Hey Everyone-- 

Well, we made it into the quarterfinals this season, something which we should be definitely proud about.  While we lost today by a score of 15-10, we definitely showed real heart and made the Armadillo Amarillos work for the win.  Great job all around, and great job the entire season.  This is the best season CUltimate has ever had, and its only going to get better in the future, we're sure, under the emerging leadership of the juniors. 

As far as today goes, we got to the fields bright and early at 9:30, stretched, and got ready to play.  Unfortunately, Mao had injured his knee the day before after playing his heart out in the four previous games, and thus we were down two guys to injuries and two people to being out of town.  Not to mention that we weren't able to take Smithers on to the team when the Armadillos objected.  Still, we came ready to play, beginning the game with one of our now-traditional "Oh-Ray Oh-Ray Oh-Ray" cheers. 

We started off fairly well, going point for point with the Armadillos. Our cup defense was pretty good at this point (and throughout the entire game), but our offense was a little lacking when it came to playing against the man defense.  As a result, we started making some unfortunate turnovers that led to scores, and we were down by a score of 8-3 at the half. 

However, that was not the end of things.  During the half, we decided that we were going to take it up a notch, get our cup under control, and start making nice cuts on offense.  And then came one of CUltimate's now patented comebacks.  After allowing Armadillos to take a 9-3 lead, we went on a 6-0 run when our cup was unstoppable and our offense was dominant, knotting the score at 9-9 and causing quite a bit of internal dissention in the ranks of Armadillo Amarillos. 

Unfortunately, we began to have a little trouble converting in the red zone, and our energy began to get sapped as the game wore on.  With the help of Mao's gutsy entry into the game, we were able to hold off the Armadillos, and definitely wore down their attempt at a cup.  In the end, we fought them to a 15-10 decision, and certainly sapped a lot of their energy for their semifinal match. 

We really did play well, and also played with a lot of heart.  Everyone should be proud of themselves, both for how they played today and for how the team did as a whole the entire season.  We finish as one of the top teams in our division, a radical improvement over our near last place finish last season.  Great job! 

As for individual efforts, there were imressive performances all around: 

Mao:  Matt showed real heart, coming in late in the game when we needed some fresh legs, even though he was suffering from a knee injury.  He helped guide our offense as a handler against the cup, and made some really beautiful throws.  A real gutsy effort. 

Alan:  Everyone showed great spirit today, but Alan deserves special recognition for playing with such heart and tenacity, staying in the game even as he bled from multiple parts of his body.  He helped lead our offense all day with his handling abilities, playing amazingly as a deep man in the cup with some beautiful diving knock downs, and helped maintain the team's morale even when it was sinking a little at the half... awesome performance out there today! 

Tim:  Tim played amazingly in the cup with Dave and Michelle, as he helped cut off swings and stymie opponent's throws. Also, great energy out there today... even as the other team called out that our cup was tired, Tim showed them up by going in the endzone with Darth as defender and pulling in a throw for a score.  Amazing effort. 

Michelle:  Another part of our awesome cup, Michelle helped us grind the Armadillos offensive marches to a stop.  On the offensive side of things, she made some beautiful cuts and some really nice grabs, including one head-to-head against her defender, and one in the endzone that helped keep the game alive at the end of the day. 

Jeanie:  Jeanie's wonderful attitude and constant postivity on and off the field really helped maintain team morale, even when we were down at half by 5 points. Not only that, but she played wonderfully as a wing in the cup defense, and she made some beautiful cuts and grabs that helped keep our offensive drives going.  Great job. 

Megan:  Megan did an awesome job on defense, particularly when she was forcing in the cup, as her kicks and active force helped confuse and befuddle her opponents.  In addition, her constant encouraging of the team throughout the day was really helpful in maintaining team morale.  Wonderful effort out there. 

Anya:  As always, Anya played beautifully as a handler, getting the disc both downfield and to her swing man, whatever the case might have been.  In addition, she made some really nice falling grabs, and helped the cup work with her wing play on defense.  As always, Maine is one of those key players who helps lift the team to its full potential. Great job! 

Kemp:  We've said it before, but we'll say it again... Kemp truly rules the skies.  Not only did he make some amazing leaping grabs, particulary in the endzone, but he also has become quite good in the cup, both in the cup itself and as a wingman.  Great job with mid and long cuts, and great attitude out there... way to go! 

Galen:  Stellar performance out there today by Galen, as he really played up to his full potential and helped the team both in the cup and on the wings.  In addition, he had some great throws as a handler, including more than one to the endzone for scores.  Great job. 

Ray:  In what may perhaps be Ray's last game for CUltimate, he ended things on a high note.  Not only did he show that amazing Ray energy we've all come to know and love, but he applied it to devastating effect in the cup and on the wings.  In addition, he made some really nice cuts, and helped the team stick with the Armadillos.  Great job, crouching tiger hidden ray... if you aren't able to play next season, just know that you will be missed! 

Jeff:  Jeff was all over the place today, as he stayed in the entire game.  He came through will some beautiful short and popping cuts, as well as some amazing deep throws that led to points for the team.  In addition, he played his heart out as a deep man in the defense, and made some really nice grabs, including at least one in the endzone.  Awesome day for Jeff. 

Dave: Dave, the consumate field general.  Not only did Dave provide us with some sorely needed leadership his individual play was amazing.  Dave sustained a number of key drives over the course of our 6-o run with great popping, and cutting.  I think Dave made some of the hardest cuts and best grabs seen on an Ultimate field.  And finally, we all know to be a little wary of Dave's personal hygiene habits after seeing him put on those crumpled and stinky socks (the socks could have walked themselves onto the field!).  Without Dave's leadership there would have been no WAFC season to speak of.  Thanks Dave. 

So, the long and short of it is that we've had a really good season, and this was a nice effort to finish things up with.  We'll be sending out a season recap email later in the week, along with posting season pictures on the team website.  Hopefully we'll be able to have a team dinner sometime before the end of the semester.  We'll let you know about that.  Anyways, great job today... get some rest! 

Dave and Alan