Tourney Champs, 8 - 0 overall
In Mid February your favorite bunch of dudes traveled to sunny South Carolina
on a quest to earn a bid to Easterns. Many of us felt MagnUM had been
disrespected when the Easterns selection committee passed over Michigan in
favor of less illustrious ultimate programs like JMU and Illinois, so a little more
than just a bid was on the line. After the always epic 14 hour trek down, the
team settled into the oceanfront Avista resort, also known as 523 South.
Saturday:
To be quite honest the team came out flat. Whether it was the lack of old man
Russo and Jamp (forced to fly in Saturday morning due to the pursuit of other
interests), or adjusting to new coach Tyler Kinley in his first tournament as
coach, MagnUM struggled in the first game. A scrappy UPenn team kept it
close throughout, but ultimately MagnUM’s superior talent carried them to a
break on U point for the win. Following that mess, MagnUM got itself together,
and cruised through the rest of the day, smothering Alabama, Georgetown,
and Rutgers by a combined score of 39 - 17, and allowing key players to rest in
preparation for Sunday.
Saturday night:
Immediately following the games most of the team followed Licki’s lead and
plunged into a nearly frozen Atlantic Ocean to prepare the bodies for Sunday.
Sam Greenwood lived up to his dual Canadian citizenship and was able to
remain in the water long after the rest of the squad. As always the team went
out for a great meal with the lads, this time at a classy and overpriced Italian
joint picked out by Bobby Moyer. Russo’s charm seduced the likely single
waitress into giving his entire table free limoncello. Later in the night Travis
Compo reclaimed his rightful title as “Poophead."
Sunday:
Due to a strange tournament format, and despite their status as the overall 1
seed, MagnUM had to start the day bright and early with a pre quarters game
against Kansas. They rolled easily, with the O line playing a break free game
and the defense smothering Kansas’s frequent deep shots. Next up was James
Madison, a team that had been given an automatic bid to Easterns over
MagnUM. The outcome was never in doubt, with MagnUM winning 15-6.
After a bit of a break due to the efficiency MagnUM had eliminated JMU with,
the team moved to a new field to take on familiar rival Ohio State. With an
experienced team led by a strong core of High Five players, the game figured to
be the toughest yet and it was, with MagnUM quickly trailing 6-4 after trading
hucks early and getting broken twice in a row. However, following a timeout
MagnUM turned the defensive intensity way up, and got a crucial break back
before the half. In the second half it was all MagnUM, with numerous players
playing both ways and getting huge stops on defense. In the end MagnUM
came away with a 15-12 win that was much closer than the score indicated.
In the finals Brown was waiting, a team featuring several young players with
National team experience, but not much depth beyond that. The game began
with possibly the longest O-point ever played, with 2 timeouts, countless
turns, and ultimately a Michigan hold. From there the teams traded points,
until MagnUM brought out their signature 2 - 3 - 2 Harbaugh zone. Our chasers
were tireless, forcing Brown to make hundreds of throws on each point, and
wearing down their star players. They began to make sloppy mistakes and give
up easy goals on defense, and from there MagnUM cruised, winning the title by
a comfortable 15-10 margin. The team celebrated for a bit, then climbed back
into the vans for the seemingly never ending Sunday night ride home.