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Tournament Blog
It was a dark and foggy night, as the FDKZ squad rolled down that long highway towards our date with either destiny or infamy. We had unparalleled unity of purpose and a laser like focus on our goal, which was to achieve the Frisbee equivalent of the Chinese-basket-trick. After a quick detour to Ikea™, in which most of us paid a small fortune to be sickened by Swedish pickled fish in cream sauce while our fearless leader outfitted his new apartment with cheap yet stylish kitchenware, we found the correct series of twists and turns that led us to our weekend home. Solar cup 2010, hold onto your jock ‘cause Zagreb is “in-da-house”.
Due to our early departure, the team scored the second best sleeping arrangement of any team. Our room had it all, a toilet, showers, and even motion-activated lighting! Now there could be no excuses for our performance, just explanations that attempt to disguise reality. As we drifted towards sleep, we ignored the brutal stench wafting from the corner of the room and visualized the glory that was to come.
Play began with a round one matchup against the Polar Bears. It was a fierce and evenly matched struggle. We fell down 0-2, then fought back to tie it at 2-2. Jan was the man of the match catching two scores. As the final bell indicated the end of time, we had a 5-4 lead. One must give credit to the Polar Bears for fighting back as they found an open player in the endzone for the tying score. It is said that a tie is like kissing your sister- it’s not bad, but nothing to brag about to your friends. And so it was with our opening round match.
Round two began with a sense of optimism and unity. When the tournament began the team was without a coach, but collectively the group seemed to unconsciously look towards Frki. Although no underwear model, he is quite flexible and has a gift for strategy. Truly a unique thinker, Frki decided that we might play a zone at one point in the tournament, but not this game. This brilliant battlefield decision and strong play from Marta and Sticky, saw us achieve a solid 6-4 victory against SPIN. We truly deserved our post-game snack after this one.
Round three saw us reach our peak in the standings. We were technically undefeated and we were then given second seed. This decision was as wise as buying stock in Enron and brought us crashing to earth faster than the musical career of Vanilla Ice. We were sent like lambs to the slaughter to face the top seed Catchup. The game began deceptively, being tied 2-2. Their defense was suffocating and their offence unstoppable. It was a learning experience and the lesson was as harsh as the first time you learned that fire was hot. 10-2 final and very little to smile about.
Round four was a test of endurance as several of the players had nagging soreness issues and even mild swine-flu. Our competition failed to show us any mercy and we were soundly beaten by the Mosquitos, 8-3. Their players could all throw long and perfectly placed hammers and our defense could not adapt. On the bright side, Ruki stepped up with some inspired defensive plays against their tall and fast cutters.
The round five game felt like being in the bottom of a well. It was cold and dark, but there was light above and we knew we had to try and get there. Standing in our way was the familiar foe, the Grizzly Bears. We knew what they were going to do and they knew what we were going to do, so it came down to execution. Both teams played strong defense and there were several very long points. We gave it our best effort and ended with a 6-6. This tie was better than the first, as we were one point down at the end of time and scored to even the match. So I guess this type of tie is more akin to kissing your step-sister.
Day two began with the team on the outside looking in. Our defeats the previous day, combined with the large difference in points scored meant that we had to win our sixth round game to have any chance of being in the metal round. The team rallied to the occasion with a solid 6-4 victory over Undiscovered. This game saw the emergence of Zvat as a deep threat and Bruno as a master marker. Our defense was inspired as we forced them into bad throws and made strong blocks. Offensively, we had effective handling from Mirna and clean center cuts from Iva to lead the way.
Round seven saw our return into the championship bracket. As the eight seed, we were paired against the top seed, Catchup. To prepare for their tight zone, we installed the “new play” to free up space for the handlers. Without having practiced the play we knew it was going to be rough, but no one expected the slaughter that ensued. Our offence struggled to move the disk and defensively we could not stop them. Their entire team could make every throw and their speed could not be matched. A 13-3 final and the low point of morale during the tournament.
With two rounds to go, the team needed a mental boost. It was suggested that we would make a conscious effort to forget about mistakes and bad play. We needed a fresh start, to turn a new leaf, to flush the tank of our minds. And so we came out the gate and charged into competition with renewed sense of our own abilities. A rematch against Grizzly Bears and a chance to play for fifth place hung in the balance. We gave it all we had, we held nothing back, yet we lost 6-5 in overtime. Unfortunate and disappointing, but still a learning experience that will help the team in tournaments to come.
The final game of Solar cup 2010, saw FDKZ playing for 7th place against the Polar Bears. The frustration of having come close several times was lingering on our collective tongues and left an unquenchable bitter taste. The only thing we would accept was complete victory. We knew that there could be no negotiations or treaty as we wanted blood. We went zone defense, but with a twist, one man in the cup and two chasers blocking the dump. This was a huge risk, as it left us exposed deep, but it was all-or-nothing at this stage and we went for it. Their offence could not cope with our defensive pressure, and Frki scored three goals on route to our most complete victory of the tournament, 6-2.
Alls well that ends well and so it goes, like the waves of the sea, rolling on and on, and on again- forever.
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