Who are the best players in the Metro East region? This is an open thread to discuss All-Region nominations, All-Freshman nominations, coaching awards, and more. Stay positive and keep it civil.
I’m one of the captains for Colgate (#11) so I guess I can talk a bit about my team and maybe throw a few cents in for other teams that I’ve seen this year.
All-Region:
Colgate
JP Letourneau (#2): Our pretty short cutter, but gets big for everything. Layout Ds, skies, hucks; you name it, he can do it. He’s generally the guy catching the under and putting it up to Bones.
Zachary “Oz” Lazow (#13): Most reliable handler I’ve played with in a long time. Almost never turns it over, and has a cannon of an arm, and is well known for his hammers.
Ethan “Bones” Jones (#25): Literally always open and turns 50/50s into 80/20s. He’s also absurdly fast for his size, and is probably one of the most athletic players in the region.
All-Freshman: Ben Reiser (#5) Those of you who have played against our zone will know him as our mark. He came in with pretty much no ultimate experience and is already one of the best defenders on the team. He’s fast as hell, lays out, and gets way more hand blocks than anyone would ever expect.
Hamilton
Nick Lucchesi (#99): Big, reliable, incredible thrower. Hamilton’s offense runs through him.
SUNY-Cortland
James “Jimi” O’Connell (#94): Also known as Raichu, he’s probably one of the best throwers in the region and his entire team’s offense runs through him with crazy give and go’s right off the pull.
TCNJ
Tom Athan: I had the pleasure of having Tom cover me and covering Tom at regionals. Definitely one of the better defenders in the region, and was a key part of his team.
#4 Don’t know his name, but the offense ran through him and he is also one of the best defenders on his team.
Edit: finally fixed my formatting and rewrote it a bit to stave off finals studying.
Hey, I’m a TCNJ almun that has been following the men’s season intently and coached them in the Fall. I haven’t been there for the games they played vs other Metro East teams but here goes:
Colin Koschenash - TCNJ - Was a captain last year and came in after taking a semester aboard and didn’t lose a step. Arguably the fastest player on the field at all times and shows incredible poise on offense and energy on defense. Can guard anyone and is near impossible to cover when he handles. Colin is growing into an amazing all around player and he will look to carry his team through regionals as they seek their first ever bid to nationals.
Tom Athan - TCNJ - Current captain and one of the main on and off the field leaders of the team. One of the most laid back guys off the field and loves playing for fun, but in a competitive environment, Tom thrives as he ramps up his intensity which pumps up the team. A great thrower and cutter, Tom does whatever he wants on the field and can play any role the team needs him. On defense, he’s smart and a great example of how to play shut down defense.
Charles Cannon - Stevens - I’ve played against Charlie a few times and he’s proven to me time and time again why he deserves to be considered one of the best players in the region, D1 or D3. An incredible handler who puts the disk wherever he wants, he is also a threat downfield due to his speed and height. On defense he balls out and uses his size to take advantage of his opponents. Stevens might not have had a great season by their standards but after winning their conference (without Charlie), Stevens heads into regionals as a darkhorse who can make some noise.
Hi All, I am one of the Ithaca College (Nawshus) captains, number 69, Dan Percival. I’ll follow Mob’s example and not nominate myself. I can only really comment on my section as we have not had the chance to really get to know many other teams.
Alec Tucker Junior, 15, Ithaca
Alec is dominant handler that runs the team’s offense. He is a very quick player with extremely explosive movement and phenomenal handler cuts. His decision making is top notch and as a result rarely turns the disc as a result. He is an essential part of the offense and should be blossoming into a great captain next year.
Andrew Seiden Junior, 21, Ithaca
Let me start by saying Seiden is fast, and as a previous center fielder he has some incredible tracking abilities; this combined with his vertical makes his a serious deep threat. On defense he always has a play on the disc, and is more than willing to make a sick bid. We expect great things out of him next year as well.
Ethan Jones Senior, Colgate
Bones is one of those kids who you know the first time you play him because he always wears the same shorts, plus, you know, he is a monster in the air. The team runs their offense around him and he has really shown his potential in threading throws through holes and continually getting open. Bones is a great guy both on and off the field and is a great representation of what Ultimate is all about.
Zachary Lazow Senior, Colgate
Oz is a great handler, you’ll never see him drop the disc and the chemistry he has with his other players is outstanding. I recently found out he likes to drop dimeball hammers to the back of the endzone. He is a very chilly handler with good communication skills and him and Bones have one of the best connections in the section.
Jimmy O’Connell Senior, Cortland
Jimmy has a hell of a flick, I wouldn’t doubt that it is the best in the section and he is not afraid to use. Playing in the AUDL drastically improved his abilities and is now capable of creating space with just his throws. He likes to shred cups with blades and can be seen running Cortland’s offense every single point.
Nick Lucchesi Senior, Hamilton
Nick is a very calm and collected player who I give a lot of respect to. I can’t think of anyone I know who is better at using his size to dominate the field. He runs Hamilton’s offense and isn’t afraid to pull out some spectacular throws to pull his team out of a sticky situation. hes got some gnarly break throws and is a great guy on and off the field.
All-Freshman Candidate
Adrian Baker Freshman
Adrian came to us with a Wham-O, and now he throws more than anyone else on the team. He is a trustworthy and smart player that busts his ass on every D point, and isn’t afraid to get a little dirty. He knows how to step it up and run an offense as well as be the 7th player on the field. We expect continued improvement from him in his upcoming years at Nawshus.
Hey guys, my name’s Kevin Burke. I am a player for SUNY Geneseo Snail and I want to get some names out there.
Dillon “Princess” Peterson(snail) is one of our captains. He’s huge, super fast, and the most reliable thrower on the team. He was a starter for the past few years on the snail teams that made nationals, and now he’s the central leader and the person through whom our whole offense runs. Also princess has a high release flick that makes most zones obsolete.
“Strong” Dan Stern (snail) is another captain. Dan’s the other central handler. Dude has the biggest as well as nicest throws on a team. Lefty and righty scoobers that reliably beat zones, plus has some of the best handler defense around. He can get up for his height and lays out like crazy on both sides of the disc.
Snail still has a lot of leftover talent to bring attention to, so i hope some other teammates post, but those are the main 2 guys who, in my opinion, deserve regional recognition.
Connecticut College would like to nominate Gabe Voisin from Hartford for the Hudson Valley Section as well as Antonio Valentin from Skidmore. Both of them have the ability to take over points and games with their throws and their ability to get open or, when in double coverage, head scratching athletic ability. Gabe almost single handedly kept our pre-sectionals game close and Antonio ran rampant in Skidmore’s win at Lobster Pot. Both of them are also extremely spirited and were leaders in the keeping our games not only civil but thoroughly enjoyable (in an absurdly volatile section).
For All-Region team from Dasein, we want to nominate Walter Stuart and Nathan “Dog” Giaccone. They are the unsung heroes of our starting lines. Nathan had an unbelievable +16 at sectionals, with at least 3 bookend points. Transforming from a former-scrub, Nathan has become an elite player with canine-like tenacity on defense and makes our handlers look like they’re playing catch at the beach because he’s always open. I’ve personally never seen him get discouraged by a match-up, even against the most athletic opponent, because of his ability to make a play in the toughest of spots.
Walter on the other hand, as our starting O-line handler, had 1 turn at sectionals, and that’s his average for tournaments. His give and go movement spin even our best defenders around, and his composure under pressure has bailed our O-line out of so many lockdown man D situations. Lastly, his low-key bombs make him the antithesis of Xavier Maxstadt, not only humble but a true team player who takes and makes the deadly high percentage throws.
We would also like to nominate our freshest first year Eamon “Eazy” Horrigan for Freshman of the Year. He came to us as an angsty, oversized middle schooler who’s only experience with sports was pickup basketball. Now he’s a starting D line cutter with dirty throw and go’s. His disc awareness is equal to our veterans’, and he’s a turnover machine. He also understands ultimate culture better than any of us did, and is a pure teammate, which many freshman understandably struggle with.
My name is Emet Schwartz and I one of the captains of RPI Trudge. There have been several exceptional players we have played against this year. The players I will be nominating are stellar ultimate players along with people who really exemplify the game and were fun to play against.
To start, I would like to nominate the two captains of Skidmore, Tony Valentin and Josh Norton. You can never count Skidmore out of a game because of these two. They are very talented players along with being very calm and collected on the field. Tony threatens teams with his sharp cuts and his precise throws while Josh, on the other hand, handles and dictates the speed of the game. He has the ability to send the disc or just play give and go. From personal experience, it is very hard to stop him.
Next is Dan Percival, you may not nominate yourself but I will. I had the pleasure of playing Ithaca twice and will be again at regional. He is a big boy with great throws. He leads his team allowing them to perform well along with goofing off with the other team.
Lastly, for All Regional is Andrew Yale. He is one of mine at RPI. There is no one that works harder on the field. He does it all. He cuts, get Ds, lay outs, boosts it and manages to remain humble through all of this. He is without a doubt one of the best players that walks on the field and when off the field he is always cheering his teammate on and keeping morale high.
For freshman, I have to nominate Ilan Berkman, He is a rookie at Vassar. I got to play him at sectionals and had a fantastic time. He is always laughing no matter the score and was one of their best players. He was incredibly skilled and because he is only a Freshman I am scared to see how good he becomes.
Thanks for reading and I hope you consider my recommendations.
With the finals of Regionals still underway, and the season unfortunately over for Geneseo Snail, I’d like to use what I saw Saturday to expand on the cases for some teammates as well as point out some top notch guys on the other teams we played.
Dan “tranny dan” Percival(?) this dude is just a tremendous ultimate player. We’ve played Ithaca twice this season now, both games incredibly close with Saturday’s going to Universe. In both meetings, number 69 was the biggest problem for us. He’s super tall, fast, and has reliable throws. Our best defenders would do what we could to contain him, but he was still always there for the resets Nawshus needed to work it down the field. Also, guy has some impressive spirit, but unimpressive rock/paper/scissors skills.
Goose on Stevens (Sorry, don’t know real name) Again, we’ve seen Goose before, so our gameplan going into our incredibly close matchup with Stevens was, “How do we contain Goose?” He was a central player on last years team that revolved around MKBHD, and seems to have gotten even better since then. He’s just crazy quick, and has the throws to get to a deep number 9 after a LOT of his unders. Dude showed some serious guts coming back into the game after a scary-looking injury call when a player landed on his head.
#9 on Stevens Sorry, don’t know your name. This guy ended up being the biggest threat to try to contain in the Stevens game. His handler D was just suffocating, we had to mess with our handler sets a lot to earn resets against him. Also, he’s tall and fast and has good throws. Very impressive athlete.
Nick Luchessi(99? Hamilton) this guy is just one of the most proficient players of his type, which there are only a few of. He knows how to use his size to throw anything he wants, and from time to time sky some fools. He appears to be the most reliable, talented, and level headed guy on an impressive Hamilton team that seems to run through 99. Also, another guy with incredibly admirable spirit and overall temperament.
Ok now for my own homies:
“Strong” Dan Stern (#88 Geneseo) Dan’s step up from last year to this has just been outrageous. On last year’s Snail team that ran through David Abbot and a host of Seniors, Dan was a front of the stack/sometimes d-line handler. Since then, he stepped into the role of captain, and can apparently just do anything he wants on the field now. Strong is the biggest difference maker on this Snail team. He has huge throws, crazy quick handler movement, and the ability to shut down top players with his defense. Not to mention all of his outrageous bids, catches, Ds, and apparent proficiency at throwing lefty scoobers(???).
Dillon “Princess” Peterson (#13 Geneseo) Prince is essentially the closest player-type I’ve seen to Luchessi, with easily comparable talent. He uses his length/size to throw breaks whenever he needs to, as well as get any contested catch or D he needs to get out of the sky. He has the speed to get open just about every time a cutter looks to him, often exploding up the line. He’s the single-most composed player on Snail, and has the goods to be the most reliable handler. His strong leadership, goofy spirit, and unquestionable talent make him invaluable to Geneseo Ultimate.
Galen Gibian (#35 Snail) In 2014-15 Galen was one of the only non-seniors who was looked at to be on Snail’s O-line. Now, as a senior evening out the triumvirate of captains with Dan and Princess, Galen is another top-tier player on the team. Galen is uncontestedly the #1 cutter on the team. He gets open from the iso regardless of what the defenders give him, and uses a flick huck just frequently enough to keep marks honest. His ability to find space and get open is a nightmare for most of the zones we’ve faced this season.
Also, freshman Tom Benamran (#21 Geneseo) had some impact for our team on Saturday. He may not look like a freshman, being 6’2" ish with a beard and some body to boot, and he doesn’t play like one. He was initially just looked at as a deep threat who’d point and we’d throw (as annoying as pointing is), but in the college series he did a little more. Tom started looking for unders and playing better on D. In one game he had back to back poach-blocks in the center lane. What other freshman has the awareness to get poach blocks?
I wish the fields and weather didn’t turn into such an issue this Sunday, because I’d love be around to see what more talent this Region has in the championships. Good luck everyone who’s still in it!
Hey gents! My name is Tony Valentin (guy who always wear the sunflower hat/sunflower necklace), one of the captains of the absurd Skidmore 8 you may have faced or saw at Regionals. My All-region/freshman nominations for the DIII Metro East Region is as follows:
Josh Norton, Junior, Skidmore
My fellow captain alongside me, Josh has the ability to dominate the game from any position you put him in. He can take over the game from a give-n-go handler role and roast you up-line to throw a perfect touch huck or take you deep to make an incredibly athletic play on the disc. Due to his versatility and ability to dictate the flow of the game, he is in my humble opinion, one of the most solid players in the region.
Graham Turner, Junior, Skidmore
Nicknamed “Red-wood” for his fiery red hair, the tallest player on our team has come into his own this season to be the biggest threat on the field at any given time. Besides the fact that he can arguably win any match-up deep, he has learned to use his defender’s fear for huge 40 yard unders. He’s one of the biggest deep threats in the region both on offense and defense, and continues to improve his decision making as well as throwing capability to make him an incredibly well-rounded player.
Ethan “Bones” Jones, Senior, Colgate
After finally having an opportunity to play against the player that seemed to be getting a lot of buzz, I was not disappointed to see that the hype was indeed real. Given his height and athletic dominance, Colgate could always rely on him to get open and make precise throws, but more importantly, he could always make a what can only be referred to as “stupid” grab in double coverage. Bones is a class act and definitely worthy of All-Region.
Jimmy O’Connell, Senior, Cortland
The game simply runs through Jimmy when you play Cortland. Despite being known for his impressive throwing ability and handler motion, he is also capable of making some filthy grabs in tight coverage as well. A player that you always have to plan to attempt to stop, Jimmy is undeniably one of the best players in the region.
Emet Schwartz, Junior, RPI
Hampered by continuous injury, Emet still continues to be a force for RPI. He is an above average player who dominates the game with the disc in his hand through calm and composed play. Emet also emulates strong leadership abilities and great spirit even under extremely contentious situations. Despite being possibly underrated since he is more of a strong role player than necessarily a flashy player, Emet is well deserving of All-Region.
Connor Wise, Connecticut College
Extremely difficult to pick a player from Conn to nominate because their entire team is honestly just so well rounded, but Wise was always the player who impressed me the most when playing against them. He’s a stalwart defender due to his adept positioning and athletic build. Wise is also a nightmare to guard due to his quick movement and deceptive speed. It was always a little more challenging than usual for me to get open when he guarded me but always a fun game nonetheless as he is a great competitor and humble guy.
Alexander Lund, Freshman, Skidmore
Hailing from BUDA, this tall and weird fellow is already easily one of the best defenders in the region. Most of you may not even know Lund is a freshman since he is constantly tasked with guarding the best player on any particular team, and yet never fails to pressure and contain just about anyone. His athleticism is a given considering his high number of ridiculous layout Ds, but it is his growing Ultimate IQ and love for the game that makes him my All-Freshman nomination.
I’d like to echo what Couch said
Dan Percival (69 Ithaca) Having played Ithaca once in sectionals and then a second time in regionals it’s easy to see how incredible a player Percival is. Whether it is his throws or his ability to simply jump over players Percival is a game changer.
As a Freshman this year I can’t talk about the growth of older players on my team but I can talk about their current skills:
“Strong” Dan Stern (88 Geneseo) Dan is a dominant playmaker on both sides of the disc. On defense he is one of our go to guys to take the strongest, fastest opponents. It’s guaranteed that he will get at least one or two layout D’s over the course of a game. On offense Dan has some of the silkiest throws of any handler. Whether it’s his righty flick huck or a lefty low release backhand, Dan knows how to find the end zone! Dan had to miss the first day of sectionals and Snail trudged into a 1-3 hole, but the second day Dan returned and led us to a 3-0 perfect day to make it to regionals.
Dillon “Princess” Peterson (#13 Geneseo) Princess is arguably the most graceful giant in all of Metro-East ultimate and undoubtable DIII for the region. Standing at 6’5" Prince should barely be able to run smoothly let alone be the fastest guy on the field. With his long frame Prince was built to break cups. His high release flicks and upside down throws are unguardable! Whether it is as a skilled cutter or a terrorizing handler, Princess gets whatever he wants on the field whenever he wants it.
Galen “The nicest man ever” Gibian (#35 Geneseo) Galen is a leader on and off the field. Whether it’s taking injured players to the doctor or being totally engaged in conversation about random topics of study, Galen creates an incredible team environment for Snail. Aside from being a great person of the field and creating a true team, Galen is one of the most dependable cutters on Snail. During one game in sectionals Galen scored 3 layout goals in the span of 4 points to keep Snail in the game. If his defender turns his head from him even briefly Galen is going to be running the other way for the completely open throw. Galen along with fellow senior Sam Devine is responsible for the cuts that break zones thrown against Snail. His crashes and continuations are what make it possible for Snail to stomp down the field through a zone.
Friends, teammates, and fellow competitors
I would like to first speak for members of the “faceless mob” that is SUNY Cortland. As a captain of Team Rocket, I can attest to the effort and heart that these players have shown throughout the college season.
Arjun Ramani SUNY Cortland #1 (Senior) - Arj “Hitmonlee” is a defensive stud for Team Rocket. Arj makes incredible layout grabs that maintain possession as well as ridiculous defensive plays that can shift the momentum of a game. Arj consistently wins match-ups with his speed and vertical often accounting for the most goals for Cortland in a tournament.
Anthony Coppola SUNY Cortland #80 (Senior)- Bessy “Miltank” is one of the best “Big Men” in the region which is incredible because he is under 6 foot. Bessy excels playing physical defense against the toughest match on the opposing team, he is rarely matched in speed and strength. Bessy can be found on any “Universe Line” because of his diverse throwing ability, superb athleticism, and ability to ‘make a play’.
Ben Phillips SUNY Cortland #10 (Junior) - Ben “Kabutops” May be most recognizable because of his ‘squeeky’ knee brace and his long hair, but anyone who has followed our season would be able to attest to Ben’s ability to change the game. Ben is a staple of the offense for Cortland, he manages to get open despite always having one of the best defenders from the other team. Ben is an emotional leader on and off the field, he plays with so much heart and effort it causes his teammates to play better.
Eric London SUNY Cortland #8 (Junior) - London “Ninetails” is a handler for Cortland. London has all the throws, he is able to throw his team mates open against man-to-man defenses or casually shred any zone. London is an integral part of any scoring possession, his throw is often the one that breaks the defense wide open allows the easy goal. London has improved his defense this year and the man keeps getting more confident every tournament.
JT McEntrye SUNY Cortland #13 (Junior) – JT “Beedrill” is a F*ing MACHINE! JT is often handling on the offensive line for Cortland, JT has phenomenal hucks, unstoppable breaks, and cannot be denied upline. JT is one of the fastest individuals on our team and he just does not stop. JT is a true competitor, he will put his body on the line for some layout D’s and has no problem taking a very difficult matchup. Watch out for JT in Regionals and next year.
All-Freshman
Ricky Milleville SUNY Cortland #3 (Freshman) – Ricky “Gyrados” is a freshman on our team that has found his spot on our starting offensive line. Ricky is 6 foot 4 and plays like he’s 7 foot. The kid is fast, jumps high, and has consistent throws. Ricky has developed into a cutter that sees the field well, attacks the disc, and on many occasions, comes down with discs that you just wouldn’t think he had a shot at. Ricky is going to continue to develop into a great ultimate player.
Others in the region that certainly deserve a ‘nod’ are:
Dan Percival Ithaca College #69 (Senior) – Dan consistently makes some of the best grabs of anyone in the region. Dan truly is a game-changer- he is fast, tall, and has much better throws than you’d expect. I’ve played against Dan for a number of years now and I can say that he is a great competitor on the field and a good guy off of it. He embodies the sport. Without a doubt Dan Percival is one of the best players in the region.
Ethan Jones Colgate #25 (Senior)- Bones, in my opinion, should get the most votes for all region out of anyone on the ballot. When you play Bones you have to pick your poison- either get roasted deep, posterized, or give him whatever he wants under and watch him dismantle your defense with his throws. Bones plays with heart, but never lets his drive to win take priority over the spirit of the game. Bones is one of the best players this region is going to see for a few years. Vote for him, he’s earned it.
Tony Valentine Skidmore #13 (Senior)- Tony’s athleticism never fails to amaze me. Any game you watch involving Skidmore, you’re going to see Tony do something that will drop your jaw. He has all the throws, superb field awareness, and just wants the disc more than you do. The trust he gets from his teammates on the field allows him to ball-out so hard. He is nearly unstoppable in isolation and hardly ever out of the play because of his closing speed and ability to get horizontal.
Thank you to anyone who has nominated me, I greatly appreciate it.
Jimi O’Connell “Raichu” #94 SUNY Cortland
Hi y’all,
I am a member of Cortland’s Ultimate Club, Team Rocket (#13). I would like to nominate the following players for All-region/freshman:
Jimi “Raichu” O’Connell #94 SUNY Cortland (Senior)
As a member of Cortland Ultimate, Jimi is by far the leader of our team. He is constantly doing whatever he can to improve our program both on and off the field. Not to mention, he won officer of the year for clubs at Cortland, showing he does what he can for our program. He wants whats best for the team and has promoted the growth of Ultimate since the day I met him. On the field, Jimi is our go to guy. He rarely takes a point off, unless he knows it will be best for the team and he’s always putting his body on the line with insane layout Ds and grabs on offense. Jimi has arguably the best throws in the region. It is truly a pleasure being a part of the same team as Mr. James O’Connell.
Ethan “Bones” Jones #25 Colgate (Senior)
Along with Jimi, Bones is arguably the best player in the DIII Metro East region. He’s a constant threat that can beat any defender no matter where on the field he is. With his speed and vertical jump, Bones’ biggest threat is going deep, but if you manage to stop him deep, he will beat you with his throws and ability to read the field unlike most.
Tony Valentine #13 Skidmore (Senior)
After playing against Skidmore and watching some of their games, it is clear that Tony is a phenomenal athlete and one of the leaders of Skidmore Ultimate. He is a running highlight reel. He makes plays that look like they are going to be turns and makes insane layout catches that are just awesome to watch. He is truly the definition of a consistent athlete, always working hard to get the disc and help his team win games.
Hey guys,
My name is Ben Phillips (long hair, bandana, squeeky knee brace, you know what it is) #10 and I’m a member of SUNY Cortland Team Rocket. I’d like to take the time to recognize some players from my team and my area for All-Region nominations.
James O’Connell #94 “Raichu” (Senior) SUNY Cortland - Having played with Jimi I can attest to his love and passion for the game. He’s got all the throws, and can play anywhere against just about anyone. He puts his body on the line and never quits on a disc. His leadership, baller attitude, and love for the sport make him always stand out on the field. He’s gonna go out there every game and give it his all, Jimi’s a baller, 'nuff said.
Anthony Coppola #80 “Miltank” (Senior) SUNY Cortland - Bessy knows how to body up, and just plain get the disc. What he lacks in height be makes up for in physical, in-your-face defense, and then some. He’s mean, he’s lean, he’s a disc eating machine. Bessy plays the game with such intensity and has no problem taking “the guy” on the other team, and shutting him down. Overall a fantastic person and even better ultimate player.
Eric London #8 “Ninetails” (Junior) SUNY Cortland - If the disc was metal, his hands would be magnets, London does not drop the disc. London has all the throws, all the speed, and all the grind. He handles with a deadly mix of grace and intensity. Whether it’s putting a long floaty flick to a streaking cutter, or the tough around break to the dump, London can do it all. London also has the best “up’s” as anyone and can get the disc when necessary. An all around player that quietly does everything very effectively.
JT McEntrye #13 “Beedrill” (Junior) SUNY Cortland - JT plays the game with a humble hand, he gives everything and asks for nothing in return. JT can do it all, throw, jump, cut, layout, and play D. He is also one of the most stand up guys you will ever meet. As soon as the game starts, you realize how good he can be. The combination of speed and throws make him a deadly weapon. JT is a machine, and could be the best player on any team he is on.
Arjun Ramani #1 “Hitmonlee” (Senior) SUNY Cortland - Arj is a defensive monster and makes some of the craziest plays you’ll see. He lays out, he jumps high, and damn is he fast. Arj puts his defenders to work, and does the same to his offenders. Arj has a sideline presence like no other and is an fantastic leader on and off the field. He has worked extremely hard this year, and has earned his hype.
Now for some people other that my team mates from around the area.
Dan Percival #69 (Senior) Ithaca College - If you didn’t know already, Dan is “the guy”. Dan is fast, he is tall, and I can honestly say is one of the two best big men in the region. He can go up and get a disc better than anyone, and he’s gonna use that to his advantage. Pick the lesser of two evils when it comes to Dan, give him the under and he’ll shred you all day, or try to stay with him deep, and he’ll posterize you. Dan is a stand up guy on and off the field and exemplifies the spirit of the game. Cheers to Dan.
Ethan Jones #25 (Senior) Colgate - Bones is an athlete, and its evident from the first time you meet him. In my opinion,one of the two best big men in the region. Pick your poison, give the under and get torched, or realize your dream of becoming a backboard, it’s gonna happen against Bones. Its great to play against Ethan because he’s a competitor, he’s honest, and overall just a fun guy to play against. He plays the game right and is tough guy to match up with. All-Region without a doubt.
Zachary Lazow #13 (Senior) Colgate - OZ is a guy you want on your team, and someone you can build a team around. He never drops the disc and can throw just about anything, to anyone, anywhere. He plays the game with a style unlike any other, cool and collected, but ready to step into the limelight to make big plays for his team when they need him to.The offense runs through OZ, and its evident from the moment the pull is caught.
Tony Valentine #13 (Senior) Skidmore - I had not seen Tony play much until recently, but it didn’t take long for me to realize, he’s a player. Tony is an athlete and make some of the craziest plays I’ve seen. He is always willing to make a play and is willing to step up in big moments for his team. He has certainly earned the All-Region vote. He’s got the throws, he plays the game right, and is overall a fantastic player.
Graham Turner #? (Junior) Skidmore - Graham is real tall, a guy you can pick out from the other endzone line. You see he’s tall, you know he wants to go deep, and when he does, you can’t do anything about it. Graham gets up and is definitely one of the premier deep threats in the region. He’s fast, athletic, and hard to stop anywhere on the field. He’s All-Region material now, and next year is gonna be scary.
Ricky Milleville #3 “Gyrados” (Freshman) SUNY Cortland - I’d like to nominate Ricky for All-Freshman. He’s tall, he’s fast, and his game is well rounded. He has grown into a premier deep threat on our team, learning to use his size and read the disc quickly. I’m excited to see Ricky play in the future and expand his game.
If you’ve read up to this point, thank you for your time. It’s been a pleasure competing with you guys all year. I can honesty say, of my three years playing this amazing sport, this year has been the toughest for me, simply because all you fuckers are SO DAMN GOOD. I truly hope you all get the nominations. Best of luck and I look forward to competing with all of you in the future.
Ben Phillips #10 “Kabutops” SUNY Cortland
Goose (Nick Raguseo for the Geneseo player who didn’t know my real name) here from Stevens Ultimate.
Here are my thoughts from Regionals:
Stevens - Charlie Cannon - hands down best defender in the region and a phenomenal handler anchoring our team. Great in the air and his backhand is just absurd. Probably had 3-4 full field backhand hucks that just looked easy
TCNJ - Colin Kochenash and Tom Athan - two great players who are sneaky fast and change direction on a dime. They carried TCNJ all throughout the season and had a very strong regionals performance. They both can handle and cut so it extremely hard to predict what they are going to do. Colin has the sickest bids I’ve ever seen.
Ithaca - Percival and Bucket Hat - Percival in my opinion would have won Player of the Region if his team made it to bracket play. That kid is just an athlete with great disc skills and comes down with everything in the air. We got whooped by them 1st game on Saturday. Bucket hat (no idea his name) was another freak athlete getting run through D’s and skying the crap out of everyone.
Hamilton - Nick Lucchesi - The sole reason why Hamilton made it so far it the tournament. One of the best handlers in the region hands down.
Conn - Colin, Gabe, Wise, and their good defender with the doo-rag. Colin in my opinion should be POTY. Rarely turned the disc, beat EVERYONE upline, and anchored a dominant team to win the region pretty convincingly. Gabe, Wise, and doorag were just too athletic for most people to handle and definitely deserve 1st or 2nd team.
Geneseo - Princess and Strong - Two extremely good players and left from Geneseo’s two Nationals appearances. They were on almost every point and kept their team in the game with great handler motion and hucks. Carried that team all year.
Players who I didn’t play but remember - Tony from Skidmore. Kid is a freak of nature. And wears sick bucket hats.
Hey all, Charlie Cannon #9 from Stevens here. Now that the dust has settled I wanted to put in my 2 cents for all region.
1st Team:
Nick Raguseo (Stevens #83). Goose is a force of nature, built for college ultimate. Small in stature and super quick he always gets open. In my opinion the offensive player of the year, because he’ll put flick hucks on a dime, never quit on the disc, and always gets open. Loved having him as my primary cutter all year, and can always trust him with the disc.
Dan Percival (Ithaca #69) I’ve had the pleasure of playing Dan twice this year, and as this thread has already stated, great player. Great spirit, ups, throws and defense, there was no shutting him down, just containing him.
Colin Koschenash (TCNJ) Changes direction on a dime, very quick and a consistent reset for TCNJ. again not a player you can shut down, only contain. He did a great job getting those around breaks and taking advantage of players positioning, with some great layouts to boot.
Nick Lucchesi (Hamilton #99) - Fantastic player, similar to Percival but a little more pure handler. Super clean throw and go’s there’s just no preventing, he uses his lank to put flick hucks around a straight up mark. A difficult player to contain due to the size of his catching box, he will never quit on a disc (some sick layouts in the finals). A genuinely nice dude on top of all that.
Collin (main handler Conn College) - Collin was definitely the toughest matchup I had the whole tournament. A massive handler, there was no sneaking underneath his upline routes, and he consistently pivoted wide to break me around or otherwise open up a lethal inside backhand. Throw and gos, nice hucks, and physical defense, Collin was the real deal, and again, very nice person.
Dan Stern (Geneseo #88) - Definitely took the Stevens Geneseo game into his own hands. fantastic throws and good motion, Dan held it down with good pace and decision making.
Other great players: Princess on Geneseo, The guy with the doo rag on Conn College, Tom on TCNJ, Emet on RPI, and bucket hat on Hamilton, all great athletes who were able to make meaningful contributions to their teams’ success.
Thank you to the players who nominated me, I appreciate it. I enjoyed and appreciated the spirit of all the players I met and marked, yall are some gentlemen.
To the players mentioned above, if you’re graduating, do yourself and the sport a favor and move to a place with good ultimate! A lot of you can compete at a high club level if you wanted to. If you’re ever in the NY metro area email [email protected] and we can point you in the direction of some high level play.