USA Ultimate

Open Division North Central D-I Regionals Preview

Event preview by Luther's Will Harren, as a part of our 2013 Regionals coverage.

Endurance

If I could describe the North Central with one word, it would have to be "endurance." These teams use their time, while it is cold, inside lifting and running. Once it starts getting nice, they throw and start tapering for the big tournaments. The same will be true this year, at least if it ever does start getting nice. There is a lot of competition between these teams because everyone does similar things. When Regionals rolls around, it shows in the close games and many breaks. It is fun to play against these teams because you really never know what will happen, just look at Minnesota-Duluth’s run to a top-15 finish at the College Championships last year.

These teams put the hurt on schools in every other region as well. Four North Central teams finished in the top seven at the 2012 College Championships. Coupled with the perennial finals appearances from these teams, the North Central is clearly one of the nation’s more dominant regions.

Tradition

Since the turn of the 21st century, only the championships finals in 2004 and 2005 did not feature either Carleton College or Wisconsin. Of those 11 remaining years, Carleton College and Wisconsin have taken home 6 national titles and 5 second-place finishes between them. Once, in 2011, they played each other in the championship finals with Carleton coming out on top.

Circumstance

After Mother Nature dumped another pile of snow on the Northwoods area, the Conference Championships was postponed and will be played a week later than any other conference. Minnesota, Carleton and the other teams from across Minnesota and North Dakota will have gone at least a month without playing in a tournament at a critical point in the season. It should be interesting to see them shake off any rust with a week to go before Regionals.

Possibilities

I, presumably along with many others, expect to see Carleton CUT, Minnesota Grey Duck and the Wisconsin Hodags in the top three and earning the region’s bids to the College Championships this year, but one can never know what the weather will hold and who will come ready to play. Especially in the North Central. Along with the favorites, plenty of "sleeper" teams will be looking to make their mark and upset one of the nation’s powerhouses. Luther and Minnesota-Duluth will both want to earn return trips to Nationals, while heavily talked about teams like Northern Iowa will be out to prove themselves against some of the best teams in the country.

 

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