MICHIGAN WINS PRESTIGIOUS TOURNAMENT OVER WISCONSIN

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CHATTANOOGA, TN

November 2007
By Katherine Wooten

Classic City Classic was held this year at Camp Jordan Soccer Complex in Chattanooga, TN., about an hour and half north of Atlanta.  The weather was ideal for fall playing conditions.  Chilly in the morning, comfortable in the afternoon, and a slight to steady wind all weekend to make things interesting.  On the women’s side, a 14-team format was difficult to work with, but the TDs chose to go with equal pools of 7, followed by semis and finals on Sunday for all placement games.

The original pools were as follows:

Pool A                                     Pool B

Michigan                                  Wisconsin
Maryland                                  North Carolina
Illinois                                       Florida
Emory                                      Texas
NC State                                  Georgia
Georgia Tech                            Auburn
Vanderbilt                                UT-Knoxville

Going into the tournament, it was clear that Wisconsin and Michigan would be the teams to beat.  Despite losing major stars from the roster last year, Wisconsin obviously has a strong system in place now and solid players throughout the roster.  On the other hand, Michigan seems poised to make waves in the national scene this year, with a solid cast of seniors and juniors and a lot of experience under their belts. Major turnover in many of the other women’s programs, however, meant that the rest of the games would be hard to predict, and there were sure to be upsets in each pool. 

Saturday Play

First round:

Georgia v. Florida:  A good regional match-up to start the tournament, this game began fairly close; early on the score was 3-2 Georgia.  UGA showed its preference early for the long ball, and took every opportunity to huck it, for scores or field position.  One of the threats from this team this year will be that those hucks are coming from several different players, most notably Jess Hill (32)—who has a monster flick that she puts up effortlessly.  A couple of the UGA rookies were exciting to watch too: Amelia Kane and Becka Walcott are very athletic and should grow quickly under UGA’s even-subbing strategy. Florida never quite settled down in this game, and threw a lot away under pressure. Georgia pulls away and the final is 10-5, Georgia. 

Wisconsin v. UT-Knoxville:  UT-K is a younger team that works exceptionally hard and makes every game exciting.  What they lack in experience they make up for in effort, and it’s clear that this team loves to play.  Wisconsin came out strong in this first round, however, and seemed thrilled to be somewhere that wasn’t snowing.  Bella Donna took half 6-3, mostly on very aggressive defense.  Several times Wisconsin got their turns on dump passes and great defensive positioning, which was difficult for UT-K to prevent.  This game was never a blowout, but it was clear Wisconsin came to win. Final score:  11-6. 

Auburn v. UNC:  By the end of this write-up people are going to be saying…where on earth did Auburn come from and what is happening in the Southeast this year?  Auburn is the kind of team that acts shocked with every win, even though they are fast, athletic, and possess one of this year’s All-Region shoo-ins, Annie Newton (12).  On defense Auburn is poachy and undisciplined.  On offense they rely on Newton to huck it deep for almost every score.   Predictable?  Yes.  Hard to stop?  You bet.  This game comes down to speed, and it’s close, but Auburn notches the win, 10-9. 

Vanderbilt v. Michigan:  Michigan cruises through the first half of this game behind veteran handlers, and takes half 6-1.  After half Vanderbilt mounts a huge comeback (with several sweet defensive blocks) to pull within one, but Michigan closes it out 11-9.  This is the closest game for Michigan all day Saturday, but they manage Vandy’s tall receivers well with a zone d and force VUDU to make small mistakes.  Still a great game for Vanderbilt, though, and it looks like they are ready to bring it this weekend.

Maryland v. Georgia Tech:  Maryland looks very good, but is another team that not many people know a lot about.  Charlie Mercer (17) is huge for Maryland (figuratively and literally), and the team clearly responds to her playmaking to get things done.  Georgia Tech struggles with a small roster and not enough top-level experience, but they still attack aggressively.  Anne Brauer (10) is solid on both sides of the disc for Tech.  The score is never too close to worry Maryland, however.  Final score 10-5. 

Illinois v. NC State:  By the time I circulated over to this field to watch the game, it was done.  I asked Illinois how the game went, and the answer I got was “fast.”  That about sums it up.  Illinois over NC State, 11-2. 

Second Round:

Georgia v. UT-Knoxville:  UT had a great warmup game against Wisconsin and they come out of the gate fired up, refusing to lower their level of play for this entire game. UT takes half 6-0, and then runs to an 11-2 final.  Haley Huffman (3) has a great game in particular for UT, and the Hodawgs don’t have an answer.

UNC v. Florida:  UNC starts the game with a 3-1 lead, before a bad injury halts play for about half an hour.  One of the UNC girls is backhanded by Kristen Lamm (8) from Florida on a follow-through, and an ambulance is called when she hits the ground and can’t talk/respond.  I believe the end result was a dislocated jaw, but she’s strapped to the backboard and loaded into the ambulance just in case.  At this point the game could have gone either way, but Florida seems down and UNC seems fine.  Carolina utilizes a downfield spread offense, and they pull away easily to win 10-3. 

Texas v. Wisconsin:  I was pretty excited to watch this game, and it starts off as a game of three-point defensive runs.  Wisconsin goes up 3-0, then Texas answers back to tie it at 3-3, and then Wisconsin takes it to half with three more unanswered, 6-3.  Both teams are disciplined with what they do.  Texas pulls out a standard FM zone with a 3-person cup on defense and prefers the huck on offense out of a stack.  Wisconsin, when given the chance, runs a box spread downfield and keeps the disc moving to both sides.  They create a lot of space for their cutters and probably cut harder to the disc than anyone I’ve seen so far.  After half Wisconsin starts extending their lead, and doesn’t give it back to Texas once they have possession.  Georgia Bosscher (#19) is the complete package, and will be an early mention for the Callahan, even though she’s only a junior. Final score 11-7 Wisconsin.

Illinois v. Maryland:  This game is very intense for both teams.  Illinois sticks to a zone d and slowly wears Maryland down.  Points are long and turnovers plentiful.  I didn’t see much here, but the game gets capped and Illinois wins, 9-4.  This also marks the first upset of Pool A for Saturday. 

Vanderbilt v. NC State:  I expected more from NC State this weekend.  Obviously, the last couple of years have been rebuilding ones for the program, but they seemed ready at the end of last season to be back in the top handful of teams in the Southeast in 2008.   Apparently they were missing 6 starters this weekend, though, so who knows what that means for the spring…  Meanwhile, Vanderbilt was a pleasant surprise.  They are young, scrappy, and pull down a lot of jump balls.  The biggest thing this team struggles with right now is the timing of their throws.  The decisions are right, but the execution is a half-second too early or too late at times.  If they learn to connect a little better, they ought to really upset some teams come spring.  Vandy wins 9-5. 

Michigan v. Emory:  By the score, this game is a blowout.  However, Michigan assures me that every point was contested and that Emory gave them a solid game.   Let’s run down Michigan’s strengths:  Team chemistry?  Check.  Poised offense?  Check.  Modest in the face of an 11-0 win?  Check.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Flywheel.  They missed out on Nationals in 2007, but I’d wager they’ll be one of the teams to beat in Boulder this coming May.

Third Round:

Auburn v. Wisconsin:  This game starts out surprisingly, with Auburn jumping to a 2-0 lead on quick transition scores and endzone strikes.  The teams trade the next three points, and Auburn stays up 3-2.  Auburn really steps up and puts up some pretty around backhands to take advantage of breakside cutters, and Annie Newton is having a great offensive game, breaking the mark at will and setting up nice scores for Auburn.  Wisconsin gets their first break of the game to tie it at 3s, then points are traded again to 4s. After this Wisconsin rattles of several straight breaks to gain their first lead of the game, and never looks back.  In the second half Auburn only manages to put up one more point, and the final is 11-5, Wisconsin.  Still an exciting game for Auburn however, and it showcases both teams’ strengths well.  Wisconsin really clamps down on defense in the second half, and this makes all the difference in the game.

Georgia v. UNC:  Pleiades is using a downfield spread with 4 people, and they go up big on Georgia 6-0 or 6-1 in the first half.  The second half isn’t quite so lopsided, but Georgia just doesn’t look like a veteran team, and the final score is 11-4, Pleiades with the W.

Texas v. Florida:  Texas really looks like the veteran team here, and it also looks like they’ll be taking the 2-seed in the pool from what I’ve seen.  Florida lost a slew of handlers from last year, and Kristen Lamm and Cathy Marshall are trying to salvage some offensive structure, but they both belong downfield and are having trouble back behind the disc.  Final score: 10-3 Texas. 

I didn’t manage to see much of the games in Pool A this round, but all the games went to seed, with Maryland beating NC State 11-5, Michigan over Georgia Tech 11-2, and Illinois over Emory 11-3.  It seems like the frontrunners of the pool have been decided, and all are beginning to handle the younger teams easily.

Fourth Round:

Auburn v. Georgia:  This game should be interesting, since it’s getting later in the day and Auburn has a smaller roster than Georgia and the Hodawgs have plenty of people to spare.  Georgia looks strong for the first time since the first round, and accordingly takes advantage of some Auburn throwaways to run up a 4-0 lead.  In the next point, Annie Newton stretches for a low, wide throw in the endzone and makes the catch with her knee on the line.  Oddly, the Georgia players seem confused about making the out-of-bounds call and the goal stands, giving Auburn their first point.   Apparently, Auburn just needed to break the seal, because the next 3 points are fast and furious and Auburn ties it up at 4s. Newton is all over the place, and involved in almost every score for the rest of the game, generally finding Kara Clemons (27) streaking for the endzone.  Points are traded to fives, and then Auburn takes half.  After half the game remains exciting. Georgia is still looking to Jess Hill (32) to huck it deep and Robin Wertheim (27), Jessica Manley (15), and Sarah Baker (18) to work the dump swing with speed and efficiency.  The score is tied at 8s, but the Hodawgs clearly have nobody that can guard Newton, and she runs the game for Auburn, leading them to a 11-8 win.  Even though Auburn couldn’t best Georgia in football this year, they manage to get a win on the frisbee field. Perhaps if Georgia had played a little Soulja Boy things would have been different… 

UT-Knoxville v. Texas: This is an equally exciting game to watch for the B Pool, as UT is clearly prepared to challenge Texas for second place.  Knoxville is super fired up on defense and leads early at 3-2.  In the next point Texas looks a little rattled and has a drop for the turnover. Tennessee’s closes this point with a great layout save in the endzone to make it 4-2.  Texas manages to calm down after this and starts utilizing their money handlers to pinpoint IO flicks downfield and break for the score often and repeatedly.  On defense, Texas also moves to a standard zone, which creates more opportunities and enables them to get scores off quickly on transitions.  These strikes are particularly potent with Becca Shelton (22) putting the disc anywhere she wants, and lefty Michelle Ng (10) using her around flick to completely destroy the mark.  Tennessee still keeps the game tight through the second half, but Texas closes it out 10-7. 

Emory v. Vanderbilt:  Emory literally graduated every superstar they had last year, and is trying desperately to fill those players’ shoes this early in the season.  Luckily, they have a large roster to choose from, but they may need to tighten it up in order to create chemistry between now and Regionals.  In this game, both teams are extremely scrappy, and the points are long ones. Vanderbilt is running a simple stack and relying on downfield cutters to bring down throws that aren’t perfect, which they do well.  Both teams put up their share of hucks, but Vandy connects more frequently than Emory does. The final score of the game occurs when a jump ball in the endzone gets tipped by the Emory defense and a VUDU player makes a huge layout to win the game.  This play was indicative of the entire game, and Vandy comes out on top, 10-6.

NC State v. Georgia Tech:  The other game in Pool A was between the two youngest teams here this weekend.  Midway through the first half Georgia Tech went to a zone d and pretty much took over the game.  Jaga lacks the experience this weekend to really shred a zone, so Tech made a smart move there, and went up 8-4.  As the round started winding down, however, Tech ran out of gas and Jaga settled in a little more, mounting a mini-comeback.  Time simply ran out for NC State, however, and the hard cap went on.  Game over.  8-7 Georgia Tech. 

Fifth Round:

Wisconsin v. UNC:  The wind picks up a bit in this round, and Wisconsin goes up early with a spread offense that creates space all over the field. All of the Wisconsin handlers work hard to deliver strong fakes and throws in the wind, and simply look more controlled than most of the other teams playing in the wind.  Georgia Bosscher (19) continues to stand out for Wisconsin; her style of play controls the intensity throughout the game.  Wisconsin is using a zone most of the game to take advantage of the conditions, and takes half easily.  In the second half, Lucille Strawn (42) has a sick point block for Wisconsin on UNC’s goal line for a quick score to make it 8-2.  Nobody tells UNC that this game is in the bag though, and they mount a last-ditch comeback before Bella Donna puts it away, 9-6. 

UT-Knoxville v. Florida:  This game is pretty slow moving and messy in the wind.  The Florida stack looks disorganized and both teams have multiple turnovers per point.  Most of the game is just trading downwind points, and it gets capped early.  Florida does manage to have some success with their zone, and the game goes their way.  Final score 6-5, Florida.

Auburn v. Texas:  Auburn has another game to play after this and more or less bags the game and saves their energy for their last round.  Texas still looks good though, and takes half 6-1.  Since this was a blowout I didn’t stick around for much of it, but what I did see was more of the same from Texas—nice breaks from captains Michelle Ng and Becca Shelton, and plenty of athleticism from the top to the bottom of the Melee roster.  11-2 Texas.

Michigan v. Maryland:  Maryland is working super hard in this game, but Michigan still looks in control in the 1/2 match-up of the day.  Michigan seems very comfortable with each other and probably has the best chemistry of any team at the tournament. It’s hard to pick out a single dominant player from this Michigan team, but Sarah Griffith (6) has a great game and rolls with Flywheel to the win, 11-3. 

Georgia Tech v. Emory:  The wind continues to cause problems for the less experienced teams in this round, as cross-town rivals Georgia Tech and Emory duke it out in Pool A. This is a low scoring game, with lots of turnovers and offensive miscues, but the teams are clearly learning and finding their strengths for the coming season.  Earlier in the fall at Twin City Throwdown, Georgia Tech got the win against Emory.  Today, however, it’s Emory that walks away with the win under time cap 7-5. 

Vanderbilt v. Illinois:  This game is characterized by Vanderbilt’s zone defense and their 4-man cup.  Illinois has issues with the cup, and it rattles their handlers when Vanderbilt creeps in and double-teams at times.  Illinois has been relatively scrappy all day long, but can’t come down with a lot of stuff in this particular zone, which is unfortunate.  The wind definitely affects the tension level of the game too, and Illinois walks away with a disappointing loss.  Final score: 8-5. 

Sixth Round: 

Georgia Tech v. Vanderbilt:  After seeing success in the last game, Vanderbilt sticks with their 4-person cup in the wind and has similar results.  Tech looks a little frantic on offense, but becomes progressively more patient as the game goes on.  On defense Tech is running really hard and contesting everything, and early in the game forces Vandy to put up several desperation throws on stall 9, which the scrappy VUDU receivers come down with.  There’s one scary moment when Anne Brauer (10) from Tech and Paula Jones (42) from Vandy have a midair collision.  Both girls are okay, but have to come out of the game.  The rest of the game is pretty uneventful, and Vanderbilt wins 10-5.

Auburn v. UT-Knoxville:  Resting up in the previous round was a smart move for Auburn, and they jump to a 5-0 lead.  Meanwhile, UT-Knoxville is coming off of two really draining, high-energy losses, and they seem a bit worn down.  Settling down after Auburn’s initial run to start the game, UT starts chipping away and brings the score to 6-3.  After half, Newton puts up a nice huck to Blair Druhan (24) to make it 7-3.  UTK seems to get more fatigued, though, as the game goes on.  Auburn finishes the game, 11-5.

SUNDAY PLAY

First Round

Sunday morning has similar weather to Saturday, with slight wind and temperatures in the 60s and 70s during the day.  There are two more pool play games on Sunday morning, before the tournament drops into abbreviated brackets for placement games.  Based on Saturday’s results, there aren’t any surprises in this first round.  We see a lot of zone for this early in the season, and the teams that run it well are having the easiest time putting points up. 

Michigan over Illinois, 11-3
Emory over NC State, 9-7
Vanderbilt over Maryland, 10-4
Wisconsin over Florida, 11-1
Texas over Georgia, 8-3
UNC over UT-Knoxville, 10-8

Second Round

Auburn v. Florida:  Auburn had a first round bye and goes up quickly against Florida 4-0, using more of the same huck game and getting quick strikes for scores. Florida calls a timeout to regroup, but it doesn’t help much, as Auburn continues to run to 8-0.  The biggest struggle facing the Florida squad is that their cutters aren’t giving enough options.  Auburn, meanwhile, is very heads up and crashes every errant throw that gets put up.  The final score is 11-1, Auburn. 

UNC v. Texas:  This is one of UNC’s best games all weekend as they come out leading for almost all of the first half.  Pleiades really comes together on the field, creating nice offensive flow and reading the disc really well.  UNC comes down with some great looks.  Texas finally ties it at 5s, and then has a break to end the half.  Kate Scott (8) from UNC is having a great game as well, and really leads the game for the Carolina squad. Texas has good flow and their offense looks clean as well, but for some reason their throws don’t always connect.  If they can work out those kinks they’ll be a threat to any team in the country this year.  Freshman Janel Venzant (99) on Texas is very athletic, and has some big plays on offense and defense to spark Texas in the second half.  This game comes down to the wire, and Texas squeaks out a 10-9 win.

Wisconsin v. Georgia:  This game is pretty obviously Wisconsin’s from the start.  They manage Georgia’s offense effectively with a zone, and get most of their d’s when UGA attempts to put the disc over or through the cup, and the Wisconsin secondary crashes to get the turn.  On offense, Wisconsin still works a spread, and uses their experience to overwhelm many of the younger Georgia defenders.

In the A Pool, there are no surprises in the last round, as Michigan dispatches NC State 11-1, Maryland beats Emory 9-3, and Illinois takes care of Georgia Tech 11-0. 

The final standings in the pools are:

Pool A

Michigan (6-0)
Vanderbilt (5-1)
Illinois (4-2)
Maryland (3-3)
Emory (2-4)
Georgia Tech (1-5)
NC State (0-6)

Pool B

Wisconsin (6-0)
Texas (5-1)
Auburn (4-2)
North Carolina (3-3)
UT-Knoxville (1-5)
Georgia (1-5)
Florida (1-5)

Vanderbilt and Auburn are clearly the surprises in their pools, as Vanderbilt catapults from the bottom seed in their pool to beat everyone but powerhouse Michigan, and Auburn really surprises the other southeast teams in Pool B, losing only to perennial contenders Wisconsin and Texas.  Wisconsin and Michigan both look great for this early in the season, but Texas also looks like they’re ready to compete at the top level again in 2008.  Melee has a nice mix of athleticism and skill, and the club experience of their top players will certainly help them in the coming months. 

Championship Semis:

Michigan v. Texas:  Michigan starts the game with a deep shot for an immediate downwind score.  The Flywheel sideline is very amped, with lots of cowbell keeping things interesting.  Next point, Texas puts up an equally pretty huck, but doesn’t connect, and Michigan works it back for a really nice break.  Sarah “Surge” Griffith (6) appears to be the favorite downfield Michigan target.  Texas takes a timeout, and comes back out fired up.  Mindy Rosenberg (11) from Texas goes deep for a huck against two defenders, the disc gets tipped and she makes a sweet recovery bid to maintain possession. Unfortunately, she hurts herself in the process, and has to come out, but her save sets up the first score for Texas.  Points are traded to 3-2, Michigan.  Then, Texas gets two nice d’s right on the endzone line to create their first break of the game, and the score is tied at 3s.  Michigan scores the next point easily and then falls into a very loose zone d, which works well for them for a couple of points. Michigan takes half and really starts to roll at that point.  It looks like the game is in hand for Flywheel at 10-5, but Texas begins to protect the disc a little more, and scores two in a row to make it 10-7.  Michigan responds with another big put, and Griffith goes up and over the Texas defense for the 11-7 score. The last two points are easy ones for Michigan, their flow is unstoppable and they head to the finals on two pretty scores. 

Wisconsin v. Vanderbilt:  Wisconsin comes out fast and strong, scoring 4 straight for a sizeable lead. The wind is still a factor and Wisconsin and Vanderbilt are each throwing zone with a four-person cup.  Front-loading the defense seems to work well for Wisconsin, and as soon as they get turns they are punching it in with unflustered, precise throws.  Bella Donna simply has better form throwing than any other team, getting low and stepping out with every throw.  Vanderbilt is as scrappy as ever, and every point is contested, but Wisconsin takes it to half.  In the second half, Wisconsin’s Emelie McCain completely takes over offensively as the center handler in the zone and as the primary handler when things go to man.  Her throws are sick, and teams should not use her size as any indication of ability; she broke every mark at will, and put the disc anywhere she wanted to on the field.  Behind the play of McCain, Wisconsin soon runs the score to 9-2, and the game gets soft capped.  Vanderbilt makes a stand, scoring two points, and then almost scoring a third, but can’t quite connect in the endzone.  Bella closes it out in the final minutes of the game and Wisconsin wins, 11-4. 

Finals: Wisconsin v. Michigan

CCC All-Tournament Team TOP SEVEN
Name	Number	Team
Georgia Bosscher	19	Wisconsin
Emily Baecher	23	Michigan
Sarah Griffith	6	Michigan
Annie Newton	12	Auburn
Becca Shelton	22	Texas
Emelie McCain		Wisconsin
Charlie Mercer	17	Maryland
ALTERNATES
CiCi Cheng	34	Georgia
Kate Scott	8	UNC
Jess Trinh	00	Maryland

This game ought to be exciting, as both Wisconsin and Michigan have been solid offensively and defensively all weekend. Wisconsin certainly has its share of playmakers on the team, but Michigan’s chemistry is equally as dangerous.  Neither team appears to have weak links, and the matchup seems like a good one.  The first few points are all downwind, and Michigan takes a 2-1 lead. Wisconsin looks a little shocked to find a team as smart as they are, and some offensive miscues by Bella set up some breaks for Michigan, as Flywheel jumps to 5-2.  Timeout is called by Wisconsin, and they come out in a spread offense.  Lucille Strawn (42) has a nice shot to Bosscher, and they bring it to 5-3.  In the next point, Emily Baecher (23) from Michigan has a really nice backhand huck, but her receiver doesn’t come down with it and Wisconsin works it upwind, capitalizing on a deep shot from Bosscher to Courtney Kiesow (99) to close the gap to 5-4.  Michigan’s game plan at this point turns to getting it in the hands of Baecher as much as possible, and she airs out another pretty backhand for a score.  6-4, Michigan.  Michigan takes half 7-4, and then really comes out fired up for defense in the second half, getting multiple run-through blocks in the next few points. When the score reaches 9-6, both teams start cranking, and the game reaches a new intensity.  Bosscher absolutely dominates the next point and takes over offensively, culminating in a crossfield upwind hammer for the score to make it 9-7.  Michigan answers back, and the next few points are fairly long ones, with lots of nice d’s from each team. Michigan still maintains control of the game though, and nobody on Wisconsin seems to be able to put a big enough mark on Baecher to contain her backhand huck.  With Michigan sitting pretty at 11-8, Wisconsin gets up again offensively, with two back-to-back scores, bringing the game within one.  With Michigan on offense, Griffith (6) has a sick grab on the endzone line and Flywheel puts the score away—and the game—12-10.  Start to finish, it was great to see such an exciting game for both teams this early in the year.  This is the best Michigan has ever looked (as far as I can remember) and Wisconsin seems to be just as dangerous as last year…so I would certainly consider both teams in the mix for the crown come May.  Once again, we were lucky to have VC Ultimate sponsor the tournament, and the tournament champions received a sweet prize package from VC. 

Congratulations to Michigan Flywheel, Classic City Classic 2007 Champs!