2000 COLLEGE NATIONALS: FRIDAY
MAY 26–28, BOISE, IDAHO

I probably couldn't it much better than the people on the fields today.

"It was fun, fun, fun," said Eric Moore and teammates from Wisconsin after upsetting number one seed Brown 16-15.

"You know, I'm just happy to be back here at Nationals," spoke Coach Zeldin about himself and the UNCW women. I think he meant it and number one Seaweed played comfortably en route to an undefeated day.

"I can't dig deep. I can hardly move." responded a Salisbury State player on the line at game point against Colorado. Salisbury had played an insane game, running the mountainclimber bodies of Colorado for three quarters, holding a three point lead at 12-9 before their legs gave way to cramping and their feeble arms failed to make crisp throws. Colorado pulled it out 15-13 but Salisbury showed true heart and grit.

Salisbury State scored the second-biggest upset a game earlier, defeating Michigan 15-11. They really came to play, and fed off several psychological injustices, including overhearing a Magnum player talking about having an "easy game" to start Friday play. And then the Nationals programs, rife with errors of all kinds, omitted their biography and ignored their Callahan candidate. As the perhaps underseeded 15 team, an upset over #2 Colorado would have been for the record books. The game was theirs to win, but a string of bad throwaways led to easy Mamabird scores and Colorado closed out the game with a 6-1 run.

But give Salisbury a lot of credit. They fought real hard, should have beat the number two team in the country, and would have if they had a deeper rotation than 10 guys. In the final game of the day they lost to Santa Cruz 15-12. The game was close throughout.

Back to Wisconsin versus Brown. "We had all our good playing left in us after playing so crappy in the previous game," spoke ebullient co-captain Opie (Jonathan O'Connell), tongue in cheek, after the huge game-winning throw he completed. "We were so relaxed. We came into the game with nothing to lose," spoke another. And it proved to be the key to beating Brown. That and hard-running.

Again it seemed as if Brown's superstars Forch and Justin Safdie were just not enough to stop a pumped Ho-Dag team. But Brown has a lot of depth actually, and a lot of talent, with experience and everything. They have confidence. They have height. Well, what is it then?

The game was tied at 3s, 4s, 6s, 7s, 10s, 11s, 12s, 13s, 14s, and 15s. Wisconsin never slowed down. Brown never stopped fighting. Likely this was the best game Wisconsin has played all year, maybe ever? They ran hard, made great fakes, broke the mark, skied in the endzone. They did everything they had to do.

Brown scored in quick strikes, Forch to Safdie combinations deep. Moses to Forch. But Wisconsin never gave up, and it never went to their head that they were actually beating the number one team in the nation (the tied scores toward the end of the game were Brown catching up). I think that was the most important aspect - Wisconsin was not self-conscious about the upset. They were not hung-up on the previous game. They were playing well and were having fun and the stars aligned.

Comparisons? How about the one they used, citing eight seed Wisconsin versus top seed Arizona in this spring's basketball NCAAs? Chants of "Matt Vershaw" surrounded the sidelines. Yes, the same seeding was seen here with the same result. Must be something in the water up in Madison.

Again with the women, you have to respect UNCW. I don't think they got a single violation called against them. I don't think any team complained of incessant travel calls or bullshit marks. No, truly, this is a fine competitive team and a winning team and they did it with speed, with deep throws regardless of the wind, with great coaching, and most noteworthy, with great hands. Completely sticky. Mad throws are sent deep, and every time, a Seaweed player makes the perfect read and the perfect grab. It's really pretty weird sometimes.

They also play a tough zone, layout superbly, and run hard. And they have fundamental marks and a keen understanding of the game, according to current Zen master J.D. But they will face some tough teams tomorrow. The bye will help them. Oh here's a great quote from Zeldin I just have to use. See, he doesn't let the girls party on the nights of big tournament games. He did once early in the season and they lost. "I told them that I partied before Nationals semis [with UNCW four years ago]. We lost. And then I let them think about that."

More women: Oregon did not look good today. Many people I talked to saw Oregon as a completely different, less juiced, less comfortable team from the one that finished second in ultra-competitive Northwest Regionals. It could have helped that Regionals was at home and the fans were there. Here in Boise it was pretty lonely for them.

Carleton and Colorado have to be the most similar teams of the tournament. Vicious person matchup defense. Hard-running, non-stop offense and defense. Intense sidelines with screaming help from coaches and guys' teams. Veteran players, veteran program, great throws, insanely in-shape women. The whole bit. Final game of the day between #3 Syzygy and #6 Kali proved a great one.

Trading points the whole way. Not a single unearned goal scored. Both teams focused and confident. Just a real good matchup all the way around. Lots of turnovers for stretches of the game, but on fast cuts and fast throws. The game was tied at 9s late, late in the action. The cap had been called, hard to 11. Carleton punched it in after a many-giveaway point. Then Colorado worked it smoothly, a perfect offensive machine, and scored to tie. Both sidelines were going berserk. The cries and screams of Carleton faithful the world over filled the air, then bursts of ecstasy from Colorado moms and Colorado boys and Colorado cousins chorused under the Big Sky. It was like being at a real sporting event!

In any case, Colorado was pulling to Carleton. A huck downfield unsuccessful, a good defensive stop, another failed offensive campaign, and then finally Mimi Frusha put it to Kate Ihle and the game was over. It was one of those last-team-with-possession-wins games. Tomorrow, if they can keep it up, should be fruitful for both campaigns. Neither team lost to anyone else in the pool.

UC Davis versus UC San Diego was a solid game that started off on a huck from Melanie Carr to a double-teamed Kari DeLeeuw for a score, and ended much the same way, 12-9, in favor of Davis. They successfully finished second overall and will face the winner of Brown and Swarthmore tomorrow. UCSD finished as seeded and play Oregon in the morning.

The Swarthmore Warmothers (or Throw Mares if you prefer to add to the anagram) suffered two key injuries before Nationals and were clinging to a shortened squad. Last year they surprised more than a few teams en route to a solid finish, but they squeaked by Rice 14-13 in the final game of the day to finish as seeded.

Georgia? I've been waiting to see Georgia play, but only saw them move a very lackluster offense against Minnesota while clinging to a 5-4 lead. They scraped by teams all day, never scoring more than the 13-7 win over Minnesota (incidentally, playing above people's expectations, led by Sarah Hagen the wonder woman). They beat Tufts 11-8 to finish first and cruise to a bye before matching up with the winner of Colorado and Bucknell.

Where are the points, Jo-Jah? I can't say because I wasn't around as much as I would have liked, but a match with Colorado tomorrow will be formidable.

Brown women came back on UNCW. Seaweed burned out to a 6-0 start (thanks to Brown drops) and then lost focus, and Brown, full of talent and speed roared back to close within two at 10-8, late in the game. Finally after several turnover-prone points, UNCW closed out with a well-earned 12-9 victory.

Brown finished second, some of their semis shine from last year dulled, and will play Swarthmore en route to a match with Davis. Notre Dame rounded out Brown's pool with a solid match against Oregon before falling 11-6.

Back to the men. We know Central's Ho-Dags took out Brown, so what about the other team coming out of the great white north? That would be Carleton, sans baby blue and gold, clothed in jet black and sharp red instead. Will it make a mental difference? I should be more specific. Carleton won all their games, will receive a first-round bye, and will likely tangle with Stanford tomorrow.

Thankfully. Because when you think of great one-sided rivalries, its all about Carleton and UC Santa Barbara. UCSB is like the big mean older brother to CUT and the Minnesota boys, ever respectful, cannot understand, to great psychological detriment, why UCSB will never extend a kind word or a well-meaning look without Carleton sensing malevolence, feeling spite, and burning with internal resentment. The older brother just keeps winning, and stuffing little brother's face in the grass.

OK, that's a lot of hyperbole. What you need to know is that the teams won't meet until finals, if it happens, and that could be just the perfect catharsis for years of frustration.

Carleton supposedly played shakey in wins over Winona State and Tufts, but plastered UNC-Chapel Hill 15-6, finishing the day with a sterling +26 point differential. Only team better was UCSB at +30 (but in a much easier pool). That final game against UNC was a rout and the CUT faithful hooted and hollered. Captained by everyone's sky pilot Alex Nord, and led spiritually by little big man Sam O'Brien, Carleton might just have what it takes to make the big one. In their way? Colorado, winners over Carleton 17-15 in Easterns semis. That game was a dogfight. Tomorrow, semifinals between these two (likely) will be one too.

Stanford could upset Carleton if they get by Tufts. Tufts is playing great Ultimate. Solid team, coached by DoG's Dick Brown, they are very loose, run hard, have a lot of fun.

Did I mention that fun was the operative word this year? Salisbury and Wisconsin had a lot of fun and they won games. Add a lot of hard running and a dash of heart and you got a winner.

But Stanford looked like mewling cats against arch-rival Santa Barbara in the final game of the day. They lost 15-8. UCSB is in prime form and ready to sneak up and -bang- knock some heads. Likely, they will earn a berth in semis with Brown. That will be a barn-burner. They are playing great ultimate right now, peaking as usual at the perfect time. Stanford did not look sharp all day.

Notes notes notes......I have so many. So many, so little time. CVH volunteered some stuff, JD pitched in with insight, and others abound who added something to this post. There are so many great stories from so many great teams.....

Oh, first "Callahan" goal of the tournament was a layout catch in Notre Dame's endzone by N.C. State, a game winner for a 15-11 final (Notre Dame had tied it at 10s).

A Safdie to Forch "greatest" could not prevent a Wisconsin victory....

Not too many Team Misconduct Fouls were issued, no fights, swearing is a silly foul when the only spectators are Ultimate players.

Temperatures were warm, burning big sky sun shone all day.

UPA ran out of long-sleeved t-shirts by 2:00 today. Free pizza for player though, but not as nice as last year's pasta. Nationals design is credibly lame if you ask me.

Stripping? Not yet that I have been made aware.

Most angry team is UNC-Chapel Hill. Most angry women might be Colorado Kali.

UC Santa Cruz has four underclassmen that played Ultimate in high school.

Forch and Safdie both had off-days in general, perhaps the media attention has gotten to them?? That's what some people intimate. I think there's another factor: too many PTPers on the Brown sideline. Managing too much talent almost (f'rinstance Glen Rice, a too-much-talent pickup if ever there was one, sat the bench while the Lakers beat the stacked, veteran-filled Blazers tonite). You know what other team has this problem? Colorado. Tons of talent in Boulder. And the team that manages its player's roles perfectly is by far UCSB. Carleton is in-between.

Callahan winners are rumored to be from the Northeast this year. We'll find out Sunday.

Um, ok, here's a quote that Wicks will either love or hate to read after the tournament is all finished. "[We can be] arrogant and glory-seeking. That's our Achilles heel." -- Nathan Wicks, co-coach of Brown men.

This was written for Ultilinks.com.

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