SPWK1 ERP, IN THE COLD AND WIND.

Every season features new captains. This Spring, Gabe Finkelstein, and Jake Walkup are 2 of MUD’s freshest. You might remember Gabe and Jake from such teams as The Funeral, Toast, and Social Studies. This season, they captain Alphabet Soup. For our first installment of Game of the Week, we visited East River Park to see Alphabet Soup take on Emotions, captained by Mateo Mead, former captain of such teams as The Funeral, Toast, and Social Studies. Thats right, the students take on the teacher, in a plot line ripped the Fall 2013 season.

As players were throwing on the carpet, and others were just arriving, Finkelstein assured, Wilson Chen that, “You can throw as many hammers as you want, because I’m not going to be one of those captains” Time will only tell Gabe.

Mateo and Gabe flip, Gabe wins, and elects to pull. Theres a strong wind crossing the field, as is often the case here at East River Park. Mateo will start at the north end of the field and the game will begin promptly at 6:29. Activity on the track this evening includes elementary school kids having track practice. Sunset is scheduled for 7:44.

Alpha pulls, and plays zone to start. Benjamin Graf throws a big floating force side back hand to find Mateo yards shy of the end zone. The Alpha zone has been beaten, Mateo throws a dishy little thing to Michael Albanese, and its 1-0 Emotions on top. Emotions pull from the south, they play a zone D, the swing throw goes off to Alphabet’s Cat Rice, who cant reach the swing, and its a quick turn. Emotions Disc, swing to Maya Perry, scoring throw to Paul Robustelli, and its 2-0 Emotions are taking over. The Emo pull lands short of the south endzone, Dan Bolivar picks up, the Emotions cup forms around the Alpha handlers, Josh Kent is to Dan’s break side. Dan Bolivar doesn’t need any help. DB guides the offense straight up field, ending the point on a 30 yd throw to Peter Horton. 2-1 Alpha is catching up. The pull lands on the far side line, with Alpha’s zone setting up, and an unforced error leads to the turn, Alpha scores quick, 2-2.

Centurion, Keith Piaseczny has arrived to shore up this Emotions offense. Maggie Mead receives the pull, and its’ Maggie, Keith and Ben anchoring the back field, the disc goes to Keith to Ben, to Maggie to Mateo, back to Maggie, then back to Mateo, somewhere in that passing Alpha switched to man, Mateo with the disc, on the near sideline, marked by Gabe, throws to Phil Vlahakis, and Emotions are back on top, 3-2. Katherine Cole picks up the pull, and pushes the disc up field to Josh Kent, who throws to Cat Rice, through the cup, but Allie Wassel is there with the Layout D from the short deep. Emotions Disc, Mateo throws a dying forehand. Turnover. Kent picks up, throws to Pete, and it’s off the tips of his fingers. Keith picks up, bladey dangerous veteran forehand, Mateo pulls it down. 4-2 Emotions pulling away. Cat Rice with an assist to Tom Kucera for the score, 4-3. Next point, Emo turns over at half field, Bolivar picks up, throws, disc sails out of bounds, Keith picks up for Emo, swing throw to Maya, who just cant get there. Bolivar goes for the quick strike kill, Mateo says no, posterizes Gabe for the D. Emotions swell up the field, Mateo takes over, score. 5-3 Emotions hold strong. Emo’s new D strategy is man. They believe they are better athletes, than Alphabet Soup, but this Soup seems a bit runny. Pete with the disc throws to Wilson Chen, short of the endzone, throw to Bolivar in the endzone, but he cant hold on. Emo quickly turns at midfield, DB big backhand that doesn’t look like it will be caught, but Pete, reads and comes down with the swilly throw. Quick throw to Ethan Grund and it’s 5-4.

“Take me out coach too many bad throws,” pleads Bolivar to the sideline, this guy needs a few points off.

Alpha Scores off a quick turn, and its tied at 5-5. Alpha’s pull falls near the goal line. Their zone defense sets up quickly, but is soon permeated by a core of familiar Emo handlers  Maggie, Ben and Keith. Advancing down field, Emotions turn at the end-zone. Mark Popinchalk picks up the disc throws big, but the wind carries it over the far sideline just past midfield. Alpha sets their zone defense, Pete, playing in the top of the cup, pulls down a D for Alpha. A quick big throw to Mark who pulls down the disc to redeem his turnover. Alpha scores 5-6. For the first time, Alphabet Soup has the lead.

Pulling, Alphabet brings the famous Weseleyan Zone defense, Emo works to turn down field, Alphabet Soup quickly drops. Keith with the disc, looks down field, waits showing forehand, sees Mateo with a step on his defender, throws the forehand, it bends, it will hit the front corner of the north end zone, but Mateo can’t reach, the disc hits the ground. Dan Bolivar picks up force side throw to Jake who throws to Ethan, then up line to Tom, and Mike, Emotions run the disc around their end zone, but cant find any upfield traction, but they could play this game all night. Alphabet Soup finds a D, but Peter goes down in injury, looks like his right shoulder more info as it becomes available. Peter is helped to the sideline bleachers, Gabe subs in for his injured teammate. Quick Alpha score DB to Ethan, 5-7. Alphabet Soup pulls to half field, unforced error leads to Emotional turn over. Upfield throw, Mateo gets a hand on a pass to Tom, Emo disc. Soon after Emo scores. 6-7. Alpha takes half on a score by Abby Murray.

Halftime. 6-8 Alphabet Soup on top.

Emotions are talking about going to the disc, and the need to dictate through their offense what happens on the field. They’ve lost some intensity, but this is all very moving stuff.

Alphabet Soup is going to keep using their zone defense. It’s gotten them this far, a come from behind 2 point lead, it will take them the rest of the way.

The first possession out of half time featured Cat Rice picking up some trash throws once at midfield and again in the end zone. Giving Alphabet Soup a lead they would hold, and grow for the rest of the game, as Emotions seemed to have a fit in the rain and cold. Notable plays for Emotions by Jaime ‘Spoon’ Lawler, but they’re not enough.

Final thoughts on an early season game. This was a cool windy night. Emotions broke out to an early lead, but could only look on as Alphabet Soup made quick scores after turn overs, puzzling Emotions. Alphabet Soup was able to make big throws on the arms of Kent and Dan Bolivar. Bolivar was able to recognize open space and get there before his defender. Emotions weren’t able to contain him. Though Emotions were able to stop a great deal of up field movement, Dan was always able to reset to Katherine Cole, or Josh Kent. Gabe Finkelstein was pleased to implement his Wesleyan zone, ‘minnows and sharks’ he whispered to himself as he stalked the sidelines.

As for Emotions. Mateo was his most effective/consistent player. While Alphabet Soup might have found energy in the wind and cold, Emotions were drained by it, their drops and reluctance to make plays increased as the evening drew on. Fortunately for these Emotions, warm weather is here.