SHOWdown Recap

After some high-jinks getting to the fields, we warmed up for our first game of the day against rival Princeton. Oh, baby what a game. We jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead, traded, let up some breaks to let them take half 6-7, then raised the intensity to win the game on univsere point 11-10. The Upset!

Second game, UPenn. Okay, we again went up 2-0, then slipped. Fell on our faces, in fact, and let them close out the half. We never got our breaks back, and ended up trading to lose 7-12.

Next up, Catholic. They were sort of scrubby, and we rolled during the first half. We were up by a lot, then somehow let them back in near the end of the game and they brought us to universe point. We won 11-10.

Last game on Saturday was against Delaware. I feel like we fought and stayed with them for most of the game, but the points do not reflect that. They were hungrier, and they scored on numerous bullshit hucks (huge blades to covered receivers, etc). We basically let them score, and didn't work hard enough. Lost 7-13. During this game, Thorpe ran into Ariel and Ariel sprained his ankle, out for the rest of the season.

Machine Sunday! First game against a hungover Bucks County, with illustrious ex-Pennsbury players. They started the game shorthanded, and most seemed less than ready to play. I remember one dude cutting deep on me, not getting thrown to, and then standing around for literally three full minutes watching his teammates move the disc. Eventually, he cut back in. Basically, though, we were running much harder than they were willing to, and won 13-3. I remember getting several D's in this game, including at least two on first/second-throws and a couple deep D's. The offense ran well, because the defense against us was lacking. I threw hucks and goals, sometimes both at the same time. This game was a lot of fun, but I guess there isn't much else to say about it.

Second game was much rougher, quarterfinals vs Penn State. They went up three breaks playing zone, and I called a timeout. They scored again, I think, before we were able to, and basically we dug ourselves into a huge hole in the first half with pure errors--drops, bad choices, slipped throws, you name it. I think I played solid zone O during this time, and didn't really have any turnovers on my shoulders, but the team was struggling. It mostly continued during the second half, though we were able to score a few more times. I think it was this game in which I was able to get off a pretty huck from goal-line to goal-line to Riz for a score, but it might have been in the BCCC game. Pretty sure it was this one, though, because I tried throwing another big backhand to him and this time he was covered by some dude with fuckin' horses--Riz never had a chance. PSU played mostly zone, some man, and in general just well enough to force us to choke ourselves with bad offense. We gave them the disc too often, and they were very welling to put up blades and floaters to their tall guy for a 4-13 win.

So now we're in the 5th place bracket, playing Salisbury to advance to the 5th place game. We brought up the intensity and played well here. I thought it was our last game of the day, as did most of the team, and we really took it to them. Strong man offense, moving the disc pretty well, and solid D that got us the disc. The energy was high, so I don't remember much--but I know it was a good game. We won by a score I do not remember. I threw a hammer goal in this game (unless it was the Penn State game?)

That brings us to the 5th place game vs Carelton University. We agreed to a shortened game, to 9, and we lost both flips. White for the first time all tournament, pulling, and the field is much smaller than it should be. We line up, straight across, I pull shorter than I intended to, and they set up ho-stack. My guy curls around and takes me deep, somebody lets them get off the huck, and I get screwed, 0-1. They pull OB, I put up a backhand to iso'ed Jay for the one-throw score, 1-1. I sit next point and watch Carelton answer back with a quick huck, 1-2. I'm in, they pull OB again, I call Jay in the lane again and within three passes we score, 2-2. I think we traded again without any turnovers, 3-3. I pull, we cover well, and force the turn, and go up a break! 4-3, and this is huge. Intensity is high. Mio tells us, throw zone. We do, their third pass is a dead bird to nobody, I throw a break forehand to Jared for the goal, 5-3.

Now, we're receiving and the pull is finally in-bounds. Thorpe swings to me, they're poaching the lane in an attempt to stop Jay's in-cut, but the poacher looks away and I hit Jay for a nice gain. He sees nothing upfield, I get the upline dump cut. I see nothing upfield, there's a stoppage of play, disc comes in at 4 and I look right away to Jay upline. Again, nothing happening upfield, but they do a better job of stopping my cut and I have to throw an extra juke in, Jay gives me a wobbly upline throw and we're near the endzone. We score, 6-3. I'm out, we score again, 7-3. They score, 7-4, after calling a foul on Joe K's clean layout D. I'm a little hazy about the end of the game--I remember sitting on game point, I remember Dan Johnson getting a huge layout D (or two?), and one way or another we win 9-4 and I am very excited. We played a great game and brought the intensity for each point, raising the energy throughout the game and closing it out for the 5th place victory. I was proud.

One of the guys on the Carleton team looked away and put his hand down while passing me in the hand-shaking line. I think it was the same guy who had to be restrained by his teammates when we were all on the sideline, watching the following unfold: Greg has the disc, calls fast count on his mark, who repeats the last number he said and continues stalling (...6, 7, "fast count", 7, 8...). Greg calls fast-count again, but the guy doesn't respond. As Greg stares at him, holding the disc with both hands and trying to get him to listen, the guy keeps stalling with exaggerated slowness, "8....9....10. Stall-out!" Greg is dumbfounded. For the rule, please refer to XIV.B.7 and notice that you have to drop one before continuing the count. Knowing the rule, I'm watching this other guy blatantly cheat and refuse to back down, so after he calls "Stall-out!" I heckle from the sideline, "Oh, so you're not just an idiot, but an asshole as well!" The entire Carleton sideline sounds like a wounded bear, and this one dude starts cursing and trying to run at me. His teammates hold him back, I smile and watch Greg handle the situation. He tries reasoning with the dude, who maintains that the disc has to come back in as if it were a contested stall-out (coming in on 8, rather than 6 as it should), and Greg finally agrees after Mio yells "break-side deep!" Greg taps it in and puts up a big blade to Joe K for the goal, and I rush the field yelling my head off in excitement. Another Carleton player thought that I couldn't call fast-count, then call violation after he fast-counted again (see XIV.B.8), and that was silly too.