Easterns 2012

MagnUM drives fourteen hours to a stormy and moist UNC Wilmington campus to the last “major” of the regular season. First off is Saturday pool play.

Stanford Bloodthirsty

MagnUM’s affliction of coming out lackluster on either morning seems to follow us to North Carolina every time. MagnUM gets broken on their first offensive point and struggles to come back. Michigan has no breaks at all and in the second half the offense gets broken twice more. A game we’d all like to forget. Bloodthirsty 13 – Michigan 10.

Georgia Jojah (part 1)

After our first loss would begin an epic two-part saga of battles between Michigan MagnUM and Georgia Jojah. Part 1, pool play:

We went up one break early in the first half only to be broken back two times soon afterward. Jojah would break once more in to half with an 8-6 lead. After coming out on defense and failing to stop them, MagnUM would get broken one final time to fall to an almost insurmountable deficit of 10-6. It was at about this point that Seth “captain-on-the-comeback-trail” Collins would again lace up his cleats and bring some fire in to the game. On offense Spencer would receive a huck and punch it in to Seth. On the following five defensive points Seth would have three more goals and two assists aided by a pair of dropped centering passes by Jojah and a few timely Ds by the likes of JB (Jesse Brauner) and JB (Joe Besser, aka Jewish Jordan). Soft cap went on at some point during the scrum ensuring the game would end at 13, and the score was now 12-10 MagnUM. The defense would get a chance to make it six in a row, but Jojah would finally punch one in. The offense has a clean final point to finish the game off. MagnUM 13 – Jojah 11.

Penn State Spank

Tensions had been high the whole day. Game one was a loss and game two felt destined to be as well. With a short break to refuel both physically and mentally we came out ready to fight, but also ready to be relaxed, goofy, and have some fun. We clapped it up beforehand, but also beat-boxed, danced, and sang.

Penn State looked messy as we came out and got two breaks with no blocks. O punches it in, we get another break, and then broke twice more to bring it to 7-2 before mother nature intervenes. A 30 minute lightning delay later, we break in to half up 8-2. John Abela got double-happiness in there somewhere.

Mother nature was not on our side, it seems, because the wind picked up and Penn State started to play zone. We lost our composure. Penn State gets three breaks because of this, but finally at 10-7 the Michigan offense scores. We trade for the rest of the game until the Michigan defense gets one last break, again aided by Seth “second-half” Collins to win 15-10.

Florida Gators(?)

Getting second in our pool, the only pool to not go to seed, we drew a pre-quarters match up with Florida. The weather again played a part in delaying this from its original 6pm Saturday start time to 8:30am Sunday morning. Fast forward through some Golden Corral, ice bathing, and many hours of sleep and we arrive.

The Florida game turned out to be exactly what some of us wanted. A competitive game, against a team with great defense, and a chance for Michigan men to show what they are made of. The first half was very tight. Florida breaks first, and Michigan breaks back soon afterward. Our defense has a great, two block point, but can’t punch it in. At 6-6 Spencer has a game saving poach block in the end zone on one of Florida’s many high backhands. At 7-7 the offense has two poor turnovers and Florida breaks before half time.

The second half was just as tight, but MagnUM just couldn’t come back. Florida breaks once very early. The offense is mostly successful afterward despite some wrist grabbing. JB skies above all on a huck and Spencer has a great deep D. Even with the help of Seth “last-third” Collins we can’t win. Florida takes it 14-12.

SDSU Federalis

What would you expect a team to do after losing a close, competitive game that eliminates them from the championship? Fold? No way.

MagnUM max-powers the first SD team of the day with a lot of fun and energy. Spencer rises above all to snatch a disc from the heavens above Matt Orr and over half the Federalis. Jordan has a great D gorilla style. Jeff Pape throws five assists. Beeler gets a catch-block, accompanied by some sound effects. Phil Bunge has no turnovers, a goal, and a block. Remarkably, Seth “bare-feet” Collins does not play a point.

Georgia Jojah (part 2)

Part 2 of the saga, 9th place semis:

This game almost turned out to be the inverse, or converse, or opposite of the first part of the saga. MagnUM would go up by many breaks aided by actual blocks by Jamp, JL, Abela, JB, Carson, and Jeff. MagnUM takes half 8-4.

In the middle of the second half, MagnUM up 11-5, Jojah breaks three times in a row to get to 11-9 and our offense finally scores. We trade until the end. MagnUM 13 – Jojah 10 to end the saga.

UCSD Air Squids

This game was not that exciting. We won 11-5 and it was cut short by weather. By this time Seth “fly-home-early-and-steal-a-van” Collins isn’t even there anymore.

MagnUM takes 9th at a highly competitive tournament with only two close losses. We’ll be playing in Chicago at the invitational tournament ready to tune up before the series. Here we go boys!