USA Ultimate

2016 High School Centrals Day 1 Girls' Recap

 

Though the day started out breezy and cool, the 2016 High School Championships in Ames, Iowa, quickly heated up. Great match ups in pool play provided for lively games and fun for both athletes and spectators. What follows are highlights from the girls’ division play on day one.

 

Both teams started out strong despite the cold temperatures and strong winds. Central played zone at the beginning of the game, but Holy Family Catholic was able to work the disc through and make it down to the end zone. Holy Family Catholic adapted well to the wind, often taking advantage of heading downwind, and were able to throw long hucks to move faster toward the end zone. They had two skilled handlers, Hayley Samson and Maddie Samson, which helped Holy Family Catholic win the game with a final score of 10-4. 

Great River vs James Madison Memorial

 

Great River started the game with a score and showed great determination throughout. James Madison Memorial displayed good teamwork and worked well to block some of Great River’s passes. Due to the strong winds, Great River made short cuts to help them get closer to the end zone when going against the wind. Anna Clements from Great River used her height to catch hucks that got carried high by the wind, helping her team keep the disc longer. They finished the game with a final score of 8-5.

Holy Family Catholic vs Robbinsdale-Cooper

Both teams played strong defense throughout the game. Holy Family Catholic managed to get several hand blocks, which helped their team start the game with the lead. Holy Family Catholic’s Maddie Samson had an impressive layout catch which helped her team score a point. Robbinsdale-Cooper showed strong defensive skills; they were able to intercept a lot of Holy Family Catholic’s throws due to their speed and agility. However, Holy Family Catholic was able to keep their lead and finished the game with a final score of 8-2. 

James Madison Memorial vs Central 

This game had a lot of turnovers, mostly due to the wind which seemed to pick up during the round. James Madison Memorial had a lot of bids and showed impressive defense. However, Central had stronger handlers in the wind and more overall confidence in their throws. They seemed to have more practice throwing in the wind and knew exactly where they wanted to send the disc. Central closed out the game with a final score of 8-4.

Great River vs Central 

Great River managed to score the only upwind point of the game, giving them the edge. While they struggled in the beginning of the game against a zone defense, Great River handlers Eva Fisher, Isabel Olson and Emma O’Brien were able to find a rhythm with each other and popper Anna Clements. Central had great throws and looks from Hannah Mayhew and Bryn King. The final score was 8-5 in favor of Great River.

Robbinsdale-Cooper vs James Madison Memorial 

These two teams were fairly evenly matched skill-wise, but Robbinsdale-Cooper was able to maintain more control over the disc going upwind and scored an upwind point early in the game. Handlers Gracie Velasco and Jessica Halverson showed patience with the disc and moved it upwind together. Memorial’s active handler, Annabelle Sobotik, had great upwind flicks and found Hannah Cole making great cuts all over the field. Final score 8-5, Robbinsdale-Cooper.

Holy Family Catholic vs James Madison Memorial 

 

From the very first point, Holy Family Catholic looked strong going upwind and had several attempts in the end zone. They worked it upwind very well and were able to find continues consistently. Captain Hayley Samson had some great bids. For Memorial, it was the last game of the day, and they just didn’t have the legs to keep up with Holy Family. Final score 11-3, Holy Family Catholic.

Great River vs Robbinsdale-Cooper 

Great River once again proved they could move the disc upwind and that they are able to read floaty throws and come down with them, particularly Maura McDaniel and Emma Piorier. Robbinsdale-Cooper had good throws and catches, but it is not represented in the final score. Robbinsdale-Cooper’s Gracie Velasco got a Callahan near the end of the game. Final score 9-3, Great River.

Holy Family Catholic vs Great River 

It was the last game of the day for these two teams, and it showed for Great River who seemed a little tired. The Great River handlers swung the disc well but struggled to find poppers in Holy Family Catholic’s zone. Holy Family Catholic was more aggressive with the disc and took half at 7-3. The final score was 10-6 in favor of Holy Family Catholic.

 

These two teams had very active sidelines and were very competitive. Cooper’s Jacalyn Gisvold proved to be a very skilled handler and was able to stay calm under pressure. There were a lot of turnovers throughout the game. but neither team let that bother them. Central played good defense, and Hannah Mayhew showed impressive skill when handling the disc. Central finished the game with a final score of 7-5. 

 

Neuqua Valley began the cold and windy day competing against Stoughton. Neuqua Valley started the scoring early and often. Senior Mary Sullivan had an outstanding game, scoring twice and assisting on two more. Second-seeded Neuqua Valley defeated the number 10 seed, Stoughton, 12-2. Gracia Nauman assisted on both the Stoughton scores.

 

Number-four-seed Minneapolis South played seventh-seed Robbinsdale-Armstrong in their first game of the cold and windy day. Minneapolis South beat Robbinsdale-Armstrong 6-5, winning on double-game point. Tova Breen found Brigie Donovan to clinch the game. Breen also assisted on the first score of the game and caught their third score. Robbinsdale-Armstrong’s Leyla Mahabadi assisted on three of their five scores.

Neuqua Valley vs Hopkins 

Neuqua Valley continued their momentum by defeating the five seed, Hopkins, 7-1. Allie Swiatek, an eighth grader, scored four times for Neuqua Valley in the game. Three of the assists to Swiatek came from Mindy Radike, who had four total assists in the game. Hopkins’ only score was courtesy of senior Heather Cleary.

Robbinsdale-Armstrong vs Stoughton 

Robbinsdale-Armstrong bounced back from their double-game point loss by defeating Stoughton 8-4. Robbinsdale-Armstrong began the game with a Callahan. Robbinsdale-Armstrong’s #27 had quite a game, assisting on two scores and scoring two of her own. Stoughton’s Garcia Nauman continued to rack up assists as well, collecting two more in the game.

Minneapolis South vs Stoughton 

Conditions for the first game after the lunch break remained cold and windy. Minneapolis South defeated Stoughton 9-2. Maya O’Loughlin of Minneapolis South was a big helping hand in the game, assisting on three of their scores. Minneapolis South distributed the wealth nicely, ending the game with eight different players tallying scores. Phoebe Eisenbeis of Minneapolis South was the only player to score twice in the game.

Hopkins vs Robbinsdale-Armstrong 

Despite the cold and windy conditions, Hopkins’ Carmen Garrigos managed to assist on four of the team’s five scores in the game. Hopkins defeated Robbinsdale-Armstrong 5-4. Jesse Spaulding of Robbinsdale-Armstrong assisted on three of her team’s four scores.

Neuqua Valley vs Robbinsdale-Armstrong 

Neuqua Valley continued to assert their dominance in Pool B, defeating Robbinsdale-Armstrong 10-4. It was Neuqua Valley’s closest game of the day. Mary Sullivan scored three times for eNVy and assisted on another goal. Allie Swiatek also got in on the action, scoring three times for Neuqua Valley. Robbinsdale-Armstrong’s Hailey Weber assisted on two of her team’s four points.

Minneapolis South vs Hopkins 

Hopkins defeated Minneapolis South 5-4 on double-game point. Lilly Shapiro of Hopkins assisted on the final score to Heather Cleary. Shapiro also scored twice before the final assist to clinch the game. Minneapolis South’s Tova Breen scored her team’s first two points, but they didn’t quite have enough to pull out the win.

Neuqua Valley vs Minneapolis South

Neuqua Valley finished the day with yet another decisive win, defeating Minneapolis South 10-2. Neuqua Valley was seemingly the only women’s team to not have a lot of trouble when they were going upwind. Neuqua Valley was carried by Kara Coffel, Mary Sullivan and Allie Swiatek in the game. Coffel had four assists and one score of her own, Sullivan had two assists and two goals, and Swiatek had four goals. However, the most amazing play of the day came from Tessa Kucharski. She threw the disc into the end zone, but it was tipped by a Minneapolis South player. Instead of giving up on the play, Kucharski ran into the end zone and caught her own throw after the tip for the score. When Minneapolis South scored, it was Maya O’Loughlin to Tova Breen both times.

Hopkins vs Stoughton

This was Stoughton’s last opportunity to get a win on the day. They were up early on Hopkins 4-3. Stoughton’s duo of Liz Auby and Gracia Nauman could not be stopped. The two scored or assisted on the team’s first four points. Nauman had three assists and one goal in the first four points. Auby scored two goals and assisted on another. The only girl not named Auby or Nauman to score or assist on Stoughton’s first four goals was Ken Silbaugh. However, the lead wouldn’t last for Stoughton. Hopkins got an upwind goal to even the score. Hopkins ended up winning the game 8-6. Lilly Shapiro had three assists for Hopkins, and Sydney Gottlieb had two assists and a goal.