High Tide Recap (team listserve version)

HIGH TIDE 2006 RECAP
Savannah, GA March 14-16


6-2, 3rd place out of 16 teams

Sorry for the delay in sending this out and for my inability to remember a lot of the details. I relied heavily on the stats...

TUESDAY
POOL PLAY

NYU 12, Oklahoma 8

The morning rainstorm moved on, clearing the way for a sunny week of ultimate. Oklahoma was an athletic team with lots of height, speed and ability to make acrobatic layout grabs. We built an early lead and held a 7-4 half-time advantage thanks for excellent energy on D, but Oklahoma didn't roll over. In the end, our pull play clicked for several perfectly executed goals. Mia had 2 goals, 8 assists, and 6 d's. Linh had 2 goals, 2 assists, and 7 d's. Sarah and Frantzen each scored 2 goals.

Bucknell 7, NYU 5

We might have been guilty of taking Bucknell lightly, after rolling them at Atlantis. But with much calmer winds in Savannah we needed to be more patient on offense and rely more on our own D, not the elements, to create turnovers. The quick cap didn't help either. Bucknell jumped out to a 4-0 lead before we knew it. We can't just turn it on midway through a game and think we're going to beat a good team like Bucknell. We'll face them again in Lancaster, where we'll need to limit the damage that Holly can do by denying her the disc and getting the mark on more quickly when she does get it. Mia tallied 4 assists and 7 d's, and Kristina had 2 goals.

NYU 13, Bowdoin 6

Lisa threw 5 assists and Krisztina threw 3. Ellen, Linh and Sarah each had 2 goals apiece. Christine had 3 important d's early when the game was close. Nobody on the team had more than 5 turnovers for the first time all season. With a little more confidence in our offense and improved throws, hopefully it'll happen a lot more in the future.

WEDNESDAY
RESEEDED POOL PLAY

NYU 11, RPI/Buffalo/New Hampshire 9

We were once again plagued by inconsistency, as our 7-2 lead evaporated to a 9-9 at the cap. At halftime we pointed out how we nearly had an ideal ratio of fewer turnovers than points played. Unfortunately we were much sloppier in the second half, allowing the RPI/Buffalo/NH combo to mount their comeback. Again, we have to approach every point with 100% concentration and effort, no matter the score. The harder and smarter we play, the quicker we'll win and everyone will be fresher as a result. Mia had 7 assists and 6 d's. Sarah had 5 goals and 3 d's. Krisztina notched 4 goals in her first game as a cutter, and Ellen had 2 goals. Linh added 3 d's.

NYU 8, Minnesota-Duluth 7

Like Oklahoma, Duluth was tall and fast. They tied it 7-7 with the cap on, but we responded with a perfect pull play ending with a huck from Mia to Sarah for the game-winner. Mia had 6 assists and 6 d's. Sarah scored 3 goals and Amanda had 3 d's.

NYU 13, Fordham 3

Our superior conditioning was a big difference against a tired Fordham squad. We showcased our depth with every Femme contributing to a drubbing of our Sectional rivals, proving that our preseason scrimmage triumph was no fluke, in spite of the hype. Mia had 6 assists and 5 d's. Sarah had 4 goals and Amanda had 3 assists. Emily Westlake scored a key goal to spark a second-half run that put the game away.


THURSDAY

QUARTERFINALS
NYU 10, Wooster/Wash U. 9

The Wooster/Wash U. combo team had several very good throwers and a lot of height. Trailing 7-5 at halftime, we reiterated the sense of urgency of the single-elimination situation. We were still behind 9-8 when the cap went on. With the men's team cheering us on, we rallied for two goals, including a Mia-to-Amanda huck for the game-winner. Mia had 6 assists. Linh had 5 d's. Frantzen and Amanda each scored 3 times.

SEMIFINALS
Iowa State 13, NYU 7

We held an early 4-3 lead, and we scored the first goal of the second half to tie it 7-7, before we ran out of gas. We had far too many mental mistakes -- missed defensive assignments, poor dumps, careless drops, etc. -- to beat a team as good as Iowa State, who is #23 in this week's UPA rankings (we dropped to #52). Mia had 5 assists and 8 d's, and Linh had 4 d's. Amanda and Ellen each scored twice.

Iowa St. beat Skidmore by a lot in the finals. The other semifinal loser was Duluth who we beat in pool play, thus giving us 3rd place.

OVERALL

We're still going into Express mode too quickly in some instances. Part of it is a lack of confidence with our throwing and catching, so everyone should take every opportunity to throw between now and Regionals.

The endzone plays aren't as efficient they should be. We need to be patient. If the first option isn't open, don't force it. Remember your dump. The endzone drill is a fine default offense (dump, swing, cuts from the back to the cone). On the dwarf play, the cutter is wide open 9 times out of 10, so you can be super patient and make a nice soft pass.

Our conditioning is a big asset, which is why these next few weeks of track workouts are especially important. That, coupled with our competitive spirit, helped us in all the tight games we had throughout the week. Everyone should savor the thrill of the double-game point wins... How good it felt to pull out a nail-biter and mob the field with your teammates. That said, some of those teams had no business being close to us. We can't become complacent no matter the opponent, whether its Swat or Little Sisters of the Poor's C-team.

Finally, spring break is as much about bonding as a team as it is about improving on the ultimate field, and I think we achieved our goals on both accounts. Thanks once again for your commitment, effort and good spirit.