On Saturday, April 12 and Sunday, April 13, both of Hamilton College’s Ultimate Frisbee teams journeyed to Batavia, New York to compete in Sectionals for a bid to the next stage of the college postseason: Regionals. Hamilton’s open division team, Tabasco, and Hamilton’s womxn’s division team, Sriracha, have participated in year-round games and tournaments, but Sectionals was their first tournament of the year to have real stakes. On a weekend with both extremes of weather, Saturday being a cold and rainy day with a fog that did not allow players to see the field next to them, and Sunday being a warm but windy day, both teams managed to do well enough to advance to Regionals and keep their season’s hopes of reaching the College Championships alive.
On Sunday, Tabasco’s first game started slow, defeating SUNY Geneseo 14-11. Going down 0-1 early, Tabasco surged back with a hold and four breaks to take a commanding 5-1 lead. Geneseo responded with two more points of their own, but their comeback was cut short by Tabasco as they won three out of the next four points to take half, easily breaking through Geneseo’s zone defense. The second half was much more back-and-forth, as neither team could string together more than three points in a row. Tabasco was unable to extend their lead, but they were able to fend off Geneseo until the hard cap sounded thanks to some costly turnovers by Geneseo and Tabasco’s ability to capitalize on them.
Tabasco’s next game proved to be the biggest challenge for them that weekend. Playing against a defensive-minded Ithaca College, Tabasco suffered a 8-12 loss in a game where Ithaca made few mistakes. Tabasco got themselves in an early-game 1-4 deficit, as they were unable to maintain an effective offensive flow against Ithaca’s aggressive and physical defense. Tabasco managed to claw their way back into the game, going into half down only 6-8. However, Ithaca College, starting on offense, managed to maintain their distance, as Tabasco was never able to even the score. Tabasco responded in their last game of the day against SUNY Oneonta with a dominant 15-5 victory, thanks to their offensive efficiency and their generation of turnovers on nearly every defensive point.
Heading into Sunday 2-1, Tabasco needed to go 2-0 in order to maximize their seeding heading into Regionals, having already clinched their bid. Their first game, against SUNY Cortland, a team they had faced in the quarterfinals of Regionals in the previous year, saw Tabasco continue their momentum on offense and increase their defensive intensity. Defeating Cortland 14-3, Tabasco relied on a mix of man defense and zone looks to keep the Cortland handlers on their toes. With a steady wind impacting both teams’ throws, Tabasco’s consistent defensive pressure was the difference maker, leading to an early 6-1 lead, including five breaks. Going into half up 8-2, Tabasco continued to pile on their defensive pressure through the second half, earning four more breaks.
Their next and final game of Sectionals was against Colgate University, defeating them 13-12 on the final point of the game. Colgate, with a Regionals spot potentially on the line, came out strong early, taking a 2-0 lead. But Tabasco bounced back with two points of their own, breaking Colgate’s tough defensive zone through a combination of low and high passes and generating key turnovers themselves with their own defensive scheme. Up until halftime, both teams traded points, neither team able to pull away. Tied 7-7 on the final point of the half, Tabasco capitalized on an errant throw, breaking Colgate to end the half up 8-7, Tabasco’s first lead of the game. The second half saw Tabasco briefly gain momentum, winning three of the first four points. But a response from Colgate tied the game at 11. Nearing the soft cap, with the game ending at 13, Tabasco, up 12-11 had two opportunities to win the game. Giving up a perfect deep throw from Colgate the first point, Tabasco held on universe point where they marched down the field and scored their fourth victory of the weekend, securing the third seed heading into Regionals.
Sriracha also received a spot to Regionals, finishing fourth among five teams. A particularly bright spot for Sriracha in the tournament was an 8-7 win against SUNY Geneseo on universe, a tough and an intense game that Sriracha players were able to shine in in the most crucial moments of the game. Both teams will compete in the Metro East Regionals tournament on Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27, in Batavia, New York, where they will look to advance to USA Ultimate D-III College Championships.
