2009 CUC Preview: Women's Division

Nation,

Canada's elite women's teams will be well represented in Winnipeg week. With the exception of the habitually truant Prime/Traffic team, every women's team in this country with a shot of national glory will be in attendance.

Schedule is not posted yet on the website, but it looks like a 12 team field with representation from coast to coast.

Here's my best bet at the rankings:

Lotus (Toronto, On)
2008 CUC Result- 4th

This team has clearly taken a step forward this season. The team has won all but one game thus far in their summer tournament schedule. In their only loss (No Borders final to Boston's Brute Squad) they lost a heart breaker on universe point and could have easily been the victor in that match as well.

I have to think this team is the favorite heading into nationals. Josee Guibord and the rest of the leadership group have established a 3 team system that feeds prospects to Lotus. When you look at this team in 2009, they seem to be very fit and have a lot of the pieces needed for a national champion.

The combination of established vets (Jo Guibord, Kaitlyn Hoodie Lovatt, Hadiya Roderique) with the emerging talent (Jordan Meron gets quality minutes already just turning 20, and Malissa Lundgren will be able to act as a tall aggressive handler for many years) and the performance of B team Lily makes me think this year might be the start of many great results.

Wild Rose (Calgary AB)
2008 CUC Result- Did Not Play

A new calgary squad that takes over from last year's bronze medalists (FLO) as city representative and nationals hopeful.

Their summer schedule was much lighter than teams in the east, but their ability to play teams like Zeitgeist, FURY, Schwa and Safari were valuable experiences regardless of the score. (and some of the scores were not pretty)

Storm (Montreal QC)
2008 CUC result- 2nd

Year two of Lorne Beckman's tenure sees Storm as one of the favorites for the national title once again.

After beating host Stella in the No Borders 2008 Saturday showcase game, this Montreal sqaud probably thought the CUC title was theirs when they met Stella in the finals. It failed to materialized, but all the hard work and progress of the season was not lost.

A very busy summer season with 2 tournament wins (White Mountain Open and Jazzfest) in four tournaments ensures this team has practiced and played enough to be ready for this week when it counts the most.

Sonia Krajicek, Karou Matsui, Marie-Ève Latendresse and Genevieve Dufresne are some of the longest serving and productive members of the team.

Fusion (Winnipeg MB)
2008 CUC result - 5th

The local team this year will impress. We had the honor of having a large part of this team come to No Borders this year under the name Toba Party, and they were as talented as they were easy to deal with.

Leah Parker and her teammates present at Borders 2009 crushed lower seeded squads on day one and impressed several Brute Squad players with the performance they gave versus the eventual champs in quarters. Particularly striking to me was that there were several players on the team that seem to have a unique blend of youth/skill and athleticism.

With a full squad and home field advantage, I can't see this team not having a good tournament.

Stella (Ottawa On)
2008 CUC Result- 1st, Champions

Last year's champs drop due to tournament seeding protocol and a summer of record rainfall which prevented key matchups for seeding.

This team is missing some players like Ally Lemay-Flynn (Baby) Anita Benoit (Knee) and Alex Benedict (World Travel) but the majority of the championship team from last year remains. They are still an elite team and will be a fixture in the semis at the very least.

You can expect the team to be lead by Kate Crump, Anne Mercier, and Danielle Fortin. Behind that trio is a plethora of skilled veterans like Jenna McBride, Sonia Komenda, Kathryn Pohran, and Cheryl Wadasinghe. Currently, their major deep striker is Liz Love. Love is a former Liquid and Ringers of Fire player who is one of the most fit women in division, albeit a little undersized for her role.

Zephyr (Vancouver BC) 2008 CUC results: DNP

Last year's Luna Tide (7th at CUC 2008) is this year's Zephyr. Word has it that the team has taken a step forward amidst the change and is excited about the final.

Much like Wild Rose, we haven't seen much of this team and they took some lumps versus very good teams in both Flowerbowl and Solstice.

Expect this team to be a fixture in quarter final play. I can't say enough good things about former teammate and Zephyr captain Nancy Symons.

QUB (Quebec City, QC) 2008 CUC result: DNP

My vote for the most improved squad from the Ontario/Quebec region. The played over four tournaments this summer, finished second at Jazzfest to Storm and seem to have closed a large part of the gap between them and Stella/Lotus/ Storm.

This season has already been a success for them, so look for them to enter the fray with no pressure and new confidence.

PPF (Waterloo, ON) 2008 CUC result: 6th

After a great first season, the team's progress has been slowed in year two. How can we explain the sophmore jinx? Simply by injuries and missing key players during key tournaments.

The loss of captain Darcy Drummond is devastating, but it should be a time for the other athletes and skill players to step forward.

It's not an athletic issue when it comes to this team challenging the titans in the pool. These girls can bring it.

SALTY 2008 CUC Result: 11th

Halifax's finest ladies are back this year and are bringing a much stronger version to the table than 2008. You have to admire the travel Halifax teams do during the season to get the games needed to improve, and Salty proved they should be one of the teams left standing when quarter finals start on Saturday.

Coach Scotty Macdonald has an extremely likable personality (stretching back from his GLU playing days) and he is committed to the Halifax ladies program. His help on the sideline as a leader will be invaluable.

Sirens (Regina SK) 2008 CUC result: 9th

Sirens assumes the usual role of underated and and unknown prarie squad. An annual participant at nationals, this team should expect to be in the middle of the fight for the last 3 quarter final spots.

Mystik (Montreal QC) 2008 CUC Result: DNP

Montreal finally adopts an A-B women's club system and the results for the expansion team have been excellent.

Pulling from a long list of local coed teams that are taking a step back this year, Mystik was able to pick up some veterans to go with the new players who will be prepared for Storm in future years. They don't like the B team label, and they're ready to shed it at nationals.

Lily (Toronto, ON) 2008 CUC result: DNP

I have to admit that I was one of the people who saw the battles between Lily and Scarlett early in the season (No Surf and Jazz) and thought Regionals would have a very close match to determine who made it to nationals.

That was not the case.

With all Lotus and Stella help out of the picture, Lily is clearly the better team this year and will be bringing one big weapon to nationals- a suffocating zone d that will cause trouble for most of the ladies teams in the field. Want a comparison? Think Grand Trunk last year with their zone on day 2 at nationals.

Huge shout out to Lily players and Western alums Michelle Chandler and especially Christine Moore... Moore knows why!!! :)

2009 CUC Preview- Masters Division

Nation,

By popular request, the master's division is getting its own review. 2008 saw a two team battle between Calgary's Figjam and Ottawa's GLUM. GLUM was still seething from the loss to Toronto's Tombstone in 2007, and losing their chance for a Worlds 2008 opportunity. Figjam wanted to win at home. In the end, GLUmw as victorious and former Phoenix player Blayne Ferguson was nationals MVP.

List of teams for 2009 is here.

GLUM (Ottawa On) 2008 CUC Result- 1st, Champions

First off, congrats to GLUM player Chowder on his recent nuptials. Way to close the deal Agent Andy!

Most fans of the division thought GLUM was very much the best team in the division last year when they won the title. They team features players from the former WaX, Phoenix, and GLU teams that represented Ottawa's open program for years.

Captains Mike Hill and Jamie Noonan did not sit idle during the off season and added some excellent talent. Most notable is speedster d player Simon Teather, offensive cutter specialist Derek Hodgson, and lefty Seton Steibert who is currently playing dominant ultimate. They and others have been added for their speed and talent, and will be a huge compliment to the existing talent.

Using No Borders as a tune up, the team now has a better sense of what needs to be worked on before this week and the UPA fall series.

Figjam (Calgary AB) 2008 CUC Result- 2nd

If anyone is knocking the GLUM team off the top spot, it is this team from Calgary. An annual competitor at nationals, they too might be on the recieiving end of some newly minted master aged players that will make the switch from open.

Friday at 1:45 pm will be the most highly anticipated round robin game in the division. If you have the bye, you want to watch GLUM/FigJam at field #4

Fossil (Toronto On) 2008 CUC result- 3rd

Hopes are high for Toronto's only masters entrant. As one player explained about his team:

"The team has a number of big, fast players, especially on the D-line. An active, aggressive D is going to be our calling card this year. We have our eyes firmly set on improving from bronze last year, with GLUM right in the cross hairs. Add in Danny's (Jose) bottomless bit of positivity, and anything's possible :)"

Flood (Winnipeg MB) 2008 CUC result- 4th

Local team that was 4th in last year's tournament is quitely seeded at the same spot this year. According to the schedule, this team could easily make it to semis and have a chance for an upset.

You would have to think that there are many former Chaos and open players who could easily be available for this team.

GOB (Montreal, QC) 2008 CUC result- DNP

Finally, a masters team from Montreal, or Quebec in general after a one year absence! They didn't exactly have a blistering summer schedule, but the one tournament they did attend saw them fare well versus a number of open squads.

If they pick up some former Mephisto players they may make life very difficult for the other teams looking to grab semi spots.

Grind (Vancouver BC) 2008 CUC result- DNP

Not much to say about this team, except I often think with the Furious retirements and Vancouver talent pipelines, a masters team from this city will one day emerge and be quite strong.

We'll see if it is this year.

Bad Daddy Ultimate (Ottawa, ON) 2008 CUC result- DNP

The 2006 national champions are back! Lost in the hoopla surronding powerhouse GLUM is the fact that BDU is a very strong team in its own right.

Most notable is team leader Mike Belanger, Ken Maclean, and Keith Bourdon. Wah Phung Lu is an incredible thrower and the team has players that have played on winning BDU and GLUM teams in the past.

EPIC (Calgary AB) 2008 CUC result- 8th

It's not easy finishing last in front of the home crowd last year. It won't be any easier flying to Winnipeg and having the same result this year.

With nowhere to go but up, this team should be set on improving their seed upon final placement. Failing that, they still get to play a game they love and enjoy, and that is a real reward in itself.

2009 CUC Preview- Coed/Mixed Division

Nation,

Fresh off a trip to Seattle (Ballard area and its Locks, underground city tour, Mariners game and Tulalip outlets are highly recommended), I am working remotely from Vancouver from the week and will be dropping by nationals on Saturday/Sunday. Can't help but notice the excitement on numerous social utilities about nationals. The open crown is up in the air, as is the women's and junior title.

The Mixed division features the returning national and world champions, and a more competitive pool of teams than we possibly have ever seen. It's very easy to predict one of the teams that we will see in the finals, but the other finalist is anyone's guess.

This year's nationals carries two major prizes
-A national title
-A berth at world clubs in 2010 for at least the top three (3) clubs

Pool A

TFP (Vancouver)
2008 CUC result- 1st, Champions

Team Fisher Price (TFP) is the defending national and world mixed champions. Let me elaborate a little further... they have won the mixed national title in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and they haven't lost a national title they have competed in since they began. Straight from juniors to national mixed dominance.

What is really amazing is that this is such a young team still, with the majority of their talent still around the 20-25 age. Kira Frew, Brandon Wong, Jordan MacPhee, Scott Hislop, Russell Street, Andrea Cheng, Tiffany Liu and last year's MVP Kevin Cheung are just a few of the many players who have dominated so long at such a young age. Injuries and apathy seem to be their only foes.

Their gameplan appears to be quite simple- Younger than opponents, faster than their opponents, more efficenient offensively and defensively than their opponents, and more experienced winning and winning together than opponents.

Watching Ontario regionals and Quebec teams at mixed up, I would say that they better be able to cut down on the regular turnovers we see in this division, because TFP will make teams pay.

GECKO (Sherbrooke)
2008 CUC Result- 10th

Sherbrooke's A Team had a 2008 of great interest to the ultimate fan. They performed extremely well all summer in several major US and Canadian mixed tournament, and then the wheels simply fell off at nationals. The fact that this team failed to make top eight at nationals last year was shocking.

This year, the team has once again taken on a heavy summer schedule and has many results versus Canadian and American foes that can be looked at in a very positive light. My feeling is either on the cusp of a big nationals breakthrough, or is headed for another disappointment. Opponents have pointed out to me that this team has played well despite tremendous injuries, and if they can get their players back for nationals, they will be a formidable foe.

Rather than focus on particular players, I would have to focus on how great the Sherbrooke league has been in producing coed teams from its cities. It appears as through the sole focus of the city is juniors (three teams) and coed squads. It seems like there are great things coming out of Sherbrooke, and that momentum will keep going regardless of 2009 CUC results.

OUI UC (Calgary)
2008 CUC Result- Did Not Play

Sadly, a team with great leadership and promise (Bronco) is no longer a squad and won't be at CUC 2009. Sad that the leadership of Jeff Sill is missing from CUC this year.

A new team at the national level with a very limited amount of experience available to study. They have played in Hodown, Potlach, and Kelowna tournaments this summer with mixed (so punny) results.

I would not expect this team in the finals, but they may give many east teams a tough time as an unknown and unpredicatable opponent.

Wreckhouse (St John's, Newfoundland)
2008 CUC Result- Did Not Play

That's right folks. The Newfoundland invasion to nationals starts this year.

While a team full of St John's finest would be enough to make an impression on the culture and atmosphere of a nationals event, the team has decided to join forces with one of the greatest co-ed party captains of all time- Ottawa's Gavin "Zone Buster" Thompson.

Aside from any results, having a team from this province is a fantastic step for Canadian Ultimate and hopefully a sign of things to come.

Pool B

Liquid (Waterloo ON) 2008 CUC Result- 5th

Until Dockers of North Bay/Toronto becomes an entrant at nationals, Ontario's best hope for mixed glory practices out of Waterloo.

The more I talk about Andrew Higgins, the more he gets teased by his team. Luckily for him, I've seen more of his team through tournaments and online coverage and he has many teammates of both genders that help make the team the success it is. Craig Hyatt is one of these people.

I really like the fact this team has set a goal for world clubs qualification. All their tournaments (TUF, Regionals, Mixed UP and the open/womens tourneys they have gone to) have been important practice grounds for their end goal.

They lost a two point game to ONYX in the Mixed UP final and that has to be a small concern. However, if you watched the way they involve their women and execute clear clean offensive strategy, you have to be reassured this team will go far.

Pandemic (Vancouver BC) 2008 CUC Result- DNP

Who is this new team from BC you ask and why did they get such a nice seed? Well, these relative unknowns are making their first appearance at nationals this year. The scouting report on the team are that they are very young and fast.

Past results include a 3rd place finish at a Whistler tourney which I had never heard of (Alpenglow?) and a one point lost in the BC mixed regionals to TFP. Word has it that TFP was missing many good players, but a one point loss to TFP puts them in solid standing when it comes to the speculation game.

Monster (Toronto ON) 2008 CUC result- 6th

This team has shown a remarkable commitment to building a solid team through loyalty to a stable core of players for over 4 years. Last year, it seemed like this was THE team to beat out of the east going into nationals and it simply didn't happen.

Results through the summer have been decent but Liquid appears to have taken a step past them. Their website and upa site has stated for years that a 2010 berth to World Clubs was the goal, so it is finally time for the Leung brothers, Jed Henley, Stephanie Hui, and the other Monsters to make good on promise.

Polatouches (Sherbrooke QC)

Before you judge this team because it is a b program to GECKO, just remember that Sherbrooke has no open or women's teams, and thus mixed has access to all local talent. Polatouche grads such as Kevin Bosa have come to Ottawa and played in the new Men's elite league and have played very well.

Pool C

Pyschoplastique (Edmonton AB) 2008 CUC result- 3rd

I think everyone was a little surprised with Pyschoplastique's 3rd place finish last year. However, with the performance of Bostrich in 2007 (4th at CUC 2007) and the lack of a men's team and women's team, you would have to figure Edmonton would have a strong entry in Mixed and they did.

So here's the question, is Pyschoplastique ready to make it to finals this year? Hopefully they have improved and have helped a very untapped ultimate market in this country.

ONYX- (Quebec City QC) 2008 CUC Result- 2nd

Last year, ONYX was built on former open players and some solid females with the hopes of winning national gold. For a first year team, everthing went according to plan until TFP came in the finals. I watched that finals, and it's like TFP and the windy conditions hit this team like a big truck! They were not the team that looked so strong all year long.

Good teams learn from experiences and ONYX is no exception. Their leaders realized they needed to go out and recruit to shore up the team, and as a result added pieces to be ready for the war of attrition that is the summer season and three-four day national tourney. The goal was to have three full lines of men and women. Unfortunelty, ONYX (and Sherbrooke rivals Gecko) have been very seriously hit with major injuries this seasons and their big rosters have been dwindled.

One more year of experience and loaded with talent, ONYX enters CUC 2009 with a strong roster and high hopes. The team was built with a focus on height, speed, defense, handling and intensity. Challengers beware!

Mayhem (Hamilton, ON) 2008 CUC result: 8th

At first I have to admit I was not excited about this team's chances this year. I ddn't hear much from this team all year, and they were absent from both the Montreal and Ottawa mixed events. However, when I did my proverbial homework I found that this team had a very strong Ontario regionals and played very close to the two main Ontario rivals- Monster and Liquid.

Don't be suprised if this team makes a quarters appearance on Saturday. Darkhorse quarters pick!

Discraceful (North Bay, On)
2008 CUC Result: DNP

If you don't know, North Bay is one of the biggest overachieving ultimate frisbee towns in the nation. Kids simply play frisbee in this small city and they simply are "good at ultimate", meaning they show up in other towns and colleges and have the field sense and atheltic savvy you have to teach other people for a long time.

This new team is lead by Norah Larsh and I can honestly say from my experiences at Western the lady has proven she can lead a team of all types. If she is able to get some of the North Bay talent I have heard might be on this team to Winnipeg and on the field, they will be a tough opponent.

Pool D

RIP (Montreal, QC)
2008 CUC Result- 4th

I can't think of anything tougher in sport than finishing fourth at nationals. RIP had to experience that very fate last year.

Montreal seems to have merged some of their coed teams into a more concentrated effort this year. RIP is now clearly the A team in Montreal and they are clearly focused on a better result in 2009.

I've already discussed the strengths (many) and weaknesses (few but clearly apparent as it relates to facing TFP) of this team from the Mixed Up review, and it's simply show time.


Chaos (Winnipeg, MB)
2008 CUC Result- DNP

It's hard to believe that it was 2003 (6 years ago) when I saw this very team from this very town win the right to represent Canada at the 2004. Times have changed, and the home town team will be hard pressed to repeat that magic.

For a team with such a history, we don't know much about them given their small summer schedule of tournaments. Outside of the MUDI tournament and a couple close matches versus UPA finalist Chad Larson Experience, this team has not been seen.

Tundra (Toronto, On) 2008 CUC Result- 12th

To me, it looks like Tundra and fellow Toronto team Monster are at a much more even basis than last year. I feel bad for their seed, but I think the opportunity for day 2 success and seed is is up for grabs. They beat RIP a mere two weeks ago, and Chaos is unknown.

I can't name all of their team, but I saw many good things out of Craig Froats, Connie Lee, Neil Griffith, Faizal Jaffer and Eric Lau.

A real gem that this team has is Erin "Doctor" Dahlke. Dahlke is a left handed strike talent that has many promising things about her game. She's a relative unknown, she can catch almost anything, and if Tundra has done their job in helping her adapt to comp play, she creates a mismatch for her team's offense. If you don't believe me just watch her get open and play aggresively in lane traffic.

Bytown Flatball Club (Ottawa, On) 2008 CUC Result- 13th

Last year, BFC fell from 2nd to 13th at CUC. This happened despite the fact that some very talented players were added late in the season (let's think of them as playoff rentals if you will). Things didn't click, and the performance suffered. It usually does at a high level.

This year, the team took a roster with less big names that was consistent throughout the year. I think this is a better receipe for success both short term and long term. If players are added, they will be more complimentary additions and shouldn't take away much time from the core group.

When people get excited about this team, they focus talk on Damian Kwok, who has been a D line for the majority of the season. Also Thom Fergusson brings intensity and non stop effort on defence that many teams could learn from.

Nationals Next Week- Upcoming Previews

Nation,

Nationals is next week. The web site is located here.

I'll be starting previews tomorrow. I am flying out to Vancouver for the week but will be in Winnipeg next Saturday/Sunday for board stuff and finals action. Can't wait!

Order of Previews

-Co-ed
-Masters
-Womens
-Men's

No Borders Party Winners- Correction

Previously, I awarded North Bay and Toronto with the nod. I recently discovered some photos (Courtesy Frederick Li) of the Halifax men's and women's teams that make me have to add them into a three way tie for the title.

If you have photos of the tournament or the party, I encourage you to join the Facebook group and add photos.

The Huddle Fantasy Draft 2009

Nation,

Last month I was asked to be one of ten "owners" to participate in The Huddle's first open fantasy draft.

The Huddle Home Page
The Huddle Draft Board
My Evaluation of the Other Owner's Drafts
Expert Draft Grades

First off, I want to say thanks to Ben and The Huddle for inviting me to take part in such a project. I had produced reports/papers for some professional hockey teams on player evaluation based on my masters work, but I had never taken part in a fantasy draft. Ever.

It was as time consuming and addictive as I had feared, but I really enjoyed the selection process, the respectful banter between the owners, and the overall experience.

I am a good enough ultimate player to know I’m not really that good. I’m also good enough at player evaluation and general sport management (Sport is my day job and I love to do it) to know that picking players from all over the world without a lot of stats and video out there can be a little subjective and almost impossible to ensure success/approval. Thus, I set out to follow these steps ·

• Pick only players I know and have seen/played against ·
• Pick as many well known American players off the board to counter my fellow owners strong suit
• Use whatever stats I could get from past world events to fill out my board. (Looking at International Players and seeing who played well versus Canada and the US in the detailed WUGC 2008 stats)
• Have fun with it!

Here are my picks in order of round and selection:

1. Alex Nord- High pick from Sockeye, needed his D, players with his size, expertise and pedigree are rare. This is why big men go number one in the NBA draft.
2. Jeff Graham- He's good, he's all rounded and highly regarded in the East Coast. He doesn't come to my No Borders tournament but gripes will not help me win this tourney
3. Derek Alexander- Phoenix/Furious/Canada player is a freak athlete who players in Ottawa mistakenly try to emulate. It's impossible. He is a great comeback story and more importantly still a world class elite player as a handler or cutter.
4. Moses Rifkin of Sockeye is a great o line cutter. He's well known so he needs to be snapped up. He will keep the offense rolling to allow big plays and he will fit with later picks.
5. Jeff Cruikshank- I wanted a 6'1 + lefty handler with world and UPA hardware overflowing in his trophy room. I also wanted someone I know can throw it anywhere/anytime and has the respect of the very greatest. I think I nailed it
6. David Wesley is a Swedish player out of Gothenberg (Goteberg) who had a great 2008 worlds. He scored 31 goals and did not disappear when he faced Canada and the US. In fact he was pivotal in scoring. Most importantly, I realize other teams are ignoring great teams and I must pick elsewhere to stay covert. English is not a problem for the Swedes.
7. Marc Roberts- Another Furious star that will come out one last time to do what he does- win. I will use him off the bench and will not hesitate to plug him in.
8. Jim Schoettler- Former Jam star and current Bravo player is dominant end zone presence, massive at 6'5, and proven. I'll surround him with players that can compliment him should age be starting to take their toll.
9. Gloves are off. Other drafters either don't know GOAT or disrespect them. Eric St Amant of Mephisto/GOAT is my first pick and Sam Kennedy of GOAT/Canada WG 2009 is my second. Both are huge, both can play elite O and D, and both are peaking/at their prime.
10. GOAT players galore again. I take young handler studs Jeff Lindquist and Anatoly Vasileyev. These are important pieces of the new blood of GOAT that ensured a Boston Invite 2009 win. Lindquist was a World Games alternate this year and Anatoly won gold at 2008 Worlds. I'm shocked they are around.
11. Best sleeper in my draft is James Donovan, unstoppable o line cutter whose absence at UPAS last fall might have been the one thing that prevented GOAT making the final step. (That and respectfully acknowledging the greatness of the very best opponents). Colin Green is a d line cutter/handler that one of the best strength coaches in Canada (Andy Stewart) called "One of the best athletes I have seen, and the best ultimate athlete"
12. Niklas Tehler- Swedish handler from same club team as David Wesley. I get to use him as an o line handler with his teammate who he succeeded with at 2008 worlds against Canada and USA, and he gets to play off Furious teammates Derek and Cruikshank. Final pick is Adam Silverstein of Furious George. Adam is a world ranked fencer who is a lefty d line handler. He is getting into the elite levels of ultimate at 30, but he has one skill that is invaluable- his fencing acumen makes him remarkably skilled at handblocks.


Overall, My team has height, speed, a blend of youth and age, and can be versatile to any weather condition or style of opponent. They also provide an element of surprise to opponents, while most have a great deal of familiarity playing with several other members of the team.

Thanks once again to Ben and the organizers for asking me to participate, and I look forward to taking part in similar drafts if asked. I also want to thank my talented scouting staffs from GOAT/Furious and other teams who helped verify player’s rankings on this owner’s draft board.

London Calling 2009 Preview

Nation,

London Ontario's annual tournament takes place this weekend. While doing my masters there, I witnessed London's ultimate scene growing in two distinct ways- through the university program and through the local ultimate league. Work done by people like Devin Somers, Dan Barber, Nick Gifford and many others have helped ultimate in London move forward in a positive direction.

Given that nationals is next week, some of the coed teams you would expect to be there are absent. However, I would expect to see some national level players to appear on other teams to get a final tune up before heading to Winnipeg.

The London Ultimate Club site is here and the team list is here.

The favorites from the on site have to be Sick Mitts of Barrie. This team failed to appear at Ontario regionals and thus won't be in Winnipeg. They do not lack talent, featuring Shaw Dungate and Joel Bellavance.

Colorado Cup + NY Invite Results 2009

Nation,

Just as a follow up to an earlier post.

New York Invite

• Sadly, it looks like the final was not played and the semis were cut short for weather/other related reasons. Every TD's worst nightmare.
  
• Local Squad PoNY has a resurgence in pool play with a 3-1 record. This is much better than past efforts in Cazenovia and Boston
• Pike of New Jersey also has a much improved 4-0 pool day and makes it to quarter finals
• GOAT of Toronto goes 4-0 in pool play and was in semis versus Voodoo of Seattle. As said, looks like the game was cut short and Voodoo lead by one.
• Replicants fron NY/Other areas has a so so pool record but wins a pre quarters game versus a good Rhino team from Oregon.
• Mephisto of Montreal has an 0-4 day one pool record but makes quarters and beats Pike to secure a 5th place game versus Forge of Pittsburgh. Does not look like the game got played.
• Phoenix of Ottawa has a strong Saturday and goes 2-2 in pool play but loses their pre quarters game versus Pike by a score of 15-13. The then do what many teams have done all season and take their frustrations out on Colt .45 of Hartford.

Colorado Cup

Elite pool

• Doublewide from Austin Texas goes 7-0 in round robin to make the finals.
• The other finalist was determined by a head to head tie break between Jam (San Francisco) and local favorite Johnny Bravo. Bravo beat Jam in pool play and got to the final.
• Bravo manages to win the final 13-10 over Doublewide and keep the Colorado Cup in Boulder.

Open

• Texas Shootout champs Prairie Fire from Kansas City go undefeated all weekend and win the Open title. They defeat Texas team Suess in the finals 13-2 and remain undeafeated this season after two tourneys. Probably should have been in the Elite pool given the scores.
  
• A couple of successful teams I did not know about before this tournament include Strike Slip (LA), 99 Problems (Denver) and Suess (Austin/San Marcos/Houston)
• Blackfish of Vancouver (who I should note have snazzy jerseys this year) went 2-3 in pool play and did not qualify for top bracket playoffs.

Women's

• Pool A leaders were San Fran's Fury and Nemesis from Chicago
• Pool B leaders were Zeitgeist (BAy Area CA) and Pop of Minneapolis
• All California final between Fury and Zeitgeist. Fury extends their undefeated streak this season to 16 games.