The Near Misses

Those who have been waiting for me to conclude my top-10 ultimate game list will have to wait just a little bit longer, but here are some of the near misses. I think there are some surprises on this list, some of them even surprise me and it is my list.

5 Most Surprising Snubs

1) CLX v. Hang Time--Quarterfinals of Nationals 2005
It seems like this game should be on the list and if it wasn't for one thing happening, I think it would be high up on the list, but it did happen. CLX played Hang Time in pool play and had a lead in the middle of the second half, but ended up losing the game. Hang Time had yet to lose and was one of only two undefeated coed teams at nationals. In fact, Hang Time had only lost to Donner Party in the last three or four years of coed play. This quarterfinal game was even more important because the winner of the game not only made it to semis of nationals, but was guaranteed a bid to world in Australia in 2006. We played a great game of ultimate, trading points almost the entire game. I got to catch some scores, including the final score of the game to win 15-13. There was a great upwind zone point right before half were the team took 40-50 passes to move it upfield, but never gave up the disc, and took half. Austin played great defense on Tom Etchison, Hang Time's monstrously tall goal scorer.

So why isn't this game in the top 10? We beat an incredible team, we made it to semis, and we made it to worlds. But, our women's captain got creamed on a layout attempt and got a concussion. She spent the rest of the game on the sidelines asking the same questions over and over again like she had some sort of dementia and the look in her eyes was really creepy and distant. It affected me a great deal and I was even tearing up on the field during the last couple of points, so it was a very emotional win, but lacking the lustre of a great win. I was just relieved to have the game over.

2) CLX v. Shazam--Finals of 2004 Nationals
Why isn't this game on the list you ask? We were playing for a national title against a team that had an abundance of talent. Shazam had knocked off Brass Monkey to make to the finals, while CLX had lost some games and won some games to make it to finals, some of them in dramatic fashion. CLX never really seemed into this game and the team as a whole played nervous. I especially did. I was recorded as having seven turnovers in the game (but still +1 fantasy!), which caused Brian Lucido to nickname me Kevin "The Seven" Seiler. Thanks Brian. Even if we won finals, I don't think it would have been high on the list, the game just didn't feel right.

3) CLX v. Flaming Moe--Semifinals of 2004 Central Regionals
CLX and Flaming Moe had an intense rivalry going in 2004. Moe beat us in the finals of Aquatennial, beat us in semis at Cooler, and destroyed us at sectionals. We, on the other hand beat them in pool play at Aquatennial 17-16, gave them their biggest loss of the season in pool play at CHCs 13-5, then beat them to win CHCs 15-13. The overall record was 3-3. This game was the "game to go" at Central Regionals because both teams in the finals were awarded bids to nationals. The game was intense, but short. A 14-team format had us playing every game to 11 at regionals. Thats right: 11. Ultimate games, especially elimination games at regionals should never be played to 11. I think we beat them 11-9 or 11-8. I played a great game and got into it with a Moe guy in particular, but this game could have been great if played to 15. Alas.

4) CLX v. Mr. Briefcase--Game to go to the game to go at 2005 Central Regionals
CLX was supposed to make nationals in 2005 after finishing second in the nation in 2004. Our road to nationals was lengthened by a loss to Meth in the semis. We then had to win two more games to qualify. The first was against Mr. Briefcase, a team from Chicago. This game had all sorts of spooky things about it. First, the loser of the game took fifth. In 2003, CLX was the number one seed at regionals and took fifth. Moe was the 1 seed at 2004 regionals and finished fifth. Now CLX was the 1 seed at 2005 regionals and we were down 12-9 in a game to 13. It looked like we were going to take fifth and an orca-talented team was about to have it's season ended. Also, Mr. B was a team that had some ex-Kaze members on it, the same team that knocked us out of 2003 regionals. Again, down 12-9, the disc goes up to a Mr. B player long. He's wide open for the win...he drops it. I have no idea how. We rattle off 4 points in a row to win the game, go on to beat Flaming Moe, take the 3rd spot to nationals, finish 3rd at nationals and qualify for worlds. Sweet. But, in the words of Jules Winfield "We should have been dead back there." I felt like we were dead and had a strange stay of execution feel after the game, not a feeling of excitement.

5) CLX v. Shazam and Meth at 2005 Nationals
Lastly, these two game were great wins, but nothing deserving of the top 10. We got revenge on Meth for our loss at regionals and knocked Meth into the bottom eight at nationals. We also beat Shazam and got revenge on them for the finals of the year before. But neither game was ever in question, so they weren't great games. We zoned Meth almost every point and they just threw stupid turnovers. We had a number of great plays in those games like RSheldahl's grab from Lana against Meth, Austin's toe-line grab against Zach from Meth, Abby's toe-line grab against Shazam, and I caught a toe-line hammer from Ross against Shazam. So, there was no shortage of amazing plays and intensity, but we beat them so bad that there was no question of us losing, so they aren't on the list. All of the games mentioned are in my top 20, but not top 10.

That's it. Later.