Pranksters Look to Peak as Regionals and Sectionals Approach

Author: Andrew Zimmermann

It is common knowledge that the Middlebury ultimate frisbee team peaks towards the end of the season. With that in mind the next few weeks should bring strong play and strong results, as last weekend at Yale it was the latter that was lacking. With Western New England Sectionals just two weeks away, the Pranksters won just two games in the tournament while failing to reach A pool play on Sunday for a chance at the outright tournament title. However, with only two-thirds of the team present and some strong play at times, the squad could still have the possibility to repeat the strong regional performance of last year.

Saturday's open format of play saw Middlebury taking on big brother, Ivy League academic institutions Princeton, Yale, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). Those squads, along with others, represented the best group of competition the frisbee team had yet faced. Middlebury, in its three losses on the day was only out of one game early, that being a 13-7 loss against a strong Cornell team.

Like the week before at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) tournament, Middlebury locked horns with Princeton only to lose a close, hard-fought decision in the end. The game against UPenn produced almost the same storyline as the Pranksters lost in close fashion 13-11. "We pretty much had it in the bag," said Co-captain Alden Woodrow '02, whose troops led 7-3 after an excellent first half. The letdown resulted in another loss against a team the Pranksters had a potential to beat. The day ended with an easy win against the Yale 'B' team composed mostly of first-year players.

Middlebury entered Sunday's play beaten up and taking part in the B pool of teams based on the previous day's results. Against Salisbury University the Pranksters dropped a close game followed by a well-earned win against Columbia University. With two wins against a 'B' team and a weaker Ivy League team Woodrow said of the results, "We didn't put in the showing we'd hoped for. It was rather disappointing." Bright spots on the weekend came in the form of junior Andrew Forsyth's hustle and "lay-out defenses." Tim Riedel '02 played a consistent, strong role on offense during the weekend, seizing every opportunity to push the team forward.

The road will only get tougher as Middlebury hopes to put the pedal to the metal in the charge for the Regionals. A newer format this year will only allow one team from the Northeast Regional Tournament to compete in Nationals. Last year three teams made the cut. "We still have a shot," said Woodrow. The Yale Tournament did not provide a true indicator of the Prankster's depth and skill. The first half against UPenn "was the only half of real ultimate we played," noted Woodrow concerning last weekend.

With the devotion of a willing, dedicated core of first-years and the experience of a full representation of seniors, Middlebury has the potential to put it all together at the right time of year to make a run in the post season. Woodrow thinks that under such circumstances the Pranksters can play with just about anyone in the region. For now there will be two long weeks for the squad to think about where it has come and where it hopes to go. The weekend of April 27 will be the Sectional Tournament pitting teams from all over Western New England. In recent history the Pranksters have not down particularly well there but have nevertheless had success that the Regionals that ensue. This year Middlebury along with UMass and Williams are the favorites to take the tournament and the momentum going into the hot days of May and the Regional Tournament.