USA Ultimate

Open Division North Central Regionals Preview

Like most regions, the North Central’s top teams are well-known to ultimate fans around the country. Carleton College and Wisconsin? Of course. Minnesota and Iowa? Since 2009, definitely. But can you name teams 5-8 in the Atlantic Coast, New England, or Great Lakes? Probably not.

But when it comes to the teams at this weekend’s North Central Open Regional Championships in Appleton, Wisconsin, you probably can. Luther was at the College Championships in 2009. Last year, Carleton-GOP upset Minnesota at Sectionals, nearly qualified for the Championships, and won D-III Nationals. And Wisconsin-Whitewater has consistently prevented Wisconsin from a cakewalk at Sectionals and, now, Conferences. The North Central’s depth will make for an incredible regional tournament where nearly anything can happen. Expect numerous close games and a few upsets, and for the four teams that do emerge to finish near the top at this year’s College Championships in Boulder.

Much of the region’s strength can be attributed to the high standards set by its front runners. Central Region winners Wisconsin and Carleton College have appeared in the USA Ultimate College Championship final in every year since 2006; Wisconsin it all in ‘07 and ‘08 and Carleton College in ‘09. When you play the best, you pick up on their strategy, training habits, and attitude.

 

This spring, CUT returns as the top seed in the region, hoping for a North Central title and the continuation of a win in the regional title game translating to an appearance in the national one. The Hodags, who took down Carleton College in their first meeting of 2011, would like nothing better than to break their number two seed and upset their rival.

Minnesota Grey Duck will probably be ranked 3rd going into the tournament. Last year they upset the Hodags to take second in the region. going on to finish 5th at the Championships. While this year has been inconsistent for Grey Duck, they have still undeniably grown into a tough program, one that can compete against any other team in the country.

The fourth seed will likely be the University of Iowa’s IHUC. IHUC has fought its way back to national prominence in recent years, returning last year to the Championships and beating the Wisconsin to take 9th place. Their hard work has created a deep team that always plays hard and is never completely out of contention.

Luther College’s LUFDA is another strong contender in the North Central. In 2009, they visited the College Championships for the first time, surprising many by finishing tied for 11th. Luther had a strong season in 2010, earning the fourth strength bid for the region, but were knocked out in the lower brackets in a battle on Sunday against Iowa State (another nod to the North Central’s depth). In 2011, LUFDA is led by captain Eric Johnson, an incredibly gifted player that is on the line for every big point and serves as the cornerstone for their squad. Luther relies on quick handler movement up the line to open up huck looks to streaking receivers, and they tend to be very consistent; No doubt they will be battling to reach the game-to-go. This team is better than its regular season results, and would likely finish as high as second or third place in regions such as the Metro East or Southeast.

Wisconsin-Whitewater is another team that is worth watching this year. They put together a strong season and are led by Mike Swain, a Second Team All-Region player from 2010. Swain is arguably one of the tallest and fastest players in the country. His competition, however, is tough, as nearly every team in the North Central has one or more deep threats to match up with him. On top of deep shots, Swain’s team likes to use the breakside, flowing smoothly down the field when their oppositions are out of position. They will be the 5th or 6th seed heading into Regionals, but could probably take the second or third spot in a different region and will have a chance to upset some of the higher ranked groups.

Last year, Carleton-GOP was eliminated in the game-to-go by Iowa, finishing so very close to the honor of being the second team from one school to be present at the Championships. Don’t let the Hawaiian shirts fool you-- they have a very precise playing style that similar to the more prominent team from Carleton, featuring incredible breakmark throws and very fast receivers that will run teams down. Rhys Lindmark, the Central Region’s 2010 Freshman of the Year, returns alongside several other prominent starters, their decision to compete in the DI Series rather than attend DIII Nationals says that they will undoubtedly be fighting for victory in Appleton.

There are several other North Central programs in the top ten that are worth mentioning, especially Minnesota-Duluth, Iowa State, and Winona State. Perhaps no higher compliment can be paid to them than to compare them to teams ranked closer to the top in other regions. In the gritty North Central, each of these teams has learned to compete at a higher level.

With this year’s College structure changes, the North Central was the one region that remained stable, neither growing nor shrinking in size, further solidifying its title as the strongest region in the country. North Central Regionals will not only be a test of skill and preparation, but also a battle of attrition, where the ability to withstand numerous tough games rather than shine through in just one will be key.
 

##

Questions/Comments?  Discuss in this event discussion thread. 

preview

preview

preview

preview

preview

preview

preview

preview

preview

preview

O

W

O

W

O

W

O

W

O

W

O

W

O

W

O

W

O

W

O

W

recap

recap

recap

recap

recap

recap

recap

recap

recap

recap

O

W

O

W

O

W

O

W

O

W

O

W

O

W

O

W

O

W

O

W