Day 1

 

Game 1 (Northeastern) L 11-13

We started the weekend off to a fine start in terms of what we expected. On offense we had few turnovers and were able to hold most of the points. On defense, we were able to create some break opportunities but not convert on many. Max “Agapito” Gibson had some crazy layout D’s, and Casey “Sabi” Loftus had a nice shot. Despite the defensive intensity, the lack of breaks constituted the few points we needed to make the game closer and possibly get a win. The main takeaway is that D-offense was subpar from what it needed to be to get wins.

 

Game 2 (Santa Barbara) L 5-7

The wind started to pick up. The game was slowed down by high emotions and foul calls. Lots of turns from both teams. There was a very long point that went back and forth for something like 15 minutes (or maybe more). 13 turns in that one point, great plays when defending (Tom “Dipsy” Duraisingh had a sick layout-D on the goal line), and terrible plays when we had the disc. Conditioning was an area that needed to be improved, as well as sharpening up play when tired to not drag out the point even further. While the D-offense didn’t look great, their offense also got fatigued as a result, and there were no excuses for losing against the worse team. This game demonstrated our lack of proficiency in fundamentals, including throwing and catching. In high wind, ideally our drilling and practice of the fundamentals should be able to come out and overcome the adverse conditions. 

 

Day 2

 

Game 1 (SLO) L10-13

Maybe the closest we came to playing a full game at full intensity and focus. Possibly, the thought of being true underdogs relieved some of the pressure and allowed for a calmer play style against a strong opponent. We stayed even for most of the game and only fell behind at the very end, so it was a decent showing against a highly ranked team. The offensive line was very solid most of the game, trading points back and forth until half. There were some mistakes made, but the O line refused to give up on a turn and got the disc back on multiple occasions. Agapito with more layout D’s, Ethan “Tendy” Wang had some nice catches and Nate “Walla” Becker as well. The first break went to us and the energy was incredibly high. Unfortunately, at the end of the second half, we made some mistake,s and SLO took control.

 

Game 2 (Oregon State) L 10-11

The first half of this game was by far our best play of the entire year. After multiple consecutive breaks to start the game, team energy and intensity were at an all-time high. We were leading a top team by four points, and the game seemed sealed at half time. They did an amazing job on defense, capitalizing on our opponents' mistakes when they made them, and it was clear that the d-offense shortcomings from previous games had been addressed and taken to the other extreme. Then, in the second half, an offensive mistake avalanched into more, and the pressure rose as the score got closer. What we had done to them was done to us, and through multiple breaks in a row, they regained the lead. In the future, we aim to be calmer and maintain focus under pressure so we can maintain our lead in games such as these instead of giving it up and ending with a narrow loss. This loss was mostly caused by our mentality, though the outstanding first-half play gives an optimistic look into how we can become a top team.

 

Game 3 (Stanford) L 10-11

Morale was low heading into the game after two close defeats on the day. We didn’t start this game very hot but started to turn it around once we regained focus. It seemed like our opponent was hungry for a win after getting slaughtered all day, and the score being close was giving them encouragement. We had this game in our favor until the pressure and intensity were turned up, and then we folded. 

 

Day 3

 

Game 1 (Victoria) L 10-11

Ostensibly weaker than Oregon or Stanford, but the same result and same score… this makes no sense! We started out with good defense, causing severe breaks and taking the lead at half-time. Towards the end, as we closed in on the win, our nerves got the better of us and led to throwing mistakes and poor decisions. Both the offensive and defensive lines needed to step up this game. The offensive line was making poor decisions constantly and throwing away the disc. The D-line had a lack of breaks and didn’t give the O-line a chance to rest. Ivan “Gala” Fisher almost had a layout D in the end zone ):

 

Game 2 (UC Davis) W 13-3

Well, at least we can coast through a lower-level opponent. Even our weaker lines had an easy time, so our practice, training, and improvement are noticeable in comparison to out-of-division teams. The team really wanted to get at least one win. Dave “Nette” Schwartz had an awesome layout D. Possibly having more confidence and less pressure in this game made it easier to play calmly and well. It was a great time to statpad and a nice closeout to an otherwise heartbreaking tournament.