What Happens in Vegas

...gets an overly long write up here. Trouble in Vegas was Feb 5-7 (really just Feb 5th).

We started Friday off with a 12:00 pm game against Northern Michigan, a team that practices indoors all winter long and was attending their second ever tournament. Perhaps because they were a newish team or perhaps because they were wearing pink, we immediately went up 4-0. In the second point of the game Will had an impressive layout D, earning the first forty of the game. At 4-0 the wind started to pick up and we started trading points. Sheehan had the first two of many hucks to Cody for scores in the first half. Pink earned one break off a John Murphy throwaway, but Stanford answered back. Ds by Zach Lott, Sheehan, and Jimmy in the next point weren't enough to stop N Michigan, but Murphy completed to Kellen to end half 7-4. Estevan tore up the field earning a game high 5 fantasy points off 2 goals, an assist, and two Ds. Kellen cleaned up Will’s attempt to sky two pink players and dished it back to Will for the score after half 8-5. CVL caught the disc for the first time towards the end and then threw it away, eventually leading to a pink score to tie the game at 9-9. Universe point did not phase Jimmy (nothing does) as he passed to Estevan to win the game 10-9. John Murphy finished the game -7 in fantasy points despite 2 assists.

Next up was Washington B, who has become, thanks to Pariser and several rainy games, somewhat of a rival. We pulled it together and got fired up to beat them for the first time in the last three match ups. However, by the time I got back from a water run Stanford was inexplicably down 0-2. In response Stanford mounted a 4 point, nay, 3 point run. Excuse me for my stats sheet says BS where UW scored to tie at 3-3 after Kellen was called out of bounds on a Sheehan 'dime' huck. UW seemed to like picking on rookies, but Jamie would not have it, contesting a stall called on him. Arguing is important. Arguments win games. We traded from there to 5-5 at which point UW broke us to 5-6. Donny may have dropped the pull on that point, but as a freshman handler with 2 assists and a goal that early in the game, I personally forgive him. Bobby got a layout D on the next point and Jimmy converted to tie 6-6. UW took half 6-7 but we rattled two off after half to take the lead 8-7.

At 7-7 the point lasted a good 20 minutes during which soft cap was called and included two injury subs and +3 fantasy points for Ed. UW scored on serve to tie 8-8 and then broke us to 8-9 as hard can may or may not have gone on. As I deflected the whining of some UW players on the sideline our glorious captains led a line onto the field and continued play, scoring to tie at 9-9. At this point I agreed with UW's sideline that hard cap may possibly have gone off at some point so there was a good chance this might be universe point, leaving room for argument should Stanford not break UW. My worming proved unnecessary as Kellen got a D then later threw the assist to Estevan to win 10-9.

I should point out (since CVL nicely provided photographic evidence) that DBard / Love Tractor can get really open, Sheehan can wow asian people, Estevan makes a good effort at helping John Murphy's fantasy score, Bobby cleans up well but still get kicked in the balls (not really though), Gage is a pro cutter, and John Murphy can take on the entire opposing defense at once.

The rain started during our third game and combined with the lack of Tourney food energy on the team was down. That didn't stop us from going up 2-0 on Cal Poly San Marcos at their first ever tournament. Until 9-5 us each line played two points in a row and each line scored at least one point. Two of those points were scored by Mitch / Furby sporting paper towel stuffed in his nose to stop the bleeding after an almost Callahan D. Sanjay / Bishop also stepped up and scored two of those points. John Murphy got a D and an assist when we took half 7-2. Gage and Ed's Ds to start the second half weren't enough to stop San Marcos from scoring 2 to 7-4. A few points later at 9-5 CVL threw the disc away twice but that only made him want it more and in return he got a sweet layout D by the endzone. San Marcos scored 3 in a row as exhaustion and weather took their toll on us to bring the score to 9-8. We clamped down with a Sheehan to Murphy score 10-8. In the next long point Stanford turned the disc 8 times (Ed, Bobby, Jimmy, and Murphy) and San Marcos eventually scored 10-9. But that was the last we let them score as Sheehan connected with Cody three times in a row to end the game 13-9.

By the time ANeil flew in on Saturday the games for the day and later the weekend had been cancelled, but Coach David convinced Illinois to put aside their fear of Stanford B and scrimmage us as the sun came out for most of our game. Later that evening, Sheehan questioned Cultimate's organizational abilities at the captains meeting and may be singly responsible for all talk about possible refunds. Before I passed out Saturday the Vets beat the Rookies in a boat race at the party in Izzy's suite. Cody (1 beer) narrowly beat the coaches (1 beer each) in a second contest, but the coaches regained their honor by beating Cody and Donny in a 2v2 boat race a few minutes later.

just what I saw.

*All photography courtesy of Chris VanLang*