A close game vs DJ, Fro, Toddy, Moronne, and the rest. Came down to universe point, though they had the chance to tie it after I got the score wrong and was running around frantically when I should have just been playing possession.
A close game vs DJ, Fro, Toddy, Moronne, and the rest. Came down to universe point, though they had the chance to tie it after I got the score wrong and was running around frantically when I should have just been playing possession.
Brought Zoya to her first ultimate game. Found some parents on the sideline who agreed to watch her while I played. She was great - no more stranger danger, all smiles and giggles. Our team crushed the other team, who was on the second game of their double-header and didn’t have many subs. Afterwards, we went out to lunch.
Ran around a little at woodbridge. I mostly wanted to see how my knee felt after taking several months off. The good news is that it doesn’t hurt, but the bad news is that its pretty sore and does not feel ready yet. Gonna up my PT and workouts at home.
Record low attendance (4 guys, 6 girls) meant lots of PT for me. I was extra tired by the time we finished. Maybe its the two tough games yesterday, maybe its the focus on lifting over the past few months. Either way, time to take a day off tomorrow.
Two solid indoor games. The first was against UConn (Liz/Saipher/Mary/others). We didn’t play well (start off down 5-1) and the game was quite chippy overall. We eventually clawed our way into the game, switched to backhand to prevent their easy hammer scores, and went up a few points at the end. As time was running out, we buckled down and closed it out to win by 2.
The second game was the best game of the season. We played Colt/Baywatch. They were the favorite, with lots of solid club guys and a deep roster. They only had two women, and we tried to take advantage of that, but I think it was pretty even. The whole game was very close and very spirited. We forced middle the whole game (props to Bosco for the brilliant idea) and made sure we were subbing super fast. We even created two subbing groups for the second half to make sure our lines were well-balanced.
I think the force middle really got to them, because their offence (normally very fast-paced and trigger-happy) slowed down a lot. We often forced them to throw 20 or even 30 throws before they could score. Big props to the improved defense from everyone. On offense, Shockey dominated. He probably scored half our goals that game. Bosco started throwing him floaty dimeballs, and eventually I found my stride and hit him on a few nice hucks too. I think he only got beat in the air once.
When time ran out in the second half, the score was 20-20. They had just scored, so we decided it would be a universe-point game with us on offense. We subbed in our best line and started working the disc. After 3 throws, Bosco unleashes a floaty hammer to CJ for the win. It floats a bit too long, and gets D-ed toward me. I catch it and throw CJ game-winner. A very exciting end to a very good game.
1.5 hours of metro north indoor. Only had 5 guys, so I got to play a lot.
Feedback: my decisions are good in general, but sometimes I do something stupid. Diana called it my “let’s see” throws.
Highest-level Trumbull game yet. Didn’t have many subs, and everyone was going pretty hard on both sides of the disc. I got new cleats right before too (my first pair of lacrosse cleats) and they felt pretty good. One of them gave me a bit of a blister, but hopefully that goes away soon.
Played the Colt team. Good game, good competition, lost by a few points.
Another solid indoor session. High level, fast paced, good times.
1.5 hours with the team, plus some friends. Tried a bit of continuous sub-on-the-fly play, but we don’t have the numbers to sustain it. Went back to standard score-and-pull mini.
1.5 hours of indoor scrimmage with Metro North. Played 4v4 (3-1) with 1 guy sub and 1 girl sub per team. I was pretty tired after lifting. Ended up covering Shockey and Ben most of the time. Ben ran me around a lot, but I did a good job on Shockey on several occaisions.
2 hours of indoor goalty. I bought 2 home depot buckets, filled them with sand, cut a hole in the lid, and shoved the goalty posts in. It worked out pretty well for indoor play. The game was pretty high-level. Hoping to make this a regular thing.
Lost two close games to finish 4th for the season. Both were solid games. My highlights: got bunch of nice Ds, esp in the second game. Also completed two skipsies for goals (out of three attempts). Lowlights: still more turns than I’d like (esp first game) and some weak defense at times. I also could have been more aggressive as a cutter throughout.
2 solid hours of indoor ultimate at North Branford. I was hoping for more people and a higher overall level, but it was pretty good considering its thanksgiving weekend and it’s our first session. We played a couple games for score, plus a lot of just scrimmaging. Already looking forward to next time.
Started our first game with only 3 people. Had to pick up some friends for the first half, until reinforcements arrived. Ended up losing by a couple. Second game was closer and more intense. We won in OT after they had the disc to win bun turned it over.
In general, I thought we played pretty poorly (probably not a popular sentiment). Lots of high risk throws and turnovers. Some of the risky stuff worked (Including the winning throw of the last game), but it’s not a sustainable way of playing.
Our closest Woodbridge game yet. We went down a few points early, then clawed our way back to win by a couple. The endzones were really shallow this time, so the deep game was limited. We threw a lot of difficult throws that were turns, and didn’t play defense that well. Granted, much of our team was hung over from Bosco’s wedding the night before and from various other Halloween parties.
Another strong finish by the Rockford Peaches in fall league, though we played quite poorly in our second game. The guys didn’t have many subs, so our rotation was pretty tight. Our decision-making got really bad in the second game, especially towards the end. There was a 10-minute stretch right out of half where neither team scored a goal. We even called a timeout to talk about reining in our throws and going for the easy ones, but then kept making bad choices even after that. In the end, we did manage to turn down the aggresiveness and score some easy, patient goals. It also helped that the other team was missing Bosco, their best player.
Since Halloween is on Saturday, we all dressed up as the Peaches - pink dresses, red socks and hats. Our team was the best-dressed of the evening.
Played an hour of indoor at Woodbridge. We played a team of fairly young but very athletic players. They all ran pretty hard, and one guy had really nice throws that he used to find the endzone a lot. They only had one girl, but she also played very well most of the time. She got really tired at the end. Our team was lacking most of our strong players, and we didn’t play very well at first. Eventually we got our shit together and stopped turning it over so much.
Two games, two very different results. First game, we smoked our opponents. We scored twice as many points as they did, which is pretty difficult to do in indoor. We were even missing our first-round guy, and started off with almost no guy subs because many of our guys were running late. Still, we played well, moved the disc to the break side easily, and got a lot of Ds.
Second game, the exact opposite. We started off pretty weak and went down 5-1. After a timeout, we refocused and picked up our game, but we still struggled with poor spacing and unforced mistakes. Our opponents backed us hard and forced us to cut under, which we did. But we moved the disc to the open side too readily and got stuck in the black hole corner too often. People didn’t stay out of the endzone, so scoring was also difficult. And on turns, our defense was lacking. We did close the gap to 3 points at the very end, but they were in control the whole time and milked the clock nicely to end the game.
First night of fall league. Met my team, which turned out to be pretty cool. I was told it was very top-heavy, but I think all the players are at least decent. No one’s unathletic. We lost our first game to Bosco’s team by 1, then beat shockey’s team by 1. Everyone played well, though some of the newer players need some coaching. I got a decent number of Ds (mostly poach Ds) and threw some nice goals (mostly to Kamil). Indoor is a great workout.
Played Delaware in the WL chumpionship. Our team played quite well overall, and I finally had a game where I’m happy with pretty much everything I did. I subbed fast, I only threw one turnover, and I was fairly effective on O and D. I even threw Diana a huck for a goal and intentionally macked a hammer to Furf for a goal (against the rules, I know, but it was awesome). I’d say the biggest difference between that game and our semis game was the feeling of relaxation. I did not feel pressure, I did not rush my throws or decisions, everything was more relaxed and smoother. I don’t know how much of that is because we weren’t in contention to win the league, how much was because of skill differences (Del was not bad, but they play a slower college style), how much was something else. I will meditate on this some more.
Played Bill’s Team (Rag Tag) in the semis. Lost by one point (just like the first time we played them) but the game went a bit differently. This time, we were down most of the way and went on a 6-point run at the end to bring it within 1. We were missing Furf, Raha and Diana. The game was a lot of fun. Butter instructed me to win with my legs, and I did that fairly well (perhaps too well - I didn’t sub enough and got caught tired at moments). Ben’s fitness seems to have helped, but I stil had some bad throwaways. Billy and Sachie played especially well, and Truskin was unstoppable in the air. I threw the last throw - a blade to Tom in the endzone - that Owen D’ed very nicely to prevent us from going into overtime.
Started the playoffs with a game against Vanni’s team again. They scored the first few, but then we jumped out to a 10-3 lead and never looked back. We got pretty sloppy in the fourth, messing around and throwing fullfield hammers and thumbers. We just barely missed the big 4-oh, winning 39-16 or so.
Played RABS in WL. We were close most of the way but got frantic on O in the 4th quarter and let them widen the lead for the win. We played pretty solidly overall and adjusted well to their game (taking away the deep cuts and the around throws). I did not play that well down the stretch, throwing away some bad throws in the 4th quarter. I also hurt my knee on a high layout in the middle of the game, but that seems to be doing better.
Practice was basically the same as last week, except we also ran the 4on4 drill with defense and with live play after the drill starts. I played much worse this time than last time - lots of bad throwaways, lack of focus. Not sure how much of it was mental - I told Billy that I’d be missing most of the season and basically took myself off the team. He told me they were planning to offer me a contract and he’s really happy with how I’m covering handlers and breaking the mark around (this was before the shitty practice), but now I’ll start as a practice player and maybe move onto the roster if that works out. So now that I wasn’t in the running, I think I loosened up. Stupid placebo. Need to pretend I’m staying in Philly and still gunning for a starting spot.
Winter league against Trey’s team. We came out hot and never let up. Diana, Anna, Billy and Nick played especially well. Butter asked me before the game to take it easy on deep shots, and I think I did an OK job of that.
Played a WL game against Vanni’s team. We had all of our guys there, so I didn’t really play that much. They also weren’t that strong, so the game was pretty relaxed for us. My fav play of the night was Robb throwing me a thumber just outside the endzone, and then me turning and throwing Billy a Rochester for the score. Final score: 39-15
Played against Bills team and Delaware in winter league. The first game was very close and very heated, esp towards the end. We were up 1 most of the game but they caught up in the fourth quarter, then passed us. We ended up losing by 1 after some fouling and clock-rewinding in the last few seconds of play. In the second game, Delaware was up the whole first half, but in the second half we switched to flick and pulled away for a solid win. In general, our team played solid O (though sometimes a bit huck happy or risky) and fairly good but not excellent D. Personally I threw and caught a bunch of goals, but also had a lot of turns on rushed goal attempts and inside backhand breaks. Those are my two areas of focus for next time. Brandon Silverman told me during the game that I’m really good at going to the disc, so that’s another plus.
Last regular-season game, and it’s against the 1 seed. They didn’t play like they’re the best team in the league, but they did beat us by 10 or so and they are solid all around. We played pretty well, and having Leo really helps. He’s a great thrower and he knows when to cut deep. If only we’d had Tom, Ashley and Ashley, we could have had a really close game.
Beat Trey’s team by 1 point in an exciting back-and-forth indoor game. We finally had our whole team. They were missing Trey, but had everyone else. They played the Trey zone with TC as the big man deep, but we were disciplined enough to work through it most of the time. We also played well on D and got a decent number of blocks on dumps to TC. He played really well and did almost everything for them. But in the end, Ashley put up a full-field buzz beater to Tom to win it.
Played against the Heva Havas indoor team. They had a double header and looked pretty tired against us, so it wasn’t a tough game. But we still tried to push ourselves to play better. They did get off too many breakside hucks, and moved the disc fairly well on O. They also hucked it deep a lot, which lead to some scores but way more turnovers. Personally I threw away a bunch by putting them just a little too far in front without enough float. Need to work on throwing to space, not to the exact spot I’m looking. Also IOs still need work. Final score: 37-24.
Played a full game against Delaware’s college team. They were pretty athletic and had decent throws, but their girls were not great and they didn’t have the experience we had. The game was close in the first and most of the second quarter, though it was our fault for turning over a lot of endzone opportunities. We got our shit together some more in the second half and pulled away to win by 6 or 7. I had a good amount of inside breaks for goals, but I also turned over a bunch. Butter is right, my IO flick needs work.
Had a long meeting about the upcoming Amp season. We talked about the importance of player retention, changing up the practice structure (midweek practices, more intense weekends, fewer but longer weekends), focusing on cutting and on-field problem solving, tryouts and setting the roster early, and many other things. It was mostly a brainstorming session as well as a feedback-for-the-captains session. There was some disagreement about early-season tournaments and whether going to a beach weekend with a bunch of people you don’t know is a good or bad things for new players. We also talked about holding each other accountable and creating standards of fitness. Dre mentioned that every DI program she’s ever coached or played for has fitness standards, and they are a good way to force people to get in shape, but she would not advocate them for Amp because the primary goal is not to win a championship at any cost.
After the meeting, we went to Spinners practice. We mostly scrimmaged and worked on dump offense and defense. I threw some good throws but also had a few bad turnovers. My D was fairly good allaround. I’d give me a 7 out of 10. Or maybe 6. Need more work.
Played a full 48 minutes of winter league tonight. Our team only had one sub of each gender (thanks Allie for picking up with us) so I didn’t sub at all. We got crushed, but it was still good practice for playing tired. I also came to realize that Butter is right about my flicks: the shape of the throw is off, especially on inside outs. They all end up outside ins and they don’t float at all. I threw at least two hucks that would have been goals except that they trailed away from the cutter at the end of the throw.
3 hours of Phoenix tryouts at Maple Zone. We spent most of the time doing drills. The first few drills were pretty cool - 4 stations, each with a different set of cuts, and you run the cuts as fast as you can. There was a straight 40, a 10yard incut followed by a 40 deep, and two drills with 2 short cuts each. We ran each set of cuts once and were timed.
After the cuts, we had 4 more stations to rotate through:
Finally at the end we got to scrimmage two games to 7. I wish we had played more, but it was still fun.
Played against the Spinners team (the Baers, Brando, Zargham, etc). They were missing half their guys, but still gave us a great game. I don’t think the point diff was ever more than 4, and the final score was 32-31. We won on a last-second Raha handblock and score to go up 1, then a D from Satell to seal the win.
I did not play very well. It was cold and my hands were freezing again, so my throws were not good. I was also pretty tired from yesterday, so my D was weak at times. Now it’s time for a day off to prepare for Phoenix tryouts tomorrow night.
Lots of utlimate tonight: core winter league at Ampro, then Spinners practice at Tee’s. I got lucky and found rides from/to everything.
We played a great game tonight and pulled off a strong win against a (possibly) better team. We stuck to our goals (don’t get beat to the force-side cone, always have a dump), played great defense and smart offense. We got out to an early lead and held it the whole game, never letting them come within 3 points. Thanasis and Eddie had a great game, coming up with some nice Ds and some big skies. Our ladies also did well on offense, and their defense is improving each game.
To be fair, Jake’s team was missing Jack Kelly and Jake was not at 100% because he’s just coming back from a long hamstring injury recovery. But I still think we played our best game yet and the improvement is very encouraging. I did not expect us to win a single game this season and had switched focus to coaching and working on fundamentals. But maybe that’s the secret?
After our game, Jake and I went to the practice. We did a short warmup, some 3-man handler weaveing, a drill to work on our first step, and then some scrimmaging. We mostly worked on dumps to the open side (and dump defense). We also played 2-minute segments with no subs, alternating 5v5 and 4v4. Finally, we played a few 5-minute quarters with subs.
I felt pretty good throughout the practice. It was really cold at Tee’s and my hands were freezing, so my throws were not as quick or accurate as usual. But the main thing that’s holding me back right now is fitness. I gotta in better shape. Also, better footwork would be great. Ben’s first-step drills should be helpful here.
Played the first game with my high schooler team. We worked on setting goals that are within our control: always having a dump and not getting beat to the force-side cone. For the first half, we didn’t have those explicit goals and we played pretty poorly. After half, our focus improved and we matched Gooch’s team point for point. But we didn’t really convert any breaks and they rode their first-half lead to the win.
I ended up staying to watch the second game and throw with Cuatro. Then it turned out that Norm’s team was shorthanded, so I picked up with them for my second game. They are a more experienced and disciplined team, so our game was a lot closer. Fern played especially well for us. But Drexel put together an athletic team and pulled away in the second half to secure their victory. Two losses in one night.