2001 UPA College Ultimate Championships

UGA opened the day as a slight favorite. Two of their players, #71 Angela Lin and #3 Kat Kidd-Shippey, finished second and third respectively in the Callahan award voting and the team had not been challenged all tournament long -- only Carleton reached double digits against the Ho-Dawgs. But Lin hurt her knee in the semi-final victory over San Diego, and after warming up before the game, was told by her coach not to play.

Stanford, meanwhile, entered the tournament as the number seven seed. Despite winning three straight titles from 1997-99, Superfly failed to qualify for the 2000 College championships. This year's squad, featuring several rookies, started slowly, but turned it around after spring break en route to second place in the North West region. Stanford has continued to improve throughout this tournament, knocking off number two seed San Diego on Friday, before pulling out a 15-13 semi final win against Atlantic Coast champion UNC-Wilmington.

It rained hard Saturday night, but it had turned into a cool mist by Sunday morning. Both teams felt the conditions favored their side. Ho-Dawg coach Jami Cashan said her team would play a lot of zone defense, trying to force the inexperienced Stanford team to make mistakes. Cashan also said her team would continue to rely on Kidd-Shippey's deep throws. Stanford was looking for a good game by #21 Erin Percival, and coach Jennifer Donnely said that Superfly would also play zone.

UGA pulled and threw a zone. The strategy paid off when #25 Anna Thomas got a block on an up-line throw. A few passes later the Ho-Dawgs scored on a backhand from #41 Evelyn Ogburn to #21 Amanda Strout. Stanford ran a huck play on the next point, but it was defended by Kidd-Shippey. Kidd-Shippey followed it up with an amazing layout grab near the sideline and UGA scored again on a forehand from #14 Cathy Lee to Strout. Stanford got on the board on a huck from #14 Robin Knowler to #13 Hanna Kim, but UGA answered for 3-1 lead. After another Kidd-Shippey block Stanford threw zone. Ho-Dawg cross-field hammers drew cheers from the crowd, but the zone forced a turn. Stanford was on the verge of scoring, but Kidd-Shippey got another block and sent a long forehand huck to Evelyn Ogburn who threw it to Strout for the goal.

After a quick turn, Stanford threw a trapping zone, which worked, as #5 Gwen Ambler and #187 Delia Chiu each got point blocks, but the impatient Superfly offense couldn't score and UGA took a 5-1 lead on a Kidd-Shippey forehand over the zone. On the next point, Stanford had a chance near the UGA goal line, but couldn't convert, and the Ho-Dawgs again beat the Superfly zone, scoring on a sensational full extension back of the endzone layout grab by #30 Jessica Ogburn. Stanford scored on a short pass from Percival to #10 Camille Yu, and on the next point the Superfly zone forced a turn after 39 Ho-Dawg passes, but couldn't convert as Lee threw a pass through the zone to a streaking Kidd-Shippey for a 7-2 lead. After the pull, Kidd-Shippey got her sixth block of the game, but UGA dropped it near their goal line. Percival and Yu ran a give and go to pull within four, 7-3, but the Ho-Dawgs answered on a quick pass from Jessica Ogburn to #20 Jessica Metcalf to take half 8-3.

The story of the first half has to be the solid play of the UGA team that scored frequently without turning it over. Kidd-Shippey is dominating and Stanford's big players, Percival and Yu haven't had an answer. Stanford's inexperience has shown, as Superfly has committed several quick turns.

Stanford came out of the halftime break firing, forcing a Ho-Dawg turn, before #7 Karen Hyun hucked it to Chu who fired a flick to a wide-open Knowler. But UGA answered as Kidd-Shippey threaded the needle with a backhand to Lee to make it 9-4. After a quick Stanford turn Percival point-blocked the UGA thrower and threw a quick strike to #17 Rosie O'Gara for the goal. But the Ho-Dawgs answered when Kidd-Shippey, sandwiched between Superfly defenders, caught a floating huck between her elbows. After forcing a turn on the next point, UGA scored to go up 11-5. Stanford committed another quick turnover and two passes later the Ho-Dawgs scored again on an Evelyn Ogburn strike to Metcalf.

But Stanford wouldn't die and scored the next goal on two passes as Percival hucked it to Knowler who then led #9 Karen Milch into the endzone making it 12-6. After several turnover by both teams, Kidd-Shippey intercepted an errant Superfly pass and threw the disc to #5 Karen Francl, who caught it for the goal past a diving Percival. Again Stanford answered, when, after yet another Kidd-Shippey block, Superfly's Milch swatted down the first UGA pass, and Yu and Percival connected for another goal closing the score to 13-7. Stanford scored again when, after an errant UGA pass landed between two diving Ho-Dawgs, Knowler skied for a Camille Yu pass in the back of the endzone. Stanford had a chance to pull within four when Percival sent a brilliant huck to the endzone but two open receivers let the disc drop between them. Stanford got it back, however when a UGA receiver dropped a pass on the goal line, and Percival hit Knowler making it 13-9. But UGA answered, flawlessly negotiating the Stanford zone, scoring after 27 passes on a pass from Lee to Jessica Ogburn. Game point UGA. Stanford wasn't going down without a fight, however, and O'Gara caught a huck over Kidd-Shippey and threw it to Knowler to make it 14-10. UGA dropped a hammer on the next point, but got it back after a Stanford throwaway. The Ho-Dawgs ended the game in appropriate fashion, as Kidd-Shippey hucked a forehand to a wide-open Jessica Ogburn who caught it for the game.

Afterwards Kidd-Shippey, who collected 10 blocks, caught three goals, and threw six more, credited the victory to the overall strength of the team. It was especially poignant since Lin, generally regarded as one of the best players in the country, was unable to play. "It made the game very sad," Kidd-Shippey said, "and it made us nervous." But the Ho-Dawgs got solid play from everyone and stand out performances from their stars to win the game handily. Congratulations to a deserving champion.