USA Ultimate

Women's Division New England Regionals Preview D-I  D-III

This preview is split between three authors, Anna Chute (covering D-I) and Michelle Ng (covering D-III) with the help of Dory Ziperstein.

Division I

With less than a week left, teams are gearing up for New England D-I Regionals which will be held on May 7-8 in Hanover, NH. The New England region was unable to secure team or region strength bids to Nationals, leaving the region with only one bid due to the new college series restructuring. Competition will be intense as the team that advances will be determined through single-elimination play on Sunday.

The Greater New England D-I Conference Championship resulted in Middlebury, Dartmouth, and Brown coming out in the top three. With all six competing teams in the Div I Metro Boston Conference guaranteed spots to Regionals, the one-day round robin at MIT functioned to determine seedings for this weekend’s competition. Tufts finished the day ranked first, followed by Northeastern, Boston College, Harvard, MIT, and Boston University. In addition, three B teams are joining Regionals from the Developmental conference, while Wheaton (Massachusetts) qualified from the Metro Boston D-III Conference and Amherst from the South New England D-III Conference.

The Tufts Ewo enter the regional tournament seeded first and are a strong contender for the championship title. With a comparatively late start to their season, Tufts entered the rankings with a splash after beginning Women’s College Centex seeded 22nd and finishing 3rd, beating Nationals-caliber teams North Carolina, Carleton, Washington, and Iowa. After losing to Middlebury on universe point at last year’s Regionals, Tufts is determined to earn the #1 spot this year. Tufts has been hindered by multiple injuries in the past month, including in standout players Claudia Tajima and Rebecca Hershow, among others. However, Tufts’ deep roster led by talented returning players and an impressive freshman class enabled them to decisively beat all five teams at Conference Championships, with the closest score at 11-3. With both Tajima and Hershow cleared to play at Regionals, the Ewo have set their sights on Boulder. After Middlebury and Harvard finished tied for 19th at Nationals last year, the Ewo hope to gain some respect for New England this year on the national scale.

Tufts Ewo.  PHOTO: courtesy of Anna Chute

In position to challenge Tufts are Middlebury, Northeastern, and Dartmouth.

One of the strongest teams in the region, 2nd seeded Middlebury is a team worth watching. While finishing first at Conference Championships, Middlebury lost to UPenn and Smith at Keystone Classic and eeked out a 9-8 win over Massachusetts during Conference Championships. It remains to be seen whether or not the Pranksters can pull together again and end an inconsistent season on a high note. Adding to this challenge, Middlebury will be without main handler Hannah Waite due to a roster complication and will have to rely heavily on other top players such as cutter Lexi Zalk to fill this void.

Coming in second at Conference Championships, the Northeastern Valkyries will likely end more than one team’s seasons next weekend. Led by knowledgeable veterans Chelsey Burrows, Michelle Chiang, and Carla Fergusson, Northeastern will be one of the main players at Regionals. Northeastern’s deep throws and 4-man cup will pose a serious challenge to unsuspecting teams.

An athletic team with considerable experience, Dartmouth’s Princess Layout will also be vying for a top spot at Regionals. With six tournaments under their belts this year, Dartmouth will not be eliminated without a struggle. Led offensively by handler Ana Mark and cutter Emma “Wheels” Frankel, host team Dartmouth plays hard through every point. Boasting a large roster, Dartmouth will be a formidable opponent during all stages of the weekend.

The lesson to be taken from the College Series thus far is that every point matters. With teams like Wisconsin (who tied for third at the 2010 College Nationals) getting knocked out of Nationals consideration, the field is wide open for upsets as soon as top teams get caught on the back of their heels. Guaranteed to be an exciting weekend ahead, New England will soon crown the regional champion to send to Boulder this May! 

Division III

With eight teams competing and four bids to the Division-III College Championships, New England DIII Regionals will be an exciting tournament to follow.  Bowdoin (North New England), Wellesley (Metro Boston), and Williams (South New England) won their respective Conference Championships, and they will be joined by Bentley, Brandeis, Smith, Colby, and Bates this weekend.
 
Bowdoin and the other North New England teams, have flown under the radar for much of the season.  None of the teams have played many sanctioned games, and they will be looking to shake things up at Regionals and take some teams by surprise.  Many of the other teams in the Region have played each other a number of times over the course of the season, and it appears that very few of the Massachusetts teams know much about the teams from Maine.  That could be a distinct advantage this weekend.

The Metro Boston DIII Conference Champion Wellesley is led by captains Christina Chin and Laura Stevens, and senior standout Sienna Laughton.  Chin and Stevens are the heart of the Whiptails and will be looking to lead their team back to the DIII College Championships and improve upon last year’s 7th place finish.  Laughton’s lefty throws, speed, and defense make her a threat on both sides of the disc, and her play will be key to Wellesley’s success.  The Whiptails have posted multiple wins over Bentley over the past month and also beat DIII Nationals Qualifier Princeton at the end of March.  These wins should give them some confidence going into Regionals this weekend. 

Bentley took the second bid to DIII Regionals out of the Metro Boston Conference, and they are a well-rounded team with a very balanced offense and stifling zone defense.  If there is any wind at Regionals, look for their zone to give other teams fits. 

Brandeis is the third team out of the Metro Boston Conference and they will come ready to play.  They have spent the season adjusting to the loss of standout Dory Ziperstein (now playing in grad school at Boston University), but captains Lauren Reibsten and Vicky Negus have stepped up in big ways.  Reibsten is an extremely talented thrower and Negus will get open at will downfield.  Brandeis has had perhaps the most challenging schedule of any team in their Region, attending the very competitive Queen City Tune-Up and also competing at Keystone Classic.  While they were unable to pull out many victories, the experience they gained against top competition will be invaluable going into Regionals.

Williams captured the South New England Conference title on their home turf last weekend, after weather pushed the tournament back a week.  Senior captain Beryl Manning-Geist and sophomores Rachel Kessler and Claire Baecher will lead the charge for Williams.  Manning-Geist’s skills both behind the disc and downfield will be huge assets for La Wufa’s offense, and Baecher and Kessler will offer additional firepower.  Kessler brings her playing experience at Paideia High School to the team, and Baecher earned 2nd Team All-NESAC honors as a forward on the Williams basketball team earlier this spring.  Baecher’s height, athleticism, and good genes (cousin of Amherst Regional High School / Michigan / Brute Squad / Riot standout Emily Baecher) make her a favorite target downfield for Williams.  Williams alum Sally Lambert said, "Hailing from the purple valley of Williamstown, MA, the speedy, scrappy, and attractive women of La Wufa can't wait to get out on the field in Buffalo. With sass, spirit, and a ridiculous purple and yellow cow named Ephraim, we are thrilled at the opportunity to help raise the standard of competition among small schools and universities through D-III Nationals."  Can Williams hold off the other teams in New England to earn a spot at the show?

 

Annie Baierl of Smith.  PHOTO CREDIT: Kristen Rosa

Smith College was able to pull out a first-round upset against Amherst at Conference Championships and fell 10-13 to Williams, and they will bring their gritty enthusiasm to Regionals, ready to upset some of the higher seeds.  Captains Clarissa Lyons and Annie Baierl are the backbone of the team.  Look for Lyons to get the offense moving off a stopped disc as a tenacious initiating cutter, and Baierl to make big plays both behind the disc as a handler, as well as on defense.  Smith was able to pull off a universe point win against a very good Towson team as well as a huge victory over Middlebury at Keystone without Baierl, who has been out with a concussion.  Baierl also missed the Conference Championships and her return to the team gives them some additional depth.  This year, Smith has also added one of the most talented and polished players in the region, Amber Sinicrope.  Sinicrope is the special mold of player who makes everyone around her better, and her effect on the Smith team cannot be overstated.  Sinicrope will be one of the most fun players to watch at Regionals, and while Smith may not match up perfectly with the top teams in the Region, their heart and scrappiness will put them in the thick of the battle for a bid to the DIII College Championships.

The New England Region is one of two regions in the women’s division able to support multiple DIII Conferences, and certainly serves as a model for how many players and organizers hope to see the division grow in the coming years.  With a bevy of competitive teams and the DIII College Championships within driving distance, New England is sure to represent well this year.  Stay tuned to Score Reporter for results this weekend, and check back for a recap of the event next week!

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Questions/Comments?  Discuss in this event discussion thread (D-I) or this event discussion thread (D-III). 

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