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.
As an incoming freshman for Syracuse, I’ve got to spend the year learning from and watching two players I think absolutely deserve regional recognition.
The first is Chris McGlynn. Chris is, to put it simply, an open initiation cut on literally any match up he’s had this year. He is by far our most dominant cutter, his throws are cash, he can get up over anybody, and he’s crazy fast. You might know him from his popular podcast on (the Ultimate Podcast), his stint playing for the New York Rumble, or his time spent on GSU, but no matter how you know Chris, you know he’s committed and passionate. He’s been a captain for three years on Syracuse for a reason, because he wants always what’s best for the team. He’s open to new ideas, he’s always in the gym, and he never misses a practice. Chris not only brings up the level of the team when he’s on the field, he’s brought the program up over the last four years.
The second is Jesse Newman. Jesse is undoubtedly an elite thrower, he can huck from a stand still, he has every break, and he’s defiantly going to beat you up the line. He’s extremely quick, and is always in the right place. Onto of that, Jesse is one of the most positive people I’ve gotten to play with, he never get frustrated or discouraged by a turn over, and is always smiling and encouraging his teammates to play harder and enjoy themselves. I’ve had the (dis)pleasure of marking him in practice all year, and still can’t keep up with him. As a leader, he listens, he takes and gives criticism, and is extremely welcoming. On the field, he’s always civil during call disputes, and never tries to take cheap advantages. Jesse is a role model in all sense’s of the word.
Sam V from Cornell: Deep threat. Can catch everything. Has the ability to complete a pass. Can make sharp(read: no banana) cuts. Can throw the disc very far.
Jeff Taylor from Rochester: Consistent handler. Can usually catch. Can rally the troops.
Ben Dantowitz from Rochester: Has 0 drops for the entire spring season. 0 turns.
Pat from Rochester: Freshman of the year. Too tall for any defender. Wins virtually all 50-50s.
Webster from Rochester: Freshman of the year. He’s always open. Always.
can confirm almost everything said here:
syracuse:
chris mcglynn is an above average cutter. doesn’t shy away from physicality.
jesse newman is the best thrower on syracuse. will take advantage of lazy marks.
cornell:
sam vannoy is probably the best deep threat in the section.
rochester:
ben dantowitz is top 14 in the region. so good at spikeball it’s stupid - https://spikeballroundnet.com/en_us/p/spikeball-roundnet-association-2017-top-15-players-by-region
pat phillips and webster kehoe should be on everyone’s FOTY watchlist. it’s not often you see a 6’7" boy making aggresive give-n-go moves. webster is fast for a tall boy and doesn’t fuck up.
RIT:
eric yoon is a tough guard. little fella is quick and punishes bad marks.
buffalo:
paul sperr is not particularly bad at anything. he looks like he’s 16.
UConn: Wally Esker (All-region)
Yale:
Sam Feder (All-region) – top defender for NY’s Blueprint (who took down colt) and easily Yale’s best player
Vikram Dhawan (All-region) – extremely creative thrower, one of the best in the region
Masayuki Nagase (All-Freshman) – talented thrower, shreds zones
Benjamin Robb (All-Freshman) – inside break king
Princeton:
Seho Young (All-region) – as squirrely as squirrely handlers get
checking back in after conferences.
Cornell
Hardly anyone stands out for this team at conferences each year. their 14th guy is probably better than your 7th guy.
RIT
Giyeon Han (Gee) saves a lot of possessions for them
Maxwell Sample is tall AF. Dynamic player. Can be downfield or backfield
Rochester
Erik Patak is the little engine that could
Maxxum Fioriti is faster than you
SUNY Binghamton
Michael Harley (#28) & Mark Donohue (#13) were shooting well for them
Binghamton University:
Michael Harley- He is Binghamton’s backfield. Constantly getting open on resets and then breaking the mark and shooting deep to keep the disc moving for Binghamton. Throws remain very reliable even in very windy conditions.
Mark Donohue- Very athletic figure on Binghamton constantly laying out both on offense and defense to keep the disc alive. Often used as the initiating cut because of how quick his first step is and often goes deep because of how quick the rest of his steps are.
Cornell University:
Sam Vannoy is mentioned already. See above posts^^
Pat Voorhees- Cornell captain and main handler. Gets open very often in the backfield and has dangerous fakes and break throws. He is also very vocal on and off the field to help guide the players around him into making the right moves and keeping the offense from stagnating.
RIT
Don’t know his real name but people on the field call him “shorty” I think. Deceptively fast for a short person and uses it very intelligently to get huge D’s and yards for his team. Not afraid to mix being in the backfield and shooting deep.
RIT
Eric Yoon (shortie) is insane. Can play every point if required, and his sense of space on the field is unmatched. Crazy release points, incredibly reliable throws, often gets up over kids much taller than him. Super fast. Always passionate, lays out for everything. I might be biased because I play with him, but in my mind he is the best handler in the region.
Binghamton
Michael Harley can shoot. Respect.
Rochester
Pat is tall and fast. Good in the air. As only a freshman, should be tearing it up for years to come.
Syracuse
I was impressed by Jesse Newman, nice throws, knows how to operate in the handler space.
Hey all. For disclosure this is Mike Harley, Captain of Binghamton. I would like to first plug two players of my own team and then recognize some players from teams we have competed against throughout the season.
Binghamton
Mark Donohue (#12) He’s the ginger on our team. An amazing athlete that puts in work in the backfield and downfield. Consistently wins his matchup and is the key piece in our O-Line. He is also one of the nicest guys around.
Owen Lucano (#11) He’s only a sophomore but is incredibly fast and a very dangerous deep threat. Not a lot of people can match up with him due to his speed and he has really grown as a receiver this year. Scored 20/58 goals at conferences this year.
Cornell
A lot of different guys could be on here as they have a higher level of skill than most teams in the region. Also don’t really know any of their names.
Pat Voorhees: Great throws and a lot of consistency going into the wind.
NYU
I don’t know his name or number but their large deep cutter was one of the tougher matchups we faced this year. He did a lot of different things but mostly got open deep. Sorry I don’t know your name, but you were good!
RIT
Eric Yoon (Shorty) As has already been mentioned he did a lot of different things for RIT. Great defender and drives their offense. Fun to play against and definitely deserving of all region.
Max Sample: He’s huge but also very skilled. Used his size to take advantage of matchups. Obviously a deep threat but also had nice throws.
Hey all,
Having had the pleasure of playing against UofR once or twice in tournaments this season and scrimmaging them through the winter it’s safe to say that Pat Phillips is one of the most impactful rookies in the region. The dude is 6’7" and might be the fast guy on the field. His throws are decent. If you look around at any tournament he’s easy to find towering over everyone else.
UCONN:
Wally Esker (all region) - best player on the best team in the region, pleasure to have in class
Phil Murray (all region) - big layouts and great in the air, is in a frat
Christian Bonebrake (all region) - well rounded player, big hucks, thicc, trunky
Chris Bohr (all region) - well rounded player, great throws, loves Jamaican beef patties
Nate Getz (all region) - great layouts, great defender and thrower, kind heart
Brian Abedon (all region) - great offensive cutter, plays big in the air, hot girlfriend
Luca Serio: The Metro East All-Freshman we never knew we needed.
How do you measure freshmen? What qualifies them for the title of all-freshman? Maybe it’s their prowess with the disc, and an unmatched talent with precision finesse throws mixed with power-house hucks. Maybe it’s their field awareness and their ability to read the disc or their opponents eyes as they body one another for position. Maybe all freshman should be given to the tallest freshman, in which case you should probably look elsewhere (shout-out Pat from Rochester).
Luca Serio has brought skills in all of these realms to Syracuse’s team. More importantly, though, he’s brought inspiration. Speaking as a senior who has played on Doom for 4 years, I can attest to the fact that commitment and dedication has been a recurring barrier for the team. Luca Serio brings a high level of skill on the field that undoubtedly contributes to the team’s success, however his impact off the field is what makes him the right choice for this award.
From day one, it was apparent to everyone on the team that Luca had come to play, win, and spread his love for ultimate. He frequently is a key voice in huddles and at practices despite his rookie status. When he does speak up in these settings, his input is always positive and constructive and frequently adds a unique or unheard perspective to the conversation of our team’s play. Outside of practice, Luca’s sharing of Ultiworld articles, callahan videos, game footage, and general ultimate information has almost single-handedly cultivated a new culture of focus and study to our team’s dynamic.
Wrapping up this long-winded post, it is my personal opinion that good players have great skills, but great players elevate those of their teammates. In this sense, Luca Serio is unrivaled. Never in the entirety of my sports career have I ever met an individual so wholly committed to a sport, their teammates, and the success of their team. Should you agree with me that this is what defines the All-Freshman award, I can’t imagine a better recipient than Luca Serio.
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Want to keep very simple here. I think most of these message boards get clogged up with guys giving extravagant shout outs to why their players are the best in the region. Realistically, all region should come from the top teams in the region.
That being said, here are my few shout outs for all region (1st and 2nd, and All freshman)
#23 - Uconn (Initiation cutter)
#14 - Uconn (Center O line handler)
Outside of these two guys, the rest of the team wasn’t that spectacular, these two really carried them to the regionals title
Cornell:
Duane (handler)
Center handler from Cornell (I’m incredibly bad with names this year)
Spencer DeRoos (He has a kill mode, that I see from very few players
Rutgers Machine
Bobby Puhak - #12
Tanner Yuhas - #36
Dyllon Jeng - #24
I could continue to list the remainder of our team, but realistically there are only a few player deserved of the 1st team nominations. Those are the three I believe to be the best this past year. The following players below should get consideration for second team:
Brendon Pierce
Dean Klimek
Ben Levy
Peter Jeng
Zack Cinncata
Paul Saavarsky
Louis Kang
All Freshman:
Kalman Carmel
Will Disturco
Brian DiNicola
Both Will and Kal were standout defenders for us, who took a lot of tough matchups. Very athletic coming from top HS programs in the state (Watchung, CHS). They’ll be terrors in the ME in years to come. Brian someone who didn’t play in HS but quickly became one of our most athletic O line cutters. Give him a year, and you’ll know his name.
Another fun year of Metro East Ultimate. Chris McGlynn here, one of the captains on Syracuse. I appreciate all the love I’ve gotten on here, but I want to add my two cents. I got a chance to play the majority of the teams that made regionals this year. These were the guys who left an impression on me.
Cornell: Pat Vorhees (#47) ran the offense this season for the Buds. He was quick moving the disc and getting it back. Dangerous deep thrower as well.
NYU: All around a solid team, but a couple of guys stood out. Wyatt Lien (#11) stood out as a downfield cutter, finding space and taking shots of his own. Morgan Robinson (#31) and James Leonard (#27) paced the Haze offense otherwise and took on some tough handler matchups.
RIT: Bryan Bausinger (#6) did a lot of damage for the Spuds this year. I had a tough time getting open on him in our matchup. He made a number of heads up plays on the defensive end and was never afraid to put his body on the line. Eric Yoon aka Shortie was tough to stop. He consistently broke the mark and bailed out the RIT offense.
UConn: Phil Murray (#45) admittedly outplayed me when we matched up. He got a lay on D on me on our first point and made the most of some tough conditions. I’m also pretty sure it goes without saying that Bryan Jones is coach of the year again. It’s hard to really pick out too many other stars on UConn because BJ has created a faceless mob that is capable of making big plays whenever they need to.
Binghamton: Mark Donahue (#12) and Mike Harley (#28) stood out above the rest of the team. Donahue is extremely athletic. Harley is as consistent as they come.
Rutgers: Younger group for Machine this year. Peter Jeng and Zach Cincotta definitely deserve recognition as great all around players. Bobby Puhak also stood out this season and is continuing to get better. I know Will Disturco and Kalman Carmel from watching them play in high school. Both deserve some recognition for all-freshmen. Plus, I will shout out Shank, former Rutgers player and current coach. This team is in good hands.
Rochester: Brendan Chin (#21) is one of best throwers in the region. He is dangerous with the disc in a zone. He is the single most spirited player I have ever shared the field with. He competes every point, but he earns your respect for how he carries himself. Pat should also be on the all freshmen team. He might be tall, but he does a lot more than just run deep.
I imagine that Stony Brook was pretty good this year as they made semis, but I didn’t get a chance to play them this year, so someone else needs to fill in the gaps there.
Lastly, I will shout out some of my teammates. Jesse Newman (#11) has gotten some credit already in this thread for his throwing. He shouldered a lot of the burden of pacing our offense this season and did well. Adam Newman (#21) is an all-around type of player. He can cut or handle and comes up with a bunch of Ds. Ryan Hicks aka Skully (#76) put his body on the line over and over again for us, taking on other teams’ top players. Kyle Chylinski (#50) battled through injury for a good chunk of the weekend and still came up with a ton of Ds. He’s only a sophomore. You will hear his name again. A lot of credit has to go to Jack Rossetti aka Donk as well for the job he has done coaching us this season.
Couple of quick shoutouts for our freshmen too. Luca Serio (#27) is a fearless thrower capable of hitting deep shots from all over the field. Griffin Smith (#63) spent most of the weekend dunking on people. He is dangerous deep or on the under cut.
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Asuh everyone,
I’m Brendan, the tiny Asian Captain from Rochester. Unfortunately didn’t get to see that many teams outside the WNY Section this year, but here goes.
First I want to boost up a couple of our guys for the All Freshman team. We had two freshman this year that came in and absolutely dominated on both sides of the disc, and played like vets the whole way through regionals.
Patrick Phillips (#2): Pat’s our big boy at 6’7 and change and plays every bit as big as he sounds. Solid disc fundamentals and the game IQ to grind unders and take over in close games. Probably the highest ceiling of any freshman in the region, and debatably the most dominant already.
Webster Kehoe (: Webster played with Pat in Highschool but still didn’t know how to throw a flick when he got to college. Web is probably the smartest freshman we’ve ever had (Chess master level 9000) and he uses all of those brains to be open on more or less 95% of his cuts.
All Region
Syracuse:
Chris McGlynn (#84): Chris is the piece that makes the Syracuse offense go. He’s often their initiation cut from the vert, and has a pretty uncanny ability turn small mistakes from defenders into big gains for the Cuse offense. With the disc, he’s probably the second best thrower on the team.
RIT:
Eric Yoon (Shortie, #?): Shortie’s been the centerpiece of RIT’s offense this year. He’s been blowing up every zone in the WNY section with crisp throws and fast disc movement.
Bryan Bausinger (#6): Bryan is probably the most athletic defender on the RIT team, and the additional pressure he can generate in person defense can be felt all over the field.
Max Sample: Not sure if Sample is really an all region level player yet, but I’ve never seen a player so loved by my team before. Please accept David Schatz - Mizrahi’s friend request on Facebook. You’re our guy Sample.
Albany:
Isaiah Casiano (#7): Probably the most athletic dude Rochester played against all year. He was doing everything for Albany this weekend, and was the the biggest reason they were able to hang.
Cornell:
Pat Vorhees (#41): When I first played against him, I was a dumb freshman, and Pat was balling out with Apples on Cornell B. Pat as the Center Handler on the Cornell O Line this year was some of the best pure handling I saw of any player in the region. He was taking smart shots, making the right throws and nailing tight windows when he had to. It’s been a pleasure to watch him get so damn good.
Lito Aliva (#50): Lito was the heart and soul of the Cornell D Line. (sorry @SamVannoy) Was playing close enough D to make bids on unders against us and was dominating the deep space against Albany. I think it’s important to note he played with some admirable spirit in the face of a couple tight and chippy a games with us. Lito was getting blocks and taking names this weekend, and put the most pressure on our downfield cutters of any one we faced.
Binghamton:
Mark Donohue (#12): Smiles is stupid nice to people on the field, but is also the most athletic player on Binghamton by quite a bit. He’s not afraid to leave his feet on either side of the disc and really anchors Big Bear down field after the turn.
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Maximilian Sample is not an all region level player yet? what? what are you saying brendan? clearly you have it out for sample which nullifies any credibility you ever had. As my guy, sample has been there every step of the way. He was there when i sent him a friend request over facebook. he was there when he accepted my friend request. he was even there when i poked him. Sample is a stand up guy, in fact he is our stand up guy, and 100% deserves to be all region.
The question of the day is this: Golden State Warrior starters + steve kerr and spike lee vs a team comprised only of Sample. Who wins? I personally know as a fact that the team of samples would wipe the floor with kevin durant and steph curry. What do you all think?
Suh dudes,
I’m the assistant coach for Rutgers, was able to watch most teams at sectionals/regionals this year and want to give some shout outs in addition to what Shank mentioned above.
Stony Brook
Benjamin Sokolowsky: The main handler and engine for this team. Consistently makes plays with the disc, nearly impossible to mark and constantly getting open for his other teammates. Their O-line is a difficult to break as a result.
Jojo (sorry don’t know real name): A huge playmaker who can play in the backfield or downfield. A difficult guard for anyone on our team and his versatility gives them a huge advantage in clutch situations.
RIT
Max Sample: This dude is like 6’8" and is still one of the best throwers on his team. Even when forced under, he can make plays throwing and in the handler space and his size and athleticism will be a force to be reckoned with in years to come.
NYU
Victor Kao: haven’t seem a team rely on someone this much to make plays all year. They have a strong overall team but at both sectionals/regionals, it felt like whenever they needed someone to get open or make a play, they called on Victor and he was a difficult match-up whether he was playing downfield or in the backfield.
Gotta do some shout-outs to my boys as well:
Rutgers
Dyllon Jeng: Legit still haven’t seen a faster player this season on any team we’ve played against and frequently takes the hardest defensive match-up for our D-line. He’ll bid for anything and his ceiling is extremely high. Watch out for our callahan video for him next year.
Robert Puhak: Plays with raw emotion and energy and has frequently make clutch plays just when we needed them. Our O-line relies on him to make plays downfield and be the dominant cutter versus the opposing teams best defenders and he consistently wins those match-ups.
To follow up on the All-Freshman:
Kalman Carmel
Will Disturco
Brian DiNicola
All 3 of these dudes are freakishly athletic and took almost no time to adjust to the speed and physicality of college play. Constantly making plays on defense or on offense with layouts or skies, they demonstrated that, as Shank mentioned, they will be monsters in years to come.
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Zane Friedkin won player of the region last year. I don’t think his team being significantly worse makes him a bad player all of a sudden. From what I saw he’s still clearly in the top 14.
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I’m Oliver, one of the captains for Stony Brook this year. I think a lot of the names I’m going to mention are already in here but I’ll go through my list anyway. I’ll try to keep it short (lol) but I have a lot to say:
Princeton
Zane - not nearly as impressive as he was last year, but his name should still be on this thread. It seemed like he was limited by his teammates but he was still a tough matchup nonetheless.
Cornell:
Pat Voorhees (#47) - Might be biased since he’s my brother but I think the previous comments speak for themselves. Cornell’s offense was super smooth and so hard to stop, and it ran through him. He’s definitely one of the best Oline handlers in the region and a lot of that goes beyond just disc skills, it’s his ability to keep his offense running correctly and keep his team motivated.
Spencer DeRoos (#?) - One of those players who is everywhere on the field at once. He’s pretty much always open no matter where he cuts and has a nice arsenal of throws to keep the play going. Also a spectacular defender.
RIT
Shorty (#?) - really the only standout on this team imo, he’s super quick and a very reliable thrower. Plays really hard but also with good spirit.
Rutgers
Bobby (#12) - Rutgers was really solid all around, which is probably why a lot of them didn’t stand out to me much. Stony Brook played Rutgers 3 times between Sectionals and Regionals and basically I can say that if you removed this guy from their lineup, I think those games would’ve had much different outcomes. I don’t know that any other single guy on their team had the same significance.
Binghamton
Mark Donohue (#12) - Agree with all of the comments above, but I’d like to really focus on his attitude. This man is the definition of what it means to play with the spirit of the game, and is one of the nicest ultimate players I’ve ever met. Combine that with his ability to mop the floor with anyone who tries to guard him and there’s no reason why he doesn’t make All-Region.
Now for my shoutouts
Stony Brook
Ben Sokolowsky (#24) - Most consistent thrower I’ve ever come across in college. Is never really shut down by any defender and can also make big plays on defense. Having him run an offense is a great way to ensure that your Oline will score basically every time they’re on the field. He also just signed with Empire.
Josiah Zoodsma (#11) better known as JoJo - I still don’t understand how he does the things that he does on the field. Will ALWAYS sky you, even if he has to run halfway across the field to do it. No part of his game is lacking, especially not his spirit.
Some considerations for second team:
Corey Cox (#14 might have been wearing #12 at times) - Freakishly quick footwork which makes defenders look silly. Plays great defense as well and never gives up on a play.
Cody Brady (#13) - Excellent handler defense. Great fakes which often get his mark to turn and run down field before he even makes a throw.
Will Burks (#38) aka Noodle - Yes, the guy with the red hair at Regionals. Always laying out and running over to bail people out on bad throws. Very good in the air. Great spirit and very passionate about the game.
Consideration for All-Freshman:
Johnny Jiang (#4) - Not sure if he was ever wearing a jersey with his number on it, so for reference he’s the asian handler on our Dline. Outstanding playmaker on defense and has good hucks to help us score fastbreak points. Gets open upline and in the backfield easily.
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Hey guys UAlbany Scam here!
Unfortunately as usual in the Metro East the weather shook up our tournament schedule and forced us to have to back out of two tournaments. This means our team didn’t have a lot of time or chances to highlight the gems we have or get our names out! As such this forum is a good place to remind the teams we did play at regionals and last year who we believe on Scam deserves to be in the top 14 this year and who we feel should make it from other teams based on our group knowledge of players we’ve seen or know!
RIT
Eric Yoon -Kid balled out when we played against them at regionals, playing as a solid and reliable cog in their system. Also watched him make a solid lay out against NYU. Athletic and competent.
Stony Brook
Ben Sokolowsky (#24) -Solid handler and athletic. We didnt get to play against them this year, but from watching Ben on the sideline at Garden State you can tell kid knows the game and is comfortable making the hard throws.
Princeton
Zane -Our team remembers playing against Zane last year and the power he held behind his presence on the field. Zane and his handler core was a large reason we lost in semis against them last year. Unfortunately, we did not get to see them play this year, but I doubt his talent as a player has lessened and if so then he deserves to be top 14 again.
Uconn
I think Uconn has a solid squad of guys that should take up a couple spots for All-Region considering how well theyve played this year, but I will keep the list short to who we think deserves it the most.
Phil Murray (#45) -Solid player all around. When we played against Uconn at Sectionals I don’t remember phil making any mistakes both on offense and defense. Kid is consistent and makes constant bids to keep the pressure up on teams.
Rotchester
-Special shout out here we definitely want to put Pat up for All-Freshman, kid was dominating everyone in the air his first year and not only that but has the wheels and athleticism to play small ball efficiently. He’s a good pick up for Rotchester.
UAlbany-Scam
-The player’s I want to specifically shout out from our team have been making plays in the metro east for years and are strong cogs on UA
Alex Meltzer (#47) -If any team has played against UAlbany in the past two years then they know who #47 on Scam is, although probably not by name. Meltzer is the kid always slept on because of his lack of reknown until youre watching him juke and cut and realize his athleticism is too dominant to cover. Kid knows how to break ankles and leave kids looking around confused. He, along with Mike Woods last year, was our top scorer and strongest cog in our offense both this year and last. With moves like his he belongs to be in the talk for top 14 imo.
Isaiah Casiano (#7) -If you’ve played against Scam then you’ve definitely seen Isaiah in action. He’s the lightskin athletic guy on UA that secured a spot last year as an All-Region player playing with a strong core and although not many teams may have seen us play this year he still has the talent and athleticism to be in the talks. The kid is a monster on defense and makes plays that turns the tide of games. His offensive game is just as dangerous with his wide arsenal of hucks and break throws that move the ball for scam both on offense and D-offensive. I’ve seen this kid make countless lay outs and D’s going deep on kids over a head taller than him. His skills and dominant gameplay deserves him a spot in the top 14 this year.
