2015 D-III College Championships - Men's Day One Recap
Jimmy Leppert
Posted: May 16, 2015 09:22 PM
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Sixteen teams compete for a championship in the sixth year of the D-III College Championships in Rockford, Ill., May 16-17.
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On a rainy, then sunny and windy day, the 2015 D-III College Championships kicked off.
Pool A
With what seemed like an unstoppable offense, Franciscan Fatal did not pick up a single loss on the day. In each of their games, moving the disc on short and long opportunities was done with ease. Thanks to that, they finished first in the pool. Second in the pool was Davidson, who utilized strong communication on both sides of the disc. Their defense especially helped them in racking up only one loss and two wins. John Brown finished third, followed by Middlebury who finished the day in fourth in the pool. The two teams struggled to keep up with the offensive output of their opponents and could not contain Franciscan or Davidson.
Pool B
Pool B was the only pool that went exactly to seed when all was said and done. How each team started their day helped to predict how it would finish. Brandeis convincingly handled Claremont and continued their stable offense and defense the rest of the day to amass an undefeated record. Carleton went down early to North Park, but an offense based on strong cutting helped them regain the lead and establish one in subsequent games. Claremont had a rough start, but their sideline presence helped the team stay positive and play well at the end of the day. Though North Park did not finish Saturday with a win, in each of their games, they pushed their opponent to their limit. No wins is not a reason for this team to hang their heads; their opponents were lucky to escape with wins.
Pool C
From the first round of the day, Pool C was unpredictable. Georgia College started with a 15-6 victory over Truman State and used their offensive firepower to claim a first place pool finish over the next two games. Elon had a disappointing start to the day with a loss to Bowdoin but brought it together in their next two games. Their physical defense helped set them apart from their opponents. Outside their loss to Georgia College, Bowdoin had a fantastic day. They too brought physical defense, but their deceivingly complex offense separated them from the pack. Rounding out the pool was Truman State, who didn’t finish with any wins but gave a strong challenge to each of their opponents.
Pool D
What a crazy finish to Pool D. Entering the final round, each team had one win and one loss. Bryant pulled away with a victory over St. Olaf, but SUNY-Geneseo made their game with Lewis & Clark particularly interesting. Down 9-12, soft-cap at 13, Geneseo ran away with four straight points to win the game and the pool and changed how each of the other three teams finished. This pool could’ve ended in any number of ways; it’s only fitting that it was chaos until the final point.
Pre-Quarters Recap
A tight, defensive match-up between Carleton College GOP and Bowdoin led off the pre-quarters round at the end of the day. In what quickly became a heated game, Carleton College was able to come away with the win. Their fearlessness in working the disc upwind and downwind allowed them to gain an advantage and hold it throughout the game. When Elon met Claremont, both teams were facing a different reality than they had expected coming into the weekend. They each looked gassed to start, but Claremont was able to find another level of their game to take the victory. The match up between Bryant and John Brown was a story of zone defense, more specifically, Bryant’s zone defense. At first, John Brown’s offense was able to find holes in the Bryant zone and score often. But Bryant clamped down, and was able to take the lead, which they kept, on their way to a victory and a quarterfinals berth. Last in this round was Davidson v. Lewis & Clark. Each team entered the round coming off of tough pool play games and, at first, continued their early day intensity. Davidson, though, ramped up their ferocity on defense and was able to walk away with the win.
Looking Ahead: Sunday Preview
Only eight teams remain in championship contention when the quarterfinals kick off on Sunday morning. Carleton College GOP v. Franciscan matches a former D-III champion against the undefeated newcomer. Claremont v. SUNY-Geneseo also features a former champion, but both teams have struggled this weekend and hope to find their groove in the championship bracket. In the Bryant v. Georgia College match up, each team already outdid their seeding from the beginning of the tournament and will have to outlast each other to continue. Lastly, Davidson v. Brandeis, which has the potential to be the strongest defensive test either team has faced this weekend.
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