2001 UPA College Ultimate Championships

Pre-Quarters

Tufts 15 Colorado 10

This was the best matchup on paper and the first few points validated the hype. Colorado scored the first goal when #11 Michelle Stockham layed out for a huck, caught it trailing edge, and then threw the goal. The Ewo quickly answered on a Johanna Neuman (#13) huck to #3 Neva Cherniavsky. The teams traded points before Tufts broke to take on a Sally Mimms (#23) pass to #42 Elizabeth Korb. That was the start of an Ewo run and Tufts took half 8-4 on a deep backhand from Mimms to #9 Allison Mixter. The trend continued in the second half as the Ewo took a 12-5 lead. But Kali wouldn't go down without a fight, and scored four straight to pull withing 3, 12-9. But a Neuman huck broke the run and Tufts went on to win when Mixter skied two Kali defenders in the back of the end zone.

UCSD 15 Swarthmore 4

San Diego, sporting 70's style warm up suits (SD captain Poof later confirmed the vintage), sprinted their way to the early lead, taking half 8-0, and taking the lead to 10-0 before the Warmothers finally scored. Swarthmore went on a late run, but it was too little too late.

Carleton 15 Northwestern 9

Carleton continued their aggressive play to take half 8-4 over Gung-Ho. Syzygy continued to roll, extending their lead to 14-6 when #9 Bekah Sexton got a block and then hucked to #6 Alison Ede who then threw a short flick for the goal. Northwestern didn't quit, however, scoring three straight, punctuated by #3 Courtney Bethem's layout goal, to close it to 14-9. But Carleton went back to the well, as #2 Julia Gardner hucked a bending backhand to Ede for the game winner.

Brown 15 Bucknell 10

Brown doesn't have a dominating player, but they wear down opponents with their smart and consistent play. Brown scored two for every goal by the Peace Frogs, riding steady handling by #10 Sarah Cook and #24 Peri Kurshan to leads of 2-1, 4-2, and 6-3 before taking half 8-4. But Disco Inferno couldn't put Bucknell away, and a crowd gathered as the Frogs closed to 13-9. On the next point Bucknell completed a hammer into the end zone for an apparent goal, only to have it called back on a travel. Brown got the block and hucked it up field for the goal to reach game point, 14-9. Bucknell answered and on the next point threw a zone defense, forcing a turn after about 50 throw. But the Frogs couldn't convert and given another chance #20 Kate Leslie threw the game winner to #3 Pauline Lauterbauch.

Consolation Bracket

First round:

Illinois 15 Wash U 8

MIT 15 Wisconsin 8

13-14 game:

Illinois 15 MIT 8

15-16 game:

Wisconsin 15 Wash U 11

Illinois takes 13th place, MIT 14th, Wisconsin 15th, Wash U 16th.

QUARTER FINALS

UCSD 16 UBC 14

UBC seemed off their game letting Psycaughtit get out to an early 3-0 lead. The Thunderbirds settled down, patiently working the disc upfield, as #77 Lars threw what looked like a sure goal, onlyto have it dropped. SD looked to capitalize, but the BC captain blocked the first pass and this time completed the goal to #19 Wendy Sligl. On the next point UBC's Melissa Harder (#1) got a point block and #5 Meena Stran layed it out and caught a garbage goal to pull the Thunderbirds within one, 3-2. But SD answered as #5Corrine Ginsberg threw a long hammer over the UBC zone to #77 Poof Sanderson for the goal. UBC struck back when #7 hucked a long forehand to Lars, before SD's Bryn Martina (#9) layed out for a goal. Psychaughtit took half 8-4 when #11 Kristen Unfried layed out for a desperation throw. SD started the second half the same way, taking a 9-4 lead. The thunderbirds were in a bad position, which suddenly got worse when captain Lars sprained her ankle and left the game. SD capitalized extending their lead to 10-4. But UBC would not give up and scored the three, pulling to 10-7 when #00 Sarah Mukai threw a leading pass to #7 Valerie Dion for the goal. The teams traded points to 11-8 before Poof reached over her defender to make one handed catch to extend the SD lead to four. UBC scored two in a row, shredding a SD zone and capitalizing on a throw away when #00 threw a pin point inside out flick to #1. The teams traded to 13-11, before Ginsberg threw a long backhand huck to #49 Alicia White to bring Psychaughtit to game point. On the next point Poof foot blocked a Thunderbird thrower and three passes later SD called time out with the disc on the UBC goal line to win. It was gut check time for the number one seed. SD checked it in, threw the pass and Martyna made a layout grab -- out the back, UBC Disc. #7 hucked a backhand to #25 for a long goal to pull within two, 14-12. The comeback continued when the Thunderbirds Sligl got a block and then streaked long for the goal, 14-13. Sligl got another layout block on the second pass of the next point, but SD's Katie Nelson (#6) blocked right back. UBC's Dion got it back for the thrunderbirds with yet another layout block, and a threw a high floater which #25 Elizabeth Job somehow managed to catch in bounds to tie the game -- except a pick was called. But a few passes later Dion caught a leading pass in the end zone for the game tying goal. 14-14. SD marched it down the field and threw it into the endzone where Unfried came down with the disc,but out of bounds. The Thunderbirds, however, couldn't take advantage and Ginsberg threw to a leaping Poof for the lead. Game point for SD and another must score point for UBC. But this time the Thunderbirds couldn't get it done, throwing it away. Martina, who had made a great lay out grab to keep the disc for SD, threw what looked like the game winner, but again the receiver came down out of bounds. UBC had another chance, but dropped it on their goal line. One pass later Martina hit #11 Amy Waterhouse for the game winner. 16-14, SD advances.

Stanford 15 Tufts 12

Another thriller. Tufts took a 1-0 lead on a huck from #23 Sally Mims to #3 Neva, but Stanford answered back when #14 Robin Knowler layed out for the score. Tufts scored the next two against the Stanford zone, eventually pulling ahead to an early 4-2 lead. But Superfly didn't let up, as there zone allowed them to get two staright, four all. The teams traded points before Stanford gained their first lad of the day 6-5 on a huck from #14 Robin Knowler to #187 Delia Chiu. Stanford came down in a zone, with a person covering Tufts captain Johanna Neuman (#13). The strategy paid off as #10 Camilel Yu dove around a Tufts popper for the block. Knowler and Chiu hooked up again to give Superfly the 7-5 lead. Stanford took half one point later as Chiu layed outto block the first pass and #21 Erin Percival threw a short backhand to Yu. The teams traded points to 10-8 Stanford, when Stanford took two straight behind a Knowler goal to number #11 Whitney Metzger and a Precvial forehand to Knowler. 12-8 Stanford. But Johanna stepped it up, making two great and throwing a goal to Neva to pull within three. Stanford answered, 13-9, before Percival threw to #3 Shannon Miller to bring Superfly to game point. With their back against the wall, the Ewo marched right up field with a quick goal from #7 Taliser Avery to #8 Jen Hsieh, 14-10. Stanford turned it over near their own goal line and Johanna threw a quick strike to #29 Emily Briggs to pull back within three. Tufts got another block and scored on a sweet down the line throw to a wide-open Avery to make it 14-12. But you can't give Stanford too many chances and Superfly scored on a give and go from Knowler to Percival back to Knowler for the game winner.

UGA 15 Brown 10

Brown steady game wasn't a match for the Ho-Dawgs athleticism, as UGA took early leads of 3-0 and 7-2 behind four goals from #21Amanda Strout. Brown scored to pull within four on a pass from #10 Sarah Cook to #20 Kate Leslie, but UGA struck right back for half, 8-3. The teams traded goals to 11-6 as Brown shifted to a zone defense. After many passes the Ho-Dawgs scored on a short pass from #71 Amy Lin to #41Evelyn Ogburn to go up 12-6. The teams traded goals to 13-7, before Disco Inferno ran off three straight to pull with three, 13-10. But it wasn't enough as Ogburn connected with #3 Katehrine Kidd-Shippey to take UGA to game point. After a brown huck from Leslie to #24 Peri Kurshan, the Ho-Dawgs won it as Strout scored again.

UNC-W 15 Carleton 8

Seaweed jumped out to an early 3-0 lead over Carleton when Wilmington's Kathryn Brock (#23) made a lay out grab near the Syzygy endzone, colliding with a diving Carleton defender and injured her knee. Play stopped for a half hour while she was taken to the hospital. When play resumed Seaweed scored on a pass from #14 Nikki Miani to #6 Melanie Bossret. Carleton finally got on the board, but Wilmington answered and pulled away to take half 8-2 on a huck from #14 to #3 who threw a short pass to #00 for the goal. The second half was more of the same as the Carleton zone continued to get turns, but the inpatient Syzygy offense kept giving Seaweed extra chances. Carleton made a late run, but it wasn't enough to prevent a Wilmington victory.

SEMI FINALS

UGA 15 UCSD 8

San Diego, coming off an upset win (and a long game) in the quarters, was obviously tired and it hurt them in this game. The teams traded points to 3-3 when the wind picked up, and UGA started playing a four-person zone. Despite nice zone work, particularly #5 Corrine Ginsberg's hammer, SD tired making drops and throw aways. The Ho-Dawgs took advantage taking half 8-4, behind great play from #71, #3 and #30. On the first point of the second half Psycaughtit threw zone, and, while chasing down an errant dump, Lin twisted her knee, forcing her to miss the rest of the game. The H-Dawgs scored the goal anyway and the next, to lead 10-4. At this point SD changed their strategy, trying to harness the deep game they had exploited in their quarter final win. It yielded immediate results as Psycaughtit scored back-to-back goals, the first on a huck from #5 to #18, and the second from #9 to #77. UGA answered, however with three goals in a row, before SD scored to make it 13-7. Pyschcaughtit's #8 Mary Ann Politkya made a great layout D and then caught a huck and threw a short pass to #18 for the goal to pull within 5. But that was a close as SD got. UGA scored on an up the line hammer from #41 that hit #3 in stride. After a SD layout bid came up short #3 threw a cross field bendy backhand to #30 for the game winner.

Stanford 15 Wilmington 13

It didn't look like it was going to be close early on as Stanford got out to an early lead, taking half 8-3 and extending their lead to 11-5. But that's where things got interesting. Wilmington's Cara Morgridge (#00) layedout for a goal to pull Wilmington back within five. Stanford dropped the ensuing pull allowing Seaweed to get another quick goal, and a Stanford drop early in the next point led to a Wilmington goal, #3 Jenn McMurtrie to #14 Nikki Miani, to make the score 11-8. Stanford turned it over again and after #9 Teresa Krebs made a juggling catch, Miani hucked it to Mordgridge for the goal, 11-9. Wilmington's Leah Rehill (#5) blocked a looping throw on the next point and a few passes later threw a high release backhand break to Morgridge for the goal. The rain started to pick up and both teams had some trouble with their throws, resulting in blocks, drops, throwaways and a very long point. Stanford's Erin Percival (#21) and Delia Chiu (#187) both made great blocks, but the play of the point was Morgridges falling out of bounds catch. The point finally ended when McMurtire spotted an open Morgridge in the back of the end zone for a long goal. Tie game, 11-11. At this point it is worth noting that the many calls were being made. Wilmington had already been assessed a game misconduct foul earlier in the game, and were starting to play to their reputation. On the next point Stanford was called for a stall and Wilimington worked it to the Superfly goal line. After scoring 6 straight, Seaweed looked ready to take their first lead of the game. But Percival came through with a layout D in the goal and a few passes later hucked it to #13 Bethany Ehlmann for a 12-11 lead. Seaweed received the pull, but the disc slipped out of the Wilmington player's hand and Percival threw a cross field goal to #17 Rosie O'Gara. On the next point Seaweed threw it up the line to Rehill who, with Percival on her hip, couldn't make the catch. But Stanford quickly turned it and Wilmington ran the same play, and this time Rehill made a great grab and sent it to Morgridge in the end zone, who came down with it, but out of bounds. Stanford worked it to the Wilmington end zone where Percival made an acrobatic catch, leaping high into the air and coming down completely horizontally with the disc in her hand. But the Wilmington marker had called a foul on the thrower. The observer didn't see it and so the disc went back, where Superfly committed a costly turnover. McMurtrie hucked it to Mianin, 13-12. A quick Stanford drop led to another Wilmington goal and another tie game. On the next point Percival sent it deep into the end zone, but Miani came through with the D. But Wilmingto dropped it and #14 Robin Knwoler threw it to #2 Alida Lindsley for the 14-13 lead. Game point for Stanford after a long -- and contentious -- game. The pull came down, but Wilmington dropped it, and Superfly put it in for the easy goal. On to the finals.