Nation,
I've submitted an open preview to CUPA to appear on their digital magazine.
I'll also be writing a review of each division after nationals. I would have liked to have done previews, but it's been a busy summer.
Looking forward to seeing friends in Calgary!
Steven
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Canadian Ultimate.. Something to be proud of!!!
Nation,
If you got the chance to see the Worlds Open final, you saw an incredible match that capped off a great worlds for the whole country and the global ultimate scene.
What was your favorite moment? Was it the shocking results of the Columbians in junior play? Was it the full emergence of the Japanese as an elite country? Canada's results?
Canada had great results in most divisions. Winning Open gold was unexpected.. as the Americans were represented by current UPA dynasty Sockeye. As much as the outcome was shocking and the play of the Canadians was awesome, I was really impressed by the sportsmanship in defeat by the great American team. It says a lot about them.
Personally, seeing Derek Alexander come back from devastating injuries) that threatened his ability to do day to day tasks) and be a go-to offensive handler was pretty remarkable. We're starting to take for granted his ability again, but 'fans' should remember that he didn't have fully operable wrists, elbows and knees last year.
The Open team can thank it's selection committee for keeping the great Furious core and going out and combing the country for Key additions. Players from Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal all played a huge role in grabbing gold.
The Masters team selected significantly less players from outside their region (Toronto) and fell to a great USA team (DoG with some other stars from Condors.. etc). A silver medal in a strong worlds year is good, but in falling short of gold by two points, one wonders if there were some Masters players who could have helped make the difference.
Our Mixed team might have been our youngest Worlds entry ever (outside of juniors). The squad, comprised mostly of Vancouver's TFP, always seem to be underrated as a bunch of kids. However, they just keep winning titles. Most of the players could play in another 2 Worlds before the age of 28... which is crazy!
The Women's team collected bronze. Traffic won the right to represent Canada fair and square, beating what many thought to be a superior Capitals team at nationals in 2007. They had to face the evenutal champs in the semis, and that's the luck of the draw. I think the ladies have to be proud of the way they rebounded and took 3rd place so strongly.
Jr Open lost to a super strong USA team in the finals. I always wonder what will happen to these juniors, and are they in fact the leaders of tommorow. I am sure the coaching staff made sure that learning what it takes to be a champion in future worlds was taught to these players.
Jr Women finished fifth, and they along with the United States probably learned a valuable lesson about the world and the strength of future global rivals. We don't have a monopoly on talent anymore, so team selection, coaching, and planning will be key to winning in in 2010 and 2012.
Trends- Where is Canada Headed?
Here is a medal comparision from Turku to Vancouver
Open - Gold (2004) Gold (2008) Women's- Gold (2004) Bronze (2008) Masters- Silver (2004) Silver (2008) Mixed- Silver (2004) Gold (2008) Jr Open- Silver (2004) Silver (2008) Jr Women- Gold (2004) 5th (2008)
We seem to have replicated similar results from the last worlds, but these results provide just a shell of the real story. I think Canada has to pay close attention to our juniors performance, and take a look at the difference in pts score/pts against differential in each division.
We should be proud of Worlds 2008, but the work for 2012 begins now....
If you got the chance to see the Worlds Open final, you saw an incredible match that capped off a great worlds for the whole country and the global ultimate scene.
What was your favorite moment? Was it the shocking results of the Columbians in junior play? Was it the full emergence of the Japanese as an elite country? Canada's results?
Canada had great results in most divisions. Winning Open gold was unexpected.. as the Americans were represented by current UPA dynasty Sockeye. As much as the outcome was shocking and the play of the Canadians was awesome, I was really impressed by the sportsmanship in defeat by the great American team. It says a lot about them.
Personally, seeing Derek Alexander come back from devastating injuries) that threatened his ability to do day to day tasks) and be a go-to offensive handler was pretty remarkable. We're starting to take for granted his ability again, but 'fans' should remember that he didn't have fully operable wrists, elbows and knees last year.
The Open team can thank it's selection committee for keeping the great Furious core and going out and combing the country for Key additions. Players from Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal all played a huge role in grabbing gold.
The Masters team selected significantly less players from outside their region (Toronto) and fell to a great USA team (DoG with some other stars from Condors.. etc). A silver medal in a strong worlds year is good, but in falling short of gold by two points, one wonders if there were some Masters players who could have helped make the difference.
Our Mixed team might have been our youngest Worlds entry ever (outside of juniors). The squad, comprised mostly of Vancouver's TFP, always seem to be underrated as a bunch of kids. However, they just keep winning titles. Most of the players could play in another 2 Worlds before the age of 28... which is crazy!
The Women's team collected bronze. Traffic won the right to represent Canada fair and square, beating what many thought to be a superior Capitals team at nationals in 2007. They had to face the evenutal champs in the semis, and that's the luck of the draw. I think the ladies have to be proud of the way they rebounded and took 3rd place so strongly.
Jr Open lost to a super strong USA team in the finals. I always wonder what will happen to these juniors, and are they in fact the leaders of tommorow. I am sure the coaching staff made sure that learning what it takes to be a champion in future worlds was taught to these players.
Jr Women finished fifth, and they along with the United States probably learned a valuable lesson about the world and the strength of future global rivals. We don't have a monopoly on talent anymore, so team selection, coaching, and planning will be key to winning in in 2010 and 2012.
Trends- Where is Canada Headed?
Here is a medal comparision from Turku to Vancouver
Open - Gold (2004) Gold (2008) Women's- Gold (2004) Bronze (2008) Masters- Silver (2004) Silver (2008) Mixed- Silver (2004) Gold (2008) Jr Open- Silver (2004) Silver (2008) Jr Women- Gold (2004) 5th (2008)
We seem to have replicated similar results from the last worlds, but these results provide just a shell of the real story. I think Canada has to pay close attention to our juniors performance, and take a look at the difference in pts score/pts against differential in each division.
We should be proud of Worlds 2008, but the work for 2012 begins now....
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Worlds 2008- Saturday ....the Final Stanza
Nation,
Very exciting Friday. The Worlds will conclude today, with finals in the men's, mixed and women's divisions.
Now... we sit and watch.
Open
As predicted, Canada advances to the finals and will play the USA. Japan and Britain will battle for Bronze.
It's really going to be a epic match that will stay in people's minds for the next 4 years. It might also be a final call for many of the great Canadian players that have lead us for years.
Women's
Canada is left asking themselves what happened in the semis, after blowing a 3-0 lead over the USA, Team Canada rebounded to win the bronze over Australia.
Japan will play USA in the finals. I honestly don't know who the crowd will cheer for. I hope they are kind to the Yanks.
Mixed
If there was one thing to be proud of as a Canadian on Friday, it was the mixed team's victory over a great American squad.
As most of us thought in the pool (to the right), Mixed was the division where we thought we had the best shot at gold. Facing the americans in semis seemed like a huge barrier, but this team answered that challenge. Shout out to my boy Scotty Hislop, as well as Tiffany Lin, Kate Crump, Andrea Cheng, and Eammon Watson.
It's not over yet- Japan awaits in the final.
Masters
Another heartbreaking loss to the Americans, but a silver medal to remind them of just how well they performed this week.
As predicted, Pete Knowles emerged as a dominant cutter and helped keep Canada close, but the US (considerably better than the 2004 version) were able to win 15-13.
Jr Open
Our Junior team wins the silver medal, suffering a heavy 17-7 loss to our American rivals.
The Germans win the bronze.
Jr Women
Japan further states their emergence to the elite levels with a lopsided finals win over Australia.
Our women finish off a tough worlds with two great wins. They finish 5th. The United States beats Cinderella team Columbia and takes the bronze, winning by one point.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Worlds 2008- Friday Key Games
Nation,
What looked like a poor Worlds Performance for Canada has turned out to be one that shows promise heading into the final rounds.
Canada updates in bach division
Open
Canada Plays their semis against Great Britain. Our team has lucked out in the semis, as Japan and the USA square off in the other semi. However, GBR will look to do everything in their power to pull off the upset.
While John Hassell, Miek Grant, Kirk Savage and Mark Roberts have lead the team in goals and assists, one can see balanced scoring throughout the roster. That's a sign of team depth and good coaching (employing everyone and saving the best for the finals)
Women's
Canada plays their semi against Team USA today, and it will be a very daunting task. USA has lost already in this tourney (to Japan), but their UPA dominance and goal differential in this tourney has to make Canada the underdog.
The other semi has rivals Australia versus Japan. 2004 silver medalists Finland are nowhere to be found in the top 8.
Mixed
Canada lost a heartbreaker 16-15 game to the USA yesterday, but they are still alive and in the semi finals. They will have a rematch versus the USA, and look to reverse the outcome today. Given the back and forth nature of Thursday's game, our coed squad is definitely capable of winning the match and moving on.
Once again, Japan and Australia are in the other semi.
Masters
Canada takes on Australia in the semi, while the USA takes on New Zealand on the other side of the playoff.
It's looking like Canada and USA will have a duel in the final, and Canada will attempt to make up for the dissapointment of the 2004 Worlds loss.
It has been a team effort stat wise for Canada. Expect Pete Knowles to really step up in the final two games
Jr Open
Canada lsot to Australia and were blown out by USA in the prelims. However, they regrouped and find themselves in the finals versus archrival USA.
Mark Llyod of General Strike/Western fame is flat out dominating the tournament. Ian Chan is a goal scoring machine. The Ottawa juniors have given almost zero in terms of goals and assists.
Patrick Roberts and Grant Lindsley will lead the USA into this great battle.
Jr Women
Canada has taken a major step back this year and finds themselves fighting for 5th place. It is very deserving of it's own article once Worlds has concluded.
Australia and Japan will duke it out for Gold. USA tries to beat cinderella story Columbia for Bronze.
Jordan Meron has emerged as a star for Team Canada, scoring 23 goals in the tourney thus far.
What looked like a poor Worlds Performance for Canada has turned out to be one that shows promise heading into the final rounds.
Canada updates in bach division
Open
Canada Plays their semis against Great Britain. Our team has lucked out in the semis, as Japan and the USA square off in the other semi. However, GBR will look to do everything in their power to pull off the upset.
While John Hassell, Miek Grant, Kirk Savage and Mark Roberts have lead the team in goals and assists, one can see balanced scoring throughout the roster. That's a sign of team depth and good coaching (employing everyone and saving the best for the finals)
Women's
Canada plays their semi against Team USA today, and it will be a very daunting task. USA has lost already in this tourney (to Japan), but their UPA dominance and goal differential in this tourney has to make Canada the underdog.
The other semi has rivals Australia versus Japan. 2004 silver medalists Finland are nowhere to be found in the top 8.
Mixed
Canada lost a heartbreaker 16-15 game to the USA yesterday, but they are still alive and in the semi finals. They will have a rematch versus the USA, and look to reverse the outcome today. Given the back and forth nature of Thursday's game, our coed squad is definitely capable of winning the match and moving on.
Once again, Japan and Australia are in the other semi.
Masters
Canada takes on Australia in the semi, while the USA takes on New Zealand on the other side of the playoff.
It's looking like Canada and USA will have a duel in the final, and Canada will attempt to make up for the dissapointment of the 2004 Worlds loss.
It has been a team effort stat wise for Canada. Expect Pete Knowles to really step up in the final two games
Jr Open
Canada lsot to Australia and were blown out by USA in the prelims. However, they regrouped and find themselves in the finals versus archrival USA.
Mark Llyod of General Strike/Western fame is flat out dominating the tournament. Ian Chan is a goal scoring machine. The Ottawa juniors have given almost zero in terms of goals and assists.
Patrick Roberts and Grant Lindsley will lead the USA into this great battle.
Jr Women
Canada has taken a major step back this year and finds themselves fighting for 5th place. It is very deserving of it's own article once Worlds has concluded.
Australia and Japan will duke it out for Gold. USA tries to beat cinderella story Columbia for Bronze.
Jordan Meron has emerged as a star for Team Canada, scoring 23 goals in the tourney thus far.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Worlds 2008- Exciting Game
Nation,
I'm following this nail biter via the Internet.. it might be the match up of the tournament..
http://www.wugc2008.com/game/X602
I'm following this nail biter via the Internet.. it might be the match up of the tournament..
http://www.wugc2008.com/game/X602
LogJam 2008 Results
Nation,
Trip to St Alban's was an interesting one. Here's a breakdown on the weekend
The Tournament and Town
Trip to St Alban's was an interesting one. Here's a breakdown on the weekend
The Tournament and Town
- St Alban's is a little over 5000 and has a great little town feel to it
- It's almost impossible for the town's restaurants to handle a tournament rush for dinner, so plan accordingly
- The fields are directly accross the street/road from a nice hotel call La Quinta. You'll never get that close at any other tourney
- Field food was good on day one, absent on day two
- Water was great and refilled often
- Fields were of good quality. Some fields were REALLY narrow though
- Tournament format was cool. Late Saturday start, 6 games for everyone, stresses performance in the round robin
- We went down with a smallish roster and hoped we could play our best on point one. That didn't happen
- We had a miserable first two games versus Providence (we want that one back) and Chuckwagon (Should of been closer, but the better team won)
- o-2 to start a weekend where we expected to go to semis, we then took off with some great wins versus Prankster Robotics, Good News Everyone, and Magma on Sunday morning.
- Knowing Prankster went universe with Chuckwagon, we hold out hope that theywill beat Providence and allow us into the semis. It doesn't happen.
- We end up playing for 5th versus Red Hook. A great game that sees us take half, and then falter in the second half. Outside of one aggro player (who Polish Prince silents with a taste of his own rough medicine) it's a great fought game in the rain.
- Overall, good bonding weekend for the boys and a nice tune up for nationals
- Chuckwagon pleases the local crowd and wins the Open tourney over Montreal A in the finals
- Ambush (our adopted women's team for the weekend) wins the women's title over Missconnduct
Mixed Up Results
Nation,
Brief rundown of the weekend:
Saturday
Brief rundown of the weekend:
Saturday
- Montreal's RIP takes Pool A with a 4-0 Day, 3 teams go 2-2 and local coed "A" squad Bytown Flatball Club goes 0-4
- Onyx takes Pool B with a 4-0 day, while Ringer pickup team Phella goes through a 2-2 day. Monster, Ontario regional champs, has a tough 1-3. Underrated Liquid puts together a solid 3-1 day in the pool of death
- Polatouches and Tabasco (I told you to watch out for them!!) move into quarters by winning their pool.
- Big Fish of Ottawa goes undefeated in pool play and D.I.R.T. is the class of the junior pool
- Like most ringer teams, Phella gets better with each game and makes it to finals versus RIP
- Quebec City's B squad wins the 9th place bracket
- The Company from Waterloo wins the 19th place bracket
- Ottawa Junior B (O2) has a fantastic sunday and finishes above the Ottawa Junior A team
- RIP takes the final and wins the tournament in time cap 13-9
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