2013-08-27
Summer League is here. Friendships and rivalries are renewed. If you were on Christian‘s team for the Spring season and find yourself on Frazer‘s team for the summer, look no further than those drops and throwaways during the playoffs. Perhaps after 7 MUD seasons you’ve drifted from one captain to another, fearing that you may some day land on a Alex Schneider‘s team, always hoping on draft day you’ll find your way to Mateo’s team, on which you’re sure to win some games and have fun giggling over his witticisms. Unfortunately, once again you’re on the new captain’s team, and you worry the season may be spent languishing in loss after loss while he figures out how to set up a Doodle. While it’s tempting to believe that your team is a reflection of your captain and your team’s fate is sealed on draft day, it’s not true: teams are greater than the sum of their parts, but whatever. Summer is here, and you are where you are, get out your trick throws; bring on the swagger. If you’ve been talking up your game since Johnny Broadcast graced the pages of this website; now is the time. Show us what you’ve got.
Our first hightlight matchup takes us to East River Park where LazerEggs take on Toast. Mateo Mead captains Toast, his ambition to dominate the league is obvious, though not as overt as season’s past, his roster is highlighted by Jordan Rosefigura, John Sakon, and Jon Read. While Alex Schneider and K-Cole, seem bent on returning to the top of the league after last season’s embarrassing showing. They’ve drafted a team with more than one capable handler. Josh Kent returns to their service, hopefully more often, Chris Nelson, Scott ‘Shaqfu’ Knackmuhs, and Chris Ward round out the back field for this squad. On this Wednesday evening, the numbers were light. Toast had 1 woman present at the time of the pull, Rosefigura, while Casey Markenson was the singular woman for LazerEggs.
While some locals did push-ups in the back of the endzone, teams cheered, the sky grew dark, and rain was forecasted post game. On the first point Mateo throws a slow forehand to Jon Read, who catches for a score against Josh Kent, 1-0. Toast neglects to play defense until 2/3rds field when Evan Simon throws it away. Toast walks it up for a score 2-0. Chris Ward, disgusted, takes the field. Halfway down the field, Toast looks to capitalize on another drop and Sakon makes the upline move. Score, 3-0 Toast. Jon Read checks in that his lungs are ready, and takes the field for Mateo. With the arrival of Abby Murray, a second Lazer woman, Schneider has a gender imbalance in his favor, they’ll play a 5-2 line, while Toast can only field 5-1. Mateo looks longingly to the field gates. Maggie Mead, where are you? Toast’s junk defense, meets LazerEggs as Kent puts the big backhand to Schneider for the score. 3-1. On offense, Toast looks to strike back quickly. Sakon big forehand. Jon Read can’t get there. “Almost beautiful placement,” says Mark DQ, dismissing the effort from the sidelines. Kent makes another big throw, and after a quick assist, score is 3-2. Maggie Mead where are you? Toast looks deep to Jordan who drops what should have been a two hand score. Toast turnover. Lazer turnover. Toast has a hard time with the lane poach, but Lazer can’t hold force. Toast throws wherever they want, which leads to a throw to nobody. No worries though because Lazer turns over in their end zone. Toast has the disc and Francis Giknis lays out, but can’t get there, and we are in a grind out point of drops. After some handler work the Schaffenberger hammers to Markenson for the score, 3-3. And we are all tied up.
Maggie Mead strolls in. Toast calls time out.
After the time out, Toast turn over. Josh Kent picks up, crowd goes wild. Lazer score, 3-4. Lazer gains the lead for the first time. Another forgettable Toast turnover. Chris Nelson to Mark DQ for a score, 3-5. Josie Pratt is here, giving the Lazer women a much needed sub.
LazerEggs calls timeout. Mateo encourages his team to learn each other’s names.
Toast, with the disc, quick turnover. Lazer works it for a bit, before the throw away. Toast pushes up forehand sideline for the score, 4-5. Lazer still holds the lead.
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s 7:04 pm and Orion Burt has arrived! Captain Schneider gets dishy and throws it right to Mateo. DQ sky D. Mateo Ds a Schafenberger backhand. Toast turnover and this point is too long. Scott Asher D over DQ, and Toast works to a Mateo-Read score, 5-5 tied again. Next point, Lazer turnover. Toast works to the endzone. Chris Ward likes the Sakon hammer to nowhere, and its Lazer disc. Josh Kent’s scoober is off target.
Toast works it up against a forehand force man defense. At the goal line, mere feet from the force sideline, Maggie Mead throws a bender forehand. The disc arches to the breakside cone, Sakon reads the disc, Chris Nelson is on D; it’s a difficult catch made no easier by the blady throw. It’s the kind of throw you can catch at only one point: the kind of throw that says desperation: the kind of throw that leaves Maggie’s dump option, exclaiming, “I’m right here!:” the kind of throw you only see in Summer League. Sakon goes up, his defender locks step with him. No catch, the disc falls to the ground. Sakon calls foul.
The sideline grumbles/gripes and the disc goes back to Maggie. After some handler action, the disc moves to the break side, Francis scores for Toast after a confusing set of throw, 6-5 Toast. The players are hot and tired. Nate Sany arrives to relieve the Lazer men. Lazer moves the disc up field; Orion Burt gets whatever he wants. Jordan, who finds herself in front of the disc in the end zone, gets a D for Toast. Toast methodically goes upfield for the score, 7-5. Chris Ward to Nate Sany for a Lazer score after a drought, 7-6. The Eggs look to lengthen this half. Quick Toast throwaway. Sany is tall. Score is tied, 7-7. Tall guy Sany gets a D on a Maggie Mead bender, and Lazer moves up field. Turnover. Toast disc, Maggie redeems herself with a flat throw to space for Jordan to run down. Toast takes half 8-7.
To start the second half, Toast brings a zone defense. Sakon lays out on the carpet, gets a rug burn and the D. Asher throws a hammer. Sakon goes up for the catch. Drop. Foul. Contest. Nelson signals “that’s two.” Toast scores, 9-7. Toast brings the zone and holds all the way to the end zone as Lazer makes all the throws and catches, 9-8. Quick Toast throwaway. DQ hammer D’d by Sakon. Toast throwaway. Schneider to Sany for score. At 7:40pm the score is 9-9. This game will end at 8pm. Jordan catches a Jon Read throw between her legs and dishes to Josh Zukoff who throws it away. Lazer picks up. Orion scores, 9-10. Mateo hucks to Nate Mandel, 10-10. Lazer turnover. Sakon makes a big throw that’s D’d by Sany. Kent makes a big throw that’s D’d by Mandel. Toast plays keep away in their end zone, eventually finding their way out to half field where Sakon puts up the OI forehand to the end zone for the score, 11-10 Toast. Schaffenberger to Sany up the forehand sideline. Mateo has position, stands his ground and Nate Sany’s arms aren’t long enough. The veteran captain gets a D on one of the league’s younger players. Toast works up to midfield turnover. LazerEggs ten yards out, dump swing, Abby with the assist for the score, 11-11. Toast throws to Mandel who is D’d by taller Sany. Lazer doesn’t possess the disc for long before Sakon gets the run thru D and Toast scores again, 12-11. Nelson throws it away at the goal line. Asher throws it away, and Toast misses an opportunity. Schneider steps in on an injury call, activates his offense, and Nelson scores. At 7:56 the score is tied at 12-12. The league’s permit expires at 8:00, so the captains agree universe point. Kent takes the field for a rare appearance on defense. Schneider steps off. Toast does what they want to half field. Soccer Ball on field. Sany guards Asher who is hanging out deep. Suddenly Asher takes the in cut, Sany follows. And Sakon gets away from DQ, who perhaps thought Sany had the deep poach. Jon Read flicks it easy to wide open Sakon and wins it for Toast, 13-12. The rabid East River Park Soccer players take the field, and the night is over.
This was a tight game all the way through. While LazerEggs and Toast both had the lead at times, neither team was able to create back to back breaks to put the game away. Eventually Toast won on universe point forced by time. If asterisks can be placed to the Summer League records, this game deserves one, as it effectively ended in a tie. Neither team had an advantage, and due to time/permitting constraints, the game came to a premature end. The lesson here, getting to the fields on time can be the only advantage you need.