This weekend, Eau Claire will be playing in Charleston, South Carolina for the tournament: Charleston Last Call. Eau Claire is coming into the tournament seeded first overall, with Kennesaw State, Appalachian State, Charleston B, Guilford College, and Tufts C supporting their pool.
Eau Claire is looking to improve on their last two tournaments this weekend in Charleston, and leave with many victories, and hopefully as tournament champions. This weekend is also highlighted by the teams’ neck beards, which will certainly be documented. This weekend is also the beginning of Eau Claire’s spring break. After the tournament on Sunday, Eau Claire will be retiring to the old hide-out—Tybee Island—in Georgia.
All of these things are on Eauzone’s mind, but above all, everyone is hoping that once, just once, there can be a tournament that is warm and dry. With any luck (30% chance of rain over the weekend), it might just happen.
Feel free to follow Eau Claire game by game this weekend at:
http://twitter.com/eauzoneultimate
Feel free to follow the Charleston Last Call:
http://scores.upa.org/scores/#college-open/tournament/6725
Showing posts with label tournament. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tournament. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Weekend Preview--Frostbite 2010
North Park. While that name might not raise your adrenaline like “Iowa State” or “Wisconsin Milwaukee”, you should probably get used to it. Because that is who Eau Claire has the pleasure of matching up against at 9am on Saturday morning. The overall 3 seed at Frostbite. The North Park Lost Boys.
Eau Claire has played North Park once before at Frostbite in 2008, and recorded a 5-8 loss during a cold, blistery, snowy game. However, the most recently recorded game between the two teams came last year at DIII Nationals, where Eau Claire beat North Park 13-5. Even so, as any returning player from Eau Claire can tell you, a single year can make a huge difference, and Eau Claire’s 2009 roster is much different than their 2010 roster. If Eauzone is looking to make the noise they know they can, or even break seed, they are going to have to bring their A-Game.
The second team Eau Claire will play is against is Arkansas (6th seed overall). Eau Claire also played Arkansas at Frostbite in 2008, recording a 6-10 loss. Eau Claire has only seen Arkansas once since then, and that was a few months later at Music City Tune-Up, where they recorded a win. The final pool play game of the day will be against 14th seeded Nebraska. Eauzone will have either one or two crossover games leading into bracket play on Sunday.
Eau Claire is coming into Frostbite ranked 11th overall. Other notable teams at Frostbite are Wisconsin Whitewater (4th), Wisconsin Milwaukee (5th), Iowa State (7th), and Minnesota Duluth (10th). For Eau Claire, Frostbite will be, above all else, their first real test of this year. After this weekend, Eauzone will find out where they stand in their section and region, but most importantly where they stand with themselves. Eau Claire will finally know whether or not they are ready to make some noise.
You can view the full tournament standings and rankings at:
http://scores.upa.org/scores/#college-open/tournament/6811
Eau Claire has played North Park once before at Frostbite in 2008, and recorded a 5-8 loss during a cold, blistery, snowy game. However, the most recently recorded game between the two teams came last year at DIII Nationals, where Eau Claire beat North Park 13-5. Even so, as any returning player from Eau Claire can tell you, a single year can make a huge difference, and Eau Claire’s 2009 roster is much different than their 2010 roster. If Eauzone is looking to make the noise they know they can, or even break seed, they are going to have to bring their A-Game.
The second team Eau Claire will play is against is Arkansas (6th seed overall). Eau Claire also played Arkansas at Frostbite in 2008, recording a 6-10 loss. Eau Claire has only seen Arkansas once since then, and that was a few months later at Music City Tune-Up, where they recorded a win. The final pool play game of the day will be against 14th seeded Nebraska. Eauzone will have either one or two crossover games leading into bracket play on Sunday.
Eau Claire is coming into Frostbite ranked 11th overall. Other notable teams at Frostbite are Wisconsin Whitewater (4th), Wisconsin Milwaukee (5th), Iowa State (7th), and Minnesota Duluth (10th). For Eau Claire, Frostbite will be, above all else, their first real test of this year. After this weekend, Eauzone will find out where they stand in their section and region, but most importantly where they stand with themselves. Eau Claire will finally know whether or not they are ready to make some noise.
You can view the full tournament standings and rankings at:
http://scores.upa.org/scores/#college-open/tournament/6811
Sunday, January 24, 2010
St. Cloud Indoor 2010
Eauzone looked to kick off it's 2010 season this year by attending the St. Cloud State Indoor tournament held in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Parts of the tournament were good, parts were bad, and parts were kind of bloody. Overall, Eauzone learned that there is a lot of work to be done before the warm weather of March arrives.
Their first game took place on the turf of St. Cloud's Dome, against the Lucky Dog Alumni. Lucky Dog featured a few very experienced players, some of which have played on teams like SubZero. Even so, this was a game Eauzone was looking to win. Eau Claire took the lead and shortly thereafter half, at 7-5. Lucky Dog was down, but not done. After throwing a zone, Lucky Dog took the lead, and then the game, at 13-9. Eauzone's poor throws and decisions near the end zone were to blame for the loss, and both factors would continue to haunt them throughout the tournament.
After the loss, Eau Claire was up against Gustavus, followed by Mankato. Both opponents put up a fight, but in the end they both fell, 10-5. Entering their fourth game of the day, Eauzone was set to play eventual tournament winners, Winnipeg. Winnipeg, who was seeded second in their pool behind St. Cloud A, had several players who will be traveling to Prague this summer. Eau Claire wasn't sure what to expect coming into this game, but a 4-13 butt-kicking was what they received. Eau Claire learned a lot from this game, especially how a “flow” offense is supposed to look. The final game of the day lead Eauzone to play St. Cloud B, whom they beat 13-1.
Eau Claire finished their first day of competition at 3-2. It was a bland and mildly disappointing day, but things began to get interesting around 7 that evening. During the Gustavus game, first year player John Kelsey got his finger stepped on, and his fingernail torn halfway off. He bled through several bandages during the day, and that evening, he finally came to the conclusion that the only way to deal with his bloody fingernail was to tear it completely off. After a quick shower, John bit his lip, grasped his bleeding nail, and pulled. Then he pulled again. A few minutes later, the nail finally gave way. John, who would later describe the pain on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being not too bad and 10 as he'd rather be dead) as an 11.5, immediately punched a hole through the wall. After bleeding another half gallon and some bandagerial work by Anna Hettler, he decided to call it a night, and tossed in the towel for the tournament.
Eau Claire had work to do and something to prove on Sunday, and after a 13-4 victory over St. Cloud A, they got their chance. Up next, was Lucky Dog Alumni. Eau Claire started out strong, breaking the Alumni team twice, to bring the score to 4-2. But, like Saturday, Lucky Dog came back, scoring three in a row and taking the lead, 5-4. Both teams traded points, and after another Alumni break and a short discussion about the score, Lucky Dog took half 7-5. Eau Claire regrouped at halftime, working to prevent the deep strikes the Alumni relied on, and the throwing miscues Eauzone had shot themselves in the foot with. The second half began, and ended, much like the first. Once again, Eauzone fell to the Lucky Dog Alumni 10-12. Besides the absolute shredding of the cup in the first half and a late break in the second half, there weren't many positives to draw from this game for Eau Claire. Eauzone's final game was against South Dakota State, whom they beat 13-7, securing 3rd place at the tournament.
After it was all said and done, taking third place wasn't bad. But by no means, would Eauzone consider it good. Eauzone came into the tournament looking to find themselves in the championship, and fell two points short. Perhaps it was the sloppy defense on Sunday, or any one of the ridiculously high 73 throwaways Eauzone chronically suffered from throughout the tournament. Whatever it was, Eau Claire Ultimate has a lot to work on before March. Junior Cutter Kevin Skibicki put it best, when he said, “You can't consider yourselves good, until you start beating good teams.”
Their first game took place on the turf of St. Cloud's Dome, against the Lucky Dog Alumni. Lucky Dog featured a few very experienced players, some of which have played on teams like SubZero. Even so, this was a game Eauzone was looking to win. Eau Claire took the lead and shortly thereafter half, at 7-5. Lucky Dog was down, but not done. After throwing a zone, Lucky Dog took the lead, and then the game, at 13-9. Eauzone's poor throws and decisions near the end zone were to blame for the loss, and both factors would continue to haunt them throughout the tournament.
After the loss, Eau Claire was up against Gustavus, followed by Mankato. Both opponents put up a fight, but in the end they both fell, 10-5. Entering their fourth game of the day, Eauzone was set to play eventual tournament winners, Winnipeg. Winnipeg, who was seeded second in their pool behind St. Cloud A, had several players who will be traveling to Prague this summer. Eau Claire wasn't sure what to expect coming into this game, but a 4-13 butt-kicking was what they received. Eau Claire learned a lot from this game, especially how a “flow” offense is supposed to look. The final game of the day lead Eauzone to play St. Cloud B, whom they beat 13-1.
Eau Claire finished their first day of competition at 3-2. It was a bland and mildly disappointing day, but things began to get interesting around 7 that evening. During the Gustavus game, first year player John Kelsey got his finger stepped on, and his fingernail torn halfway off. He bled through several bandages during the day, and that evening, he finally came to the conclusion that the only way to deal with his bloody fingernail was to tear it completely off. After a quick shower, John bit his lip, grasped his bleeding nail, and pulled. Then he pulled again. A few minutes later, the nail finally gave way. John, who would later describe the pain on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being not too bad and 10 as he'd rather be dead) as an 11.5, immediately punched a hole through the wall. After bleeding another half gallon and some bandagerial work by Anna Hettler, he decided to call it a night, and tossed in the towel for the tournament.
Eau Claire had work to do and something to prove on Sunday, and after a 13-4 victory over St. Cloud A, they got their chance. Up next, was Lucky Dog Alumni. Eau Claire started out strong, breaking the Alumni team twice, to bring the score to 4-2. But, like Saturday, Lucky Dog came back, scoring three in a row and taking the lead, 5-4. Both teams traded points, and after another Alumni break and a short discussion about the score, Lucky Dog took half 7-5. Eau Claire regrouped at halftime, working to prevent the deep strikes the Alumni relied on, and the throwing miscues Eauzone had shot themselves in the foot with. The second half began, and ended, much like the first. Once again, Eauzone fell to the Lucky Dog Alumni 10-12. Besides the absolute shredding of the cup in the first half and a late break in the second half, there weren't many positives to draw from this game for Eau Claire. Eauzone's final game was against South Dakota State, whom they beat 13-7, securing 3rd place at the tournament.
After it was all said and done, taking third place wasn't bad. But by no means, would Eauzone consider it good. Eauzone came into the tournament looking to find themselves in the championship, and fell two points short. Perhaps it was the sloppy defense on Sunday, or any one of the ridiculously high 73 throwaways Eauzone chronically suffered from throughout the tournament. Whatever it was, Eau Claire Ultimate has a lot to work on before March. Junior Cutter Kevin Skibicki put it best, when he said, “You can't consider yourselves good, until you start beating good teams.”
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