Shadrach: Northwest Mixed Regionals, Pool Play

I will not write any other blog post until I have recorded my thoughts on Northwest Mixed Regionals. Still, with these weeks having passed, I cannot remember specific details as well but will instead record general impressions and recollections.

We started the gray, rainy day with Mischief, the defending club mixed champions. Their play, at least in the beginning, was as sloppy as ours and they did not seem to rate the title (although such deficiency would disappear on Sunday). The points were turnover heavy, with both teams struggling to score in the inclement weather. Still, their superior athleticism and disc skills helped close points go their way, even with most of their hucks out of bounds or way off mark. Tyler Grant did not seem in top form and was not high impact---one of our savvy defenders pushed him in again and again despite likely being outclassed in the air. The Mischief defenders were extremely quick but I was still able to get open under as necessary. I did not score in this game. We lost 15 - 8, mostly happy with how we had played.

We approached the next game with confidence, believing Golden Spike was a team we could beat. I attribute this underestimation to Seattle Ultimate arrogance. How could we lose to a team from Utah? It turns out that when there isn't another substantial team in the state, their one mixed team is fairly strong. As in, we-lost-15-6-strong. Golden Spike was far more athletic and energetic than we were and started with a 5 - 0 or 1 roll. We began to get our bearings but could never fully claw out of the pit, giving up a few more scoreless runs over the course.

I played two points in the Golden Spike game. In any Ultimate game, I am always on the far sideline, talking to my team and yelling and screaming. I do not question line-calling or team leadership but instead concentrate on my role and contribution. So, when I was not called to play, I assumed the captains were aware/had a plan and I did not raise a fuss. Actually, they were not keeping track of playing time and forgot that I existed during the second half. Excellent. During the two points I played, I was able to get open for gains and, so, I think I could have made an impact, although certainly not game-winning.  As might be assumed, I did not score this game.

Needless to say, we were frustrated and raring to take it out on the 4th seed in our pool, Sleepover, to whom we had actually lost at Spawnfest. They, on the other hand, were already drunk and did not give us a game, despite some big athletic plays from their young men. Their deep shots were totally off and our zone just stifled them. They had a young guy wearing UT Austin gear who looked to develop into a fantastic player. I scored a few times and we won 15 - 6.

The big news from this round was that Golden Spike defeated Mischief. Utah was going as hard as they could on every play and supplementing with their typical bad spirit and tacky calls. Mischief just looked out of sorts and confused, not playing their game or really reasonable Ultimate at all. They woke up a bit at the end to make a run at the win but lost 13 - 15 to Golden Spike. I don't think anyone was expecting this outcome, or rooting for Utah.

My next post will describe our remaining games as well as those I watched while eating snacks and drinking beer in the crazy wind.