USN Boys and Girls Finish Strong in Buffalo

At this invitational tournament, the top 16 boys teams and top 11 girls teams east of the Mississippi river compete to decide which team in each division is the best.

Our relatively new girls' team, seeded next-to-last in the girls' division and led by captains Jesse Shofner and Allyson Lutz, surprised everyone by easily winning their first two games against the teams seeded 5th and 7th. They lost a close fourth game to the number 4 seed and then won their last game on Saturday against the number 11 seed. They easily won their first game on Sunday, advancing to the quarterfinals against the number 3 seed, but they lost this game in a heartbreaker by a score of 10-11 after battling back from 7-10. The girls finished the tournament as the 6th ranked girls team in the east.

The boys, seeded 12th in the boys division and led by captains Ryan Del Casino, Josh Vann, and Peter Wittig, began their day by facing the number 1 seed and the pre-ordained champion (and arguably the best team in the nation) at the tournament. Our boys gave Amherst their toughest game in the entire tournament, and while they lost this game 6-13, USN put up more points against Amherst than any other team at the tournament (and the second-most points of any team all year).

In their second game, the boys defeated the number 8 seed in a come-from-behind overtime victory by a score of 15-14. After such a physically and emotionally demanding second game, the boys were out of gas and lost their third and fourth games to the 13 seed and the 5 seed. The boys began to play out the consolation bracket on Sunday facing the number 15 seed and won in another come-from-behind victory by a score of 13-11. Coming from behind yet again, they defeated their old rivals and number 14 seed, LC Bird, in the next game by a score of 13-11. The boys faced the tournament’s number 3 seed, YHB, in the last game on Sunday in an epic battle. The scoring, defense, and spirit on both teams was amazing, and after being up 12-11, the boys eventually lost 14-12. They finished the tournament ranked 10th in the east.

Our boys and girls not only displayed their superb disc skills and athleticism, they demonstrated the power of teamwork and determination. They also modeled the spirit of the game, respecting the integrity of the game by making fair calls on the field, honoring the calls of the other team, and working out disagreements with the other players on the field. Allyson Lutz and Mikeie Reiland received the team spirit awards for their leadership, their dedication, and their fairness on the field. Overall, this was an amazing weekend of Ultimate for both the boys and the girls. The team thanks coach Mike Lutz and our chaperons Michele Lutz, Jon May, Julie Pena, and thanks also go to parents Nancy Lea Hyer and Kelly and Mac Linton for helping to make this event happen. We cannot wait until next year!

Boys: Josh Vann (c), Peter Wittig (c), Ryan Del Casino (c), Will Knowles, David Kuhn, Eliot Linton, George Meyer, Mikeie Reiland, Will Shaw, Gray Yarbrough, Andrew Bridgers, Matt Hoffman, Miro Hurdle, Mitchell Lutz, Eli Motycka, Alex Russell, Jack Spiva

Girls: Julianne Hyer, Allyson Lutz (c), Ricci May, Miriam Miller, Jesse Shofner (c), Abby Fuller, Rachel Vann, Sarah Alberts, Coco Coyle, Hannah Heitz, Sophia Jelsma, Nora May