. Folks, that's Sherwood with an "S" for your Callahan ballot. This guy's back must be so sore. It is weird to see Stanford rely on a single player when my critique of Bloodthirsty is there lack of a superstar. Each of their semis' exits was to a Callahan winner, but at least they were in semis. Depth was Stanford's strength and despite now having a superstar, they will be lucky to make quarters (Watch them make it back to semis, they got up and over Oregon after losing at Regionals in 2006 and got the chance to get pwned by Florida). As far as Stanford's Nationals chances, I have no idea. They have SO much nationals experience and this is where they play their best. Maybe this is a peaking issue, maybe they just don't go down quietly, EVER. I will say that there will be a lot of teams at Nationals that have beaten Stanford (Florida, Wisconsin, Illinois, Carleton, and Santa Cruz) this year and the confidence Stanford has locked up with their endowment better outshine their apparent lack of confidence in 2008 if they want to play late at natties.
Way to get that W back TUFF. For the non-believers out there, this kid Stephen Pressly, is the real deal. Franchise and Texas came back and avenged their sectional defeat with a great come back win over UNT and I think #22 deserves some serious attention. Texas needed to snap out of it and they dodged a serious bullet and took the South again. I am sure a DGP win is not what they were hoping for but it doesn't matter how close the game is, as long as you have smiles when the last goal is scored. Good work, I can't wait to see what they bring at Nationals.
As far as UNT goes, they have nothing to be upset about. They earned their first trip to Nationals and despite losing to Texas, they are still a great team. They probably won't see TUFF at Nationals and considering that most teams in Boulder haven't played UNT, they will be ready to play spoiler. I think they will look good against teams, especially from the Northwest because they like to huck as much as Santa Cruz but they are BIG and will be able to get up and over Stanford. They will own the skies if teams let them and I would not be surprised to see UNT make it out of pool play next month.
Yes the Bird pecks here. Colorado does it again. They might have looked bad at Vegas and Stanford, but they are never down and out. I am curious to know what they will be like without Martin and Jolian (the few relics from the '04 championship team) next year but that doesn't matter now. Colorado will probably be the 3 seed because they were absolutely dominate in the series and beat Michigan in consolation at Centex. They also took out everyone as usual at Fools Fest, and despite a slow start, they have finished as hot as ever. However, I am curious to know how they do at home. They made the finals last year by beating Florida. In 2006 they lost to Georgia, a team that seems to give them trouble, in quarters. In 2005 and 2004 they were in the finals and if you go way back to 2003, they made semis. But this year? I think they are better than losing in quarters but getting out of semis? I've got them as the 3 seed behind Wisconsin and if they play to seed we might get to see a Hodag vs Mamabird battle, something folks always seem to want but doesn't happen often enough. That matchup is awesome because Colorado is a lot like Florida in the sense that they are all business and line up well against an intense Wisconsin team.
Congrats to Arizona, they have got to be on cloud 9 right now. They played a great second half against Colorado and stuck it to Tide in a game that they have never had the chance to play in. I think they are definitely fortunate to have all their talent peak in their 5th year when the SW had two bids (HINT: 20 TEAM NATIONAL FORMAT). If this Sunburn team had shown up last year, it would have all been for not. I met a few of their guys in the airport in Austin and they just seem so content with their program and I really like seeing that. I think they have the best handling squad in the country and they play great ultimate, regardless of pressure. Despite the fact that they have never been to the show, they won't buckle. Yes, they lost to Colorado, but they beat Tide when Tide looked like they were back in black after dismantling Claremont. Good luck to them at nationals, they won't need it.
Closing Thoughts
So with most of the series over, we can start to think about Nationals and how teams will do. I think the matchups this year are going to be some of the best I have ever seen. Teams like Oregon and Santa Barbara have slipped letting teams like Santa Cruz and Arizona have their chance at glory. A lot of these teams will be seeing each other for only the 2nd or 3rd time in their programs history because most of them are relatively new to the national scene. I love this kind of ultimate because it changes paradigms and forces us to change how we think and feel about the game. A decade ago, it was all about Stanford and Santa Barbara and in the last few years new powerhouses have emerged like Florida and Wisconsin. The end result is an ever changing sport that is now being chronicled by some great minds and now, instead of having hearsay history and RSD rumors about teams like LPC '94, Chabot CC '87, UNC-Wilmington '93, East Carolina '94/'95, and so on, we now have several years of documented footage of teams coming into their own.
2008, in my opinion, has been the best year for the ultimate fans. Rob's footage has become a staple over the last few years and his ability to deliver information as opposed to just entertainment has allowed bloggers and websites like mssui to discuss and articulate this sport in a manner that has never before been possible. More and more people are going to Nationals just to watch and because teams have been discussed since January, many of these people have witnessed the up and down emotional roller coaster of teams like Arizona, Wisconsin, Florida, Colorado, Tufts, Stanford, Ottawa, Georgia, NC State, UNC-W, Claremont, etc.. This year, every team at college nationals will be known. Every team will have a history that people can recall. Every spectator will understand what it took for each team to get this far and how much each had to invest in their program to succeed. I love it and I hope Northeast regionals is just as exciting.
just my thoughts
match diesel
