Results - Ultimate

April 25-27, 2008

The Notre Dame Ultimate team competed in the Great Lakes Regional, part of the UPA College Series, this weekend in Hartland, MI. Both the men’s and women’s squads were playing for a spot in the National Championships, to be held in Boulder, CO.

Notre Dame’s women’s team opened up with two pool games on Saturday. The Irish’ first game was against rival North Park, whom they had seen multiple times throughout the season. The women got the job done early, coasting to a 17-6 victory under the leadership of captains Shannon Morrison and Loretta Brown. The second game was against the University of Chicago, a team that Notre Dame hadn’t seen yet this season. The game was a tight one from the very beginning, with Notre Dame jumping out two upwind breaks early. The solid defense of Erin Maxwell and the strong upwind throws of Shields Duss gave Notre Dame the lead early. U Chicago was able to crawl back, taking a lead at the half, 9-8. The Irish were never able to regain the lead, and fell 13-11 to this talented squad.

This put Notre Dame into bracket play for a spot at Nationals. One loss and the Irish were out of the tournament. The first opponent was Indiana, a team that Notre Dame beat just the weekend before 11-10 on universe point. Calamity Jane was no match for an intense Irish team, and Notre Dame got the 15-5 win to close out Saturday’s play.

Sunday, Notre Dame had to win four games in a row to earn a spot at Nationals. The Irish opened with Loyola of Chicago. The whole team was able to contribute to this win; with frequent substitutions, Notre Dame used their fresh legs and was able to outrun Loyola to come out on top 15-6. Their next game was against a Michigan State team who had previously rolled over Notre Dame 13-1 in their home tournament. The Irish came out with intensity and fire but was no match for Michigan State’s speed and backhand breaks. The Irish were able to break the zone defense that had confused them in their previous meeting, thanks to the solid handling of juniors Katie Bilek and Jean Whitney. It was not enough, however; Michigan State handed the Irish their second loss and finished their season with a 15-4 final.

Men’s play was double elimination in a sixteen-team field. Notre Dame opened against Oberlin. With some adverse conditions in the morning, the team was not able to pull away from the scrappy opponent. After getting out to an early lead, the team maintained that momentum and with the help of strong defense from senior Tim Peterson, the Irish went on to pull out a 15-11 victory. The next opponent was Dayton, who had pulled off an upset in the first round. The inspiration from Dayton made it difficult for Notre Dame to break them early on, but after settling in the team was able to pull away. With senior Andy Crutchfield patrolling the skies, the final was 15-6 in favor of Notre Dame. This set up an anticipated match up between Notre Dame and Illinois in the semifinals. After not seeing each other at the sectional tournament, both teams were anxious to get a chance to test their merit against the other. The game went back and forth early on with both teams essentially trading points until half. After halftime, Illinois came out firing and capitalized on some costly Notre Dame mistakes. Illinois pull ahead and led 12-7 before the Irish fought their way back into the game. Despite amazing defense from junior Danny Collom, the team fell short, 15-13.

On Sunday, Notre Dame challeneged Miami OH. Miami was a smaller but very talented team that gave problems to Notre Dame early on. The first have only involved one break from each team and Miami took the halftime lead, 8-7. Notre Dame came out fired up in the second half. Thanks to some fine throws from senior Eric Morin, the team pulled away and eventually won, 15-10.

Notre Dame then faced a strong Ohio State team. With some early miscues, Notre Dame trailed at the half, 8-3. The Irish came out of half playing much harder. Behind the leadership of senior captains Mike Florack and Nick Chambers, the squad managed to pull within striking distance. However, the Buckeyes managed to hold on for the victory, 15-12.

The club finished one of the most successful years in recent men’s play, with a 41-9 record. The Irish women’s season was equally successful. Two tournament victories, including Sectionals, were among the highlights. The women’s squad graduates five seniors, with many talented players returning next year.

April 18-20, 2008

This weekend the Notre Dame men’s and women’s ultimate club traveled to Naperville, IL to compete in College Sectionals, the first round of the UPA College Series. Fourteen women’s teams were present at this tournament, and only eight would qualify for Regionals. Notre Dame came in as the third seed in a talented section of teams, looking to improve upon their seed for Regionals. Only six of twenty-three men’s teams would qualify.

Notre Dame’s women opened up Saturday with four pool play games. Their first game was against Knox College, who they took care of quickly 15-0. Their second game would prove to be the hardest of the day against a strong Indiana team. Senior and captain Loretta Brown quickly took charge of defense, shutting down their handler movement. Senior handles Libby Whiting and Shannon Morrison led the offensive strike with effective long and short throws.Notre Dame was able to overcome a deficit late in the game and pull out a victory, 11-10, thanks to the strong offensive play of senior Shields Duss. The last two games of the day Notre Dame was able to put away their opponents, DePaul (13-6) and University of Illinois Chicago (13-6).

Sunday brought two more difficult pool play games. The first match-up was against Loyola Chicago. Notre Dame matched up well against this team, shutting down their offensive flow thanks to strong defense from sophomore Shelley Ostrowski. Notre Dame prevailed 10-8, and followed this victory with a decisive win over North Park 10-5.

With these victories, Notre Dame finished first in their pool and earned the right to play in the championship game against Northwestern, a team with a very similar style offense. Northwestern Gung-Ho is a familiar opponent to the Notre Dame ladies; they defeated Notre Dame on their way to a Nationals bid in 2007. In this game, however, Notre Dame came out with intensity and controlled the pace of the game. Sophomores Erin Maxwell and Jenna Adsit impacted the game on both sides of the disc, and junior Jean Whitney helped the handlers move the disc consistently down field. Freshman Amy Bilek made an impact in the game with her defense and her long cuts in the end zone for the score. The game was close, with each team trading the lead twice and neither team more than 2 points away at any time. Notre Dame pulled it out in the end, winning the game 11-9 and taking the Central Plains Sectional title.

Notre Dame will now go into their Regionals matchup next weekend in Detroit, MI ranked as the first from their section. The top two Regional teams will advance to the National Championship tournament.

The second seeded men’s squad opened pool play on Saturday with Western Illinois, and rolled to an easy 11-5 victory with solid play from sophomore Bill Carson. The next game was actually against the Notre Dame B team and the A team would prove why they were the more experienced team in another 11-5 win. This set up a third game of the day against Knox College. The team took care of business quickly en route to a final score of 11-1 in favor of Notre Dame. The fourth game of pool play was against Illinois State and strong cutting from Andrew Schroeder led the team to victory, 11-5. The final game of pool play was against a strong Chicago team. Notre Dame played their best game of the day and controlled the game from beginning to end. With Andy Crutchfield patrolling the skies, the team was able to win 11-5.

The 5-0 finish in pool play put Notre Dame into the semifinals on Sunday against an upstart North Park team. North Park came out playing hard and Notre Dame could not respond early. After falling behind, the team tried to claw their way back but was unable to recover in a 15-11 loss. This put the team into the backdoor bracket and created a match up with Northwestern. Notre Dame was the stronger team in this game and prevailed, 15-10. The next game was a rematch with Chicago, and this time Notre Dame would win even more convincingly. The entire team played hard behind the consistent handling of Thomas Rivas and won, 15-7. This victory led to a rematch with North Park for the 2nd place game. North Park had just dropped a hard-fought loss to Illinois in the finals and was not ready for the energy that Notre Dame brought to the beginning of the game. Notre Dame jumped out early and led at the half, 8-0, en route to a 15-1 win.

Notre Dame finished the weekend as seeded, in 2nd place, qualifying for the Great Lakes Regionals next weekend in Detroit, MI. Senior captains Nick Chambers and Mike Florack will lead the team as it competes for a spot at the UPA College National Championships in Boulder, Colorado, on May 16-18.  

April 4-6, 2008

Notre Dame’s ultimate club hosted thirteen visiting teams in the 12th annual Whitesmoke Invitational at South Bend’s Both Tarkington Fields at Boehm Park this past weekend. This tournament serves as a warm-up for the College Series Sectionals tournament next weekend and provides the teams with an inside look at their competition going into the Series.

Notre Dame’s women’s squad opened the weekend against Valparaiso, winning easily 13-1. They followed this with another victory over DePaul, 13-3. Their third game of the day came against long time rival, Purdue Brickhouse. Seniors Loretta Brown and Libby Whiting drove the offense against a quick Brickhouse defense, and junior handler Jean Whitney played exceptionally well. The Irish came out on top 13-6. The final game of Saturday was against the Notre Dame Alumni team, a chance for the women to play against some of their former teammates and alumni from past years. Sophomore Erin Maxwell and freshman Amy Bilek stood out on defense, continually running through the disc for stellar defensive plays. The wisdom and skill of the alumni were too much for Notre Dame to overcome and they lost 13-8.

Sunday morning brought single elimination bracket play, with Notre Dame facing North Park in the quarterfinals. The Irish came out looking flat in the beginning, going down 9-4 with time for a comeback running out. The Irish pulled it together and played more intensely, stringing together 7 straight points to win 11-9 and advance to the semi-finals. The Irish faced Michigan State in the semis, a team with a great zone defense that Notre Dame has struggled against in the past. The Irish were not able to sustain their intensity. The offense struggled against a speedy MSU team, and the Irish bowed out in the semis, 15-1.

Notre Dame came in as the favorite to win the men’s tournament and was anxious for the opportunity to play their alumni team in a showcase game on Saturday. Notre Dame opened up pool play against DePaul. The team came out a little slow but after some key plays by Thomas Rivas, Notre Dame was able to pull away for a 13-3 victory. Their next game was against Lewis and again Notre Dame would control the game. Led by the solid handling of Mike Banning, they went on to an easy 13-2 win. The third pool play game was against Goshen and there would still be no real challenge for the team. Great cutting by Andrew Schroeder and Bill Carson helped to steady the team to a final score of 13-2 in favor of Notre Dame. The final game of pool play on Saturday was against sectional rival Purdue. Coming off of a bye round, Notre Dame came out flat and struggled early on with mistakes. After settling down and picking up the intensity, Notre Dame cruised to a 13-6 win. The defense of junior Danny Collom was very important in changing the momentum of the game.

This setup a showcase match against the Notre Dame alumni to end the day. The alumni team had also gone undefeated in pool play. The Irish came out hard and played with an increased passion that wasn't seen earlier in the day. Leadership on the defensive side by grad student Steve Kurtz was key to establishing the early tone of the game. After battling back and forth for most of the game, Notre Dame's conditioning proved to be the difference as they pulled away from the alumni late in the game. A final score thrown by senior Eric Morin capped the game as a 15-10 victory.

Sunday would be a much more challenging day for the team. After a first round bye, Notre Dame opened against the Michigan State alumni team. The alumni team was very talented but Notre Dame had the advantage of training and practice. In a grueling battle, the leadership of senior captain Mike Florack was the difference in a 13-10 win. The next game was against a South Bend club team with more experienced and talented players. After a tight first half, the defense of sophomore Mike Carilli helped the team dominate the second half and win 15-8. This would create a rematch final between Notre Dame and the Notre Dame alumni team. Notre Dame played much more open lines and tried some things differently than their usual game plan, which led to a 15-11 loss. Seniors Dave Tighe, Eric Blevins, and Andy Crutchfield all played extremely hard in the loss.

This is the final tournament for the men and women before the College Series Sectionals starts next weekend. The team will travel to Naperville, IL, to compete in the Central Plains Sectional Tournament in an effort to qualify for the Great Lakes Regional Tournament.  

March 21-22, 2008

Statesboro, GA played host to a major ultimate tournament this weekend. The eighth seeded women’s squad finished ahead of expectations by claiming fifth place.

On Saturday morning the women won their first two games, the first against Columbia, 13-1, and the second against Ohio, 12-5. Great cuts and puts from sophomore Allie Keuthen and freshman Megan Franke really motivated the Irish offense. Though they fought hard through the rest of the day, they lost their two games of the afternoon against Emory, 13-4, and Tufts, 13-6. Freshman Colleen Harris played incredible defense, making every point scored against Notre Dame a tough one. Going 2-2 Saturday put the women third in the pool, placing them in the championship bracket for the next day.

Notre Dame came out hard Sunday morning, defeating Williams, a higher seed, 10-8. Sophomore Erin Maxwell and senior Shields Duss, who had stepped up all weekend in the absence of several of the Irish’s normal handlers, made the difference on the offense for the Irish. The squad then fell to Iowa State, 14-7, before rebounding to defeat Wellesley, 11-4, and Virginia, 13-8. Senior Loretta Brown patrolled the skies, skiing girls on offense and defense to make some great catches.

The men also competed in the 7th annual College Southerns tournament. Notre Dame was seeded 3rd out of the 52 men's teams competing in the tournament which gave them a favorable draw for pool play on Saturday. In their first game of pool play, the Irish warmed up against Oberlin. Although Notre Dame was not performing at their full capitalized on their experience and skills to earn a solid 13-9 victory. In the next game against Florida State, the squad gave a much better performance. In a steady battle, they defeated the Seminoles, 13-8. The deep threat of junior Daniel Reimer was a major difference in the game.

In the third game against Charleston, Notre Dame proved a superior team and, clicking on all cylinders rolled to an easy 13-4 victory. The steady handling of junior Thomas Rivas set the style of play. For the final pool play game of the day, the Irish faced Marquette to determine the pool winner and seeding going into bracket play on Sunday. Notre Dame came out firing and was able to jump on a tired Marquette team early with great defense from grad student Steve Kurtz. Marquette couldn't find any answers and eventually fell to the Irish, 13-1. This put the team in first place in the pool and gave them great placement going into Sunday.

On Sunday, the Irish first played Chicago in the round of 16. Notre Dame had not lost a step from the day before and carried the momentum to a solid victory over Chicago. Great leadership from senior Eric Morin provided the spark to finish off a 15-8 victory. This win advanced Notre Dame to the quarterfinals against an inspired Iowa team. Iowa was coming off of a tough battle in the round of 16 and carried that intensity into the next game. The Hawkeyes capitalized on some early mistakes by the Irish and took an early lead. Notre Dame would not quit though and fought back to get some important breaks before half. After retaining the lead, Notre Dame never looked back and earned a solid 13-9 win with great cutting from sophomore Bill Carson.

This put Notre Dame into the semifinals against a national power, Tufts. This was the game that the team had been waiting for all weekend. Sadly, the team came out flat and got stunned when Tufts took some early breaks. Before the team could stop the run, they were down 6-0 and facing an extremely tough challenge. Notre Dame would not roll over though and began to turn the momentum around. After a steady run led by the solid cutting and defense of junior Danny Collom, the team was back in the game. Despite their best efforts though, the team simply ran out of time and lost a close one, 13-10.

Despite the frustrating final loss, the team was extremely proud of their performance this weekend and believes that this will be an important step towards a very successful season. Senior captains Nick Chambers and Mike Florack were a steady presence all weekend.  

February 22-24, 2008

Over the week of spring break, the Notre Dame ultimate club traveled to tournaments on both weekends to compete against some top-level competition from across the country. On the first weekend, the team went to Greenville, North Carolina, to play in the Spring Ultimax tournament. Notre Dame was looking for a strong performance and would not disappoint. For the first game on Saturday, the Irish defeated William and Mary by a score of 15-10 behind solid handler play from junior Thomas Rivas. Next was a match-up with Rutgers and another Irish victory, 15-2. In their final pool play game of the day, Notre Dame was able to defeat Winona State, 15-10, with great cutting from junior Danny Collom. The Irish finished play for the day with a convincing 15-3 victory over Georgetown, highlighted by some spectacular catches by sophomore Andrew Schroeder.

After a great Saturday, Notre Dame was hoping to make a deep run in bracket play on Sunday. The day started off with an easy victory against George Mason. The 15-3 score was a result of stellar play from graduate students Joe Ribaudo and John Goodwin. The victory brought on Carnegie Mellon for a quarterfinal game. Notre Dame controlled the action from the start and cruised 15-0, setting up a challenging game with a strong Penn squad. Notre Dame did a great job of managing the game and claimed a solid victory, 15-12. The Irish next faced Delaware for the championship. The team came out firing with great leadership from senior captain Mike Florack and took an early lead. The team never looked back and handled Delaware en route to another 15-12 win and the title.

The following weekend Notre Dame traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, to compete in the Club Terminus tournament. The field of teams was very impressive and would pose a serious challenge to the team. In their opening game, Notre Dame played Paideia High School in very difficult conditions. With the help of senior Eric Morin, the team was able to take over the game and beat the younger opponent 9-5. The second game would be more challenging against the club team Ironmen from Alabama. The extreme weather conditions hurt Notre Dame and they lost 12-9. The next game for the day was against the Pike club team from Philadelphia and Notre Dame was able to use their depth to outlast the short-handed opponent. Behind solid handler play from sophomores Mike Banning and Mike Carilli, the team cruised to an 8-5 victory. This led into the final game of the day against the national power college team from Florida. Florida’s leading dominant star proved to be too much for Notre Dame to adjust to and the team fell 9-3 in a hard-fought battle.

This placed the Irish in the B bracket on Sunday, starting with a quarterfinal match-up against the club team Flying Squirrels. The Irish started slowly, but they were able to pull together in the second half and win 15-10. In the semifinal game against Medicine Men, senior captain Nick Chambers helped to lead the team to a solid 15-13 victory over a quality opponent. Finally, the team had to face Napolean Complex in the B-bracket finals. With great defensive play from sophomore Bill Carson, the team was able to create turnovers and take over the game at the end. It was a very hard-fought battle and it was a great 15-14 win for Notre Dame. Next up for Notre Dame is a trip to Statesboro, Georgia, on March 22-23, to compete in the College Southerns tournament against many of the best teams in the country.

Competing at Club Terminus in Atlanta, GA this past weekend (March 8-9, 2008), the Notre Dame women’s ulimate team played six strong teams.

Saturday brought unexpected cold, with wind and snow (something no one can recall happening in GA in March), but the women pulled together in their first game for a victory over Paideia, 5-4, before dropping three tough games against Showdown, 1-8, Alloy, 3-11, and Backhoe, 1-13. Senior and captian Loretta Brown threw or caught three of the five scores for the Irish in the first game, and junior Katie Bilek worked hard to throw through some competitive zones. Solid defense and fast cuts by senior Shields Duss and Amy Bilek gave the Irish chances to handle and move the disc.

Sunday morning began with a final game of pool play in some much nicer weather, though still cold. Notre Dame played well in a tough losses to Ozone, 14-4, and Paideia, 13-9. Great cuts by sophomore Shelley Ostrowski and handling by Jean Whitney contributed to the scores for the Irish. Defense on the part of sophomore Allie Keuthen helped the Irish maintain possession of the disc.

Since club teams consist of players that have much more experience than college players, the Irish gained experience and practice facing good teams and learned a lot about what they need to work on heading into the spring schedule.  

February 1-3, 2008

This weekend the Notre Dame ultimate club sent two men's teams down to Baton Rouge, LA, to compete in the 22nd annual Mardi Gras tournament. Mardi Gras is a big tournament that provided an opportunity for both teams to get some valuable experience and competition against some of the best teams in the country. This was the first tournament of the spring for both teams in preparation for the College Series in April.

The A team was seeded 15th out of the 60 men's teams competing in the tournament and had an opportunity to play the other top-ranked teams. In their first game of pool play Saturday, the team came out slow against Minnesota. Although Minnesota was giving them plenty of opportunities, Notre Dame was unable to capitalize and despite an early lead, eventually went down in defeat, 11-7. This gave the team plenty to discuss and change during their bye round before their next game against Georgia Tech.

In the game against Georgia Tech, the A team clearly cleaned up the mistakes and put on a much better performance than the first game. In a close battle, they were able to pull out their first victory of the season, 11-10. The deep threat of junior Daniel Reimer was a major difference in the game. This set up a third game against Wisconsin B. By this point, the team was clicking on all cylinders and rolled to an easy 15-8 victory led by the steady handling of junior Thomas Rivas.

In the final pool play game of the day, the Irish faced North Texas to determine important seeding going into bracket play on Sunday. Notre Dame came out firing and was able to jump on UNT early with great defense from grad student Steve Kurtz. North Texas couldn't find any answers and eventually fell to Notre Dame 11-5. This put the team in second place in the pool and gave them great placement going into Sunday.

The A team opened with a solid victory over Wisconsin-Whitewater in the round of 16. Great leadership from senior Eric Morin provided the spark to finish off a 13-9 victory. This win advanced Notre Dame to the quarterfinals against national power Texas. Texas was also coming off of a tough battle in the round of 16 and was slow to start the game. The team capitalized and took an early lead. They maintained the lead until 11-9 with great cutting from sophomore Andrew Schroeder. This was the last point that Notre Dame would have the lead. Texas put on a run to eventually take the game with a score of 14-12.

Despite the heartbreaking final loss, the team was proud of their performance this weekend and believes that this will be a first step to a very successful season. Senior captains Nick Chambers and Mike Florack were a steady presence all weekend and will try to use this performance to bring about improvement and success in later tournaments this spring. The team's next tournament is the first weekend of March in Greenville, NC.

The B team played a solid tournament as well, opening with a tough game Saturday against Truman State. Led by the indomitable spirit and tough play of junior Travis Allen, the team put up a valiant effort, but was unable to pull out the victory. Their next game against Iowa State was a well-fought battle. The stellar defense of sophomore Nick Simonetti brought them back to an 8-8 tie, until Iowa State pulled away, 13-8. A similar story unfolded as they fought against the University of Memphis. Despite the devastating cutting and speed of freshmen Patrick Kozak and Tom Banaziak, the team once again lost after tying the game at 9-9. On the final game of Saturday, the Irish stifled a comeback by Texas-Arlington and won 13-11. Finally, in bracket play on Sunday, the B team crushed Emory's B team before losing to Texas A&M. Shea Bettwy led the way on Sunday, but his brilliant handling was not enough to upend the Aggies.  

October 5-7, 2007

The Notre Dame Women’s Ultimate team compeeted in their second tournament of the fall season, the fourteenth annual Itchfest. Hosted by Vanderbilt and played in 90 degree heat in Nashville, the club endured five games in the stifling elements. On Saturday, the squad dropped their first game, 15-9, to St. Louis University. The Irish rebounded to defeat Georgia, 10-8 and Hendrix, 15-4, finishing second in their pool. The wins were due to a combination of strong cuts by Kathryn Florack and Colleen Harris, and fine throws by Katie Bilek and Shields Duss. The defense was led by Jean Whitney.

Playing in the championship bracket on Sunday, the squad defeated Towson, 11-7, setting up a rematch with St. Louis. Although the club made the match closer, the Billikens prevailed 10-7. Angela Medlock and Meagan White led the attack 

September 28-September 30, 2007

This weekend the Notre Dame Men’s Ultimate team traveled to compete against a field of 32 teams at the Hucktoberfest tournament in Whitewater, Wisconsin. To gain experience, the team was split into two different squads. Each performed well, placing 5th and 9th in the entire competition. The first of the two teams was comprised of mostly sophomores. With strong handling from Michael Carilli and Michael Banning, the team pounded out a 4-0 record on the first day, taking advantage of nice weather for their deep game, featuring cuts from Sean McCullough and defense from John Greil. On Sunday, the team lost in the quarterfinals against a seasoned team of club players but was able to recover for a 5th place spot overall.

The second squad, lead by Junior Thomas Rivas, fought their way to a 4-3 record. After a rough day in pool play on Saturday where they lost several close games, the club rebounded with a 3-0 record on Sunday. The victories on Sunday relied on a strong zone defense through the hard running of freshman Charles Landis, John Miller, and Patrick Kozak. A summer of experience reflected the improvements of Mikey Moses and Brian Nelb as they helped the offense down the field, catching every disc thrown their way. The tournament marked an early season success for the Ultimate team, with each half of the team performing better than many full squads in the Midwest region.

Coming out strong, the Notre Dame Women’s Ultimate team ran, bid, and jumped to earn ninth place at the Hucktoberfest. On Saturday, the Irish defeated Western Illinois 13-8 but went down to Wisconsin Eau-Claire, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Solid defense by sophomore Erin Maxwell and senior Loretta Brown kept every game close, while good cuts by freshmen Amy Bilek and Megan Franke kept the offense flowing. Both girls caught several scores.

Finishing fourth in their pool, the squad proceeded to the ninth place bracket for the second day of the tournament, where it faced Earlham and then Western Illinois for the second time. The club defeated both teams quite readily, securing a ninth place finish in the tournament overall. The Irish improved in their play from Saturday to Sunday, looking much more comfortable with each other on the field. Offense was led with great throws from seniors Shannon Morrison and Libby Whiting, and junior Elizabeth Crosby assisted on several scores.

The club next plays at the fourteenth annual Itchfest in Nashville, Tennesee this weekend, October 6th and 7th.  

September 7-9, 2007

This weekend the ultimate club men’s team traveled to Naperville, IL for the Chicago Heavyweight Championships, a prestigious club tournament that brings teams together from across the country. The team was seeded quite low in the 48-team field, but would prove over the course of the weekend that they deserved a little more respect.

Play started Saturday with a game against a masters’ club team from Milwaukee. The game was close early on, but once Notre Dame settled down with the help of steady play from sophomore Andrew Schroeder, they pulled away with a 13-7 victory. The win was followed by a second match against a masters’ club team from Chicago. Play was very similar to the first game, and it wasn’t until junior Danny Collom made some key plays that the team was able take a 13-8 win. The final pool play game was against sectional rival Northwestern. Notre Dame had much more experience and it showed in the result, 13-6 in favor of Notre Dame.

This strong start put the team in good shape heading into the second series of pool play. The next game was against Wisconsin. With solid play from junior Thomas Rivas at the start, the team jumped out to an early lead and never looked back on its way to a 12-6 win. Notre Dame had one more game on Saturday, against Wheaton (IL). Familiar with Wheaton from multiple games between the two teams last spring, Notre Dame was able to capitalize on their understanding of the opponent. Led by graduate student Steve Kurtz, who played in 18 of the 22 points of the game, Notre Dame held on for a 13-9 victory.

The 5-0 record on Saturday put the team in great position for play on Sunday. The first game matched Notre Dame with a club team from Oklahoma. Again, a fast start ended up giving the team the necessary edge to come out on top. Solid production from graduate student John Goodwin helped towards the 12-7 final score. The team now had to win in order to stay in contention. In a tough game against a club team from Cleveland, leadership from senior co-captain Nick Chambers proved to be the difference as the team held on for an 11-8 win. This put Notre Dame in their final game against a club team from Minnesota. The team struggled at the start and had to overcome fatigue from the brutal weekend tournament schedule. After getting in an early 3-1 hole, Notre Dame proceeded to score 12 of the next 14 points on their way to an impressive 15-7 route. Junior Daniel Reimer continued to provide the same spark that he had all weekend and the other team could not find an answer.

By posting an 8-0 record, the Irish hope to use this success as a springboard towards greater achievements during the College Series in the spring. The club will travel to Whitewater, WI, for the next tournament, September 29-30.  

April 27-29, 2007

This weekend the Notre Dame ultimate club traveled to Rantoul, Illinois, to compete in the Great Lakes Regional Tournament of the UPA College Series. There were 16 teams at the tournament fighting to earn two spots at the national tournament at the end of May. Notre Dame was seeded seventh and would be eliminated with two losses.

Play started on Saturday with a rematch against sectional opponent #10 Northwestern. Notre Dame had lost to Northwestern two weeks ago and was looking for a different result this time. The team came out firing with sweet offensive play from sophomore Daniel Reimer and took an early 8-3 halftime lead. But the second half was a different story as Northwestern began to play with added intensity. Still, Notre Dame was able to keep their composure and hold on for a 17-15 win.

The next game was against #2 Illinois, who had defeated the Irish in the sectional finals. Due to some sloppy play early on, the team dug a hole and could not recover. Despite strong offensive scores from senior captain Steve Kurtz, Notre Dame fell 15-5.

Now the team was faced with single elimination, entering its match with #16 Ohio Northern who just came off an upset win. Notre Dame started off strong with solid handler play from junior Mike Florack and sophomore Thomas Rivas. Ohio Northern was clearly overmatched and the team cruised to an easy 15-3 victory.

The Irish had one more game to play on Saturday to qualify for play on Sunday. The match-up was against #6 Miami (OH) and the winner would earn a spot as one of six teams to continue play the next day. Miami came out with more intensity to start the game and Notre Dame immediately fell behind 5-1. But after the team composed themselves and figured out the Miami defense, the leadership of senior captain Eric Morin changed the momentum. Notre Dame began to dominate on both offense and defense and slowly took control of the game. Miami could not recover as the Irish went on to capture a 15-8 win and play on Sunday.

Sunday morning saw the Irish challenge #1 Ohio State. Inspired play by the Irish led to an 8-6 lead at the half. But the Buckeyes controlled the second half and prevailed 15-10, despite strong play from Chris O’Neill. Notre Dame finished tied for 5th, ended the season with a 32-19 record.

This weekend the Notre Dame Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team played in their Regional qualifying tournament in Rantoul, IL. The tournament featured the top 12 teams in the Great Lakes region, with the winner of this tournament advancing with a bid to the Ultimate Players Association National Championship on Memorial Day weekend in Columbus, OH.

Saturday was set up with two pools of six teams each, giving Notre Dame five straight games. The wind on Saturday was stiff and with the field direction, giving all teams involved tough play as they fought directly into the wind. The wind proved to be a tough opponent all day, with upwind break points being the difference in many games. Notre Dame went 3-2 on the day, with victories over Wheaton 9-3, Oberlin 11-6, and North Park 11-6. In each of these games, the consistent disc movement of core handlers Rachel Meeks, Shannon Morrison, and Libby Whiting aided the Notre Dame women in moving the disc upwind.

The toughest games for the Irish were against University of Illinois and Ohio University. Notre Dame faced Illinois first, a team with a significant height advantage that had shut down the Irish throughout the season. Junior Shields Duss and sophomore Jenna Adsit were instrumental in breaking the Illinois zone defense and enabling upfield scores. The Notre Dame Women kept the game close and were tied 9-9 with Illinois as the game neared its cap at 11. Unfortunately Illinois was able to score a final upwind point and the subsequent downwind to take the game 11-9.

Notre Dame followed this emotional game with a tough match against Ohio. Freshman Katie Morin was Notre Dame’s all-star receiver during the game with frequent grabs in the end zone. One upwind point for Ohio was the difference in this game as the Irish fell 11-8. Notre Dame entered Sunday’s bracket seeded 3rd and slotted to play the Northwestern Gung-Ho, another section rival and frequent opponent. The teams had met twice in the Sectional tournament two weeks prior, with Northwestern winning both matches. Notre Dame came out strong, keeping the game neck and neck in the early going. Junior Loretta Brown opened up the playing field with her intense cutting and was a reliable long throughout the day. Notre Dame took half 8-7 and struck first afterwards, bringing the game to 9-7. Northwestern threw a zone that shook up the Irish and despite their best efforts, the momentum shifted to Northwestern. Notre Dame was unable to capitalize on their offense possessions and the speedy Gung-ho offense took advantage. Notre Dame lost 15-10 to Northwestern, who then went on to defeat Illinois and the University of Michigan to take the Regional Championship and the Great Lakes bid to Nationals.

This tournament concludes the 2006-2007 season for the Notre Dame women. Despite the graduation of a strong senior class, consisting of seniors Rachel Meeks, Jen Pruchnik, and Jeannie Joeckel, the Irish return with great promise and talent for 2007-2008.  

April 13-15, 2007

Hucking, bidding, sprinting, and jumping, the Notre Dame Women’s Ultimate team worked hard this weekend to earn third place at the Central Plains Open Sectionals tournament this past weekend. On Saturday, they faced Loyola, Illinois, Knox, Chicago, and Purdue, defeating all but Illinois and shutting out Knox.

Strong defense on the part of freshman Erin Maxwell and junior Libby Whiting forced numerous turns to gain possession of the disc. Sophomore Hannah Duffey and senior Jeannie Joeckel both made great cuts for several scores. Sophomore Katie Bilek and junior Shannon Morrison came through with solid throws, keeping the game alive and assisting several points for the Irish. The team finished Saturday second in their pool and thus moved into the championship bracket for the second day of the tournament.

On Sunday, the women first faced Northwestern, then Wheaton, then Northwestern again, beating Wheaton but dropping a pair of games to Northwestern. The games were all close, with the Irish looking strong throughout the day. With great throws by sophomore Jean Whitney and seniors Rachel Meeks and Jen Pruchnik, Notre Dame worked the disc up the field, completing many passes to freshman Katie Morin and junior Loretta Brown.

Overall, the women had a very successful weekend. The club will next compete in the Great Plains Open Regionals in Champaign, IL, the weekend of April 28th.

This weekend the ultimate team traveled to Naperville, Illinois to compete in the Central Plains Sectional Tournament. This was the first step in the UPA College series which would determine who qualified for the regional tournament in two weeks. The A team started Saturday with two convincing wins in pool play against Illinois B and DePaul. In the Illinois B game, the team came out strong led by solid play from sophomore Thomas Rivas and cruised to a 15-1 victory. In the next game against DePaul, Notre Dame was able to dominate on offense with help from junior Mike Florack. With defensive pressure on the other side from freshman Bill Carson the team was able to roll to an easy 15-3 win.

Notre Dame then played Northwestern, who had also won their pool earlier that day. The Irish came out strong and took an early 3-1 lead. But despite hard team defense, the offense struggled and Northwestern took the game 12-9. The team played one more game on Saturday versus Ball State. Behind the leadership of grad students Joe Ribaudo and Matthew Rissler, the Irish prevailed 15-9.

Notre Dame faced Loyola-Chicago in the quarterfinals on Sunday against Loyola-Chicago, a team that had defeated the Irish two weeks ago. With stellar defense from junior Nick Chambers and efficient offense from grad student Chris O'Neill, the team jumped all over Loyola on their way to a convincing 15-4 victory. The win gave the team some much needed momentum going into their semifinal game against Indiana. The momentum carried over as Notre Dame got out to an early lead. With continued great play from senior captains Steve Kurtz and Eric Morin, the team held on for a tough 11-10 win.

Notre Dame now moved into the finals against Illinois. Despite strong offensive play from sophomore Daniel Reimer , the Irish lost 15-9. Then the team had to play one last game to determine the 2 nd and 3rd finishers. It was a rematch against Indiana and this time the team had nothing left after their battle with Illinois. The team got down too far early and never recovered in a 15-8 loss. The A team finished third in the section and qualified for the regional tournament April 28-29.

The B team had a harder road to go through this weekend. They opened on Saturday against Northwestern, and despite hard play from freshmen Chris Barron and Shea Bettwy the team lost a tough one. They then fell to Purdue in the second game of pool play. The game went back and forth early on but Purdue pulled away in the end for the win. Next, the team dropped a close game with DePaul, despite fine play from captain Dave Farley.

On Sunday, the B squad lost their first game to Northern Illinois beforeending on a positive note with its first win of the weekend against Indiana State.  

March 30-April 1, 20007

The Notre Dame Women’s Ultimate team traveled to Champaign, IL this Sunday to play in a one-day scrimmage hosted by the University of Illinois. This event provided a great opportunity to play against regional rivals before the College Championship Series beginning April 14-15. The 30-35 mph winds proved to be the greatest foe of the day, however, making play extremely difficult for all teams involved.

The women’s first game of the day was against University of Illinois in Chicago. This first game turned out to be a frustrating one, composed of very long arduous points caused by the wind’s constant control of the disc. Junior handlers Libby Whiting and Shannon Morrison had their work cut out for them working against the wind. Despite the defensive play of the Irish, Chicago was able to score an upwind point in a game of otherwise down-winders to take the victory 5-2.

Notre Dame’s next opponent was Northwestern, a regional rival of the Irish and frequent opponent. This game was more of the same, however; despite the defensive skills of freshmen Katie Morin, Erin Maxwell, Jenna Adsit, and sophomore Hannah Duffey as chasers in the zone defense, Gung-ho was able to score an upwind point, the difference in the game with a final score of 8-5.

The third game of the day was against host Illinois, a team that boasts a tall line with skilled handlers. The winds increased to the highest level of the day, making throws difficult for all involved. The offensive cuts of juniors Loretta Brown and Shields Duss kept the offense moving, but the difficult wind stalled most of the handler movement. Illinois took the victory 9-2 in a very disappointing game for the Irish.

The final game was against the University of Chicago, whom Notre Dame has seen multiple times already this season. Senior handler Jen Pruchnik and sophomore handler Katie Bilek gained even more wind experience as the weather continued to turn for the worst. This game was all trading downwind points, with both teams unable to advance much farther than their own end zone throughout the game. Chicago took the 6-5 victory since they won the opening toss and had the extra downwind point.

Despite the frustrating final tally, the Notre Dame team took away invaluable experience for young handlers throwing with heavy wind. The young downfield team too gained an appreciation for the often difficult playing conditions often found in the Midwest. Notre Dame’s next tournament is the first round of the College Championship Series, the Sectional tournament, in Naperville, IL April 14-15.

This weekend the men's ultimate team traveled to Mount Pleasant, MI, for a tournament at Central Michigan University. The team sent both the A and B squads to compete against many regional opponents and had a fairly successful weekend in preparation for the sectionals in two weeks.

The A team started off with some solid wins on Saturday. Their first game was against Wheaton (IL) and the team came away with a 12-9 victory driven by patient offense in important situations. Junior Mike Florack provided stability at the handler position throughout the game. The second game was against Toronto and the team again was able to come away victorious. The final score was 11-4 accomplished with hard team defense led by junior Jesse McGannon. The third game of the day was against Western Ontario. The game went back and forth but eventually the team earned a 13-7 win guided by multiple scores from freshman Andrew Schroeder. This put the team at 3-0 going into their final game of the day against an overmatched Western Michigan squad. Notre Dame was able to control the game and come away with a commanding 13-2 win behind great play from sophomore Eric Shappell and junior Tim Peterson.

This put the team in a very good position heading into bracket play on Sunday. After a first round bye, the team put their 4-0 record on the line in a rematch against Wheaton. The rematch would end in similar fashion to the first game with a final score of 15-9. Although the hard winds and sloppy fields made the conditions difficult, Notre Dame maintained focus behind the leadership of senior captain Eric Morin and never let Wheaton into the game from the start. This win put the team into the semifinals against a challenging Loyola-Chicago team. The teams were very similar in style and would have to play in very rough ultimate conditions with harsh winds blowing one way down the field. Notre Dame faltered early on to let Loyola take the halftime lead at 8-4. The team was not ready to quit though and with their backs against the wall depended on intense defense from junior Nick Chambers and freshman Bill Carson to fight back into the game. Unfortunately, time ran out on the comeback and the team fell short 12-9. This ended the tournament for the A team and gave the team a lot to work on to prepare for the sectional tournament of the College Series.

The B team was able to get a great amount of experience this weekend. Playing against some of the top teams in the region such as Michigan State, the B team was able to hold its own in some close games. The team finished 2-5 on the weekend, led by the co-captains, junior Dave Tighe and senior David Farley. Fellow senior Andy Crutchfield also provided some much-needed experience to the team comprised mostly of freshman and sophomores. Patient handling by freshman Shea Bettwy and smart cutting by freshman Chris Barron were also key to the team's success.  

March 23-25, 2007

The Notre Dame Ultimate Club hosted the 11th annual Whitesmoke Tournament in South Bend. The tournament was scheduled to be on campus at the Riehle Fields, but wet weather forced the tournament to Boehm Park. A total of 7 women’s teams and 13 men’s teams competed this weekend, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather.

The Men’s team started in a “power pool” of 5 teams with all teams guaranteed a spot in the championship bracket on Sunday. In their first game the Irish faced a club team full of crafty veterans from Michigan, B.A.T. The Irish out ran BAT but the turnovers added up and the Irish lost the game on double game point. Undeterred, the Irish came out hard against Marquette. The Irish were in a dog fight the whole game trading scores, but the depth of talent on Notre Dame proved too much for Marquette. Freshman Andrew Schroeder caught score after score as the Irish posted a 13-11 win. After the bye, the Irish faced section rival Wheaton College. With pin-point throws from Thomas Rivas and crushing defense from Bill Carson, the Irish cruised to a 13-6 victory.

The game of the day, and the raison d’être for Whitesmoke, was the undergrad vs. alumni game. Over twenty alumni made the trip back to their old stomping grounds to match-up against the next generation. Both teams came out firing on all cylinders with the undergrads using their superior conditioning and speed and the alumni using their time tested throws. The undergrads took half 7-4 on a huge grab by Chris O’Neil. In the second half of the 4th game of the day the young legs of the undergrads carried the day with sophomore Daniel Reimer dominating on offense and defense. The undergrads taught the old guys some new tricks and ended the game 13-7.

Sunday started with a bracket of eight teams vying for the championship. The Irish faced North Park in their first game after earning the second seed on Saturday. Solid handling by Jesse McGannon coupled with aggressive cutting by Tim Peterson helped the Irish cruise to a 13-5 victory. In the semis the Irish faced Marquette for the second time. Calm and determined play, most notably by Eriic Blevins, carried the Irish to a 13-10 win. This placed the Irish in the championship game for the first time in the eleven year history of the tournament. In the championship game the Irish faced their first opponent of the weekend, B.A.T., for the second time. After trailing 7-4 at the half, the Irish clawed their way back to take the lead 8-7. However, the throws and veteran savvy of the perennial national contender proved to be too much for the Irish who lost 13-11. Notre Dame’s men’s squad fielded two teams, and the freshmen loaded B team also had a good showing. Mike Moses kept his squad close in nearly every game, with strong defensive support from Oswaldo. The best showing came against Western Michigan, as Matt Ward, Dave Tighe, and David Farley led the team.  

March 10-18, 2007

Notre Dame’s ultimate club traveled to Georgia to participate in two annual tournaments over break, Terminus 2007, and Southerns 2007. In Terminus, the opening event, the Irish men’s squad opened with Gorge Washington. The club struggled early adjusting to the wind and rain, and lost the game 13-6. The next game was against section rival Wheaton. The Irish made the adjustments necessary and solid defensive play allowed the Irish to capitalize on offense, taking the game 13-11.

Next ND faced another team from the great plains region, Indiana. The squad showed good potential, with excellent cutting from Mikey Moses, but it was quite clear that ND Ultimate had the younger and less experienced squad, losing the game 11-9. The Irish then played Michigan, yet another team from the Great Lakes Region. ND Ultimate went down early and tried to claw their way back into the game with each team going on streaks, one of which came as Chris Barron toasted Michigan’s captain for a deep score. In the end the Irish didn’t have quite enough, falling 13-10, and into the B bracket. On Sunday ND Ultimate came out strong and disposed of William and Mary 13-4. The next game was against Swarthmore, and with sweet grabs from Matt “Spacenoodle” Zenz and Krishna Surasi, the Irish closed the tournament with a 13-6 victory.

The Irish were seeded 19th in a field of 32 at the Southerns. The first game on Saturday was against the 3 seed, Georgia Tech. The Irish came out fired up and scored the first two points against a lethargic Georgia Tech team. The game continued with each team trading points until sudden death at 14-14. The Irish started the point on defense, but with everyone shutting down their man, Georgia Tech turned it over. The Irish made the most of their opportunity with Nick “Craig” Chambers grabbing the game winner.

Maryland was next, and the Irish dug themselves a big hole early, going down 8-4 at halftime. Solid popping from Ryan “Door” Gorman and strong defense from Andrew “Boot” Schroeder pulled the club back into the game. With the score again tied 14-14, the squad’s luck ran out, losing 15-14. The Irish then faced Columbia. Intense defense from “Wild” Bill Carson and easy offense led the Irish to a 15-2 win.

The Irish then faced Duke in the last game of the day to determine which team would play in the A bracket. Again the Irish fell behind early, and were down 8-6 at half. Great cuts from Danny Collum and Daniel Riemer, coupled with defensive adjustments allowed the Irish to tie the score at 11. The Irish then shut the door on Duke, scoring back to back points to win the game, 13-11.

In Sunday’s championship bracket, the squad faced Tufts, the new 3 seed in the tournament. the Irish came out fired up but again were down 8-6 at halftime. Great defense allowed the club to stay close but Tufts held on to a 12-11 win. ND Ultimate then played Luther College. Solid offensive play by Mike “Double B” Banning led ND Ultimate to a 15-11 triumph.

The Notre Dame ultimate club’s women’s team participated in the two tournaments in Atlanta as well. Terminus, a well-renowned tournament that draws collegiate teams from across the United States, provided fierce competition during Notre Dame's pool play. Two of the three teams marked in the top ten in national rankings. Notre Dame's first game was against Georgia. The Hodags' swift handler movement proved too much for the Irish women, who lost 13-3. The second game was against regional rival Michigan, and the Notre Dame team, led by senior captain Rachel Meeks and junior captain Shannon Morrison, came out strong. Long backhand puts by Meeks to junior Loretta Brown and sophomore Katie Bilek kept the score close through halftime with a 7-6 Michigan lead. The experience of Michigan allowed them to pull away in the second half and defeat the Irish 13-8.

The third and fourth games of the day were difficult for Notre Dame, who had spent much of their energy in the Michigan game. They lost a frustrating game to Swarthmore 13-6, despite the exceptional defensive efforts of freshman Erin Maxwell. The last game of Saturday's pool play was against Emory, and the Irish dropped their fourth in a row 12-5.

The second day of Terminus turned out better for Notre Dame. In the first match of the day, Notre Dame faced tournament host Georgia Tech. Freshman standouts Katie Morin and Jenna Adsit took large leadership roles on the field and helped the Irish to a 13-6 victory. Next the Irish faced Auburn, a strong team with a similar playing style as Notre Dame. The Irish fought hard, maintaining a strong offensive presence with both long and short throws. This was not enough, however, and the Irish bowed out with a 12-9 loss.

The next weekend, Notre Dame participated in Southerns, a tournament hosted by Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA. The Irish fared much better in Saturday pool play, going 3-1 within their bracket. This included a defeat of Chicago, another regional rival. Their only loss of the day was against the top seeded Yale Ramonas. Despite a strong handler core of Meeks, Morrison, senior Jen Pruchnik, and junior Libby Whiting, the Irish were not able to put up enough points to edge Yale. Tight man defense kept the game close, but the Irish fell 8-6. After finishing 2nd in their pool, Notre Dame had to play a cross-over game against Swarthmore to make it into the championship bracket. The Irish settled a grudge against the War Mothers, defeating them soundly 13-6 to take a 15th seed into the championship bracket.

Sunday's championship bracket play pitted the Irish against the second seed Florida, a highly skilled team with a deep tradition. Notre Dame played well against a strong zone defense, using the popping skills of Adsit, Bilek, and senior Jeannie Joeckel, but still lost 13-5. Notre Dame then dropped into the 9th place bracket, where they defeated Virginia 13-6 in a strong game to end the long trip.

Notre Dame will host the White Smoke Invitational this weekend at Riehle fields, weather and field conditions permitting.  

October 13-22, 2006

The Notre Dame women's ultimate frisbee team traveled to Champaign, IL this past weekend to compete in Fall Out, a two day tournament at the campus of the University of Illinois. The tournament showcased twelve strong Central Plains teams, including many of Notre Dame's regional rivals.

Saturday's format was all pool play, with Notre Dame facing all five other teams in their pool without any bye in between. The young Irish squad played well despite the schedule and winds of 25 - 30 miles. The club opened pool play against Hope/Lewis and dominated throughout the game en route to a 13-0 victory. ND’s next opponent was Valparaiso, another young team with considerable speed. The deep cuts of freshman Jenna Adsit allowed Notre Dame to score easily on upwind points, and the consistent short cuts from sophomore Hannah Duffey allowed for pivotal disc movement going into the wind. The Irish defense gave up just 3 points to Valparaiso, securing the 11-3 victory.

Notre Dame's third opponent of the day was Loyola Chicago, a much more experienced tournament entry. Increased wind gusts throughout this game gave the downwind team a distinct advantage, but the intense defense of freshman Erin Maxwell thwarted multiple Loyola scoring chances. The break backhand of senior captain Rachel Meeks was crucial in this game, helping Notre Dame score two upwind points to secure the wind. Notre Dame defeated Loyola Chicago, 13-8.

The Irish then squared off with the top seed in the pool, host Illinois. Notre Dame took the 4-1 early lead in this match thanks to the handler movement between Meeks and junior captain Shannon Morrison, along with consistent cuts from junior Libby Whiting and junior Lisa Lee. The Fighting Illini mounted a comeback to knot the score at 7-7 late in the game. Despite solid defense from sophomore Jean Whitney and a major defensive stop by Whiting deep in Illinois' end zone, Illinois was able to score a final upwind point to defeat Notre Dame 9-8.

The Irish’ last game in pool play was against Western Illinois, yet another veteran squad. Despite being shorthanded for the tournament, Notre Dame was able to grind out a win against a tough team and an even tougher cross field wind. Solid defense from sophomore Liz Crosby and cross field movement from sophomore Katie Bilek kept Notre Dame alive in many long points as they took the low-scoring game 7-2.

Sunday provided more favorable conditions, with little wind and bright sunshine. Notre Dame finished Saturday 4-1, giving them the second seed in their pool. Their quarterfinals opponent was Purdue, a regional rival that Notre Dame faces multiple times each season. Notre Dame's offense opened strong against the speed of Purdue on defense, finding Lisa Lee deep in the endzone twice and jumping to a quick 3-0 lead. Purdue battled back to tie the game at 3-3, however, and put Notre Dame on its heels with quick handler movement and tough defense. The two teams traded points, with neither team turning over the disc, until the score was 6-6. Purdue's speed, however, shut down the offensive movement of the Notre Dame team and went on a 4 point run with their own transition offense. Notre Dame did not give up, however, and the quick speed from Jenna Adsit as a cutter and Liz Crosby as a handler allowed Notre Dame to score two more points against Purdue in a 13-7 loss.

With two tournaments under their belt and an overall record of 9-3, the women’s squad finished their fall season. The club will continue to train and practice for the spring season, which opens in February in Baton Rouge, LA.

Last weekend the Notre Dame Ultimate Club organized a 24 hour game of ultimate to raise money for the Robinson Community Learning Center. Play began Saturday October 21st at 8:00 pm and continued until Sunday night at 8:00 pm. More than 50 players participated in the event, many of them playing for hours without stopping. In addition, many supporters came out just to cheer on players and help raise money. The game itself was an epic battle between the dark and light teams, which came to be referred to as Hunting and Fishing respectively. At 7:58 pm Sunday, the score was tied 319-319 and on universe point freshman Katie Morin caught the game winning score to bring victory to team Fishing 320-319. The real victory however is that close to $1000 was raised to help the Robinson Center through the kind donations and hard work of Notre Dame Students.

The Ultimate Team would like to thank everyone involved in organizing, playing and donating to this event. Special thanks goes out to sophomore Danny Collom, event organizer.

In competitive play, during the first weekend of fall break, the Notre Dame's men’s squad traveled to Columbus to participate in Ohio State's Fall Brawl Tournament, while the women’s squad competed in the Best of the Midwest in Ann Arbor, MI. In men’s play Notre Dame started the day strong with a 13-11 victory over section rival Indiana. The Irish and Indiana traded points all game long with Notre Dame capitalizing on hard defense by freshman Bill Carson. Time and time again Notre Dame was able to locate sophomores Daniel Reimer and Danny Collom, burning people deep.

Notre Dame had only 3 upperclassmen traveling this weekend and the experienced squads of Ohio and Michigan State proved to be too much. The Irish played good games against both, and focused on resolving issues on the handle. Notre Dame hung with James Madison but lost 13-11. The Irish finished the day 1-3 seeding them against Miami of Ohio on Sunday.

On Sunday, captain Steve Kurtz led the Irish to a first round victory. Once again the game was close and hard defense from Ryan Gorman and others proved to be the difference. This advanced the Irish to the top 16 in a field of 35. The Irish lost another close game to University of Chicago's experienced squad effectively ending their weekend. The Irish played one last game against Penn State focusing on gaining experience for the freshman heavy squad.

In the women’s season opener, the Irish dropped a close 9-7 match to rival Michigan State. The Irish fell behind early 3-0, as the offense struggled to find its rhythm. Freshman Katie Morin stood out in her debut performance as a consistent receiver in the field, while classmate Jenna Adsit’s intensity on defense slowed down the Spartan attack. Although the Irish were able to tie the game at seven, the Spartans closed out the match, and now lead the series 4 - 3.

The Irish learned their lessons well in their opener and proceeded to win their final three games, 13-3 over Michigan B, 11-9 over Michigan A, and 11-7 over Northwestern. Captains Rachel Meeks and Shannon Morrison ran the offense, mixing short, swift passes with long downfield hucks. Sophomores Elizabeth Crosby and jean Whitney, both in their first year as handlers, contributed to the growing confidence of the offense against Michigan B. In the final two games against Michigan and Northwestern, defensive layouts by Meeks and freshman Erin Maxwell highlighted the action, ably assisted by stellar play from yet another freshman, Kathryn Florack.

The Irish women will return to action this weekend in the Illinois Invitational.  

September 22-24, 2006

ND Ultimate went down to Carbondale, Illinois, this weekend for their first tournament of the year. The team brought an even mix of returning players and first year players. On Saturday, ND Ultimate split their squad into two balanced teams. Most teams seemed to fight the driving persistent rain on Saturday but both halves of the Irish squad capitalized taking advantage of a wet supple ground for a plentitude of defensive layouts.

Freshman Brian Nelb and Tom Kenny helped lead Notre Dame Y to an undefeated 4-0 Saturday. The X half had similar success. With strong play from freshman Michael Carilli they kept their opponents to a combined one point while scoring a combined 28 on the day. After losing some players due to schoolwork, ND Ultimate combined to form one squad for elimination Sunday.

On Sunday the Irish advanced directly to the quarter finals against Southern Illinois A due to their strong play on Saturday. The Irish stifling defense never allowed the home team to get in the game. Three of fifteen points were scored by the all freshman line, led by strong handling of the disc by Bryan Wein. In the semis, ND faced Mayfield, the best team the Irish had seen thus far. Freshman Michael Moses came into his own pulling down the disc on offense and on defense helping the Irish secure the game. In the finals, ND Ultimate faced section rival Western Illinois. The game was hotly contested with both teams trying to open up the deep game. The teams took turns trading points up to 6-6 before the Irish pulled away to take an 8-6 lead at the half. Shea continued to lead the squad with strong defense. With their eyes fixed on the trophy the Irish continued to dominate as freshman Michael Banning ruled the skies. The Irish wont the game 15-9, icing a combined 10-0 record on the weekend. The club will measure itself against stiffer competition in three weeks at Ohio State.  

April 28-30, 2006

The curtain came down this weekend on the Notre Dame ultimate club as a great season ended at the Great Lakes Regional. The Irish women’s squad, champions of the Illinois/Indiana sectional, opened pool play against Western Illinois. After trading the first two points downwind, the Irish took control and dominated the Leathernecks, winning 15-4. The Irish continued their roll with another 15-4 victory over Indiana. The match featured great incuts by Missy Reidy and long cuts by Katie Bilek, Jean Whitney, and Libby Whiting.

The Irish next played Michigan State for the right to advance to the championship bracket. Although MSU struck first, the Irish tied the score at 2-2 and then went on to rout the Spartans 15-3. An aggressive defense and smart passes from Shannon Morrison highlighted the team’s play.

The Irish next faced Ohio State in the quarterfinals. The two squads traded downwind points as neither could build a lead. At the end, the Irish were triumphant, narrowly edging the strong Buckeyes, 12-11. In the semifinals, the Irish squared off with Ohio U. Despite fine disc movement among Chrissy Hedges, Lizzy Shiel, and Rachel Meeks, the Irish were unable to convert on the upwind point. Kasey Farrell, Shields Duss, and Loretta Brown all made exceptional grabs on tough throws. Chris Dube played her best game of the season scoring both a Callahan and laying out for the score on offense. In the end however, it wasn’t quite enough, as the Irish dropped a heartbreaker, 15-14, ending the women’s season at 20-6.

The men’s squad opened play against Northern Ohio, and after a slow start, limited their opponents to only one second half score. In second round action, the 4th seeded Irish tangled with 5th seeded Northwestern, and again the Irish prevailed, 15-5 I steadily increasing winds. This proved to be the squad’s high water mark, as the Irish dropped two closely contested contests to Michigan State in pool play, and then to Michigan on the final point, 13-12. The Wolverines would advance to beat Ohio State. It was a bittersweet ending for seniors Tristan Butterfield, Barrs Lang, Mike Savino, Ryan Butler, Vasili Karas, and Andrew Sheehan as they enjoyed a very successful season, only to fall just short of nationals.  

April 7-9, 2006

Notre Dame ultimate club captured first place in both the men’s and women’s divisions this weekend at the Ultimate Players Association Sectional Championships this weekend. Sectionals are the first step toward the 16 sought after places in the National Championship in Columbus Ohio this May. The men’s team went into the weekend seeded fourth, played with intense defense and exacting offense and went unbeaten in the twenty team tournament. The women’s team also took first place in its draw, winning a decisive final match against in-state rival Purdue.

The men's team rolled through Saturday's pool play with victories over Indiana-B (15-2), Hanover (15-0), and Wheaton (15-10). This led to a showdown with top seeded Indiana Sunday morning. Indiana came out with a tight zone defense and grabbed a 5-2 lead. However, the Irish were able to find holes in the zone and picked it apart with phenomenal handling by Ryan Butler, Vasili Karas, and Thomas Rivas. Notre Dame led at the half 8-6. The Irish rode their momentum and took the first two points of the second half, before eventually defeating the Hoosiers, 11-9.

The win put the Irish in the championship game where they faced off against Northwestern. Playing with extreme intensity, the Notre Dame defense stifled Northwestern's offensive flow and great cutting allowed the Notre Dame offense to roll through the game. Senior cutter Andrew Sheehan played well completing many deep passes to fellow senior Barrs Lang, who caught everything thrown his way. Notre Dame won the game handily 15-7, making them the Central Plains Sectional Champions. The intensity seen all weekend bodes well for Notre Dame as they look forward to playing at regionals.

Pool play Saturday for the women’s team began with a 9-6 victory over 6th seeded Western Illinois and wins over Wheaton College, 13-4, and Loyola 10-3. The women’s only loss on Saturday was to Purdue, 8-7. Finishing top four in Pool play, the Irish battled Northwestern, Illinois and Purdue on Sunday. The Irish started off in the semis against Northwestern. With solid deep cuts from Shields Duss and Loretta Brown Notre Dame broke away and won, 12-9.

The Irish then faced Purdue again in the finals of the weekend. Unfazed by the previous day’s loss, the Irish struck first with athletic cutting from Chris Dube, going up 4-0. Purdue came back and kept the game tight. At 6-6, a soft cap went on, making it a game to 8. Great disc movement among the handlers, Lizzy Shiel, Chrissy Hedges, Rachel Meeks and Jen Pruchnik allowed the women to win the game with no turnovers during the last two points of the game. With an 8-6 win, Notre Dame won the Sectionals tournament and will go the Great Lakes Regionals tournament held Chicago, IL April 29, 30 with a top seed.  

March 24-26, 2006

The Notre Dame ultimate club held its tenth annual home tournament, Whitesmoke, this weekend at Riehle and West Quad fields, the first on campus venue in seven years. Ten men’s and women’s teams from throughout the area participated in this two day event, including a team of Notre Dame women's ultimate alumni. The Irish women’s squad defended their tournament title, finishing undefeated for the weekend.

During pool play on Saturday, the Notre Dame women opened up strong in their first game against Valparaiso. The stellar play of sophomore Loretta Brown and senior Kasey Farrell opened up the field and allowed Notre Dame to score easily against the Valparaiso defense, leading the team to a 13-2 win. The momentum of this win carried over to the team's next game against Michigan State B, where the experienced handling duo of seniors Chrissy Hedges and Lizzy Shiel broke down the zone defense and maintained strong offensive flow. This game was also a win for Notre Dame, 10-1.

The third game of the day was against the University of Illinois. Senior Chris Dube led Notre Dame to their third win of the day (12-6) with her speed and intense defense. Sophomores Shannon Morrison and Shields Duss also looked more confident as handlers and made a number of great long passes to open up the game. Notre Dame's final Saturday game was against the alumni team. Both teams were evenly matched and traded points throughout most of the game. Juniors Rachel Meeks and Jen Pruchnik aided the Notre Dame effort with their abilities both as handlers and as receivers. The undergraduate team was unable to overcome the years of experience on the alumni team and lost 11-8.

Sunday began the tournament bracket, and Notre Dame opened up against North Park. Sophomore Libby Whiting played amazing defense and Kerstin Palm had multiple end zone receptions that helped the team coast to a 13-0 victory. The semifinal game was another victory for Notre Dame against Ohio Northern, 13-5. The finals game for the tournament was a rematch of last year's finals, Notre Dame vs. Michigan State. Michigan State once again employed their zone defense to keep the score close in the first half. In the second half, however, Notre Dame pulled away, earning a 13-5 win. For the second straight year, the Notre Dame women's team was the champions of its home tournament.

The men’s squad opened play against Marquette. With handlers Kyle Engoian and Andy Huffman swinging the disc well and throwing several big breaks, the Irish won handily with a final score of 13-4.

Notre Dame then faced off against Western Michigan. The Irish came out strong, with freshman cutters Daniel Reimer and Danny Collom making good deep cuts and stretching the Western Michigan defense out. With the score 12-0, Ryan Butler threw a picture-perfect Hammer for a score to make the count 13-0. The Irish went on to win the game 14-1.

Next, the Irish faced off against the Minnesota club team, Dingwop. Braving the cold and windy South Bend weather, the Irish traded points early, but as the game progressed a few key defensive breaks by freshman Ryan Gorman, helped Notre Dame win the game 13-8.

For the last game of the day, the Irish played the alumni team, which boasts many players that play for nationals-caliber club teams. Patient offense helped the Irish score every time they received the disc and tight defense gave the alumni no slack. An early layout D by sophomore Michael Florack helped set the tone for the entire game. When the alumni looked for deep hucks, junior Steven Kurtz and graduate student Christopher O'Neill were right there to sky the alumni. Going to their own deep threat, senior Barrs Lang, the Irish capitalized on turns and slowly worked their way to a 15-11 victory. For the last 10 points of the game, the alumni ran an excellent zone defense against the Irish, but good work on the wings, especially on the part of sophomore Nick Chambers, helped spread the defense out and allow the Irish offense to flow.

On Sunday morning, Notre Dame faced off against the South Bend Club team, Blah. The Irish came out looking a bit slow, and traded points for the first half of the game. In the second half, Notre Dame made several mistakes on offense and Blah capitalized on them. Blah went on to win the game 13-12.  

March 3-5, 2006

The women’s squad of the Ultimate club traveled to West Lafayette this past Sunday to scrimmage sectional rivals Purdue, Indiana and Northwestern. The Irish took control of the tournament and posted strong wins against all three teams. Although the snow started just about the time as the games, all the teams toughed out the cold and played hard.

After trading points with Northwestern, Notre Dame took a two point lead into half. Notre Dame kept up the intensity at the start of the next half and won the game 8-6. Junior Jeannie Joekel played stellar defense and made numerous layout D’s. The second game pitted the women against Indiana, a team looking for revenge after losing to the Irish at the Mardi Gras tournament the past weekend in Baton Rouge. The Irish were unfazed and kept the disc moving on offense. The 9-3 Irish victory featured a sensational layout bid for a score from sophomore Libby Whiting.

The final game was against nationally ranked Purdue. Notre Dame took a quick lead 3-1 and held on for the remainder of the game, winning 8-3. Senior Chrissy Hedges made some hot forehand hucks to the end zone, connecting with fellow senior Chris Dube and sophomore Loretta Brown for scores. Senior Kasey Farrell’s key defensive stops and lau out for a score highlighted the contest. The Irish will travel to Atlanta next weekend to play in College Terminus.

February 24-26, 2006

The Notre Dame Ultimate Club traveled to Baton Rouge this weekend for the annual Mardi Gras tournament. Despite the wet and muddy fields, both the men’s and women’s teams played well during the 2 day tournament. The women’s team started out strong, easily defeating their first two opponents, Truman St and TCU, 12-3 and 11-2 respectively. The rain and wind on Saturday made the disc slippery and passes hard to throw or catch. However, that didn’t stop a huge layout score from sophomore Shields Duss during the TCU game. Senior Chris Dube was a dominant threat on the field during the games, both offensively and defensively. Great defensive play also came from freshmen, Mary Clare McGregor and Katie Bilek during the two games.

As the day went on, the field conditions became worse greatly affecting play as the women went into their third game against always strong Michigan. Despite sophomore Loretta Brown snagging some discs from the air to stop the flow of Michigan’s offense, the women still dropped the game 13-1. Although the connections didn’t come for the Notre Dame offense, sophomore Libby Whiting’s play was a highlight as she competed in her first ultimate tournament. The final game of the day was against LSU. Although the game was short, Notre Dame took control winning 6-0. Excellent upwind throws from senior Lizzy Shiel made the wind not a factor in this game.

After a miscommunication from the tournament director about game time, the Notre Dame women’s team found themselves in the consolation bracket. This did not put a damper on their competitive attitude, however. The weather conditions on Sunday were much improved and the sun finally made an appearance. The team’s opponent was sectional rival Indiana. The Irish shut out the Hoosiers, 10-0. Senior Kasey Farrell was a strong force in this game making impressive catches and stepping up as a handler. Junior Jeannie Joekel found her groove this game too and made a layout D to stop a score twice in the end zone along with some layouts on offense as well. Junior Rachel Meeks continually broke down the zone defense with her break mark passes and sharp throws.

The men’s field boasted 52 college teams competing on slippery fields as rain continued throughout play on Saturday. The Irish swept all four opponents on the day, defeating Arkansas B, Grinnell, Rice, and Florida B. Although the offense had difficulty catching the wet disc, the defense was stellar, led by freshmen Thomas Rivas and Ryan Gorman.

Sunday's play began with a cross over game against Washington University with the winner advancing to the top 16 teams. Washington, taking advantage of the wind, fronted Notre Dame's cutters for most of the game, but sophomores Nick Chambers and Michael Florack were able to use their speed and experience to get open. Despite the wind and a few upwind scores by Washington, the Irish pulled out an 10-9 victory.

This close win pitted Notre Dame against regional rival Michigan, the second seed in the tournament. The Irish opened up their roster up in an effort to gain more experience, while Michigan, with their deeper roster hammered away at the Irish. Despite senior Barrs Lang and freshman Daniel Reimer controlling the skies with impressive defensive and offensive plays, Michigan won, ending the Irish play for the weekend. Handlers Andy Huffman and Jesse McGannon played well all weekend and look to be a real help to the handler-short Irish.

With rookies Sean O'Keeffe, Jeff Osowski, Sean Gaffney, Danny Collom, and Mike Savino cutting hard all weekend and making great defensive plays, the Irish took a huge step toward powerhouse status in the Great Lakes region.  

September 23-25, 2005

Some of the top contenders in the Midwest showed up to the 7th annual Hucktoberfest Ultimate Tournament this weekend in Whitewater WI. For the first time this early in the season, Notre Dame Ultimate men’s squad was able to field two teams, both of which consisted of seasoned veterans such as Steve Kurtz and Barrs Lang and a slew of fiery underclassmen including Daniel Reimer, Eric Shappell, and Matt Ward.

Notre Dame X, went 4-1 on the weekend playing well against stiff competition. The Irish opened with a 13-3 victory over Minnesota X before dropping a close 13-10 decision to Wisconsin Whitewater X. The club rebounded with a pair of one sided games against Western Illinois, 13-4 and North Park, 13-5. As the tournament drew to its conclusion, the Irish lost to Winona, 13-8 and closed with a forfeit victory over Whitewater Y.

In speaking about their offensive performance against opposition that largely played zone defense due to the rainy conditions, sophomore Tim Peterson explained of the North Park match, “they thought zone would shut us down but we made their defense look like Swiss cheese. We were patient then fired quickly at any opportunity they game us.”

In the beginning of the North Park match, Notre Dame came out sluggish conceding 4 points before scoring. It was after the forth point scored by North Park and a celebratory disc spiking that Notre Dame X got to work. After discussing their vehement dislike for any team that has the chutzpa to spike on them, Notre Dame opened North Park wide open going on a 12-1 run to win the game.

Notre Dame- Y also had a solid start to the season. Led by seniors Vasili Karas, Bob Palchow, and Tristan Butterfield, ND-Y, went 3-3 on the weekend. After clinching an opening 10-8 win over St. Thomas, the Irish dropped a 13-10 contest Wisconsin - EauClaire, 13-10. The Irish continued to seesaw their way through the draw, beating Iowa State, 13-7, and host Whitewater Y, 13-10, before dropping a pair to Minnesota Y, 13-10, and St. Cloud State, 13-11 to complete play.

Sophomores Eric Blevins and Mike Florak played outstanding man defense and stepped up their roles as future leaders of the team. New additions to the roster Ryan Gorman, Thomas Rivas, and Sean Gaffney played with poise and tenacity throughout the weekend.

Notre Dame had come from behind victories on both Saturday and Sunday that showed the fortitude that is the mark of ND Ultimate. The teams ended up taking 5th and 9th place over all in a 40-team tournament, a formidable start to a strong year. Next weekend ND Ultimate travels to Ann Arbor to challenge Michigan, Michigan State, and a full lineup of midwestern heavyweights.

Notre Dame’s women’s ultimate squad also competed at Hucktoberfest. The women’s team had a strong showing, boasting one of its largest rosters for its first fall tournament. The young team, with 12 rookies, played well during pool play on Saturday and Sunday despite the rainy weather conditions. After dropping the first two games on Saturday to Wheaton and Winona St, 13-5 and 13-8 respectively, the team made a strong showing in the third match, beating St. Olaf 13-4. The final two games were greatly affected by the constant rain and the Notre Dame womens team lost 4-13 to a more experienced club team, 2 Days Slow and 8-13 to Western Illinois. Playing for 5th place on Sunday, the team won by forfeit against a tired Winona St. team.

Sophomores Shannon Morrison and Shields Duss and junior Anne Kroeger stepped up in their roles as handlers to help senior captain Chrissy Hedges run the Notre Dame offense. Sophomore Mel Bautista was a constant offensive threat with her quick cuts and layouts. New players Jean Whitney and Kasey Farrell also tormented the opposition with a combination of long cuts and handling abilities. Freshmen Adi Nott, XT Khaw, and Missy Reidy were essential in keeping the disc moving on the field. Freshman Sarah Lyons impressed the team with her vertical defensive plays. The women’s team finished 5th overall out of a pool of 7. They will travel to Michigan this coming weekend to participate in the Wolverine’s Best of the Midwest tournament.  

April 15-17, 2005

Both the Notre Dame's men's and women's squad of the ultimate club qualified for Regionals play in May by placing second and third respectively at the Great Plains Sectionals at Purdue this past weekend in a field of 21 teams. The Great Lakes Regional will be hosted May 7 - 8 at Ohio State.

The women's team played efficiently and intelligently, displaying the poise and composure of a seasoned team. During pool play on Saturday the Irish rolled over early challengers by a collective total of 52 points, as they defeated Western Illinois, 13-2, Earlham, 13-0, Indiana State, 13-5, and 2nd seeded Illinois State, 13-8. Nancy Powaga's consistent threat in the end zone, answering to the lethal throws from Elizabeth Shiel and Rachel Meeks, provided Notre Dame with score after score. Captain Meredith Sheperd also proved to be a threat in the end zone, as well as on the handle. The intensity of the Irish defense was a key ingredient to their play all weekend.

In the pool play semifinals, the Irish dominated Northwestern, 15-4, advancing to the finals against nationally 4th ranked Purdue. The game was intense throughout with Notre Dame and Purdue trading points. Christine Dube and Heather Tsukamoto exceptional defense was vital in challenging Purdue's best offensive players, forcing their handlers to retreat. Loretta Brown and Shields Duss proved their positions as core players of the team with aggressive offensive play. Purdue proved to be to strong for the Irish, as they pulled away in the second half and captured 1st place with a 15-9 victory. A fatigued Irish squad next played a well-rested Northwestern team for 2nd place, and fell in their final game to finish in third place.

The men were seeded seventh and needed to upset two teams to advance to the Great Lakes Region. The squad upset three higher ranked clubs. The Irish opened play with two quick wins over Illinois B, 15-4, and Rose-Hulman, 15-2, setting the stage for a third round match up with second seeded Indiana. The Irish trailed 8-2 at the half before rallying for a 17-15 victory. The Irish played tight man-defense forced successive IU turnovers, and their horizontal stack offense put up point after point. With the game tied at 15, the Irish defense cornered IU into the back of their own end zone. Captain Matthew Sullivan then saw an opportunity to leap into a throwing lane, laying out to intercept the disc for the dramatic go-ahead score, which spurred the Irish to victory. On Sunday, the Irish duplicated their thrilling comeback with a 17-16 victory over Northwestern in the semifinals. Trailing their opponents for most of the game, the Irish had trouble defending against Northwestern's tall deep cutters. However, a trap zone defense, deployed by the Irish in the final minutes of the game, flustered Northwestern's handlers and forced them to make poor throws. Cutter Andrew Sheehan capitalized on the uncertain throws with several defensive lay outs, and the team's collectively solid offensive play tied the game at 16. On the final point, Northwestern had a chance to score, but their throw to the end zone was intercepted. The Irish then marched quickly up the field for the winning score and a spot in the finals.

In that championship game against Illinois, the Irish played well but could not overcome an early deficit or Illinois' very technical horizontal stack offense, resulting in a 15 to 9 loss to the perennial Sectional and Regional power. In their final match against Purdue to determine 2nd and 3rd place seeding for Regionals, the Irish pulled away from their opponents early in the first half and never let up the pressure, coming away with a 15 to 7 victory over the host Boilermakers.

The Irish will likely be seeded 5th or 6th among 16 teams at Regionals, with the top two teams advancing to Nationals in Salem, OR. The men also sent a B team to the tournament, which mirrored the A team's 5-1 record by going 1-5. Captain Andrew Hartnett led his squad to respectable finishes against a number of sectionals powers on Saturday before finally breaking through with a win over Chicago B, 13-6, in the last game on Sunday. Handler Jesse McGannon played well all weekend, making consistent throws to cutters Dave Farley, Matt Lisowski, Tim Peterson, and Brad Stuart.  

April 8-10, 2005

The University of Notre Dame Men's Ultimate Club took fourth place out of fifteen teams in Champaign, IL this past weekend, in what proved to be a break-out tournament for the Irish. Seeded third in their pool of five behind number one seed Illinois and the tournament's sixth seed Wheaton, Notre Dame came out slow on Saturday and progressively improved their play throughout the day. In their first game against Western Michigan the Irish were slow to react on defense and seemed unsure of their horizontal stack offense. But fiery leadership from Captain Matthew Sullivan, newly recovered from injuries, helped the team to secure a 13-9 victory. In game two against rival Wheaton the Irish went point for point against the Chicago team that had beaten them at their last two meets. Strong defensive play from Andrew "Turkish" Hochstedler and consistent cutting from Steve Kurtz helped Notre Dame to pull away from the Thunder in the final moments of the game to win 13-11. Chris O'Neill anchored the team with cunning field sense and critical height on both offensive and defensive points.

Riding the wave of their success into the third game against annual Nationals contender Illinois, the Irish went neck and neck with the tournament's hosts until losing a critical downwind point in the middle of the second half. Both teams dominated offensively with veteran David Hoffman completing stunning full-field hucks to Andrew "Puddles" Sheehan and the team's tall man Eric Morin. Losing 13-10 the Irish gave Illinois their closest game of the tournament. The Irish mopped up in their final game of the day against Case Western, obliterating the Ohio team, 13-6. Mike Florack played a key defensive role in the Irish victory by shutting down Case's top cutter, and handler Richard Bartholomew kept offensive play flowing in the back-field.

The Irish came out to a strong start Sunday morning, defeating University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 15-6 in the pre-quarterfinals. Lefty Vasili Karas continued to impress in his new role as a core handler for the Irish and rookies Nick "Craig" Chambers and Tommy Hanculak came into their own, shutting down their opponents with strong defensive play. Fired up by Greek and Turkish motivational speeches the Irish took the tournament's third seed, St. Cloud State, by storm in a 15-4 quarterfinal victory. Captain Matthew Sullivan played stunning defense that clogged St. Cloud's handler motion and forced them to make poor up-field throws.

Notre Dame's defining game of the weekend came in the Semifinals against last year's Nationals participants Michigan State. The Irish came out to an early lead against Burning Couch, defensively neutralizing their explosive horizontal stack offense and putting hard marks on their crafty handlers. On offense, Irish handler Ryan Butler threaded passes through Michigan State's brutal defense to keep the disk from stagnating in the backfield. Cutters Morin and Kyle Engoian timed runs to relieve handlers from defensive pressure and Hoffman made crucial upwind hucks to long O'Neill. Both Chambers and Kurtz were huge offensive threats for the Irish, utilizing open space and coming down with the disk in 50/50 situations. With the Irish up 5-4, Michigan State took a time out in an attempt to gain momentum, but the Irish defense remained solid. With the score tied at 7-7 the Irish forced their opponents to turn the disk on their end-zone line and called a time out to plan an end zone offense. Play resumed with Hochstedler faking a handler cut up the line before dropping back to receive the dump from Sullivan. Sullivan cleared hard to the stack and then faked out his man with a quick cut to the force side for a lay out score on a pass from Hochstedler, taking half with a lead of 8-7. Michigan State came out fired up in the second half to pull ahead 11-9. The Irish flustered their opponents with an unexpected zone defense and tied the game at 12-12. Strong man defense also shut down Michigan State's signature Swimfan end zone offense, but in the dying minutes of the game Irish fatigue and miscommunication between handlers gave Michigan State the opportunity to win 15-12. Exhausted from their game against Notre Dame, Michigan State went on to get crushed by Illinois 15-7 in the finals.

The Irish came away from the weekend excited to play with a full roster at next weekend's sectionals tournament in West Lafayette against rivals Indiana University, Purdue, University of Chicago and the University of Illinois. Missing from this week's tournament were top cutters Barrs Lang (out for injuries) and Andrew Sheehan who could not attend the critical semifinals against Michigan State.  

April 1-3, 2005

Notre Dame's ultimate club split their squads this weekend and traveled to two venues. The women competed at Wisconsin, winning two of three contests. Relying on the strength of their zone defense, the Irish opened with a 13-7 victory over Illinois. Defense proved the difference in the second game as well; but this time it was that of Northwestern. The Wildcats innovative defense stymied the Irish, who trailed 7-2 at the half. Although making adjustments that allowed scoring, the Irish were unable to bounce back, falling 13-8. In the consolation game for 2nd place, the Irish easily handled Laurence University, 13-3.  

March 18-20, 2005

This weekend, the Ultimate Club hosted "Whitesmoke," the Notre Dame Invitational, competing against teams from the Great Lakes region. Inclement weather moved the venue from Riehle Field to Boehm Park, though the change hardly affected either the men's or women's team success. The men placed third in a field of ten, while the women won their eight team bracket to take home the tournament title. An A and B team competed for both the men and women, as did an alumni reunion team in each division.

During pool play on Saturday, the men's A team got off to a slow start in their first game against Michigan, but made a late surge to take the game, 11-9. Having settled down and adjusted to the windy and rainy conditions, the Irish won their next two games against Western Michigan and Valparaiso in dominating fashion, with scores of 13-8 and 13-1, respectively. This set up the most competitive game of the weekend, a two hour struggle between the 3-0 A team, and the likewise undefeated alumni team. The men stormed out to a 7-5 halftime advantage against their former mentors before the alums regrouped and eventually knotted the contest at 14-14. Then on double game point in a game to 15, the undergrads put forth a spirited effort, but a tipped disc found its way into an alum's hands in his end zone to secure the dramatic win.

On Sunday, the A team won its quarterfinal match up against the South Bend Club Team, 13-8, but fell in the semifinals to Wheaton, 13-7, finishing the weekend with a 4-2 record. The alumni enacted revenge for their undergrads however, by defeating Wheaton, 13-10, in the final and taking the men's tournament championship. Andrew Hochstedler, Andrew Sheehan, Vasili Karas, Eric Morin, and Chris O'Neill paced both the offense and defense all weekend, while Steve Kurtz and Nick Chambers provided the team's greatest energy lift as two key reserves.

The men's B team compiled a 2-4 record, posting convincing victories over Illinois and Valparaiso, 11-7 and 13-7, respectively. They also put forth a strong effort against the alumni team in their quarterfinal match up, dropping the contest to their elders, 12-7, after impressively holding an early game lead. Playing with poise and making most of their team's throws were Tristan Butterfield and Andrew Hartnett, while cutters Jesse McGannon, Dave Farley, Brad Stuart, and Ken Walsh ran well all weekend long.

The Notre Dame Invitational was an inspirational weekend for the women's squad which, for the first time in the tournament's history, claimed 1st place. With 24 players the team was able to enter two teams. A 9-5 win for Team 1 against the Notre Dame alumni team started off the weekend with great momentum. A disheartening 11-9 loss to long time rival Michigan State University followed, but confidence was regained with a 13-2 victory over Michigan. Notre Dame's second team, led by Amanda Schramm, Rashelle Simpson and Elizabeth Pfister played well in losses to Ohio Northern, 9-2, and Oberlin, 13-2, with Kirsten Palm outrunning opponents in the long feild. The scores were not representative of the team's play, as several new players stepped up as future leaders on the field. Lucy Summerville, Tara Devine and Elizabeth Lee proved themselves to be invaluable handlers. Anne Kroeger, Mary Boyer, Loreta Brown and Colleen Stehlin gained experience.

Sunday's games were truly momentous for this team. In the quarters, ND's Team 1 defeated ND's Team 2, 10-6, advancing to the semifinals. The Irish defeated Oberlin, 13-2, setting up a rematch with Michigan State for the championship. The Irish emerged triumphant, 12-10, as Christina Hedges, Rachel Meeks, Elizabeth Shiel and Jennifer Pruchnik shredded the Spartans' vaunted zone defense. Nancy Powaga, and Meredith Sheperd came up with grabs in the endzone, while Christina Dube and Stephanie Snyder dominated midfield play. Freshmen Shannon Morisson and Shields Duss provided strong depth off the bench.

The Irish will next compete in Sectionals on April 16th.

The Ultimate Club competed during spring break in Savannah, GA at the week long High Tide Tournament. The Women compiled a 3-4 record, finishing sixth out of 12 teams, while the men finished 6-2 to take third place out of 28 teams.

For the Men, pool play began Tuesday in wind gusts of over 20mph, placing a high demand on skilled throws to cope with the conditions. The team was up to the challenge, scoring enough difficult upwind points to defeat UConn, 10-4, Michigan State B, 9-8, and Lehigh, 8-7 en route to a perfect 3-0 day. Day two had the men playing in a "power pool" against three other undefeated teams from the field. In less severe conditions, the Irish opened with a come-from-behind 13-10victory over Richmond, and followed up with a dominating performance against UNC Greensboro, 13-5, before succumbing to Michigan State A, 13-7.

Thursday capped play with a single-elimination tournament. The men started the day by defeating longtime High Tide rival Wesleyan in the quarterfinals, 15-6, advancing the Irish to the semifinals. Once there, a poor start and some bad luck allowed Edinboro to jump out to a 14-8 lead, one point short of victory. A rally by the Irish closed the gap to 14-13, but the Irish dropped the final point and bowed out of the tournament in third place.

All week long, the men were propelled on offense by the consistent play of handlers Andrew Hochstedler, Ryan Butler, and Richie Bartholomew and cutters Andrew Sheehan, Vasili Karas, Eric Morin, Kyle Engoian, and Tim Peterson. Defensively, Tommy Hanculak gave a standout performance to pace a unit that also saw solid contributions from Steve Kurtz, Andy Crutchfield, and Mike Florack.

The women opened play on Tuesday in a stiff wind. The Irish dropped two of their first three games, but the win was a noteworthy 10-7 triumph over defending champion and top seeded Boston University. The Terriers would prevail and champions this year as well. Highlights of the first day included an upwinder scored by Christine Dube on a pass from Lizzy Shiel, and a Callahan point scored by Jen Pruchnik on a block by Lucy Summerville.

Playing better as the weather improved, the Irish swept all three opponents the next day. Kaile Ross led the attack and Shannon Morrison the defense as the Irish came from behind to defeat UNC Greensboro, 11-10. The second contest was a shutout of Wesleyan B, and the squad dominated Edinboro, 13-2, behind the passing of Amanda Schramm.

After pool play the Women were ranked 8th in the A bracket. For the second consecutive year the Irish were eliminated from the tournament by Michigan State, in a 7-6 thriller. Rachel Meeks, Shields, Duss, and Stephanie Snyder stood out for the Irish.  

March 5-13, 2005

The Ultimate Club competed during spring break in Savannah, GA at the week long High Tide Tournament. The Women compiled a 3-4 record, finishing sixth out of 12 teams, while the men finished 6-2 to take third place out of 28 teams.

For the Men, pool play began Tuesday in wind gusts of over 20mph, placing a high demand on skilled throws to cope with the conditions. The team was up to the challenge, scoring enough difficult upwind points to defeat UConn, 10-4, Michigan State B, 9-8, and Lehigh, 8-7 en route to a perfect 3-0 day. Day two had the men playing in a "power pool" against three other undefeated teams from the field. In less severe conditions, the Irish opened with a come-from-behind 13-10victory over Richmond, and followed up with a dominating performance against UNC Greensboro, 13-5, before succumbing to Michigan State A, 13-7.

Thursday capped play with a single-elimination tournament. The men started the day by defeating longtime High Tide rival Wesleyan in the quarterfinals, 15-6, advancing the Irish to the semifinals. Once there, a poor start and some bad luck allowed Edinboro to jump out to a 14-8 lead, one point short of victory. A rally by the Irish closed the gap to 14-13, but the Irish dropped the final point and bowed out of the tournament in third place.

All week long, the men were propelled on offense by the consistent play of handlers Andrew Hochstedler, Ryan Butler, and Richie Bartholomew and cutters Andrew Sheehan, Vasili Karas, Eric Morin, Kyle Engoian, and Tim Peterson. Defensively, Tommy Hanculak gave a standout performance to pace a unit that also saw solid contributions from Steve Kurtz, Andy Crutchfield, and Mike Florack.

The women opened play on Tuesday in a stiff wind. The Irish dropped two of their first three games, but the win was a noteworthy 10-7 triumph over defending champion and top seeded Boston University. The Terriers would prevail and champions this year as well. Highlights of the first day included an upwinder scored by Christine Dube on a pass from Lizzy Shiel, and a Callahan point scored by Jen Pruchnik on a block by Lucy Summerville.

Playing better as the weather improved, the Irish swept all three opponents the next day. Kaile Ross led the attack and Shannon Morrison the defense as the Irish came from behind to defeat UNC Greensboro, 11-10. The second contest was a shutout of Wesleyan B, and the squad dominated Edinboro, 13-2, behind the passing of Amanda Schramm.

After pool play the Women were ranked 8th in the A bracket. For the second consecutive year the Irish were eliminated from the tournament by Michigan State, in a 7-6 thriller. Rachel Meeks, Shields, Duss, and Stephanie Snyder stood out for the Irish.

Weather permitting, the Ultimate Club will be hosting a tournament on campus this coming weekend, March 19-20, on Riehle and McGlinn Fields. The club encourages students to come out and witness the sport played on a competitive, collegiate level against other clubs from around the Midwest. Play begins at 9:00 a.m. both days and finishes at 5:00 p.m.  

February 4-6, 2005

This weekend, the Ultimate Club traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to compete in the 18th annual Mardi Gras Tournament. Both the women's and men's teams enjoyed success in their first outings of the Spring season, led by senior captains Meredith Sheperd and Matt Sullivan, respectively. The women won three of five contests, while the men won five of six. Notre Dame Womens Ultimate showed increasing intensity with every game this weekend. Rachel Meeks and Kaitlin Price were key players in a 13-5 win against Tulane University. Rachel on the handle with many beautiful throws to rookie Kaitlin. The second game was an easy 13-6 win against Grinnel College. The Grinnel women had style but not enough to cut down the finesse of Christina Hedges' swing throws and long hucks to Nancy Powaga's stellar catches in the deep feild. The women's only loss on Sunday was to the first seed club team Zanzara. Heather Tsukamoto proved to be an absolute asset and too wily for these older women as Notre Dame struggled to secure 5 points to their 13. The last game on Sunday was the "Big Easy" for the Irish after facing Zanzara, as Notre Dame shut out Texas State 13-0. First year players Colleen Stehlin, Sheilds Duss, and Stephanie Snyder, belied their inexperience. The First game of Saturday was a disappointing 9-8 loss to Carleton College in double overtime. Jenifer Pruchnik revealed surprising coolness as a young handler, with the help of veteran handler Elizabeth Shiel. Kristin Dube worked into the open midfield point after point against a strong zone defense. Rashelle Simpson impressed the crowds with Several unlikely catches in the shifty wind. Meanwhile, the men enjoyed a 5-1 record, winning their first five games before eventually succumbing to a top-seeded Illinois team in Sunday's championship bracket. Barrs Lang and Ryan Butler provided offensive flourish while Steve Kurtz and Mike Florack were standouts on defense. Tommy Hanculak and Nick Chambers had great success playing in their first tournament. But it was the consistent, high-level play of Andrew Hochstedler and Andrew Sheehan on both sides of the disc that put an otherwise young team in the position to compete with elite competition from around the country.

November 19 - 21, 2004

The ultimate club’s women’s squad enjoyed a very successful weekend, winning five of six games to place second at the Chattanooga Invitational. Behind the stellar play of Christina Hegdes and Rachel Meeks, the youthful Irish opened by dominating U. Tennessee Chattanooga, 13-2, and College of Charleston, 13-4. The third round match-up with Michigan State provided many highlights as the Irish edged the Spartans, 11-10. Nancy Powaga controlled the long field and endzone with many fine catches. Saint Mary’s junior Stephanie Snyder, Kristine Dube and Jennifer Pruchnik all were pivotal in securing the win.

In the semifinals against UNC Greensboro, freshmen Elizabeth Lee, Shields Duss, and Shannon Morrison supported Mary Klinkhammer, Loretta Brown, and Megan Davisson as the Irish rolled 13-5. The Irish were upended in the finals by Emory, 13-5, despite several lay-out defensive plays by Davisson. For the tournament, SMC’s Stephanie Snyder was runner-up for the UTC Spirit Award, awarded for friendliness and sportsmanship.

October 1-3, 2004

Notre Dame’s Ultimate club opened play at the Wisconsin Whitewater Invitational. Both the men’s and women’s squads took third in the event. In women’s play, captain Meredith Shepard’s squad relied heavily on a strong group of freshmen as the club won five of six contests, losing to Purdue in the semifinals of the sixteen team field. The men also dropped a semifinal match with Purdue to finish third in a 32 team field. The men’s squad finished 3-3.