Ultimate > Everything else.
That's basically my operating procedure, and mostly it is fine because everyone knows I am a big ultimate nerd and whatnot. Sometimes however it gets a little out of hand. That is why I am not going to Rider this weekend. As it happens, none of the captains will be there. I am hoping it will be a chance for some of our freshmen players to step up and assume leadership roles on the team.
Meanwhile, I will be using this weekend to catch up on schoolwork, something I've neglected lately. Wild.
To everyone that is going to Rider, do work. Represent. Huck the bee.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
LI Classic Day 2
Game 1 vs. SUNY Buffalo
We resolved to get fired up from the first point, unlike our lackluster first game of Saturday against Ramapo. We came out focused, going up 4 - 0 very quickly. We traded to make it 6 - 2, but could not take half before Buffalo had scored 4 more points. The first half was some of our best ultimate as a team, and if we could always maintain that level of focus and energy we would be amazing. Second half our offense looked a little sloppy, and despite fired up defense Buffalo got the best of us and the final score stood in their favor, 13 - 9.
Game 2 vs. Ramapo
Our second match was back on field five and we were set to face Ramapo again, or rather Ramapo X as they had so many pickup players. We came out flat and played with little energy, not helped by some foul arguments that occurred. The game did not really look like a game at all, and Ramapo X won 13 - 3. By the end of the game they were running wacky zones and acting silly, which should have been our chance to start playing intense and force them to take the game seriously. However the wind was picking up and our offense was getting frustrated. We did not want to play and it showed. As an aside, Ramapo X would go undefeated at the tournament, but not be allowed to advance past pre-quarters because of how many pickup players they had. Strange.
Game 3 vs. Hofstra B
After that I walked over to the RPI Oneonta game and it was hot. Oneonta tied it up and then scored to make it 9 - 8, game to 13. There were some close plays and Oneonta was fired up, rushing the field after every point and cheering like crazy. RPI's sideline was crowded with other teams come to watch, most of whom were cheering for them. The cap horn went off with Oneonta up 10 -9, and RPI scored to tie it and pull on universe point. The last point was intense, and in the end RPI's tight d and methodical offense got the better of Oneonta's energy. Both teams were running hard and laying out and the game was really fun to watch.
By the end of the RPI Oneonta game New Paltz's next game had started, and Rob and I had to jog back to the fields to get in on the action. We were playing Hofstra b again, and our freshmen were holding court, going up 3 - 0 very quickly with a sick grab from B Dools and other good plays. First half was a lot of trading. Can't remember who took half but it was close. If we had won we would have got to play Purchase again, which would have been awesome, but alas it was not to be. Hofstra's coaches were playing this game and their methodical handling frustrated our defense, leading their team to a 13 - 8 victory.
I was amped because I hucked a giant forehand to Benjy for our last point of the game. After that we looked fired up to win, but going against the wind just did not happen despite a ridiculous d from Benjy that stopped their first goal attempt.
That was the tournament and we got ready to head home, stopping to snag pbj bagels first. Despite going winless on day two, the GUNX played our best tournament ever and many players really stepped up this weekend to fill the wholes left by absent players Dave Doober and BJC. Mitch played out of his mind defense, and a lot of our freshmen took command on the field and looked great.
Sub calling - it works. Despite a few hitches that can be worked out before sectionals, it worked very well. I set a bad example for the team by arguing with the sub caller maybe three times. Ick.
Sectionals is in three weeks and we are going to be practicing hard. I already hit the gym this week and I'm feeling good.
Bing.
We resolved to get fired up from the first point, unlike our lackluster first game of Saturday against Ramapo. We came out focused, going up 4 - 0 very quickly. We traded to make it 6 - 2, but could not take half before Buffalo had scored 4 more points. The first half was some of our best ultimate as a team, and if we could always maintain that level of focus and energy we would be amazing. Second half our offense looked a little sloppy, and despite fired up defense Buffalo got the best of us and the final score stood in their favor, 13 - 9.
Game 2 vs. Ramapo
Our second match was back on field five and we were set to face Ramapo again, or rather Ramapo X as they had so many pickup players. We came out flat and played with little energy, not helped by some foul arguments that occurred. The game did not really look like a game at all, and Ramapo X won 13 - 3. By the end of the game they were running wacky zones and acting silly, which should have been our chance to start playing intense and force them to take the game seriously. However the wind was picking up and our offense was getting frustrated. We did not want to play and it showed. As an aside, Ramapo X would go undefeated at the tournament, but not be allowed to advance past pre-quarters because of how many pickup players they had. Strange.
Game 3 vs. Hofstra B
After that I walked over to the RPI Oneonta game and it was hot. Oneonta tied it up and then scored to make it 9 - 8, game to 13. There were some close plays and Oneonta was fired up, rushing the field after every point and cheering like crazy. RPI's sideline was crowded with other teams come to watch, most of whom were cheering for them. The cap horn went off with Oneonta up 10 -9, and RPI scored to tie it and pull on universe point. The last point was intense, and in the end RPI's tight d and methodical offense got the better of Oneonta's energy. Both teams were running hard and laying out and the game was really fun to watch.
By the end of the RPI Oneonta game New Paltz's next game had started, and Rob and I had to jog back to the fields to get in on the action. We were playing Hofstra b again, and our freshmen were holding court, going up 3 - 0 very quickly with a sick grab from B Dools and other good plays. First half was a lot of trading. Can't remember who took half but it was close. If we had won we would have got to play Purchase again, which would have been awesome, but alas it was not to be. Hofstra's coaches were playing this game and their methodical handling frustrated our defense, leading their team to a 13 - 8 victory.
I was amped because I hucked a giant forehand to Benjy for our last point of the game. After that we looked fired up to win, but going against the wind just did not happen despite a ridiculous d from Benjy that stopped their first goal attempt.
That was the tournament and we got ready to head home, stopping to snag pbj bagels first. Despite going winless on day two, the GUNX played our best tournament ever and many players really stepped up this weekend to fill the wholes left by absent players Dave Doober and BJC. Mitch played out of his mind defense, and a lot of our freshmen took command on the field and looked great.
Sub calling - it works. Despite a few hitches that can be worked out before sectionals, it worked very well. I set a bad example for the team by arguing with the sub caller maybe three times. Ick.
Sectionals is in three weeks and we are going to be practicing hard. I already hit the gym this week and I'm feeling good.
Bing.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
LI Classic Day 1
We arrived at the Hofstra fields just in time for the captain's meeting, truly a fortunate turn of events. Beggining our first game it turned out that Kerry mananged to get us all our games on one field for the entire day, which was pretty darn cool.
First game was against Ramapo, and we came out a little flat. D was fairly intense but our offense just did not click. There were a lot of dropped passes, which could be attributed to our lack of outdoor practices up until this point. We lost by six. Fun game. We need to work on being ready to play our first game. Starting slow does not help us. I am confident that we can beat Ramapo if we play as well as we can. No excuses.
Ramapo tried to huck it to Benjy five times in one point. Nah. That dude is like a brick house.
Our second match was against Hofstra B, and they were enthusiastic and inexperienced. Our defense was out of control and we stopped what seemed like every other throw they made. Our offense started to click but the stack was setting up too far away from the handlers and people were not clearing quite fast enough. Hofstra B set up their stacks even farther out, and often had to cut thirty yards under to catch a pass from a handler forty yards away from the back of their stack, and against an offense like that our hungry defense could not help but make plays all day.
We won by a lot. If you are interested in seeing the scores from any of our games they are already up on the UPA teams list.
After Hofstra B was the Merchant Marine Academy (at Steven's Point I think but don't quote me on that). They were, not suprisingly, very fast. If they got a d they would immediately start cutting, hard. I made an error in judgement as defensive coordinator by not setting zone at all in the first half. They had very few really solid throwers but they were very fast. One of their players said it is their first year, and after a year or so when they have all learned to throw they will be a team to watch out for.
In the meantime they were a good team for us to play, driving home the lesson that you have to go to the disc every throw. If any of our cutters slowed down even a tiny bit, they would d the throw. Second half we brought out a sick o line, scored our first point and then ran zone for the next three points, scoring them all before finally being broken to make the game 6 - 4 in their favor. Alas, that was as close as we got, and the Marines took the game back. We need to become more conistant. Running zone all game would have helped, but after our four point run we did not make much noise. But let me tell you those four points were sick nasty.
Fourth game against Adelphi, we started strong on d and did not relent. Not much to say. We beat them with our legs, mostly. They could not handle our defensive pressure that started the first point and continued all the way through. I think we played mini tanks after. Quality.
Our final match of the day was with SUNY Purchase, in the much anticipated battle of the artsy SUNY schools. We came out strong and frustrated their defense, taking half 6 to 2. They have some solid players but by the end of the day some of their studs seemed a little tired, and our players were not playing tired at all. Our offense really started to click and our vert stack looked reall tasty, probably the best it has ever been. As a team our fundamentals have come a very long way in the past two years. We obviously have a lot to improve on, but we are really starting to play like a TEAM and that is great. Purchase was a really fun team and the players on our respective squads really hit it off. Instant chemistry you might say. I'd love to play them again.
All in all it was a great day for the GUNX. Our defense was out of control and our offense is really starting to click. Unfortunately we did not get to play any teams from our section today (except possibly the Marinese?). Tomorrow we face Buffalo in pre-quarters, Stony Brook in quarters and in all likelihood Hofstra in semis, should we play like ferocious tigers and make it that far. Here's to hoping.
First game was against Ramapo, and we came out a little flat. D was fairly intense but our offense just did not click. There were a lot of dropped passes, which could be attributed to our lack of outdoor practices up until this point. We lost by six. Fun game. We need to work on being ready to play our first game. Starting slow does not help us. I am confident that we can beat Ramapo if we play as well as we can. No excuses.
Ramapo tried to huck it to Benjy five times in one point. Nah. That dude is like a brick house.
Our second match was against Hofstra B, and they were enthusiastic and inexperienced. Our defense was out of control and we stopped what seemed like every other throw they made. Our offense started to click but the stack was setting up too far away from the handlers and people were not clearing quite fast enough. Hofstra B set up their stacks even farther out, and often had to cut thirty yards under to catch a pass from a handler forty yards away from the back of their stack, and against an offense like that our hungry defense could not help but make plays all day.
We won by a lot. If you are interested in seeing the scores from any of our games they are already up on the UPA teams list.
After Hofstra B was the Merchant Marine Academy (at Steven's Point I think but don't quote me on that). They were, not suprisingly, very fast. If they got a d they would immediately start cutting, hard. I made an error in judgement as defensive coordinator by not setting zone at all in the first half. They had very few really solid throwers but they were very fast. One of their players said it is their first year, and after a year or so when they have all learned to throw they will be a team to watch out for.
In the meantime they were a good team for us to play, driving home the lesson that you have to go to the disc every throw. If any of our cutters slowed down even a tiny bit, they would d the throw. Second half we brought out a sick o line, scored our first point and then ran zone for the next three points, scoring them all before finally being broken to make the game 6 - 4 in their favor. Alas, that was as close as we got, and the Marines took the game back. We need to become more conistant. Running zone all game would have helped, but after our four point run we did not make much noise. But let me tell you those four points were sick nasty.
Fourth game against Adelphi, we started strong on d and did not relent. Not much to say. We beat them with our legs, mostly. They could not handle our defensive pressure that started the first point and continued all the way through. I think we played mini tanks after. Quality.
Our final match of the day was with SUNY Purchase, in the much anticipated battle of the artsy SUNY schools. We came out strong and frustrated their defense, taking half 6 to 2. They have some solid players but by the end of the day some of their studs seemed a little tired, and our players were not playing tired at all. Our offense really started to click and our vert stack looked reall tasty, probably the best it has ever been. As a team our fundamentals have come a very long way in the past two years. We obviously have a lot to improve on, but we are really starting to play like a TEAM and that is great. Purchase was a really fun team and the players on our respective squads really hit it off. Instant chemistry you might say. I'd love to play them again.
All in all it was a great day for the GUNX. Our defense was out of control and our offense is really starting to click. Unfortunately we did not get to play any teams from our section today (except possibly the Marinese?). Tomorrow we face Buffalo in pre-quarters, Stony Brook in quarters and in all likelihood Hofstra in semis, should we play like ferocious tigers and make it that far. Here's to hoping.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Selfish
Yep that's me.
Anyway, been a while. Yep.
It would seem I have some catching up to do.
So Nocturnal Decisions eh? Well it happened and it was a wild time. My team had a solid collection of skilled players. Everybody had solid fundamentals and the only problem was that some players did not know when to sub out. It seemed that all the teams had a lot of talented players and that the good teams were not those with the superstars but rather those that just clicked. Any of the teams we faced could conceivably have won the championship.
As it happened, Cap'n Dave's team went on to win it all. He is truly a source of pride for the GUNX and I spend most of practice these days heckling him about how he is a tournament champion. My squad finished 6th, going three and five overall. Our point differential helped us out, we played close games and did not get blown out by any team. The tournament itself was very well run and we will definately be back next year. Mad props to Sussman and the WUDI crew for putting on such a fine event.
Personal highlights and lowlights: When I handled, I played the possession game and did not turn it much even later in the night when I got tired. Had a few bad hucks but also a few good ones. Heckled Chetti on camera, quality to be sure. Handblock and layout d combo. One game in the second pool I went on a seven point run where I scored six points and only let my man touch the disc once. Hucked some big hucks, spiked the disc and got yelled at for it by Taylor. Got skied by Joe Smash like twenty times and Taylor layout D’d me a fair bit as well. Blab blah blah me me me!
An observation: You can't have timed games with pulls without an outside arbiter of some sort to enforce quick pulls, or else some joker is going to slowroll the walk back to the line and kill time. ND had a good solution. Instead of make it take it, when you scored you dropped the disc and possession went to the other team. Subbing on the fly was also very cool once I figured it out. I think it is a great way to play indoor.
~~~
Indoor this past Tuesday went well. After spending half of the night digesting tacos, the GUNX went on to straight up dominate, earning several awards in recognition of our mad pickup skills. Charlie received the Nobel Prize for greatest contrast of excellent throwing form with poor decision making in an upset victory over yours truly. Having won that award for the past twenty months straight I can only stop to reflect on my recent desire to play the possession game with horror and grim resignation.
TDs are real nice. First indoor with them I did not play that well due to fatigue from ND (although still much better than the previous week. That week was bloody awful) but the TDs were nice and now they are broken in. They also work really well in the mud.
OMIGOSH SEGUE
-->
Outdoor practice has again started for the GUNX (!!!!!!!) and our first tournament of the spring season is this upcoming weekend. We will be seeing a lot of teams from our section and fine-tuning our game. We have three weeks of practice between LI Classic and sectionals and we are going to make the most of them. Yeah. The GUNX looked solid at our first outdoor practice despite weeks of not playing outdoors, and stoic at our second despite the massive amounts of mud. Looking at the team you can tell who worked hard over the winter. Some people are going to absolutely explode this spring and that will be exciting for the team.
Hey you know what sounds nice? Sleeping. Fear not gentle reader, I will blag again before the end of SPRING BREAK 09 BABY.
Anyway, been a while. Yep.
It would seem I have some catching up to do.
So Nocturnal Decisions eh? Well it happened and it was a wild time. My team had a solid collection of skilled players. Everybody had solid fundamentals and the only problem was that some players did not know when to sub out. It seemed that all the teams had a lot of talented players and that the good teams were not those with the superstars but rather those that just clicked. Any of the teams we faced could conceivably have won the championship.
As it happened, Cap'n Dave's team went on to win it all. He is truly a source of pride for the GUNX and I spend most of practice these days heckling him about how he is a tournament champion. My squad finished 6th, going three and five overall. Our point differential helped us out, we played close games and did not get blown out by any team. The tournament itself was very well run and we will definately be back next year. Mad props to Sussman and the WUDI crew for putting on such a fine event.
Personal highlights and lowlights: When I handled, I played the possession game and did not turn it much even later in the night when I got tired. Had a few bad hucks but also a few good ones. Heckled Chetti on camera, quality to be sure. Handblock and layout d combo. One game in the second pool I went on a seven point run where I scored six points and only let my man touch the disc once. Hucked some big hucks, spiked the disc and got yelled at for it by Taylor. Got skied by Joe Smash like twenty times and Taylor layout D’d me a fair bit as well. Blab blah blah me me me!
An observation: You can't have timed games with pulls without an outside arbiter of some sort to enforce quick pulls, or else some joker is going to slowroll the walk back to the line and kill time. ND had a good solution. Instead of make it take it, when you scored you dropped the disc and possession went to the other team. Subbing on the fly was also very cool once I figured it out. I think it is a great way to play indoor.
~~~
Indoor this past Tuesday went well. After spending half of the night digesting tacos, the GUNX went on to straight up dominate, earning several awards in recognition of our mad pickup skills. Charlie received the Nobel Prize for greatest contrast of excellent throwing form with poor decision making in an upset victory over yours truly. Having won that award for the past twenty months straight I can only stop to reflect on my recent desire to play the possession game with horror and grim resignation.
TDs are real nice. First indoor with them I did not play that well due to fatigue from ND (although still much better than the previous week. That week was bloody awful) but the TDs were nice and now they are broken in. They also work really well in the mud.
OMIGOSH SEGUE
-->
Outdoor practice has again started for the GUNX (!!!!!!!) and our first tournament of the spring season is this upcoming weekend. We will be seeing a lot of teams from our section and fine-tuning our game. We have three weeks of practice between LI Classic and sectionals and we are going to make the most of them. Yeah. The GUNX looked solid at our first outdoor practice despite weeks of not playing outdoors, and stoic at our second despite the massive amounts of mud. Looking at the team you can tell who worked hard over the winter. Some people are going to absolutely explode this spring and that will be exciting for the team.
Hey you know what sounds nice? Sleeping. Fear not gentle reader, I will blag again before the end of SPRING BREAK 09 BABY.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Orange cleats?
The title of my blog refers to a bygone era, when I was known on the field primarily as "that kid with the orange cleats". Unfortunately, my second pair of orange cleats was retired some time ago and even my red cleats are in their sunset years, you might say (although they tore the field to bits at nocturnal, see next post). Also, after watching hours of competitive ultimate it turns out orange cleats are not exactly a novelty item. Nonetheless, my title stands until I find a more suitable moniker, which probably won't happen because orange is the color of complete ballers, and healthy citrus fruit.
Anyways, I got new cleats recently, white speed TDs. One more ultimate bandwagon crossed off my list of bandwagons I have jumped. Look for me next week in a trucker hat gulping wine from a bag.
Anyways.
Today I managed one of the most ridiculous feats of procrastination of my school career, and then it turned out the weather was nice so we tossed and after I went down to the field and worked on my deep shots. Indoor has taken the edge off my wind game, but not as much as I feared. All in all, a good day and enough to get my head in gear to go to Thursday running for the first time in some weeks. My motivation is back baby.
Next post:
Nocturnal decisions.
Here's a sneak preview: It was FUCKING RIDICULOUS.
Peace ya'll.
Anyways, I got new cleats recently, white speed TDs. One more ultimate bandwagon crossed off my list of bandwagons I have jumped. Look for me next week in a trucker hat gulping wine from a bag.
Anyways.
Today I managed one of the most ridiculous feats of procrastination of my school career, and then it turned out the weather was nice so we tossed and after I went down to the field and worked on my deep shots. Indoor has taken the edge off my wind game, but not as much as I feared. All in all, a good day and enough to get my head in gear to go to Thursday running for the first time in some weeks. My motivation is back baby.
Next post:
Nocturnal decisions.
Here's a sneak preview: It was FUCKING RIDICULOUS.
Peace ya'll.
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