"STRIPES, BABY"
1998 WESTCHESTER SUMMER LEAGUE, NEW YORK

WSL Results

The Stripes team, the very first team to pick in the ultra-competitive summer-league draft, brought home the bacon this year, fulfilling destiny and giving the author some bragging rights for months.

You must understand that New York summer league isn't quite like other leagues in the nation. It's very small, very tight-knit, very contentious, cranky, competitive, callous–in short, a reflection of New Yorkers themselves. There is no corporate league, no beginner's league (OK, there is a small one, but they compete on different days of the week). There's only 16 teams, each one stacked with Nationals vets, Worlds champions, and various hotheaded Ultimate freaks. You play to win and to crow in the parking lot about your come-from-behind victory in the dark over that other hothead that plays big for the Green team. You don't give rides to the fields to competitors. WSL is like that city basketball league populated by Lawyers and MBA Graduates. You know the one.

Stripes played tough all season with cheers of "Stripes is might, Might is right!!" They finishing third, but snapped White's (captain Bill Baer) unblemished 13—0 record and Dark Blue's (captain Kenny Dobyns) 10—1 mark.

In the one-day race to the championship, they again defeated second-seeded Dark Blue and faced a rematch with top seed White for all the money (or rather a case of beer). Stripes took a huge 8—2 half-time lead before the undermanned White squad came back almost all the way. Stripes finally put in the final point and won 15—13.

Amy Himelbau's Purple team won the B pool, Sonny Mehta's Dots won the C pool and Marty Brutvan's Yellow team won the D pool.

The Westchester Summer League plays 5—2 Co-ed, with two women required on the field at all times. Special thanks to Jude and Kenny for running the league smoothly and successfully.

Stripes dedicated the win to Susan Schoefer, who left late in the season for sunny Pasadena. Captains: Brenda Timm and Corey "Wuss Spot" Sanford, playoff MVP Doug Parent, regular season MVP Tony Leonardo, Renada Bloomberg, Pat Brooks, Steve Church, Natasha Delgado, John Dickison, Matt Freeman, Akao Ihara, Josh Jackson, Caroline Korsten, Chris Lehmann, Brandon McAdams, Chicken Joe McHugh, Marc Ochs, Devon O'Neill, Doug Parent, Andrew Rosenberg, Susan Schoefer, Benson Wilder and Dave from Brown U.

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