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Some of these are quite large, so I'd only try and
download them with a high-speed connection.
The sound is bad on some of them because of the wind.
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I figured I would jot down a few notes and give a recap of the weekend to the people that weren't there, in case anyone was shaking uncontrollably to hear how it went. I'm warning you in advance it's a tad long, and I didn't even get to the diner stuff. Doug's order alone would be 3 pages.
This being our second tournament, I definitely saw improvement, cohesion and flashes of brilliance. We just now need to work on all those things and put them together for consistency.
Day 1
Saturday was balmy, full of sun and blue sky, with a touch of wind here and there. It wasn't the factor it could have been. In fact I dare say the ticks were more of a concern. Turkey Swamp got its name because the fields are pretty much nestled in a swamp, though there was nary a turkey to be seen all weekend.
Saturday we played 5 games, with no bye. Straight ultimate from 9:45ish to around 5:30 I believe. The schedule for us was this:
Donkey Bomb
Drew University
Air Sickness (name change from Air Circus – I see that as a victory)
His and Hers
Vitamin I
Game 1
Donkey Bomb -- This game was played fairly tight – I think both teams were using the game as a warm up for the rest of the day, but that isn't to say neither played hard. In the end team continuity won out and they beat us 13-8? I have to say I really don't remember the scores of every game, so if anyone would like to correct me, please do.
Game 2
Drew University -- They had a squad of 8 and picked up a guy from Yer
Mom to play against us. Though a bit inconsistent and erratic, they more than
made up for it in spirit and enjoyment for the game. We beat them 13-4. Yet
they also taught us the art of disc fencing, which Mr. Cleary promptly mastered
and tore the hearts out of their chests by beating them at their own game. They
came over with a bunch of bravado and challenged us, and left with looks of
puzzlement and wonder as they didn't score a kill at all. Don't worry if you
have no idea what it is, I'm sure a demonstration of disc fencing will happen
at a practice or 2.
Game 3
Air Sickness -- I thought they would be afraid of us since they obviously
changed their name in deference to ours. Yet they battled through their fear
and beat us 13-4. This is the game with the now infamous 6 person line, of which
sadly I was a part of. I would like to say in our defense, none of the 6 on
the field were beat, and Air Sickness had to use their one person advantage
to score. They picked up Clayton as well officially, which only makes them better,
if that's
possible. And to top it all off, apparently Brendan Smith is dabbling in the
black arts, as he floated in the air for a good 14 seconds attempting to D Cleary.
Only because Cleary is pure of heart did he get the disc.
Game 4
His and Hers -- Fun, spirited game where we played some great ultimate.
We hung around with them and gave them a game. Their first score came only when
Cline, blanketing the thrower with his iron clad defense, gave them a sliver
of an opening through his legs. The jury is still out whether Cline enjoyed
this immensely or not. Game went back and forth and we lost 13-8. His and Hers
went on to win the pool by going undefeated.
Game 5
Vitamin I -- The game had its moments. Unfortunately most of them were
for Vitamin I. By this time in the day it was late, the wind had picked up some,
and the field was not the greatest. Still, both teams played in the same conditions
and Vitamin I came out victorious, 13-8. They played consistently and intelligently
and worked the disc down the field when they needed too. This was also the game
Dennis lost his finger on a end zone layout. Not literally of course –
but he did break it. I have to say he was the calmest person I've ever seen
after breaking a bone, even if it was just a finger.
Day 2
The weather was slightly different for Sunday. Roughly .47 seconds after I turned into Turkey Swamp it began to steadily rain after being on the road for an hour and half and seeing no rain. A harbinger? After an eloquent conversation in the parking lot about vaseline, where to use vaseline, the benefits of not wearing underwear, of wearing the same clothes you played in the day before and seeing a half man half beast creature in the passenger seat of Sarah's car, we were all ready for some ultimate.
Game 1
Yer Mom -- Though the end score was a bitter pill, I look back
at this game and see a lot of positives. Being the first game to play on the
second day of a tournament, we collectively came out strong and played inspired
Ultimate. There was no letdown from anyone. We played much of the game with
a lead and though we let it get away from us, I don't think we have anything
to feel down about. Yer Mom is a team who have played together for a long time,
and have a system, a good zone (which we broke through and got them to abandon
it) and Jesus on their side. This was our second tournament, with new faces
playing with one another which of course is going to have cause for some inconsistency.
And yet we played even with them the whole game and it could have gone either
way. Though disappointing, I definitely feel we can take a lot of positive away
from this game and come back wiser. Suddenly I'm a philosophy major.
Game 2
U.S.U.C. -- Last game of the day was against U.S.U.C. – University
of Scranton Ultimate Club or something like that. Much like Drew, they had a
bunch of inexperience and heart, which made for a good, fun, laid back game.
We beat them 13-4.
And that was that.
Looking back, obviously there are things to work on. We need to have the first cut from the back of the stack – and we need it to come when the disc is tapped in, not at "stall 4." I think occasionally our offense got bogged down because the initial cut was so late. We need a secondary cut – every time. We need to clear – I know I have a tendency to hang around the disc which is completely detrimental to the flow of offense. I locked myself in the basement and slept on the concrete floor last night as penance. Our zone defense has to tighten up a bit, and we have to remember the dump is back there. Getting caught on the line is trouble.
But if we didn't have things we needed to work on, life would be boring. Seriously though – I believe these are minor, fixable things that will come with playing together more and learning from one another.
On the positive side, I saw a lot of flow on offense in our games, we played as a team, and our defense against some of the better teams was great. There were times we shut opponents down. That's a good feeling. And slowly but surely, we're learning how each other plays. That can only be good.
Ok, I'll wrap this up before it becomes War and Peace. Thanks to everyone who came up and I hope you all had fun. I had a good time playing with everyone and it looks like the next tournament we're shooting for is the brewery one. Win your weight in beer? What a keen idea!
Goose