NYU Violet Femmes

Monday, May 01, 2006

Metro East Regionals Recap (team listserve edition)

METRO EAST REGIONALS 2006 RECAP
Rochester, NY April 29-30

2-2, 5th/6th place out of 16 teams

SATURDAY

ROUND OF 16
NYU 13, Vassar 8

We opened Regionals against Vassar, against whom we closed out our Sectional
championship campaign. Confident we were the superior team, we were able to
work through our beginning-of-the-tournament jitters, as well try out a few
of the concepts we worked on in practice earlier in the week, such as the
zone-to-man transition defense. We fell behind early, tied it at 3, then
took half 8-4. Our depth was on display as every Femme played a key part in
preserving our lead in the second half. Mia had 9 assists and 5 d's. Sarah
and Ellen caught 3 goals apiece, while Claire and Amanda each caught 2.
Lisa added 3 d's.

QUARTERFINALS
NYU 11, UPenn 6

UPenn, the 12-seed, upset the much-hyped George Washington team in the first
round. They had a couple of skilled handlers and some hard-running cutters.
But they had only a few subs, so we wore them down with our superior depth
and fitness. The turning point came with the scored tied, 3-3. UPenn
called timeout to set up an end zone play and we surprised them with our
trap-cup zone. We got the quick d, then went the length of the field on a
series of in-cut/dishy passes to score a game-changing goal. We closed the
half with a 5-0 run. Our trap zone defense created many turnovers with Mia
as the monster deep. This was surely the biggest victory in NYU ultimate
history: it put us the final four, two wins away from Nationals, and most
importantly clinched our season goal of reaching day 2 of Regionals. Mia
had 6 assists, 2 goals and 3 d's. Linh had 4 assists and 2 d's. Sarah and
Krisztina each scored 2 goals.

SEMIFINALS
Swarthmore 15, NYU 3

Before we knew what hit us, we were down 3-0. We made it too easy for them
turning it over early and often in our own end. Trailing 6-1, we decided to
sit Mia for the remainder of the day to rest her sore leg, once again giving
our newer players a chance to step up in the second half. Frantzen had a
breakout performance, taking charge of our offense as the primary handler to
move the disc against a very tough Swart defense (Swat kept their top
players in the entire game). Krisztina had 3 d's.

SUNDAY

BACKDOOR GAME
Rochester 14, NYU 9

For the fourth consecutive game, we came out flat, quickly falling behind
3-0. Rochester was an athletic, skilled team that liked to put it long. We
called a timeout during which we acknowledged that Rochester had already
laid out many times and we had yet to do so, so our first step was turn up
the intensity. We also adjusted our defense and played some zone and
zone-to-man transition to slow their vertical game. We traded points the
rest of the half, scoring with our own deep game of Mia's hucks to some
well-timed deep cuts. We eventually switched to a backhand force to give
our downfield defenders a better chance of d-ing their hucks. At one point,
an exasperated Rochester player screamed to her teammates, "Do NOT throw it
ANYWHERE near Mia ok?!" Her teammates agreed. The game's turning point
came with the cap looming and Rochester on top 11-8. We worked the disc the
length of the field only to turn it over on the goal-line. We couldn't stop
Rochester's fast break as they marched all the way downfield to take a 12-8
lead. Unfortunately at that level, against such a quality opponent, we have
little room for error. A lackadaisical couple of points, or one failure to
execute our goal-line offense can cost us the game. But we showed a ton of
character to bounce back from the rough start. At 3-0, Rochester thought
they were in for an easy game but we made them work for it. We got an
opportunity to play well on the big stage - day 2 of Regionals, with an
observer, in an elimination game against a very good team. Outside of our
two primary handlers, Mia and Linh, no player had more than one turnover in
the game. Mia had 7 assists and 2 d's. Sarah caught 4 goals and Krisztina
caught 2. Beth added 2 d's and an assist.

OVERALL...

Ever since Atlantis, Ken and I have been saying that the theme for this
season has been "Exceeding Expectations." When we first heard that your
goal was to make day 2 of Regionals, we thought that maybe, if we got really
lucky we might have an outside chance. After Sectionals we thought we had a
legitimate shot but it would be hard. You guys made it look easy. Winning
a Regional quarterfinal game is HUGE. After we beat UPenn we realized that
we were one win away from a game to go to Nationals and it began to sink in.

But on Sunday we also realized there's a lot of work to be done in the next
year. Swarthmore is 37-0. There's no shame in losing to them this year,
but there's no reason to think that can't be us next year. Remember what it
was like to watch them storm the field after they won the finals screaming,
"We're going to Nationals!" You might have felt a little twinge of envy.
That's not a necessarily a bad felling. It's the hunger that should fuel
you this summer and it has to burn inside you throughout the fall, during
your winter conditioning, and all the way through next year's series. This
was Swat's and Delaware's year. Next year is our turn.

All your achievements -- going from not advancing out of Sectionals last
year to making the semifinals of Regionals this year -- are a testament to
the staggering amount of hard work you each put into this team. You truly
exceeded all expectations.

Ken and I will send a season recap and individual evaluations in the next
week or so. The "evaluations" will essentially be a short list of things
that each of you should focus on this summer.

Monday, April 17, 2006

Metro NY Sectional Champions

For the first time in NYU Ultimate's history, a team has won their Section. All the hard work this season culminated in a decisive, rewarding victory. We went 5-0, outscoring our opponents 30-8 in the semis and finals. It was a great effort by everyone involved, and it was clear by the results (and the stats) that the Femmes played their best tournament this year. Congratulations to all the players! They certainly deserved it.

Our first game against Fordham showed our inexperience. They had a small team but they were fresh and most of their key players were there. We were so pumped up and excited for this game that everyone briefly forgot how to play, complete with rookie mistakes, drops, and freestyling on offense. We were down 3-1 but rallied back to take the lead 9-6 off some excellent play by Amanda. When Fordham pulled to within one (10-9), we collectively had a "We cannot lose to Fordham" moment and took it 15-10. It was a battle the whole way and we had no idea that this would be by far our closest game of the weekend.

Beating Drew 15-1 got our confidence back and some rest for our starters for the big Vassar game. We came out fast and took half 8-3, never letting up and taking the game 15-4. Vassar looked beaten early in the game and we closed it out very well, playing smart and scoring on several upwinders through their zone.

Everyone was in a good mood Sunday morning, partly due to the fabulous fields Julie got us for Day 2. The semifinal game against Rutgers started out very intense, with us jumping out to a 5-2 lead. Mia and Sarah won what seemed like a 2-on-2 versus Amanda and Vanessa, the two players Rutgers' offense ran through. Luckily, their Ace cut to start their offense against a straight up was exactly the same as a drill we did several times to practice man defense. We played our best zone offense all year and won 15-4.

We were expecting to play Columbia in the finals as they, like us, went 3-0 on Day 1, but instead we faced a Vassar squad with more subs. This didn't change the result, as we once again came out strong and finished with a 15-4 win. Once they were down, Vassar did not look like they thought they could win. The second half of the finals was pretty much a celebration.

I also ended up watching Rutgers, with only two subs, beat a tough Princeton team and then gut out a 14-9 victory in the backdoor over Columbia, taking the third and final Regionals spot. Columbia was 3-0 on Saturday and ended up not even qualifying. What happened to them was basically the nightmare situation for us and what regularly occurred for NYU teams in the past.

We had two goals for this season:
1. Win the Section
2. Regionals Day 2

So we're halfway there!

Coaching was immensely rewarding, especially watching those players who were brand new to any field sport be decisive and make big plays under pressure. We can't wait for Regionals and the opportunity to test ourselves against the best teams in the Metro East.

Metro NY Sectionals Recap (team listserve edition)

METRO NY SECTIONALS 2006 RECAP
Poughkeepsie, NY April 15-16

5-0, 1st place out of 8 teams
http://www3.upa.org/scores/tourn.cgi?div=122&id=2373

SATURDAY
POOL PLAY

NYU 15, Fordham 10

After an hour-plus of warm up, we started the game as jittery as we were enthusiastic. Not only was Fordham fresher and more poised than they were when we rolled them on spring break, but they smartly adjusted their offense to more efficiently attack our straight-up marks. They even employed a straight-up D of their own. Fordham capitalized on some costly turnovers in our own end to take an early 3-1 lead, but we bounced back to take half 8-6. Fordham cut it to a one-point game midway through the second-half before we made another run to put them away, finally. Little did we know that this would be our closest game of the tournament. In fact, no team would score even half as many points on us as Fordham did. Amanda caught 4 goals and was a huge deep presence all day, pulling down hucks and helping to shut down our opponents' deep looks. Mia had 12 assists and 8 D's. Sarah scored 3 goals.

NYU 15, Drew 1

The score pretty much says it all. Mia had 5 assists, 7 D's and 3 goals including a Callahan. Linh and Lisa each threw 4 assists. Frantzen and Ellen each caught 3 goals. Amanda, Krisztina, Veronica, and Emily W. all scored as well.

NYU 15, Vassar 4

Vassar downed Fordham in the previous round setting us up for a showdown with the hosts with first-place on the line. We anticipated a close game against an athletic Vassar squad, but after giving up an upwinder that allowed Vassar to cut it to 3-2, we responded with a 5-1 run to take half 8-3. The run continued in the second half, including Sarah's fantastic layout catch for one of her 5 goals in the game. Mia threw 8 assists and tallied 9 D's. Amanda caught 4 more goals, while Krisztina and Ellen each caught 2. With the win, we earned a bye to the semis.

SUNDAY

SEMIFINALS
NYU 15, Rutgers 4

We knew if we could contain Rutgers' handlers, particularly Amanda Davis, we could win. Rugters sought to complete quick passes to their "ace" position handler in open space who would look to put it long. Sarah started covering Amanda Davis and Mia covered their "ace" handler, then we switched roles for more effective match ups. Mia got some handblocks on Amanda Davis, while Sarah shut down the ace's cuts, just like that 2v2 defense drill we've done in practice (the one where the losing team does sprints). Against Rutgers' zone D, we ran our best zone offense of the season. Our trio of "veteran" handlers, Mia, Linh and Krisztina did a great job of patiently picking their spots to throw through the cup. Amanda (Goodin) was once again a monster deep with 3 goals. Mia had 9 assists and 11 D's. Linh had 3 assists and 2 goals. Sarah caught 3 goals, and Krisztina and Ellen each caught 2. Krisztina also made several acrobatic layout grabs throughout the day.

FINALS
NYU 15, Vassar 4

Vassar had a few more subs than they did in pool play, but we beat them even more soundly than we did the day before. Again, our zone offense was solid. With an 8-1 halftime lead, we could smell the Sectional title. Mia topped her own team assists record with 12. She also had 8 D's. Ellen scored 3 goals, while Krisztina, Sarah, Frantzen, and Lisa each scored 2 apiece.

OVERALL

How amazing did that feel? Albeit a little anticlimactic on Sunday. After all the drama of beating Cornell at Atlantis, and eeking out those double-game-point wins on spring break, you made Sectionals SEEM like a walk in the park. But no one should take it for granted, or think for a moment that it was easy. We all know how much work this took. You were able to not just win but DOMINATE the Section because you've all been practicing hard since January, in the rain, in the wind, at Coles, in the dark at McCarren, dodging the baseballs at ERP. You consistently won your one-on-one matchups because you trained harder than your opponents. With all the preparation you did, you left little to chance. That's what it's all about. You set a goal and you achieved it. You should be tremendously proud!!!

Over the next two weeks, we need to work on our endzone plays, how to attack certain types of offenses and defenses we're likely to see at Regionals, tweak our zone, and of course, continue to work on throwing and catching as often as possible. As you've already demonstrated, you can improve a lot in two weeks. Right now we're a team on the rise. Let's keep rising on the way to Regionals and shock some teams at Rochester!

But enjoy this for now! You're a part of something special. The 2006 Violet Femmes are the FIRST NYU team to win Sectionals and in two short weeks you could be the highest placing NYU team ever at Regionals.

Friday, April 14, 2006

Pre-Sectionals Thoughts

We had our team dinner last night at Amanda's, and Jeff came through like a champ. Most of the girls didn't know how awesome he was at cooking, so when he introduced all the tasty dishes it was a pretty memorable moment. The "You will win the Section" fortune cookies were a pretty big hit too. In a way the dinner was a microcosm of our season--it was done all-out and eventually exceeded expectations.

That intense/excited/nervous feeling was definitely in the air at the final few practices and at dinner. It's hard to get yourself to care that much about something, and it will provide, win or lose, one of the more memorable experiences of college and probably your life. I still remember all the games-to-go I had at NYU, and even if they were disappointing, I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. It's what playing sports is about, those crazy highs and lows.

For the first time in the history of NYU Ultimate, a team is going into Sectionals as the favorite. It's a different mindset. Zac and I went to Sectionals hoping, if we played well and a few things broke our way, to qualify for Regionals. The Femmes go this year not only wanting to qualify, but to destroy every team they play. I believe strongly that they were the hardest working team in the section this year, and that they know it. It would be disappointing for many of them to not be Sectional champs, let alone miss Regionals.

That is why I am confident in this team. With all the time, effort, and desire this team has put in this season, when every track workout and rain practice ends up riding on a few throws and catches in one or two important games, I simply do not think the Femmes will allow themselves to lose. There is too much at stake.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Practice (4/8)

We had two practices last week. Actually one of them was cut short because the lights aren't working at McCarren Park. This past Saturday, April 8, we practiced in the cold rain at Prospect Park for about an hour. The conditions were rough so we just did a few drills to get people moving and throwing, then we played the completions game (4v4, 8 completions equals a score). One of the drills we did was something Dusty and I learned several years ago from University of Illinois players at Cooler in Milwaukee. It's a good warm up drill that gets players a lot of quick touches on the disc and gets their heart-rate up. I think we'll have them do it before Sectionals.

Monday, April 03, 2006

04/02/06 Prospect Park Throwing

I threw with Linh and Frantzen yesterday in Prospect, and despite the huge number of little leaguers, we had plenty of space.

Linh's flick huck is getting progressively more consistent. On her regular throws, I told her to start varying her release point as it will help her get around harder marks. Much like myself, she is shorter than the average player and thus needs to be extra tricky to get her throws off, with quicker pivots and fakes and lower releases. Her main problem is her lack of power, she simply can't throw as far and must compensate with technique. She will be fine, it's just a matter of time.

Frantzen is the opposite, she has plenty of power but her technique is bad. I told her to rein it in a bit and relax when throwing, and it seemed to help as she threw her forehand much more consistently. I hope for next year she doesn't lose too much from being abroad. She could really develop into someone that can put it full field when we need it.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Practice (3/28)

This was our first full outdoor practice of the spring, and the first practice any NYU ultimate team had ever held at McCarren Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. To my pleasant surprise, we had a full, let field for two-plus hours, which is unheard of in Manhattan without a permit. Granted, the field was mostly dirt, but after playing ultimate in the city for six years, I was thankful for the space.

After throwing and running, we ran the Carleton dump-swing drill for about 20 minutes. It's a good drill because, as its name suggests, players get to throw a lot of dump-swing passes, and there's a lot of running involved so it's a good workout as well. But it takes a while to get the hang of, especially for newer players, so after about 5 minutes of poor cuts and throwaways, Ken and I would stop each group if they made a single error and we would make them go to the back of the line. Once we started doing that, the players had a real incentive to pay attention and concentrate on the footwork and timing. Sure enough, the started improving a fast rate.

Next we worked on the footwork and timing of the butterfly cuts. We also threw in some continuations and dishies. Hopefully we cleared up some of the confusion regarding the cuts. The handlers were still shaky though Krisztina and especially Lisa got off some very nice hucks.

Our third drill was a simple huck drill since reading and tracking deep throws has been a problem for our cutters all year long.

With several players needing to leave early, we spent the last 15 minutes of practice reviewing our pull play. We had two teams of 6, and each team received 5 pulls. It was pretty sloppy, definitely not nearly as good as their capable of running the play.