[TFDA] New Year's Coed Hat Tourney -- Blue Does it Again!

Christian Schwoerke schwoerkec at yahoo.com
Thu Jan 4 14:07:21 EST 2007


This past Monday, January 1, Team Blue overcame Team Red’s rally at universe point to become the
first Triangle ultimate tourney victors of 2007, winning in a time-capped game 9-8.

Sun did not grace the dawn of 2007; instead the new year opened with a grey sky drizzling lightly
over Chapel Hill, with dark, massy clouds slogging above at a 10 mile-an-hour pace.  Nonetheless,
some 60 souls braved the weather to play 6 hours of ultimate at the UNC intramural turf fields.  

The tourney’s luster began to dim with the initial rainfall in the first round of play, and while
it did not stay long, subsequent rains came and went, each coming sooner and falling more heavily
than the last, so that by the time pool play had ended, all of the three teams tied with 2-3
records were vying to forego the “privilege” of playing in the semi-finals.  Thus, there was only
a single elimination game, with only two teams seeking the first laurels of 2007, #2 Red (3-2) and
#1 Blue (5-0).

While games had been slated to be played to 11, only a single game of the 16 played reached 10
during their 50-minute rounds, largely due to the combination of rain and wind.  Another factor
was the awesomely short endzone, only 8 yards deep, which made defense easier as teams tried to
adjust their offensive attacks.  After pool play, the standings looked like this:

Blue 5-0
Red 3-2
Black 2-3
White 2-3
Green 2-3
Yellow 1-4

The three teams tied at 2-3 had identical point differentials, so all felt equally justified in
insisting that they be allowed to disband and scatter to warmer climes, leaving Red and Blue to
contend for honors.

The previous, pool-played Blue-Red match was won by Blue, 7-6.  All of Red’s games (win or lose)
were universe points but one, that being their game against Black, which they took 8-5 before
going into the finals.  Blue won most of its games handily, including a 10-3 spanking of White and
a similar 7-3 shellacking of Black.  However, prior to the finals, Green had pushed them to a
time-capped universe point at 6s.

To further set the stage, Red lost two of its players through the day’s play, Alison Murray to the
cold and wet, and Cameron Cockman for unknown reasons.  Blue took the first two points, behind the
play of Nan Gao and Chris Shepard who both controlled the disc for goal-scoring shots.  Red
answered with a singleton, when Baker Pratt at last made his debut in the finals, at first
dropping the pull, then regaining favor by making a full extension layout for the goal. Blue then
ran off two more goals using a switching/poach defense that relied on Leslie McCormack’s excellent
anticipation of Red’s offensive movements.  Nonetheless, Red answered again.  After another Blue
score, Mike Soo helped Red score two in a row, bringing the tally to 5-4, Blue.  One more goal by
Blue gave them half.  

Coming off the short half, Red strung together two goals to tie the game at 6s.  Blue finally got
its offense clicking and scored on a short pass to Victor Maneilly.  After pulling, Blue then used
a zone defense to regain possession and score again, bringing the game to 8-6, Blue.  Time cap had
been imposed, and it was now a game to 9.  Red controlled the disc for an error-free sequence,
putting them down by one, 7-8.  There were several turnovers in the subsequent point, with Red
gaining control near mid-field when an errant throw (due to cold, unresponsive fingers never
opening properly) gave Blue possession and a quick strike for the game-winning goal.

Congratulations to repeat hat winners Leslie McCormack, Chris Shepard, and Victor Maneilly for
their Post-Turkey Day and New Year’s Day titles.  Additional kudos go to Nan Gao (running hard
despite leg cramps) and all of the other members of steady-playing Blue, including: Brooke Steele,
Jen Cornejo, Brendan Bulik-Sullivan, John Setzer, Joe Wolhar, and Thomas Wicker.  Daniel Dayton
was the big man on Red, behind the good and steady play of Mike Soo, Baker Pratt, Chuck Yu and Rim
Vilgalys.  Props to all of Red’s women (Anne Burroughs, Caitlin Burke, and Christina Beauchamp)
who took turns trying to out maneuver Blue’s Leslie McCormack.  Special thanks to Tuba Bensonjaja
for appearing out of nowhere to assist Yellow’s team, which had two no-shows.


Red                 Black                White            
Alison Murray       Christina Sheedy    Ellen Mitchell  
Anne Burroughs      Denice Cunningham   Janna Coulter   
Caitlin Burke       Frannie Goodrich    Lauren Gardner  
Christina Beauchamp                                     
Arnett Brown        Xian Schwoerke      Brian Scott     
Baker Pratt         Daniel Oates        Dan Parrish     
Chuck Yu            Dave Cesa           David Kaminski  
Cameron Cockman     Dave Anderson       Erik Jolles     
Daniel Dayton       Dusty Hoefer        Garrett Dyer    
Jason Fortner       Ian Phillippi       kris bass       
Michael Soo         Joey Connelly       Marc Kessler    
Rim Vilgalys        Kevin Oates         Thomas Kehl-Fie

Blue                Green               Yellow
Brooke Steele       Martha Jolly        Jennifer Coon
Jen Cornejo         Sharon Tucker       Lindsay Lang
Lesley McCormack    Stephanie Hellberg  Mimi Phan
                                        Su Wu
Brendan Sullivan    Geoffrey Bell       Chris Winkler
Chris Shepard       Johnathon Stevens   Joseph Jansen
John Setzer         Joseph Lallier      Karl Gyllstrom
Joe Wolhar          Nick Crawford       Phil Prudich
Nan Gao             Nick Poore          Rich Bolen
Pete Maniloff       Ryan Smith          Tim Woods
Thomas Wicker       Steve Frame         Tom Munoz
Victor Maneilly     Tom Lyndes          Troy Revell



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