Nationals

Pool C

As the second-placed from the Great Lakes region, magnUM drew the 15th seed of 20 teams at nationals, and was placed in a pool with Colorado (2009 runner up), Wisconsin (hosts and strong program), Pitt (2009 quarters) and Texas State (South Regional champs). We were in a formidable pool to be sure. Most pre-tournament predictions had us finishing no better than fourth in our pool.

A little ditty about Dennis and Diane (copyright 2010: Derrick Wolbert and John Mellencamp)

Accommodations for magnUM in Madison were provided by Seth Collins’ fabulous parents. We can’t possibly thank them enough for all the wonderful food and their incredible patience with 20+ sweaty guys camping out for the weekend. Also, on Thursday afternoon, the score was Jesse Brauner 0, neighbor kids with water balloons 1.

Wisconsin

magnUM opened nationals 2k10 against the hosts. On paper this was a daunting game. But early on the Hodags failed to, well, show up. Despite a couple of early hero throws by magnUM handlers, everything went our way. Seven points in the score was 6-1 in our favor with the D line on fire. After Wisconsin’s O converted a goal and then a couple of breaks, the theme for the game was set: D lines would be making the runs after the rare goal from an O line. magnUM would lead 7-2 but take half at a rather disappointing 8-6. Wisconsin owned in the early second half, and behind at least 250 hometown fans, seemed destined for the win when their early deficit was finally eliminated as they tied the game at 11-11.

This magnUM team, as Michigan State can attest, is fabulous at counterpunching. The Hodags found out, and their fans found out. And on field 9, things got REALLY quiet. magnUM O punched in the goal courtesy of a throw from Volde to Yoni, both rookies. And the D line closed the deal. D-Wolb caught a huge break goal. Up 13-11, magnUM D won one of the more epic points of the game. After a Hodag turn, magnUM worked up the disc to near the endzone. The Hodag D tightened down, and a high stall dump for Brandon Beeler drifted towards the sideline. The resulting pair of layouts was either the most epic (and/or egregious) in the tournament. As seen below, Brandon making a layout grab, and an unidentified Hodag is laying out directly above Beeler.

Brandon Beeler layout catch.

Perhaps well prepared for assault from above due to endless Ricky jokes (Brandon, RUN…. HIDE, it’s a large bird!), Beeler fought for his life and caught the disc.

(Note: The Hodag has now been identified)

Again magnUM would have to go the double score route. Carson found AVS for a seemingly clear cut score, only for it to be called back on a pick. After a couple of more dumps, Beaker found a falling AVS for a 14th point that effectively clinched the game. With hard cap on the Hodags would get a 12th point for a 14-12 final. magnUM earned an early upset in pool play, though several stretches of play left a lot to be desired.

Other highlights in the game included: – The approximately 10 magnalUMs and parents who got to enjoy the silent Hodag sidelines.

Notable Stats (arranged alphabetically by first name):

Wisconsin
Volde – 1G, 2A, 2D, 0T
DWolb – 3G, 1A, 1D, 0T
Pape – 2G, 2A, 1D, 1T
Tom – 1G, 5A, 1D, 1T
Both Yoni and Zubin had 1G, 1D, no turns

magnUM alumni repped all weekend long.

Jeff Pape putting on a clinic.

Pittsburgh

Eh. Ah. Eh. Oh. Ouch. So the Wisconsin game went really well. But the Pitt game did not. Whether it was the heat, or basking in the previous win, or Pitt’s higher intensity, magnUM wasn’t up for the game. Two early Pitt breaks set the tone. Dtow got a nice layout D and magnUM had a chance to get the game back even at four apiece. Unfortunately, the endzone O fell to a hero throw. magnUM would not score for the next several points. Pitt rolled to a 15-5 win, magnUM’s worst loss of the season.

Notable Stats:

Seth – played ONLY last 5 points, 1G, 1A, 1T
Volde – 2G, 1D, 1T

magnUM versus Ice Baths

One of the fantastic features of the ditty at Dennis and Diane’s was the ice bath situation. A pair of kiddy pools were set up in the back yard. Few things on the weekend were more amusing than a bunch of supposedly super tough guys coping with the sensation of ice baths. With the size of the kiddie pools, two at a time was optimal. Beeler spilled part of a kiddie pool, then whined about the cold, then splashed others. Yoni needed more coaxing than a 3-year old . Meatball was defeated by the cold.

Texas State

Saturday morning, there was serious work to do. To have a strong chance of advancing from pool play, magnUM needed to hold seed against 19th seeded Texas State. This was the first of several Centex rematches on the weekend. Texas State won the flip and the game in San Antonio that weekend in a huge upwind-downwind game with 30mph winds and zero breaks. This time, TX State won the flip again, but the result was hardly in question. Texas State kept a shorter rotation, while magnUM rolled the full roster. The Texas State game was also part of a gamble—the return of Seth Collins. Seth, a few months removed from a major shoulder injury and in between resultant surgeries, took the field as an O liner for his first serious time since his injury. He made plays. This proved a huge boost to magnUM for the remainder of the weekend.

Notable moment: Off a dead disc, Ollie begins an up-line handler cut. Perhaps confused over how defense should actually be played in Ultimate, or perhaps reversing to his primal football roots, a Texas State defender found it prudent to simply blindside check Ollie instead of running with him. Following a foul call and an aghast Ollie discovering neither observer saw the infraction, Ollie calls his own number again, this time scoring easily on the same cut. Upon scoring, Ollie made sure to thank his defender for not breaking any sort of spirit-of-the-game code by telling him how nice of a person he was. Unfortunately, the observer did not enjoy Ollie’s English-major-laden praise, and Ollie received a classy PMF.

A second notable foul-involved altercation:

Jesse Brauner claiming an unidentified TX State Bucket for himself.

The final score was 15-11, magnUM earning a precious second pool play win.

Notable Stats:

Volde – 1G, 1A, 1D, 0T
Pape – 1G, 2A, 1D, 0T
Ollie – 3G, 4A, 1D, 4T
Tom – 5A, 2T
Seth – 5G, 1A, 0D, 1T

Dwolb and Zubin focusing hard in between points against Texas State.

Colorado

The second Centex rematch was with Colorado’s Mamabird, who ended magnUM2k9’s season. This game was played very hard, but also had the feel of a chess match. With both teams at 2-1 and guaranteed a spot in the pre-quarters, neither team had to win. With hardly a cloud in the sky and temperatures in the mid-80s, the team that worked harder might be wasting precious energy for the next round. But a formidable presence loomed for both teams. Pool C crossed with Pool B in the pre-quarters. Due to an early upset loss to Harvard, defending champs Carleton seemed likely to take the second place in Pool B. And to top it off, this game featured a myriad of fouls, contests, violations and so forth. magnUM and Colorado did not get along well.

The game got off to an auspicious start. Colorado broke magnUM twice right away. But in keeping with its trademark style, magnUM answered and held firm, eventually taking half at 8-7. Courtesy of some strong athletic plays and patience working the magnUM zone, Colorado would eventually win 13-11. But it was not without cost. Both teams put a tremendous amount of energy into the game. magnUM was twice rewarded for their efforts. Harvard lost their last pool game and fell to second in the pool. And though magnUM fell to Colorado, we’ll take an assist to UNCW, who cruised past Colorado in the pre-quarters immediately after the game. In fact, playing magnUM at 2010 nationals, win or lose, was a costly endeavor in terms of energy spent in the task. Teams went 1-5 in the game after playing magnUM, the lone win coming for a Pitt squad that beat us quickly and also had a night’s rest between games.

Notable moment: Zubin’s massive incut layout D, arguable the best of the tournament. Afterwards, the Mamabird player gave Z the all too familiar “how-can-he-do-that” look.

Now is as good a time as any to give a shout out to our three fabulous coaches: Ricky, Rook, and Colin. First, for their amazing coaching, support and leadership throughout the year. Second, for nailing the casual classy look for the weekend. We had easily the best dressed coaches on the weekend. Colin helped observers all weekend make better calls than they initially did, much to the chagrin of other teams.
We had easily the best dressed coaches on the weekend.

Head Coach Ricky Eikstadt, who will be representing the US at world in Prague (with Surly) along with former coach Ryan Purcell and former Callahan winner Will Neff (both Ironside).

Notable Stats:

Volde – 2G, 1A, 2D, 0T
Pape – 1G, 1A, 1D, 0T
Ollie – 0G, 4A, 1D, 2T
Tom – 2G, 1A, 0D, 1T

Harvard

The third and final Centex rematch was with Harvard’s Red Line. A particularly special feature of magnUM2k10 has been the contributions from every player, including many a player from reserve last season. magnUM’s Mr. Bookends, Mike DeRubeis, kicked things off to start the game. Red Line worked the disc most of the way to the endzone, until a horizontal Rubeis got the big D. For what seems like his 15th bookend of the spring season, Rubeis also scored the goal. The next point was more of the same. Zubin Shetty contested a missed Harvard huck, then scored the goal. Chris Vandervoort got the next break a couple points later, and magnUM was up three breaks early. The rest of the game saw magnUM withstand several charges from Red Line and its Callahan nominee George Stubbs. Stubbs had a big game, but magnUM’s top D players, including dtow, afey and dwolb, combined to contain the runs and limit the damage. Meatball even had a very important O line catch midway through the game after Harvard managed to get a break back. You might have seen video of the game winner on the USA Ultimate College Championships. magnUM O received the pull and worked it to near midfield. Jeff Pape caught a swing near theright sideline. Tom Haynes did what he did all season. Got open deep. Pape threaded a slick huck to the back corner where Tom slid magnUM safely into the quarters.

Spencer Jolly hauling in a questionable blade from the unidentifiable thrower looking on anxiously in the foreground.

One individual essential in this game and throughout the weekend that warrants isolated recognition is Chris Vandervoort (“Volde”). You can’t say enough about his work throughout the entire nationals weekend. Fast enough to get downfield, tall enough to challenge anyone in the air, and with his trademark monster lefty backhand, Chris showed he will continue to be a dominant college ultimate player next season.

Volde is also at times confused with the male silverback mountain gorilla.

Notable Stats:

Volde – 3G, 1A, 1D, 2T
DeRubies – 2G, 0A, 1D, 0T
Jolly – 4G, 1A, 0D, 1T
TOM HAYNES – 4G, 3A, 0D, 0T

Cornell

magnUM’s quarterfinal opponent was Cornell. So many highlights in the game of the tournament, these few words and pictures will hardly do justice to all that was this game. Both teams fought and battled ceaselessly, and every player on MagnUM’s roster left their hearts and guts out on the field. The score showed the guts of both teams, as Cornell pushed from down two breaks to sitting on game point, 14-11, capitalizing on impatient O-line turnovers and marathon points. MagnUM refused to let their season end in a fashion similar to our 2009 quarterfinal’s exit, and battled back to even it up at 14 apiece, led by a bookends and the inspirational defense of Yoni.

The 2nd half of Seth’s bookends.

Late in the game, Yoni Rafael skied a taller Cornell cutter in magnUM’s most sensational D of the weekend. Here it is again at a reverse angle

Right to the very end, magnUM fought and fought. But universe point was not to be. Despite two absolutely world class D’s by Tom Haynes, magnUM couldn’t punch it in. Near midfield, Jeff Pape put on a killer mark forcing a stall nine upwind 50/50 huck into a crowd. Sadly, Cornell won on universe, 17-16. Congrats to Cornell on their Semis run, as they were a formidable and classy team in all aspects.

How close the game-winning hospital pass really was.

One of Captain Tom Haynes’ stellar D’s on Cornell stud Andrew Ji.

Though it’s not typical to post opponent’s plays and especially goals, this late game catch on a marathon point that saw our D get a pair of turns deserves to be commended.

Notable Stats:

DTow – 1G, 3A, 0D, 1T
DWolb – 2G, 1A, 2D, 0T
Pape – 3G, 2A, 0D, 1T
Tom – 3G, 3A, 2D, 1T

magnUM2k10

MagnUM 2k10.

sagnUM induction ceremony

With the conclusion of magnUM2k10’s season, Sunday night became time to induct the newest members of the magnalUMs. One by one, Beaker, Dtow, Meatwolb, and the pharmacist (AVS) took a toast from a fellow alum and a swig (or three).

magnUM2k11

And so another magnUM season passes to the history books. The bar for magnUM2k11 is high. Back-to-back quarterfinal appearances seem to indicate the time is right for a breakthrough into the last four, or better.

On a personal note, as a new alum this is my last blog entry for magnUM (and our first). The blogs shall continue as Seth, Chris V, Chris Li, and Spencer have expressed interest in furthering the tradition. Indeed, they’ve chipped in with this blog entry.

Although it doesn’t show up in the stats, the MagnUM handlers had
outstanding weekends, and had to make difficult throws to keep
possessions alive. Thank you Ollie, A-Fey, Towster, Beeler, and Pape
for your efforts.

For those of you who like stats, here you go:

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