AC Women's Recap (and 07 preview)
T
/07 Previews in italics /Thanks to scoreomatic for player names and
score reminders. Report any factual errors to Charles Kerr. Thanks to
Ricky Tse for reminding me I used to do this all the time.
SATURDAY 9AM (prequarters)
Nothing too competitive. The 8-9 Elon-GA Tech game is the last to
finish. Tech took half 8-2 and won 15-9.
Wake Forest defeats Richmond 15-4. Ruckus plays an aggressive offense
despite having only one true hucker - Lucia Derks. Many of them put it
deep anyway and see what they can come down with, even if it's a blade.
The position game works well against a lesser team that can't work the
disc consistently.
The 16 seed JMU only has four players against top seeded Florida Fuel.
Florida seems annoyed to run them over 15-0 but the JMU girls make it
fun for themselves. Rumor was their team got sick with tetanus b/c
their practice field has barbed wire around it.
SATURDAY 11AM (quarterfinals)
The 4-5 game is Emory vs. Virginia. Emory wins 15-9. 3 seed UGA beats
6 seed NC State. Florida beats GA Tech.
Wake Forest is coming down with everything and builds a lead over a
possibly overconfident 2nd seeded UNC. Pleaides has traveled the
country this season, brings the most talented starting seven in the
region, and has the toughest single matchup in Lindsey Hack. Reports of
lots of calls has UNC asking for observers, Wake is up 13-9, observers
arrive and join in around 13-10 or 11. UNC turns up the D and knocks
down Wake's hucks while bringing it back to 14-14. Lucia hucks a big
forehand to the endzone, where a UNC defender has position and Ds it
cleanly. The disc pops up in the air, though, and briefly goes out of
bounds before coming back in over the defender's head where the Wake
receiver catches it for the 15-14 shocker.
In the backdoor, JMU's four players triumphantly score a couple of goals
against Elon, and somehow force a stall on defense.
SATURDAY 1PM (semis)
UNC starts their march through the backdoor with a win over Elon. The
rest of the quarterfinals losers, NC State, GA Tech, and UVA, also win
backdoor games.
Wake continues to surprise, staying with UGA until the HoDawgs pull away
late for a 13-8 victory. Chelsea McGehee makes several nice grabs for
UGA. Katherine Wooten doesn't play much, nursing a new ankle injury.
Florida defeats Emory Luna 15-10 to set up a South sectional finals.
SATURDAY 3PM
UVA eliminates Ga Tech in the backdoor. UNC takes half on NC State 8-5
and is cruising by 4 before a light clicks on for Jaga and they begin a
comeback. It's 12-10, then it's 14-14. Christina Beauchamp lays out
for the win and suddenly UNC's season has ended. Quite simply, a
devastating regionals loss to their archrival for the second straight
season. Pleaides considered themselves a darkhorse national title
contender.
/UNC graduates the second of two stellar classes and several grad
students. Although they recruit well, they will likely not be a
nationals contender in 2007.
/SUNDAY 9AM (backdoor quarters)
Jaga's light is still on, and they come out on fire against Emory. Luna
responds by not responding, going down at half 8-2 and after more
unforced errors soon it's 13-5. Emory builds some confidence for later
in the day bringing it back to 14-9 before State finishes it off,
perhaps losing some confidence themselves giving away so many points at
the end.
Wake and UVA is tight the whole way, and Ruckus wins the close one
13-11, sending UVA down to play Emory in the back backdoor.
SUNDAY 11AM (final and backdoor semi)
Florida vs Georgia in the finals. Florida is deep and spreads it around
but with no real stars relies on patience and fundamentals. Georgia's
top players are club level and they are more aggressive with their huck
game. This game goes to the cap and beyond. Wooten is hucking every
time and finally connects when her intended receiver can't run it down
and Chelsea comes from out of somewhere for another ridiculous layout
goal. This puts UGA on nationals point but Fuel scores one or two more
before UGA wins 13-11 or 12. UGA should make quarters in their return
to nationals and possibly semis if they use their stars effectively.
/The HoDawgs lose all their stars to graduation, but they recruit and
reload better than anyone in the region and maybe the country. They
will be one of the favorites in a weaker AC region in 2007, but not as
big of a player if they make nationals.
/Wake claws out another victory over NC State 12-10 to move up to the
backdoor final.
Emory eliminates UVA and stays alive in the back backdoor.
/UVA peaked two years ago winning the AC Region and had a nationals
level team again last year but the AC only had one bid. They're younger
now and have a chance to step back up next year with more experience.
/SUNDAY 1PM (backdoor finals)
Fuel's efficiency is turning Wake Forest turnovers into goals, and UF
cruises 15-6 to claim the 2nd AC spot to nationals. They will be a
tough out at nationals and look to make quarters, but probably lack the
firepower to advance past there.
/Florida women lose a lot of players this year and will take a step back
in 2007. It will be interesting to see if their recent climb is the
result of one batch of good players coming together, or the beginning of
a long term consistent program.
/In the back backdoor NC State's light is now back to off, and Emory
wins the rematch going away. Luna stays alive to face Wake in the final
game of the tournament.
/NC State loses a few starters, but Olio stars Teresa Rouse and Sarah
Immel return and with a good recruiting year they should one of the AC
contenders next year.
/SUNDAY 3PM (game to go)
Wake vs Emory, and Emory is showing more disc skills than earlier in the
tournament, working it down quickly after turns and building a 4-0
lead. Wake remains typically aggressive, and brings it back to 6-6 as
suddenly Luna is making mistakes to give them multiple chances. Wake
gets another break to take half 8-7 and receiving the 2nd half pull go
up 9-7. Emory corrects the drops and starts relying more on their two
big receivers to tie it at 10 or 11 and then is up 12-11. Wake connects
to tie it at again, but they look very tired from a long tournament and
can't get any more. Emory makes Luna's D work a lot and pulls away
15-12 for the 3rd AC nationals bid. They will be one of the lower tier
teams at the show, but they probably have the largest coaching staff in
the country (5), so watch out for one of them scouting your team in an
early round. Although an up and down affair, a great effort at this
tournament for Ruckus that they should be proud of.
/Scoreomatic says Luna only has one senior and big target Adrienne Tecza
returns in 2007. Their nationals experience will do them well and with
other top teams losing a lot, they are the early favorite in next year's
Atlantic Coast.
Wake Forest's Lucia is only a sophomore and while they have yet to
establish a program tradition, with another year of throwing practice,
recruiting, and solid coaching they should continue to become a bigger
force in the region.
/The women's AC as a whole peaked last year with four nationals quality
teams but they only had one bid. This year the region was weaker but
they had three bids... Go figure. Next year the region will likely
continue to decline a little, but with the power vacuum, several
programs have a chance to make a name for themselves. Good luck to the
HoDawgs, Fuel, and Luna at nationals!
T
AC Regionals Observer Coordinator
PS Men's recap in the morning.
jt
T wrote:
> Wake Forest's Lucia is only a sophomore and while they have yet to
> establish a program tradition, with another year of throwing practice,
> recruiting, and solid coaching they should continue to become a bigger
> force in the region.
Major props to the Wake women! Keep up the hard work ladies.
JT