Sp16 Finals: Everyone loves a BBQ

In anticipation of Memorial Day, Alex Becker and Mark DQ hosted a league wide BBQ and cooked and ate everyone. They started with The Chosen Ones, and keep in mind they lost this game. But seriously, where’s the fun in winning your pool outright? Ask MTA how that worked out.

Against The Chosen Ones, BBQ was sluggish and rusty. It was 10am, but defending champs Sean Petterson and Karina Ray seemed amped to transcend their 5th seed and reach the finals. Chosen welcomed the second appearance of MUD rookie but New York legend Isaiah Bryant, a much-needed talent, considering that Matt Wiener was still on IR and his quick and suitable replacement Elias Kahan was dinged up and out as well. Ben Graf even showed up for Chosen, his first appearance of the season. Chosen played great and BBQ played like they had never seen their opponent before. The final was 13 to 9, Chosen.

In the other pool, MTA was having their way with bottom-seeded JAWS. The subway had beaten the shark all season. And round one was no different. Travis kept his team elevated and ran over Josie and Werblin‘s fish out of water, 13 to 8.

BBQ next met the top-seeded Rejects. Undeferential, determined, and undeterred, BBQ came out smoking hot. Mateo‘s The Rejects lacked everywhere. Throws were off, cuts were shut down, and soon confidence waned. It wasn’t until the second half that The Rejects scored two in a row. And then only once. BBQ sealed it, 13 to 7, putting themselves up by two points in the pool.

MTA now faced the second-seeded wooloohooshoo. Sakon and EGrad’s team suffered a first-round bye fate similar to The Rejects. MTA was still accelerating from their first victory, and WLHS was loitering on the tracks like a bunch of high schoolers. Smash! MTA’s Ryan Drost and Devin Erickson-Sheehy were unstoppable. Amy Jin and Sherry Li were unyielding, and MTA’s 13-9 victory was inevitable. Bring the finals.

Meanwhile, all was unsettled elsewhere. BBQ tensely prowled the sideline as The Chosen Ones and The Rejects played the last consequential game. A Chosen victory would send Sean and Karina back to the finals (Petterson and Wiener were actually vying for a record 7th consecutive finals appearance). The Rejects had a shot at it too, but they had to win by 8. BBQ would advance with anything in-between. Chosen started with purpose and despite losing Bryant to club tryouts, they went up 4-1. BBQ started to sweat. Timeout. The Rejects knew if Chosen scored 6 points, it was over. In their huddle, Rejects announced it was universe purgatory: the score was really 12 to 1 in their minds, but they took the field believing they had a chance. The Rejects scored the next 8 in a row. BBQ started to panic. Chosen at last made it 9 to 5. And a few points later, BBQ sighed when Chosen made it 10 to 6. Sean admitted he was hoping The Rejects would just roll over after Chosen scored the 6th point, but it was not to be. The Rejects won it 13 to 8 and sent BBQ to meet MTA in the finals, the first finals to not feature Mateo and or Sean in two years.

The Finals was really a battle of the benches. The top players on each team neutralized each other. Jan Vanous described his experience being guarded by Ryan Drost as “in a box.” Drost, after an AUDL game (the day before), two MUD pool games, and club tryouts, was a bit like the B train: reliable, but not so much on Sunday evening (also, running local). BBQ scored early and often, and never surrendered the lead. In a clever captaining move, BBQ asked Chris Giblin to cut instead of throw cross-field hammers. Giblin pulled down 8 scores. Aly Martori and Danny Siegel made their marks as well; both playing some of the best ultimate seen this season. The final was 15 to 10. And it was the first time a four seed won the whole thing.

Congrats to BBQ and to all. Including the 17-16 consolation game between WLHS and JAWS on Sunday, we officially played 1323 points in 75 games at 6 locations in 2 1/2 boroughs this spring. That’s a job well done. And speaking of good work, Orion Burt just finished his first season as commissioner. We all owe him and Commissioner Suntaree a warm handshake. Surely they’ll settle for a cold drink at the bar. After that, summer.