House of Current

Photo found from the Washington DC Current Facebook Page
All rights to the picture are to UltiPhotos 

Just like that 2014 came to a close in the MLU.  New sponsors were announced, new GM's hired, teams calling new stadiums home, and the DC Current continuing to celebrate their first MLU Championship.  This past season just so happened to be my first season as a blogger for the league which was then followed up by a job opportunity to be the Public Address Announcer for, you guessed it, the Washington DC Current.

Working for the Current and the MLU has been a different experience that I never expected to have at such a early stage in my sports media career.  Working with the team gave me direct access to happenings and story-lines occurring within the league before they were publicly announced or covered.  I hope many of my readers can attest to this previous statement, in which I hoped to give the fans in-depth coverage that cannot be found anywhere else.  Every home game I would arrive at Cardinal Stadium roughly three to two hours before the opening pull.  This was in order to prepare for the game and also to help with the game day setup; where no two games were alike in preparation or on the field.  I would not actually begin announcing until a half hour before the start of the game, with the sponsorship reads, player intros, and the introduction of the national anthem singer.

Photo found from the Washington DC Current Facebook Page
All rights to the picture are to UltiPhotos 

My boss, Justin Szech, (people close to him know him as "Jay") the Director of Events for the Current was entering his first season in his position as well.   He was the man who hired me and we were entering the rodeo of professional ultimate together.  When the first home game came against the Boston Whitecaps, perhaps the biggest regular season game of 2014, Jay, myself, and the rest of the game day crew were in over our heads.  We managed to get everything ready for the game and little did we know that this was going to be one of the best games in MLU history thus far.  As Jay and I sat down in the pressbox getting ready for the show, he told me to just go with what felt natural.  I had been playing ultimate for two years at this point and was pursuing a career in sports commentating, so I had a general background in what was expected of me. Once the game began, my instincts took over. I brought in new cheers and sayings; some that did work and some that did not.  Out of all of them the most famous one would have to be the "DCD" that would ring across the stadium for every defensive play that the Current had.  However, I cannot take all the credit for the idea, it actually stemmed from a Daniel Kantor tweet back on April 15th in regards to their opening weekend victory over the Spinners.  The Current would ride this cheer all the way to the MLU Championship Game with a 10-1 record, 6-0 at home in Cardinal Stadium.

As part of the game day crew we knew our job was done when we were able to call ourselves Eastern Conference Champions; the team would then be forced to do the rest on their own in Philadelphia at PPL Park.  With the power of the Current's GM Matt Dewhurst, the entire staff was able to attend the Championship Game to support the team that we had worked with all season.  As I began to prepare for the trip I received an email from the Commissioner Jeff Snader, asking if I would like to PA Announce the Championship Game.

Without hesitation I accepted the offer.

I'm pleased to announce that on Saturday I will have the honor of PA Announcing the #MLU Championship! #SpeakerOfPPL http://t.co/1QspUgsWvG

— Tyler Byrum (@theTylerByrum) July 16, 2014

Due to my professional responsibility as a member of the sports media, I had to take out my bias towards the DC Current in their biggest game of the season.  As many of you know DC would go on to win the Championship Game to make their record 11-1 overall, 6-0 at home, and 7-0 with yours truly as the PA Announcer.

Being a part of the Washington DC Current Staff for 2014, is a memory that I will hold onto throughout my career in sports and sports media.  The GM Matt Dewhurst made it clear at the beginning of the season that we do not work for the team but with the team and that we have the same mutual goal of winning the MLU Championship.

Via my Twitter account
@theTylerByrum

The organization accomplished that goal together, not trying to take anything away from what the team and players did on the field because they are the ones that have the most responsibility.  As a result of working with the team, Dewhurst allowed the staff to purchase a championship ring if they so pleased. This offer was one I could not refuse.

Now again, in the same situation as the players, the money is not the same as other professional sports leagues but is adequate enough to compensate the staff for our services.  However the money is not what I nor anyone else from the DC Current organization is doing this for, we are doing it to be a part of something that not anyone else can claim to do.  This past year we accomplished our ultimate goal in the MLU Championship and are already looking forward to 2015.

I would like to thank Jeff Snader, Matt Dewhurst, Mark Evangelisto, Justin Szech, Tom Levy, John Phillips, Bryan Dombrowski, Paul Des Maris, the MLU, the DC Current, of course my girlfriend Ashley Hill and anyone else I might have left off this list for the opportunities and help this past year. I am looking forward to another season of working with you all and Major League Ultimate.

Flying Under the Radar

For the past several years, Vancouver has been in the center of the sports world, especially in Canada. Mainly known for their hockey, Vancouver has become one of the primer sporting cities in Canada, being the most populous city on the Western Coast of the Great White North. When referring to sports teams, especially from the United States, which my opinion is based off of, the first team to come to mind is of course the Vancouver Canucks. Hockey, known for being the sport of Canada, is where Vancouver reigns supreme, the Canucks have won five Northwest Division titles in a row before finishing fifth in the Pacific last season, and in that time being one of the most dominating teams in the NHL.

For those MLS fans there is the Vancouver Whitecaps FC (not to be confused with the Boston Whitecaps of the MLU), they have had mixed results making the playoffs once out of their three year history. However in making the playoffs in 2012, the Whitecaps became the first ever Canadian MLS team to make the postseason. Also lets not forget the women's soccer team, also known as the Vancouver Nightcaps FC, in the USL W-league, which is a Pro-Am league that allows college players to test their skills and play alongside international players. While having won two W-League Championships the team struggled the past couple of years forcing the team to fold, also in due part to competition from the new-found NWSL.

Now all of those teams are in leagues associated more with the teams in the United States, where a majority of the league calls itself home, but lets not forget about the largest Canadian specific league, the CFL. The Canadian Football League, although not as large as American Football still remains a huge part of sporting life in Canada. The BC Lions, based out of Vancouver, average roughly 30,000 fans a game in the past few seasons. Now that number is half of the average NFL attendance but comparing the two leagues are like comparing apples to tomatoes. They are both football but that ends all of similarities between the leagues, besides the primary sport in Canada is, and has always been, hockey. Still lets not disregard the six Grey Cup Championships by the BC Lions as well as holding the second best Win-Loss Percentage of all current CFL teams at .600.

Purposely leaving this topic for last, there is of course the 2010 Olympics held in Vancouver. One of the best Winter Olympics put together in my opinion, even better than Sochi 2014, and introduced the world to British Columbia. These Olympics are remembered not only for the individual performances by the athletes but as well as the how well it was hosted and the spectacle put together for the entire world to enjoy. The crowds at all of the Olympic events were spectacular; the populous of Vancouver truly embraced their opportunity to host the Olympics and in doing so, left a lasting legacy on the Winter Games.

The citizens of Vancouver, who pride themselves on being sport fans, have a lot to be proud of in the last decade. With the rise of professional ultimate frisbee in both the United States and Canada, their teams will yet be just another reason the individuals of British Columbia can celebrate and support their own. The two teams that call Vancouver their playing ground in pro ultimate are the Vancouver Riptide and the Vancouver Nighthawks.

The Vancouver Riptide which are in the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL) just completed their first season as a franchise with an 8-6 record, third in the West Division, one spot out of the playoffs. Lead by the tandem of Darren Wu and Derek Fenton which are both in the top 10 in AUDL in goals, and Fenton even leads the league in assists! Playing in a division where two of the best teams, featuring some of the world's top players, the San Francisco Flamethrowers and San Jose Spiders, finishing above .500 was an accomplishment. In fact if the West Division was like the rest of the other divisions in the AUDL and had six teams, the Riptide would be in the playoffs being the third team from the West. Maybe with the AUDL continual expansion and playoff expansion, next season would be a perfect opportunity to make a playoff run.

Finally the MLU team, the Vancouver Nighthawks are about to finish an incredible season. Starting as preseason favorites to win the four team Western Conference, Vancouver faded quickly and had troubles with cohesion from the team. However these problems did not have a lasting impact on the team, at the end of the season the Nighthawks made a push for the playoffs going on a four game winning streak, finishing the regular season at 6-4. Not only is the team becoming one of the best pro teams in Vancouver without story-lines on the evening news, flying under the radar in the West also let Vancouver play to their advantages and that was putting on shows on offense and defense. After the astounding run by the Nighthawks the team had to travel down to Portland for the Western Conference Championship to face the 8-2 Stags who had dominated the West all season long, losing to only Vancouver and Seattle once. 

It would be so fitting that the game would be a matchup of runs, where teams would score three straight points at a time, putting the team ahead momentarily as they other adversary would then do the same. The defense that Vancouver prided themselves on ended up being the deciding factor as their defense would score practically as much as their offense. Their leader of the defense and the team, Morgan Hibbert, the "Iron Man" of the team played 20 of the 27 points sending the team to their first MLU Championship Game. One of the most recognizable players in the league with his red hair and was just named MLU Western Conference Defensive Player of the Year. The team's counterpart on offense Brendan Wong, 
MLU Points Title Holder and Western Conference Rookie of the Year, is just as explosive on the other side of the disc by averaging almost five goals a game and recorded 64 points in the season. As mentioned before ultimate is not the main sports story in the daily news, however the Nighthawks have been getting recognition from Vancouver. The team is one of the league leaders in attendance, this season and last, as well as even having their own press coverage. The CBC did give the Nighthawks their first of many moments of fame with their own story on the team featuring Morgan Hibbert. Depending on how the results go in Philadelphia for the Championship, this will most likely not be the only story coming out of the Canadian press on how Vancouver continues to love their sports, even through the sport of ultimate.

The Best Professional Team "Current"ly in DC.

Our nation's capital likes to pride themselves as a sports town, and by all means they are! They have a professional football team, men's and women's basketball, hockey, baseball, men's and women's soccer, a professional rugby team, and now two professional ultimate frisbee franchises as well as many other teams. However with all of these teams, the District of Columbia has not had a league champion in any of these sports in almost 10 years. The last well-known team to do so was the 2004 DC United team (MLS), in these ten years there has been no championship parade, no championship rings, no recognition from the White House, and nothing that DC sports fans can call to in recent memory. For now fans must celebrate the small successes in hopes that it will later translate to championship glory, I'm mainly referencing the division championships. But as mentioned above there are two professional ultimate frisbee teams that now call Washington DC home, the DC Current and the DC Breeze, and both are currently in their second season.

For some reason that area reporters and commentators have been trying to comprehend for years, Washington DC professional teams cannot make a playoff push. Yes, recently the Nationals with Bryce Harper have had incredible regular season performances but tank in the postseason. The Capitals have been one of the best hockey teams in the Eastern Conference for the past seven seasons but Alex Ovechkin and company have never made it past the Conference Semi-Finals. The Washington football team has probably one of the most interesting players in Robert Griffin III, but after a respectable 10-6 playoff season, last year they were a disastrous 3-13. Finally the Wizards, who I feel like are the team with the most potential in the near future, arguably had their most successful season since the late 70's (when they were called the Washington Bullets) in advancing to the Conference Semi-Finals. I have been around these teams for my entire life, I grew up in Southern Virginia, my friends and my family support and call these teams their own, I myself tend to think differently but that is another topic for another day. Now that I go to college in the suburbs of the District, these teams are a part of my everyday life. They are, by definition, the local teams, the teams that people grew up supporting, watching, and rooting for to make it all the way. However for some reason it does not feel this way.

I will in no way, shape, or form will call myself a DC sports expert; but I do know sports and I know how sports work. They are my life and have been for my entire life, I pick up on patterns and can normally tell the future trends of a franchise. One problem that I foresee in all of the Washington DC teams is that they all focus around one superstar, one player, that will be the savior for the franchise as well as the city. Think about it, look at all the previously mentioned teams associated with their top players. There's Harper, Ovechkin, RG3, and some may even consider John Wall for the Wizards. However with every accusation, there must be exceptions. The only team that I feel truly gets it (and by "it' I mean marketing and promoting a team) in Washington DC is the Washington Wizards. The Wizards do not just have one player that they showcase to their fans; they have an entire team with John Wall, Trevor Ariza, Nene, Marcin Gortat, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter, Andre Miller and more. Now I just named half of their roster and none of these names are new to a DC sports fan. Can you say the same about all the other teams in DC? This is where I bring the ultimate question into play.

The DC Breeze are experiencing their best season so far into their existence. The Breeze are in the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL), and went 4-12 in 2013, their inaugural season, with their home games being at Anacostia High School. This year the Breeze are now 9-4 with one week remaining in the regular season and play their games at the University of Maryland Field Hockey Stadium. They have clinched a playoff spot in due part to Tyler DeGirolamo, one of the best ultimate players in the college ranks in recent memory, as well as Brett Matzuka, Jon Pressimone, Alex Thorne, Justin Solis, and other top DC area players, that look to make a run in the playoffs. A team that relies on not just one player but a combination of players on an entire team. In ultimate that is what you need, a collectively team on and off the field, not just one individual doing whatever it takes to glorify himself and living up to the fans standards. It quite simply cannot work that way. Their main opponents in the Eastern Conference are the defending champions, Toronto Rush who are an astounding 18-1 over two seasons, and the New York Rumble who the Breeze have only beat once in their series history. If the Breeze were to advance far into the playoffs they would face teams from across the nation like Chicago, Madison, San Francisco, San Jose, and Indianapolis, before the championship game in Toronto.

Now I move to the Washington DC Current, the main reason why a majority of you read this post. The DC Current are a team in Major League Ultimate, and were founded in the same year as the eight team league two years ago.  In their short history they have found success in becoming one of the premier  teams in the MLU's short history. In 2013 the team had a rough start to the season going 1-4, but in the second half of the season  they climbed back up in the standings and made the playoffs with a 4-6 record.  In the Eastern Conference Championship the Current would lose to the eventual undefeated MLU champions Boston Whitecaps ending their first season as a pro sports franchise. However 2014 started with a bang for DC, with a new home field at Cardinal Stadium on the campus of Catholic University of America, they were set to be the team to be able to knock of the Whitecaps. In Week 2, they did it, a story that many DC ultimate fans will remember for decades, the DC Current defeated the Whitecaps for the first time ever with a game winning hammer from Peter Prial to Calvin Oung after a game ending foul that added seconds to the game. The equivalent of this would be on a last second hail mary in football with a pass interference call on the defense, allowing the team to move closer to the endzone and to get another play off. Well DC scored on that hail mary and the Eastern Conference was changed for the rest of the season, yes the Whitecaps would get revenge the next weekend in Boston, but DC then dominated the rest of the year finishing the regular season with an impressive 9-1 record. In the Eastern Conference Championship they hosted their biggest rivals the Boston Whitecaps again at home where the team went 5-0 in the regular season. In another unbelievable game between these two squads, DC would not be denied as their ferocious defense, that the team has prided themselves on all year, won them the game as they advanced to the MLU Championship. 

The Current now have the opportunity to do something that has not been done in the past 10 years. Bring a championship to our nation's capital. Sure if the Current were to win there would be no championship parade, the likelihood of the team being able to visit the White House and be recognized by the president is slim to none, championship rings are not out of the question but still a heavy expense for a brand new league, but they will bring a sense of sports pride back into the city for a small group of fans. Slowly the fans will grow larger as the league and team hopes to do so in the next coming years, and that sense of pride in the District will grow with them.

If they are able to accomplish this feat, it will be done the "right way" as many sports fans would like to call it and none can argue with. The team was built from the ground up, with tryouts over four weeks at 4:00 in the morning, no "free agency" to bring in superstars from across the league, no yearly draft that rewards bad teams, none of it. Simply players coming together, playing the sport they love, and representing a city that has needed a team like this to root for. There are superstars, there is no denying that, but no one on the team would think that one of the players stand above the rest. 

There is last season's leading goal scorer, Peter Prial (who moved from Boston to DC for school), there is "Can We Call Him MVP Already" Alan Kolick, his right hand man Markham Shofner, the man who always knows where to be Jeff Wodatch, defensive guru Daniel Kantor, and a multitude of other players. All 30 players on the roster recorded at least three points this season; they won as a team, they won as a franchise. This team was compared to being the '85 Bears of the MLU by the John and Greg Show last week, noting that we may never see another team quite like this DC team. One thing is for sure, I am proud to call the Washington DC Current my team and still will be win or lose July 19th for the MLU Championship.  As for the city, that may take some more convincing, but I know that it will only be a matter of time before the rest of the District of Columbia feels the same way that I do.

Conference Championship Recap

This weekend's Conference Championships showcased two dramatic ultimate games. Both were two of the closest games in the MLU all season, which is exactly what you would want when it came to the Conference Championships.  Starting off, the Eastern Conference Championship presented the biggest rivalry in the league thus far in the first two seasons between the DC Current and the Boston Whitecaps. It was another classic game between these two teams I hope we can get accustomed to, that was back and forth before eventually the DC Current came from behind to take the lead and eventually the game. Alan Kolick solidified himself as the clear favorite for East MVP with an incredible six assists, a goal,  as well as two game changing Ds. Once the time ran out on Boston's season, all the focus was turned toward the West Coast where the redemption story, Portland Stags hosted the Vancouver Nighthawks in both teams first ever playoff game. The fifteen minute break between the action was not enough to slow your heart rate down and prepare you for what this game would bring. It was a game of runs by both teams in the first half before transitioning into a back-and-forth match-up with Vancouver scoring the final point. Gritting it out for his team, defensive superstar Morgan Hibbert played an astounding 20 of the game's 27 total points, making his presence known on the field that would eventually surge the team into the MLU Championship.

17 
Star Performer: Brandon Malecek: 6P, 3G, 3A, 36/39 Throws, 0Ds, +5 Point Dif

 18
 Star Performer: Alan Kolick: 7P, 1G, 6A, 37/39 Throws, 2Ds, +6 Point Dif



My Pick: DC over Boston 22-20

Recap:
I myself witnessed this game at the "Dojo" and it was one of the most jaw-dropping ultimate games I have been a part of. Although the game got off to a shaky start for both teams, DC found themselves on top 4-2 near the end of the first. However the momentum quickly swayed in Boston's favor as they scored four points in a row and looked like they would control the game from there on out. Trailing 10-7 at half, one of the largest deficits of the year for the Current, the team got right back into the game when they got their first break of the second half; thanks in large part to Delrico Johnson's hand block three minutes into the third. DC would then use that energy to come back and go on an 8-4 scoring run that put them on top 17-15 with only 3:45 left to go in the game. Boston would then score but a drop by Calvin Oung, one of the only four drops in the entire game by both teams, gave Boston a break and tied it up at 17. Then an incredible grab by Peter Prial in the end-zone, while surrounded by two Boston players, gave DC a one goal lead that they would hold onto until the final whistle. As mentioned before there was only four drops in this match-up, but there were incredible Ds by both sides, most notably Delrico Johnson's huge sky that prevented a Boston score. Alan Kolick put a stamp on what is sure to be his Eastern Conference MVP Award, recording six more assists on the cleanest offense in the entire league. The home fans for DC also played a huge role, they were loud and obnoxious for the entire game and are a factor into why the Current finished 6-0 at home this season. Once the game was over you could feel the emotion of the players as they rushed the field after defeating the defending champions for the final time this season and finishing the chapter of this rivalry.

Here are the top 5 of some of the incredible plays from this game:

13
 Star Performer: Topher Davis: 3P, 1G, 2A, 24/26 Throws, 3Ds, +3 Point Dif



14
 Star Performer: Gagandeep Chatha: 4P. 2G, 2A, 12/15 Throws, +0 Point Dif


My Pick: Vancouver over Portland 25-24

Recap:

While a vastly different Championship Game than the Eastern Conference and from what was normal between the Portland Stags and the Vancouver Nighthawks, the Western Conference Championship was just as entertaining in a way, if you like game ending drama.  Similar to the first game it started with some Championship jitters while both teams could not get their offenses going, in fact neither team's offense scored in the first quarter which ended with Vancouver scoring 3 straight breaks and holding only a 3-0 lead. The Portland Stags did not score in the first twelve minutes of the entire game but Vancouver would let them come right back and tie the game at four.  After that point the game remained back-and-forth for the rest of the match-up with extremely messy play, silly mistakes on offense, and a trading of turnovers at times. Eventually Kevin Underhill scored making the game 14-13 with only 42 seconds left, plenty of time for Portland to work down the field. But with still 25 seconds remaining Breeze Strout, who was a perfect 33 for 33 in the game, sent a huck down-field to seemingly no one. That overthrow killed the hopes of Portland as the Nighthawks would hold the disk for the final seconds.  While incredibly messy, (9 drops and a ridiculous amount of throwaways) the end of the game was filled with excitement, not knowing who would be the final team to score. Both teams were huck happy, trying to take advantage of every deep cut down-field and neither team had a player record more than four points. Surprisingly to me there was no 10 goal performance by Brendan Wong nor Timmy Perston (who was back for his first game in six weeks), or a 5 assist game by either Morgan Hibbert, Jeremy Norden, Eli Friedman, or Kevin Underhill.  Quite frankly I wanted a little bit more in this championship game and hopefully when the Nighthawks travel to Philadelphia for the MLU Championship their game play will be a whole lot cleaner. 

While the play from both teams was severely lacking compared the Eastern Conference Championship, the top plays were just as impressive:

The MLU Championship will now be played between the DC Current and the Vancouver Nighthawks at PPL Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 19th at 6:30. 

Later this week be on the lookout for City Bios of both teams heading into the game,

 as well as an MLU Championship Preview within the next two weeks.

2014 Conference Championships Preview and Predictions

Each team has played 400 minutes in the MLU regular season, and in some instances a little bit more, but now we are less than 36 hours away from finding out which two teams will be playing for the second MLU Championship. Only one thing is for sure heading into the games this weekend is that this year will have a completely different feel than last year.

The Eastern Conference features two teams that were here last year, and both feel confident heading into this weekend. The DC Current had to fight and claw in 2013 just to make it to a winner-take-all game to end the regular season and make it to the playoffs, before eventually losing to Boston. This year they have controlled the Eastern Conference with an impressive 9-1 record, using both their high-flying offense and layout first oriented defense to carry them thus far. On the opposite side of the field the Boston Whitecaps 2013 campaign had dynasty written all over it. When the season was said and done they were 12-0 and MLU Champions, no squad had even came close to knocking off the champs that had a +59 point differential in the regular season, but my how things have changed. This season Boston finished at a disappointing 5-5 needing a little help from DC to even put them in this game. However this team has been in this game before and knows how to win a championship.

The Western Conference will showcase two teams that will be making their playoff debuts this weekend in the Portland Stags and Vancouver Nighthawks. Coming into this season both teams had the opportunity to make heavy strides in the Western Conference and even compete for the championship with both San Francisco and Seattle losing some key players on their clubs. In fact coming into this year, the Nighthawks who were 3-7 the previous season, were heavy preseason favorites to be the top team in the West. The season then started poorly for Vancouver starting 2-4, but have now strung together four straight wins and have full momentum heading into this game. Their opponent, the Portland Stags, had a entire reversal from their previous season when they went a dismal 1-9. They are now heading into the Western Conference Championship with home-field advantage and an 8-2 record, going from last to first in the matter of months.

2014 Record: 9-1                                                                                                         2014 Record: 5-5

Home Record: 5-0                                                                                                      Away Record: 1-4

Star Players:                                                                                                                       Star Players:

Alan Kolick: 44Pts, 14G, 30A, 94.6%, 6Ds                                                            Jeff Graham: 47Pts, 27G, 20A, 96.8%, 4Ds

Markham Shofner: 41Pts, 11G, 30A, 85.6%, 5Ds                                            Brandon Malechek: 43Pts, 17G, 26A, 89.8% 1D

Peter Prial: 39Pts, 23G, 16A, 93.0%, 9Ds                                                            Josh Markette: 42Pts, 14G, 28A, 91.0%, 5Ds

Jeff Wodatch: 34Pts, 22G, 12A, 97.4%, 2Ds                                                        Jack Hatchett: 17Pts, 11G, 6A, 88.2%, 17Ds

Calvin Oung: 13Pts, 6G, 7A, 93.4%, 9Ds                                                                  Jim Foster: 30Pts, 19G, 11A, 95.8%, 3Ds

Head-to-Head Record: DC Current lead 2-1

Week 2: DC defeated Boston 18-17

Week 3: Boston defeated DC 17-12

Week 9: DC defeated Boston 21-16

The Lowdown:
Interesting match-up between the DC Current and the Boston Whitecaps for the Eastern Conference Championship. In the three games that they played this season, one was controlled by Boston, one was controlled by DC, and one was an exceptional game that went back and forth that would eventually be the Whitecaps first loss in franchise history. With that all being said, the combined score of all three games is DC 51, Boston 50; extremely close and very difficult to predict. Going into this game the Current are riding a seven game winning streak (3 NY, 3 PHI, 1 BOS) and have outscored opponents 165-122 in the process of that streak. Boston on the other hand is 1-2 over their last three outings and needed the Spinners to lose in the final week of the regular season to make it to this championship. In their games against each other this season Peter Prial (DC) and Jeff Graham (Boston) have been the workforce for their respective teams, minus the Week 3 game where both players missed the match-up. Prial, who is still undefeated in every game he has played in the MLU, earned 12 points total in both games, while Graham had 11 points. For those that do not know, Peter Prial played for the Whitecaps last season, becoming an MLU Champion, and also held the Goals Scored in a Single Season title with 35, before Brendan Wong recorded an incredible 48. Now Prial plays for DC and has made a huge impact as seen in the stats above, creating a rivalry between both of these teams. This will be the eighth match-up where the Current play the Whitecaps and it has the potential for an incredible game. Oh also do not forget that both of these teams have MVP candidates in Alan Kolick and Josh Markette in just another reason to make sure you see this game. Something has to give for one of these teams, but expect one of the most entertaining games of the entire season.

My Pick: DC over Boston 22-20

2014 Record: 8-2                                                                                                         2014 Record: 6-4

Home Record: 4-1                                                                                                      Away Record: 2-3

Star Players:                                                                                                                       Star Players:

Cody Bjorklund: 41Pts, 26G, 15A, 88.9%, 5Ds                                                  Brendan Wong: 64Pts, 48G, 16A, 88.0%, 4Ds

Eli Friedman: 39Pts, 19G, 20A, 95.9%, 5Ds                                                      Morgan Hibbert: 26Pts, 7G, 19A, 87.8%, 20Ds

Jeremy Norden: 30Pts, 2G, 28A, 93.3%, 3Ds                                                   Gagandeep Chatha: 31Pts, 23G, 8A, 86.8%, 1D

Topher Davis: 19Pts, 6G, 13A, 93.5%, 14Ds                                                           Aaron Loach: 29Pts, 9G, 20A, 89.7%, 2Ds

Mark Burton: 32Pts, 18G, 14A, 88.5%, 2Ds                                                        Kevin Underhill: 28Pts, 6G, 22A, 92.5%, 5Ds

Head-to-Head Record: Portland Stags lead 2-1

Week 1: Portland defeated Vancouver 23-21

Week 7: Portland defeated Vancouver 19-16

Week 10: Vancouver defeated Portland 20-18

The Lowdown:

At the end of last year's season it would have been pretty hard to imagine that the two teams who failed to make the playoffs would wind up in the Western Conference Championship the next year. Despite who wins, both teams should consider the 2014 campaign a success, but lets face it, both teams want to win. When these two teams play each other you can expect a thriller with every game so far being decided by three points or less. However when you look at the two teams they could not be more different.  The Portland Stags have one of the strongest lineups in the West, this year 15 of the 26 players that played recorded at least 10 points. With Timmy Perston being gone for most of the season, Cody Bjorklund and MVP candidate, Eli Friedman, have led the team from the start; but looking at the stats you can't help but notice how great they are for a majority of the roster. On the Vancouver side of the disc, they have some strong players on offense and on defense, I'm mainly talking about Brendan Wong and Morgan Hibbert, both MVP candidates and both players who led the MLU in statistical categories. Wong has recorded 22 of his 64 points against the Stags this season, a large imprint since they have only played three times this season, and has shown that he steps up for Vancouver. However for Portland there has been a different player to step up and lead the team each game! Numerous players get into the action and make an impact for the team. Whilst looking into the head-to-head match-ups, it must be taken into account that the Week 10 battle was the second of the weekend for Portland and the night before had already clinched a playoff spot, letting the coaches rest some of their star players. With that all being said, I still expect another great game between the two squads.

My Pick: Vancouver over Portland 25-24

2014 Mid-Season Awards

We are just past halfway in the 2014 MLU season. This past weekend completed Week 6 of 11 with all the teams having played at least five games, except Portland who has played only four.  So far this season has lived up to all the excitement that was brewing in the offseason; Boston finally lost once, twice, and a third time, the biggest headline in the Big Apple this year was the debut of New York's Short Shorts, the Dogfish going from first to worst, but then the Stags being the last undefeated team in the league.  Bottom line, a lot has happened this season, expected and unexpected, and at the mid point in the season here are mid-season awards for the East Coast and West Coast thus far in the 2014 season.

Best Game:
East:

Washington DC Current  18

Boston Whitecaps            17

This one was a tough pick, in the Eastern Conference there has been numerous great games this season including two double overtime games between New York and Philadelphia and Boston losing three games by a total of three points. When looking at all of them, it came down to the Week 2 Boston-DC matchup and the Week 6 Boston-Philadelphia matchup, both game were great, back-and-forth, little mistakes, and quite frankly just good ultimate.  However in this situation I'm going to have to give the nod to Boston-DC, not only was this the first loss in Boston Whitecaps history, but an incredible game. I was there to witness it and from beginning to end I was on the edge of my seat, stunning plays, a 4-1 run that allowed the Current to comeback, and then finally a game winning hammer from Peter Prial to Calvin Oung.  This is a must watch for all ultimate fans whether you are a fan of the MLU or not, you will not be disappointed.

West:

Seattle Rainmakers        21

San Francisco Dogfish    20

Again another tough pick even in the Western Conference, the play in 2014 has progressed massively since last season. Unfortunately a majority of all of the West Coast games has had the wind as a major factor.  In a game that was a rematch of last season's Western Conference Championship Seattle was on top 19-16 with a couple minutes left to go. The Dogfish not only scored but recorded two breaks to tie the game and send it to overtime. This game was not a clean and precise as the Boston-DC game, due to the wind there was a cluster of throwaways and drops by both teams.  In the end it was still a fantastic game that had huge implications on the rest of the season. (Sorry for the technical problems with the replay)

Best-Single Game Performance:
East:

Alan Kolick (DC Current) Week 2

Not the normal guy you would expect to have the best performance, especially when he is in the star powered Eastern Conference, but if you look at the stats it all makes since.  Alan Kolick was literally perfect when the DC Current needed him to be, in the home game against the Boston Whitecaps, Kolick was 56 for all of his 56 throws. Not a single throw was D'd, dropped, too floaty, they were all perfect.  If any one of these passes hit the ground, Boston probably would have gotten the victory that weekend.  On top of that he added two scores and five assists. 

West:

Donnie Clark (Seattle Rainmakers) Week 5

If you have been following the MLU this season this should come as no surprise to you.  Despite the 29-23 loss to the Vancouver Nighthawks, Clark broke the MLU single game point record with 14 points.  He also broke the most goals in a game record with 12.  Like stated before this was in a loss to Vancouver, but Donnie Clark has been a top the leader-board all year long and is a strong favorite for Western Conference MVP, especially if his team makes the playoffs. 

MVP:
East:

Peter Prial (DC Current) 27 points, 16 goals, 11 assists, 103/111 throws, 6 D's

Peter Prial has done it all for the DC Current, he scores, he can throw, and he also plays defense. Prial, primarily on DC's O-line, from time-to-time plays on the D-line (mainly when DC needs their "kill line") and when he is on he makes plays. He has one of the highest +/- differential in the league with a +57 and has only two drops on the season.  Its hard to argue that he has not been the biggest factor in the East, moving from Boston to DC, because he is still undefeated in MLU play because he missed the loss against Boston. That's right his stats are this high in only playing five games.

West:

Donnie Clark (Seattle Rainmakers) 36 points, 30 goals, 6 assists, 35/39 throws, 6 D's

Some could make the argument that he is only the MVP because of his Week 5, actually he is the MVP with his Week 5 performance.  Each and every week he has been on top of the Rainmakers stats sheets, making key scores, and playing a ton of points.  In fact if you take away his 12 goal record breaking performance and put in his season average, he would still lead the league in goals. This is his first year in the MLU and he is taking the Western Conference by storm. His team is on top of the conference and favorites, right now, to win the West.

Rookie of the Year:
East:

Matthew Esser (Philadelphia Spinners)

I know he is not new to pro ultimate, but he is new to the MLU which is a different style than the AUDL.  He is a constant threat when he is on the field for Philadelphia, he has a total of 24 points (14 goals, 10 assists), and throwing at a 78/80 percentage.  He does everything, playing more D points than O points recording 5 D's and absolutely no drops on the season. Playing on a team that is currently last in the East, Esser is still having an impact. If the team were to turn it around this year, they would have Esser to thank.

West:

Brendan Wong (Vancouver Nighthawks)

One of the quietest players in the league right now. Week after week Wong has been at the top of the MLU's stats sheet with 33 points, 23 of them being goals and 10 assists. He has had difficulty throwing but after the wind that is happening in the West completing 53 of 59 throws is pretty good.  The Nighthawks are +38 when Wong is on the field playing primarily on offense. These stats are in only the five games the Nighthawks have played but yet he will continue to rack up the points.

Best Coach:
East:

Keven Moldenhauer (DC Current)

In 2013 Keven Moldenhauer was a "player-coach", in 2014 he accepted the full head coaching responsibilities and it has shown on the field. The Current are the only team to have improved so far in 2014 based on their 2013 record. Last year DC was 4-6 and made the Eastern Conference Championship, this year they are 5-1 and leading the East by two games.  They were the first team to defeat Boston ever, and is undefeated this season at home. No team seems to be able to stop them before the playoffs and look for DC to finish the season 9-1 or 8-2 at the end of the year.

West:

Danny Quarrell & Michael Knapp (Portland Stags)

One of the two coaching duos in the Western Conference, while faced criticism at first, appears to be working in Portland.  Last year Portland when 1-9 winning only one game the entire year.  This year they were the last undefeated team in the league, and stand at 3-1 with their only loss to the Seattle Rainmakers 25-23. Playoffs are not guaranteed for this team because they have a lot of work left to do; but when you can reach the mid point of the season and already say this year was a success for the team, you  have to attribute it to Quarrell and Knapp.

Honorable Mentions:
Best Game:
East:
Philadelphia Spinners  26
Boston Whitecaps      25
West: 
Portland Stags              18
San Francisco Dogfish  16

Best-Single Game Performance:
West:
Evan Boucher (San Francisco Dogfish) Week 2; three scores, four assists

MVP:
East:
Jeff Graham (Boston Whitecaps) 28 points, 18 goals, 10 assists, 117/121 throws, 2 D's
Alan Kolick (DC Current) 28 points, 9 goals, 19 assists, 255/265 throws, 1 D
West:
Brendan Wong (Vancouver Nighthawks) 33 points, 23 goals, 10 assists, 53/59 throws, 1 D
Daniel Trytiak (Seattle Rainmakers) 32 points, 13 goals, 19 assists, 99/116 throws, 2 D's

Playoff Favorites:
East:
Surprisingly enough this look eerily similar to last season, except with the Whitecaps leading the conference. However DC is not as dominating as Boston.  I do believe that DC will hold on a clinch the #1 seed for the playoffs, but Boston is going to give them a run for their money.  The Whitecaps still believe they are the superior team and if DC were to lose a game or two they would be right there.  Also watch out for the Philadelphia Spinners for the remainder of the season, they have been close in every game this season and are on the verge of putting it all together.

#1 Seed: DC Current
#2 Seed: Boston Whitecaps

West:
The West is a whole lot clearer that it has been at any point in this season, but due to scheduling each team has played a different number of games (Seattle 6, Portland 4, Vancouver 5, San Francisco 7).  It has been a great story watching Portland do what they have been doing this season but they will have to fight and claw the rest of the way with Vancouver and San Francisco on their heels.  Seattle seems to be in control of the conference, with two wins that will clinch a playoff spot for them. The preseason favorites Nighthawks are struggling to find their identity blowing out teams one week and losing by a huge margin another.  San Francisco will cause some problems the rest of the way trying to prove that they are better than they played this season, having to win out and hope for some luck to make the playoffs.

#1 Seed: Seattle Rainmakers
#2 Seed: Vancouver Nighthawks

New Names, Same Teams, New Places in 2014

The 2013-2014 offseason was filled with tons of off the field drama. The league leading scorer went from one Eastern-Conference foe to another, as well as the Western Conference Champions losing a majority of their starters from last season.  However, a key factor in any sport has to be the head coaches and of course the fan base.  The league showed that they were content to build the fan bases in the current eight cities than rather expand before the league was ready.  Also a new MLU rule this year instituted that there should be no more "player-coaches" for 2014.  In doing so a majority of players stepped up to their new roles on their teams, while other franchises looked elsewhere.  In some instances some head coaches just decided to part ways with the team. Nonetheless, the 2014 season has already showed that a variety of factors has influenced how this season will play out, but just for sanity's sake here is an update on some coaching and location changes for all the teams in the MLU.

New Head Coach: Sam Rosenthal
Coaching Experience: None
College: Carleton College

Former Coach: Jason Adams

New Stadium: Hormel Stadium, Medford, MA
Old Stadium: Bowditch Field, Framingham, MA

Notes: New stadium is located closer to the city of Boston and the loss of their head coach, Jason Adams, will and has been showing this season. Will be a challenge for them to defend their title this year.




New Head Coach: Anthony Nunez
Coaching Experience: Youth, High School (Columbia), Co-Ed Club (Blueprint), Rutgers Machine, and NY Rumble Assistant in 2013.
College: William Paterson University

Former Coach: Daniel Quaranta

Stadium: Union City High School Football Field, Union City, NJ

Notes: Same field with the interesting setting of being on top of a high school, fans are real close to the field and a beautiful view of New York.  Even though it is outside of the city, the team will still offer a "fan bus" from Manhattan to the stadium.




Head Coach: Billy Maroon
Coaching Experience: Philadelphia Spinners 2012 assistant coach & 2013 head coach

New Stadium: Franklin Field (4/12, 6/21), University City, PA; Colonial Stadium (4/26), Plymouth Meeting, PA; Sweeney Field (5/18, 6/15), Philadelphia, PA
Old Stadium: Colonial Stadium

Notes: Billy Maroon is one of the best coaches as far as pro ultimate is concerned, with the 2012 AUDL championship in his back pocket. It will still be tough having three different home stadiums this season and no "home-field" advantage.



New Head Coaches: Danny Quarrell & Michael Knapp
Coaching Experience (respectively): University of Portland, Women's Club (Schwa) & Reed College, Women's Club (Schwa)
College (respectively): Unknown & Oregon State

Former Coach: Justin Becker

New Stadium: Doc Harris Stadium (4/12, 5/3), Camas, WA; Mt. Hood CC (5/17, 5/31), Gresham, OR; South Eugene High School (6/21), Eugene, OR
Old Stadium: Griswold Stadium

Notes: Another interesting situation where the Stags are going with three home stadiums as well as the fact they have two head coaches. Who am I to criticize though, because it seems to be paying off this year.



Head Coach: Justin Safdie
Coaching Experience: None
College: Brown University

New Stadium: Matthew J. Boxer Stadium
Old Stadium: Kezar Stadium

Notes: Will be one of the lone grass fields in the MLU, a different feel than the regular turf.  Better news is that it will be the sole home stadium for the season 2014. It will be great with Justin Safdie still as head coach because he has his work cut for him to try and make the playoffs.



Head Coaches: Mario O’Brien & Steve Gussin
Coaching Experience (respectively): Unknown & High School
College (respectively): Unknown &Evergreen State College

Former Coach: Ben Wiggins

Stadium: Renton Memorial Stadium

Notes: Great facility in keeping Renton Memorial for the Rainmakers, however there will be a game played at Mount Vernon High School in the first annual "Border Bid" against Vancouver.  This team will be another case where there will be a coaching-duo, although there will different responsibilities it still will be interesting.



Head Coach: Keven Moldenhauer
Coaching Experience: Women's College (Salisbury), Men's College (Towson), High School, Basketball, 2013 Player-Coach for DC Current
College: Salisbury University

New Stadium: Cardinal Stadium
Old Stadium: Blazer Stadium

Notes: Moving the stadium into the heart of DC is great especially being right off the Metro so its easy to get to. Also it will be great having Moldenhauer coming back to coach and not being a player, so he can focus on team responsibilities.

Head Coach: Andrew Lugsdin
Coaching Experience: Open Club (Furious George)

Stadium: Thunderbird Stadium

Notes: Same coach and stadium for the Nighthawks in the 2014 season. Lugsdin is a great coach with experience in coaching taking Furious George to the world championships, hoping to have a similar outcome with Vancouver to the MLU Championship.

Outlook into the 2014 Season

It has already been said that the 2014 season of the MLU will include no new expansion teams (see Expansion into the 2014 Season and Beyond). However, after the success of the inaugural season and the off-season drama in the past couple of months, the MLU will be back and better than ever.  

THE EAST:
If there is one thing I would bet on for the 2014 season, it would be that the Boston Whitecaps will not go undefeated again this season. Last year the games remained close with eventually Boston getting the upper end when the time ran out, its not like Boston dominated the Eastern Conference. Teams have now had a year together to practice and develop chemistry that the Whitecaps may have been a little fortunate to have at the beginning of the season. Getting to the top and being the best is hard, staying up there is even harder. Despite that all being said I predict the East will be more competitive this year but in the end Boston will once again win the conference.


Signings from 2013 season: Jon Hirschberger, Alex Simmons, Brandon Malecek, Teddy Browar-Jarus, Jack Hatchett, Seth Reinhardt, Danny Clark, Jeff Graham, Josh Markette, Jake Taylor, Brian Zid, Shaun Doherty, Terry Roth, Alex Cooper, Miles Montgomery-Butler, and Eric Stevens





Signings from 2013 season: Chris Mazur (2013 MVP), Robbie Gillies, Joe Anderson, Ben Faust, Jon Cox, Markian Kuzmowcyz, Dan Heijmen, Austin Raymond, Ignacio Yz, Andrew Bosco, Jake Herman, Lucas Murphy, and Milo Snyder 

Other Signings: Isaac Saul (Pitt Ultimate), Sean Murray (Philly Spinners), Dave Vuckovich (PoNY Ultimate), Jack Marsh (AUDL New York Rumble), Adrian Banerji (Ironside), Quinn Hunziker, Matt Hennessy (PoNY Ultimate), Matt Wilson




Signings from 2013 season: Nick Hirannet, David Baer, Trey Katzenbach, Art Shull, Dustin Damiano, Leon Chou, Dan Furfari, Patrick Diviney, Jack Casey, Matt Glazer, Michael Panna, Matt Paparone, Michael Baer, Patrick Lindsey, Jonah Wisch, Nick Mathison,  Frederik Brasz, Justin Carter

Other Signings: Jake Rainwater (2012 Philly Spinner), David Brandolph (2012 Philly Spinner), Trent Dillion (Pitt Ultimate), Patrick Earles (Pitt Ultimate), Aaron Watson (Pitt Ultimate), Marcus Ranii-Dropcho (Pitt Ultimate), Max Thorne (Pitt Ultimate), Matt Esser (AUDL Philadelphia Phoenix), Alex Peters (AMP Ultimate)



Signings from 2013 season: Alan Kolick, Daniel Kantor, Sean Keegan, Tom Doi, Calvin Oung, Jeff Wodatch, David Cranston, Markham Shofner, Brian Marshall, Delrico Johnson, Bobby Gordon, Brent Bellinger, Nate Castine, Eric Miner, Robert Dulabon, Matt Gordon, Collier "Chip" Cobb, and Erik Salmi

Other Signings: Peter Prial (Boston Whitecaps), Cody Johnston (William & Mary Ultimate)

THE WEST:

The Western Conference is more up in the air than the East. Last season both the San Francisco Dogfish and the Seattle Rainmakers led the conference with 8-2 records. However since this is the second season once again the chemistry will be better among the teams, so the gap from first place to last place won't be as large. The Dogfish also will head into the 2014 season losing one of their top players, Beau Kittredge, to the AUDL which will force me to give the nod to the Rainmakers to win the conference with tough competition from the Vancouver Nighthawks and San Francisco.

Signings from 2013 Season: Timmy Perston, Cody Bjorklund, Chris Hancock, Eli Friedman, Ben Lohre, Ben McGinn, Jeremy Norden, Grant Cole, Raphy Hayes, Vinh Bui, Chris Beach-Rehner, Eli Blackman, Breeze Strout, Adrian King, and John Thornton


Other Signings: Mark Burton (Seattle Rainmakers), Dan Suppnick (Rhino Ultimate)

Signings from 2013 Season: Evan Boucher, Sam Adamson, Drew Kim, Adam Farren, Tyler Grant, Jordan Jeffery, Mac Taylor, Gary Dixon, and James Pollard

Other Signings: Chris Hart (Boost Ultimate)

Signings from 2013 Season: Ben Beehner, Danny Trytiak, Bryson Uhrig-Fox, Matty Zemel, Sam Harkness, Mario O'Brien, Matthew Sewell, Adam Simon (2013 West MVP), Elliot Trotter

Other Signings: Khalif El-Salaam (Portland Stags), Eddie Feeley (Sockeye)

Signings from 2013 Season: Matthew Berezan, Kevin Underhill, Andre Gailits, Andy Collins, Mark Leduc, Kirk Savage, Keane Knapp, Nick Menzies, Joel Bellevance, Allan Cowan, Alex Davis, Bobo Eyrich, Morgan Hibbert, Aaron Loach, and Jordan Tessarolo 

Other Signings: Takuya Saito (Japan)

By 2014 season's end there will be yet another MLU champion crowned, will it be the current champions the Boston Whitecaps, will the San Francisco Dogfish get revenge and make it back to the championship, or will a different team step up into the spotlight and take home the trophy?

*= Team has not announced 2014 Roster