After Forgettable Tournament, Frisbee Awaits Yale Challenge

Author: Andrew Zimmermann

In what could be described as a "learning experience," a split version of the Middlebury Ultimate Frisbee A team traveled to the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Saturday and Sunday finishing with a record of 1-6 on the weekend. The Pranksters entered knowing that beating many of the stronger schools at the tournament would be tough given the fact that only about half of the starting squad made the trip. While Middlebury's record was in no means indicative of the team's capabilities, some progress was made as first-years and other lesser experienced players found a chance to learn and hone their skills against top competition.

Middlebury entered the 20 team tournament having the reputation of playing spoiler to the host school UMass on many occasions. The Minutemen however used that as motivation to win the tournament while also claiming a victory at the hand of the Pranksters.

The game against UMass was one of four Middlebury in which Middlebury took part on Saturday. Among the others to edge Midd were the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Princeton University. The games against Princeton and UMass were both close affairs while the MIT loss came at an 11-5 margin. If anything was evident from the MIT game it was the disadvantage Middlebury had in only bringing half of it's a team players as it had easily beaten the same MIT team by a score of 13-5 just two weeks prior.

Team captain Alden Woodrow '02 was quick to point out that UMass definitely came out gunning for the Pranksters but that the young squad, with nearly half first-years in at any given time, played the tournament winner well in defeat. At the end of the first day of competition Woodrow also noted that, "We stayed positive and still were having a good time," a characteristic which is no doubt a trademark of the team, a goal for which they always strive.

Sunday brought more tough competition in the form of Boston University (BU) and Amherst College. Both teams tested the young Middlebury squad and were able to take away victories landing Midd in the consolation bracket. The game against BU was hotly contested and the team nearly made an improbable comeback. Its only win came against the University of Vermont (UVM) towards the end of a long trying weekend.

Some positive signs did emerge for the Pranksters, however, as some first-years with the opportunity to play significantly, showed promise for future contests. Charles Bettigole '05 played beyond his years, taking on a leader's role in his time on the field. Joel Cubley '05 got after the competition while fellow first-year Max Jones showed he has a future as a defender, playing tough throughout the weekend. Dan Stone '05 also showed promise, playing on pure heart as he fought two sprained ankles. "It was good for our younger guys to get experience," commented Woodrow. "We definitely kept the focus on learning."

The team travels next to Yale University in what promises to be one of the more important tournaments before the Regionals begin. The competition promises to be stiff as nearly every major program will be present. With a full team slated to make the trip Woodrow sees the Pranksters' prospects as better than those at UMass this past weekend. "We will be strong at Yale," the captain said. "We know we can beat a lot of the teams we lost to [at UMass]."

Woodrow confided that especially this year the competition has stepped it up with around nine or 10 teams in the region capable of taking the two spots for Nationals. Middlebury will see of it belongs in the group as the Yale tournament this weekend will be a crucial indicator as to how far the Pranksters can go.