UCSD Berserk Coalition had a great time at SDSU’s 2-day Gnomageddon tournament! It was an away tournament, but the B-Cos didn’t have to travel far. 

The first day was a busy one, with four games and a bye. The B-Cos started the day with a tough test against SDSU. It was a close and exciting game, highlighted by a layout score by Angela “Ese” Zhang. There were also two impressive plays in which a player got a D and an assist in the same play. The game ultimately ended in a 7-4 win for SDSU, but it was a good game that helped B-Co improve. 

After resting, refueling, and cheering on the C team during their bye, B-Co played their second game against UCSB B. It was a high-scoring game, with eight different B-Cos adding points to the scoreboard. The game resulted in a 10-2 B-Co win, as well as a fun spirit circle with the UCSB Mini Skirts. 

The third game by contrast was a low-scoring one with only 5 points played. The battle against the wind and UCLA B was long and arduous. It was a back-and-forth game, both because throwing upwind created lots of turns and because the two teams were an even match. However, the B-Cos were tenacious and played 110% on every point. They ultimately lost on universe 3-2, but would get their revenge on day 2.

The fourth and final game on Saturday was against a team they gnome and love, Claremont! (gnome pun intended.) The team bounced back from their loss in game 3, winning this game 8-3. One highlight was an incredible sequence between Skye “Niche” Baesen, Isabella “Stratus” Zaragoza, and Xuan “Comet” Ly. Niche found Stratus with an inside throw, who laid out to catch it and threw the assist to Comet for the score. Another was dancing to “Footloose” at halftime, a Claremont tradition.

Both games on Sunday featured rematches from Saturday. The first was a semi-final game against SDSU. This game was closer than the last meeting, with a 7-5 score in favor of the Gnomes. The B-Cos came out strong, with Liana “Rango” Kitchel scoring the first point with a lay-in. The teams traded scores for a while, until SDSU pulled a little ahead. Cate “Zyn” Stone’s big cross-field assist to Comet for the layout score brought the score to 5-6, but it would be the final point the team scored that game. 

After a tough loss, the B-Cos quickly shifted focus to their third place match against UCLA B. This one was another close, exciting game. Kelly “Dasani” Loo continued her exemplary tournament performance on both defense and offense. She was a defensive throw-stopping machine, had epic pulls, and threw passes that were crisp and consistent. Other notable players included Heidi “Ajax” Galan and Ariana “Esca” Zaragoza. Both brought such spirited intensity to the game (and everyone before it). They always made every effort to catch every disc thrown in their direction, whether it was laying out, knee sliding, running through the disc, or sprinting after a disc until it hit the ground. The B-Cos finished their final game of the day with a 5-3 win and held seed in the tournament.

Gnomageddon was a fun tournament to end the quarter, with multiple layout scores and all-around stellar team defense! The six games helped the team build stamina, chemistry on the field, and practice against different defensive formations. They are so grateful for their friends and family (and guinea pig!) that traveled from near and far to watch them compete. They look forward to playing in a couple more tournaments when they return from spring break!