News Recap: 2011 College Women's Regionals (Great Lakes)

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Recap: 2011 College Women's Regionals (Great Lakes)

Anna Maria Paruk

Posted: May 4, 2011 01:00 PM

Women's Division

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Great Lakes
Regionals Recap

At the end of the day on Sunday, it was clear that Michigan and Northwestern were the best teams in the Great Lakes region. Both teams did not have more than 5 points scored on them by any team with Michigan getting the edge over Northwestern 13-5.

Kevin Kula, the Regionals Director, put on a great tournament that was run smoothly and efficiently. There were plush fields, live score updating in the finals, observers in the important games, and constant communication. Thanks to Kula and USA Ultimate for putting on a good event!

As expected, weather was going to be a factor during the weekend. Saturday had winds at 25mph while Sunday was a little calmer with winds at 20mph. Many teams threw zones throughout the weekend because fields were oriented both upwind/downwind and crosswind. However, man defense was also used, challenging players to throw and cut in smaller spaces while going upwind.

One of the biggest surprises of the weekend would be Loyola-Chicago. While they finished 6th they showed tremendous potential in years to come. The Sirens played a classic style of ultimate with flow from their vertical stack coupled with polished cutters, handlers who could throws in the wind, and a talented coaching staff. It will be exciting to watch this team develop in the following years.

Saturday was only pool play with Michigan, Northwestern, and Notre Dame showing control despite the winds present at the fields. However, when Northwestern and Notre Dame faced each other in the last round on Saturday, Northwestern was able to clearly take the game showing their depth against the strong handlers of Notre Dame. Notre Dame is normally a scrappy team that comes down with the unconventional throws but during this game, it was not the case.

Sunday’s first round was the final round of pool play with all of the games perfectly going to seed. Michigan and Northwestern prepared for finals while Michigan State, Loyola-Chicago, Notre Dame, and Indiana played in the backdoor bracket.

In the finals, Michigan showed they were definitely the best team from the weekend. While Northwestern did go up 2-1 on Flywheel, Michigan kept battling back despite the turnovers. Northwestern showed a different face from their normal vertical stack offense with some horizontal stack movement, but Michigan was ready for their offense. Northwestern threw zone going downwind but Michigan’s handlers were able to patiently work the disc up the field. Flywheel scored a crucial upwind break to take half 8-5, and paired with scoring the first point out of half, Michigan basically sealed the game. Northwestern would not score in the second half, with the game ending in the soft cap 13-5.

Northwestern then faced Indiana in the backdoor finals with the winner receiving the second bid to Nationals in Boulder, CO. Even though Northwestern had a tough game in the finals, they were able to bounce back quite easily and finish their backdoor final game with a score of 15-4.

At the end of the day, Michigan Flywheel and Northwestern Gungho will be advancing to Boulder for College Championships at the end of May. Both teams showed defensive persistence with a solid offense, despite the windy weather. Look for both teams to make a splash and surprise some teams during College Championships weekend. Good luck to both teams as well as to the other teams who have made it to the big dance.