2001 UPA College Ultimate Championships

Pre-quarters

These games went almost exactly as one might have expected. Nearly every team started with early turnovers and sloppy play. It was the stronger, more evenly-balanced offenses that managed to calm down and play efficiently. Weaker teams couldn't keep the disc out of the hands of their weaker players, and turnovers became their undoing. This is one of the distinguishing traits of the top teams 96 they don't give you many opportunities to beat them. If you don't convert after the first turnover, then you won't stand a chance. Many of the lower-seeded teams here seem to rejoice too much at the thrill of a sick defensive play, only to watch as their defense turns it back over and gets scored on. In order to take their game to the next level, they will have to focus more on conversion percentages and team offense, and less on spectacular but fleeting individual greatness. These make for great stories over beer, but why would you want to drink if you could still be playing?

Wisconsin derails the Harvard Red Line, 5-10.

This game was not close early, with Wisconsin pulling ahead 3-1. With loud sidelines, hard bids and solid focus on the game, the Hodags caused an early Harvard throwaway to no one, and the Red Line never really recovered. Opie O'Connell pulled his boys together for a quick huddle, made some adjustments on offense, and Wisconsin picked up the pace. Harvard threw some junk, but Wisconsin's offense was too patient. The Madison zone, on the other hand, found some of Harvard's weaknesses. After a late push by Harvard, the Red Line fell. Wisconsin moves on to face Oregon, which is a hard game to predict. Wisconsin fans have to be concerned about the number of turnovers that the Hodags let up in this game, and their difficulty in putting Harvard away after an early lead. They may find it very difficult to go from a game in which the disc changes hands several times a point, to a hard fought battle in which one turnover can make or break an offense.

Brown smothers U Penn, 15-4.

Brown went up 6-1 and Penn gave up the ghost. Injuries don't seem to be a problem for this team, and after a few sloppy points to start, the offense settled down and went to work. Harper, Rifkin and Schwartz once again figured prominently in the win. Brown goes on to face Colorado. If CU has another slow start, as they did against Michigan yesterday, they could find themselves on the ropes mighty quickly. Brown knows how to win, and their early morning game today seems to have gotten their blood pumping. The alumni are out in numbers, and the returning champs will hit Mamabird hard.

Cornell nearly flawless against A & M, 15-6.

Reached for comment before the game, the Buds' Sideshow told me that he would be looking for hard defense to open the game, and he couldn't have been happier with what he saw. Cornell came out with a big layout d and then proceeded to march miserly through the first half, giving up only one turnover to A & M. Given that this game was a blowout, it's hard to say if this is any indication how Cornell will fair against Carleton. The height match-ups have to be a concern for the Buds, and covering Nord and other towering CUT-ers will be no easy task. Cornell has a sense of what it will take, and they are smart enough to figure out a way to use the talent they've got. The question is, of course, will that be enough?

Michigan puts down late OSU push, 15-10.

This was the closest game of this round, as a plucky OSU squad refused to go down without a fight. Nice plays were made by #19 Glen Goetchius, #1600 Kevin Ryan, #23 Kevin Reichert, #4 Kenneth Weinbery, #9 Brian Ralston, and #12 Jeff Servaites. Their split offense came up short for them, however, and turnovers were the death of this team. They were unable to work the disc off of the line effectively, failing to complete the second breakmark pass for the crossfield swing that is essential in breaking a trap defense. If they're going to contend with stronger teams in the future, they will have to work on offensive fundamentals and a more efficient flow.

On the other side, Michigan's Tim Murray really seemed to be coming into his own this game. After a few early turnovers, Murray appeared cool and confident, leading the offense and dictating the pace of the attack. He came underneath with relative ease, and completed a number of nice looks deep. Michigan seems to be enjoying themselves thus far, but that may soon change. Waiting for them in the wings is a solid Santa Barbara squad that will not forgive careless looks or casual cuts. Michigan has to be careful that they don't rest on the laurels of their advance to the top eight for the first time ever. If they really came to play, they can't be satisfied with a quarterfinals appearance. Coach Ricky Eikstadt said yesterday that the team hasn't defined a fixed objective for this tournament. I doubt Santa Barbara would say the same.

Consolation games

Chapel Hill falls to Wilmington, 15-13.

Tufts comes up short against Duke, 8-15.

This set up the Duke/Wilmington game, which Duke won 15-12.

Quarter finals

The weather continues to improve, with light wind and overcast skies. Wind was a minor factor in these games, but otherwise conditions were ideal.

Oregon brings vaunted "A game" against Wisconsin, winning 15-8

From the start, the fans knew this game would be a fun one to watch. One had to give Oregon the advantage here, but only if they could get off to a good start. After their early troubles against Michigan yesterday, it seemed entirely possible that the game might get away from them if Madison could connect deep in the first half.

Indeed, Madison went deep early and often in this game, hitting Pete Rank in the first few points. Oregon came out ready to play, though, recovering an early missed throw deep with a huge layout D. Madison used a split-field offense and created some nice space for their flow, but their defense couldn't contain the Ego hucks. Oregon's #35, Joe Kleffner, was everywhere this game, making several nice catches deep and a nice throw deep to #8, Bryce Elder, to put the team up 14-8 down the stretch. Oregon also saw Doug McKenzie, #12, ripping several out of the sky. Madison seemed to have no answer to the McKenzie question.

For its part, Madison missed quite a few looks deep, overthrowing their receivers by quite a bit. Oregon jumped out to a 7-2 lead, taking half 8-4. Led by captain Josh Greenough and more big plays by McKenzie (only a sophomore), Oregon continued to set the pace. Opie O' Connell answered with some nice throws, and Madison's #7 made a nice run deep for a goal at 9-6.

Overall, it appeared that Madison was overmatched by the Oregon team, which seems now to have come into its own. Greenough assured me that they had gotten plenty of rest last night, and their legs certainly seemed fresh this game. Looking ahead to Colorado, the Ducks have to be feeling pretty strong. Madison leaves the A bracket with plenty to be proud of, though I'm sure they would have liked a closer quarter final.

Carleton squelches late Cornell run to triumph 15-11

This game drew fewer spectators than the other quarters, as most fans expected to see closer play elsewhere. Surprisingly, Cornell kept it close down to the last point, playing hard-nosed defense and contesting everything. CUT started out with a HUGE rip by freshman Chase Sparling-Beckley on a full field huck, adding another goal two points later when Sam O' Brien skiied for a big upwind huck. O'Brien (#35) and Alex Masulis (#00) contributed two huge d blocks midway through the first half on Carleton's way to an 8-4 halftime lead. No one could have been surprised to see Nord skying both his team and the opposition to take the half upwind.

Closing Carelton's lead took the best defense Cornell could muster, and no one was more crucial to this effort than #75, Paul Batten, whose clutch defense helped to bring the Buds back to within two at 10-12. Answering ferociously for CUT were Sam O' Brien with a great catch to put his team up 13-10, and Nord, who point blocked his man and then got the easy throw from #17, Nick Reich. Finally, it was a long throw to #9, Brody Felchle to put Cornell away for good.

CUT has feel pretty good about this win. They've learned what happens if they don't come out strong in the first half, and they've demonstrated what their opponents can expect if they do. Nord appears unstoppable, but more than that, the CUT offense seems very willing and able to look elsewhere for contributions. This is the mark of a true contender: while great players can make the difference, anyone can step it up at any time. If you're going to beat CUT, you're going to have to win more than one or two crucial match-ups.

Defending champions Brown fall to CU Mamabird, 15-9

Brown's best hope in this game was that Colorado might experience the kind of slow start that put them in the hole against Michigan yesterday. No such luck. Brown's Harper (#81) revved up the crowd with a huge layout score from Moses Rifkin, but CU answered soon after with #17, "Mad Dog" Madzinski, doing what 6'9" players do. CU's #5, Ben Bronson then got a deep D and Colorado converted. Brown seemed to be having difficulty with continuing its offensive cuts, leading to pauses in flow and difficulty moving the disc. Strong defense forced both teams to take 20- to 30-yard losses on dumps, making offensive progression difficult at best. At 3-3, Brown's Jeremy Schwartz got a nice interception, only to watch as a floating pass got d'd and the point slip away. Boulder had little trouble breaking Brown's notoriously tight marks, which aided their offense tremendously on the way to taking half 8-6.

Coming out of the half, there were 8 turnovers, as both teams struggled to take control. At 11-6, CU's Nate Miller threw a greatest, which was caught for a score by the same player who later caught his own point block in the Colorado zone. At 14-8, Brown's Harper (#81) answered back with a long bomb to Kyle Weisbrod, but Brown could do no more.

Colorado is looking good. It's hard to say who has the advantage in their upcoming semi with Oregon, as both teams are playing their games and playing them well. The deep game promises to be pivotal, and turnovers are certain to hurt either team. After playing so loose and easy, which team will be first to reel in their throwers and play more consistently? Unlike club teams, colleges rarely have set offensive and defensive squads, and fatigue may become a question in the second half of this next game as teams turn to the same players over and over again. Whose bench is deeper? Time (and huge plays) will tell.

UCSB stares down challenge from Michigan, 15-9

The big question here was whether Michigan could stop the rolling Tide offense. Part of this meant stopping #16, Jamie Houssian, one of the Tide's key players. Michigan came out strong, playing Santa Barbara tight and contesting every throw. This led to some unforced turnovers by Santa Barbara, which were quickly exploited by Michigan's "Rook" (#9) and #4 Tim Murray. Big defensive blocks kept Michigan in the game early, though they let the half slip away, 8-5. Murray played up to his billing, both throwing and receiving some nice passes. Santa Barbara continued to roll, however, with huge plays by #5 and #20 over Michigan's all-star. Before the game I spoke with Nick Fiske, and he told me that they were well familiar with Murray and his style of play, which they recognized as being very similar to their own recent graduate, James Tsudaris. Playing him accordingly, the UCSB defenders were able to poach deep on many Michigan hucks, which worked less and less for them as the game progressed. Michigan seemed determined to jack it, perhaps relying on the big play to keep it close. This couldn't work for long, and Barbara closed it out with confidence. Michigan, however, has to be proud of their best finish ever.

Semi-finals

Oregon falls to Colorado, 15-11

Oregon relied on the spectacular grabs and unbelievable hucks that they have turned to throughout their season. Colorado played a more conservative offense that deliberately spread the field and isolated a short series of cutters into wide open spaces. Oregon could not contain the Colorado throwers, and was unable to shut down the break mark throws either downfield or on the mark. Both teams played man defense almost exclusively, with one or two points of zone thrown in here and there. Oregon loves to bring the intensity and the passion of the big play, which the crowd quickly comes to appreciate, but when these choices start to come up short, the Ducks don't seem to have a Plan B. As their "EGO!" cheer indicates, this is a team that will live or die by the strength of a few go-to throwers and receivers. When Colorado was able to contain these players, disaster was the result. The standout players for Oregon have to include captains Josh Greenough (#10) and Ben Wiggins (#1), along with Doug Mckenzie (#12) and Ryan De Austin (#10). For Colorado, Steve Rouisse (#9) could not be stopped on offense. His consistent ability to break the Oregon marks was pivotal in the success of his team's offensive flow.

If Oregon wants to review this game to think back on what went wrong defensively, they must take into account their weak team marking. If a thrower can break the mark as easily as the Colorado players did, then no defender on Oregon can follow the words of Greenough and "trust the mark." This leads to a breakdown in defense, leaving everyone open downfield. The few huge blocks for Oregon were great, but not enough to keep the Colorado Mamabird at bay. Also hurting Oregon this game was the lack of depth in their rotation. Key players were called upon to play nearly every single point, both offense and defense. As evidenced by some of their late-in-the-game time out calls, the Ducks' legs looked to be weakening.

Looking ahead to the finals, Colorado has to consider alternative defenses as it prepares to match up with Carleton's Alex Nord (#5) and Alex Masulis (#00). Playing these cutters man-to-man is sure to give up some big scores. Their 6'10" deep, #17 Madzinski, is a notable deep threat on offense, though, and watching the meeting of the twin towers on Sunday should be quite a thrill for the fans.

Carleton returns to the finals, defeating UCSB 15-10.

The predominant figure in this game was CUT's Alex Nord (#5). Catching an astounding seven goals and throwing another three, he teamed up with Alex Masulis (#00) to outrun, outsky and outplay their Santa Barbara defenders. Nord also made unbelievable blocks at just the right times to keep his team in the game. Virtually uncoverable going deep, Nord was pivotal to the success of the Carleton offense, as well. For Tide, #15 threw an impressive six of his team's ten goals, keeping them in it almost to the end.

A few memorable highlights:

At 5 all, a UCSB player has a bizarre drop after a tough catch, leading to a Carleton goal and a defensive break for CUT. At 8-6, the start of the second half, a UCSB player is receiving the pull, which hits him before he can get out of the way. This leads to a quick score, and CUT leads 9-6. Finally, at 12-10, against the SB zone, CUT launches one to Nord, which bounces off his outstretched hand. CUT's Alex Masulis makes up for it with a block, then gets the scoring pass, which sails out of bounds. Masulis does the world's-greatest-play-ever back over his shoulder to a crowd of Carleton and Tide players. Nord comes up from behind, skying everyone. He calls strip when he loses the disc, and has the call upheld by the observer. Carleton goes up 13-10 before closing it out. Fittingly, Masulis catches the winning goal uncontested in the endzone. Each of these plays on its own would not have been enough to determine the outcome of the game, but their compounded effect was a point swing of three (and if you count the defensive breaks, four) points that kept Tide out of contention late in the game. It's a fact worth remarking that Santa Barbara is an excellent team with strong offensive play and extremely good fundamental skills. Games do often come down to big plays, and today it seems they all went Carleton's way.

Going into finals, Alex Nord has to be the tournament MVP in the Open Division. No one out here combines the quick feet, high leaps, big plays and extension layout blocks that he has demonstrated in two days of play. Big players are expected to make big plays, and this expectation often hurts the player's team as much as it helps them, pressuring the individual to play beyond his ability. This leads to excessive turnovers and a huge imbalance in the offensive distribution. Not so, in Nord's case. He has been nothing but an asset to his team, which uses him appropriately and puts his outstanding play to good use.

Other notable stars include Wilmington's Rhett Russ, Michigan's Tim Murray, Oregon's Doug Mckenzie, Carleton's Alex Masulis, Colorado's Steve Rouisse, and UCSB's #15.