Long Beach '09

So, in case you have't heard, the University of California San Diego Ultimate Frisbee team (also known as the Air Squids), won SoCal Sectionals this weekend. And in the words of The Lonely Island: "What what what what what - what."

Pride is an inadequate word for describing what I feel being part of this team. Day one of the tournament hosted by CSU Long Beach was a cake walk. Us first years played an awesome amount of points and as a team we out scored our opponents 44-15 over four games. To top it off, the Squid C-team managed to piss-off Black Tide (UCSB), by throwing shenanigans at them throughout their game. Tide's Captain was so upset that he came over to Pumba to complain about how our C-team was degrading the dilligent work that UCSB was doing to legitamize the sport of ultimate. Ahahaha...suck it TIDE!

Sunday was unusual in that we started the day with a semi-final game versus UCLA (Smaug). Most tournaments have at least one game before the semi-finals start on day two, so this was a bit strange, at least to us first years who had not played in a tourney like this before. UCLA came out fired up and put on a strong showing breaking us in the second point of the game for a 2-0 lead. They held that break and gained two more before half. After halftime they put a little run together to go up 10-5 on us. We managed to trade some points but they held their own to get to 12-7.

Then the Squids found some magic. We out scored them 6-2 in the next strech to bring us within two points of the win. With the score 14-13 UCLA, and the sidelines packed with both squad's B-teams plus a pack of cheerleading girls who had come down from LA, we pulled for what could be the last point of the game. The frisbee went up against a significant crosswind and then proceeded to blade back at a mild angle towards UCLA's handlers. One of their players followed it down, went to catch it, and dropped it right on their goalline. This was not an opportunity the Squids were going to let slide and we wasted no time in stuffing a score into their endzone. Score: 14-14. Double-game point. Squids pulling to UCLA for a spot in the Sectional finals versus UCSB.

Our most experienced players filled the line, and prepared to pull for what would be the last point of the game. UCLA caught the pull this time, but the Squid line covered well and immediately put pressure on the worn down Smaug line. After several swing throws among their handlers in the backfield they dropped a pass and we had a chance to end the game. Once again, we would not waste a prime opportunity and our older guys put it in for the game winning score. The sidelines erupted! Ice and Lite (A and B team) rushed the field screaming and jumping with eyes wide and jaws dropped. For all the yelling we were doing it was hard for all of us to believe what had just happened.

The most improbable comeback in the game of ultimate I have ever witnessed, and that was how we defeated UCLA.

Energy was flowing and we were pumped up to beat Black Tide who had surprised us with a victory at their home tournament three months earlier in the season. It was time for revenge, and we were not gonna wait for Santa Barbara to hand it to us. We started the game with a 7-2 run. We took half 8-4. Tide's team leaders were not at their finest and while we slacked towards the end of the game, they only turned the disc over more. Final score, UCSD 15 UCSB 11. We beat every team we played at the tournament and claimed the number 2 seed going into regionals in Colorado.

I have always had an enormous amount of respect for our older guys and the level of commitment and skill they bring every time they walk onto the field, but this weekend they managed to impress me even more. Forge, Bobble, Kattan, and Hutch ran the spread in an effortless manner every point. Dibs, Pumba and Yui were superstars in the back field threading throws through any defense. Biel had amazing catch, after amazing catch, after amazing catch. And Cork, Coppa, and Duffy led our D-line through every game with smart-decision making and precise throws. I can't wait to see what we will do when we get to regionals.