Who are the best players in the Ohio Valley region? This is an open thread to discuss All-Region nominations, All-Freshman nominations, coaching awards, and more. Stay positive and keep it civil.
For All-Region, #5 Lindsay McKenna and Danielle Byers from #7 West Chester. These two are two players that can do anything on the field. Huck, hammer, cut, handle, defense, skies. There is no denying that their athleticism and strategy has boosted West Chester to the spotlight.
For the coaching award, West Chester’s Marc Stachowski (Doc). Since his arrival as a coach at West Chester, the women’s team has only improved in ranking and skill. Ranked #104 in 2015 to #8 in USAU’s ranking is a pretty impressive climb and not at all possible without a good coach to lead us there.
This is going to be a preliminary post-- before sectionals or regionals even occur with all of my thoughts pre-series. My name is Jess Sourbeer, I go to Penn State and I know a decent amount about the region. Although tbh I don’t know anything about OSU so I didn’t include them in this (sry).
The Ohio Valley region is looking very strong this year with 3 bids earned by Ohio State, Westchester, and Pitt. However, the second tier of the region is strong as well and all of these teams have stand out players too.
Pitt:
-Carolyn Normile: After an impressive showing last summer with Amp, playing with the U-24 women in Perth, and just generally being good, I expect Carolyn to continue to be a powerhouse. She was absent I believe from the fall season, however I doubt it will have any major effect on her productivity as a player. I don’t think I really need to highlight her strengths in this, she’s really gr8, we all know it.
-Caterina Claudia Pagano: Cat has been solid for the 3 years that I’ve known her, she is a strong leader on the team. She makes good decisions, she has strong leadership qualities, and she looks like a foreign princess even though she’s just italian smh.
-Hannah Blizzard: Hannah’s ambidexterity is almost as impressive as it is useful, she definitely deserves the nod. Hannah’s career in hockey definitely serves her well on the field, she knows what she’s doing.
-Abby Bomberger and Linn Bjanes: Pitt’s depth comes from solid cutters that offer them incredible speed and tenacity. Abby and Linn are perfect examples of this. Abby offers a very solid deep look and as she develops her throws, she becomes a greater threat. Linn is speedy and greedy. The two work well together and are especially talented in the game Dutch Blitz.
Westchester:
-Liz Hart: Liz has become the dangerous type of cutter that can perfectly place a huck after a well-set initiation cut. She is a formidable player and one of the best in the region. Her throws are strong, she can basically play an entire game, and she’s spirited also.
Case Western:
Erica Bindas: Throws unmatched.
Julia Mickey: Strong handler with notable speed.
Lucia: I’m not sure what her full name is, but I have been playing against this girl since YCCs and she has been solid for YEARS. She is fast, has strong throws, and is a technical player.
Penn State:
Molly Robertson: Tall and strong, Molly demonstrates the field awareness of a high level player despite only playing ultimate for 2 years. She is a powerhouse for Penn State whether it be catching deep bombs, dominating in the cup, or defensively shutting down her woman. Molly’s dominance, athleticism, and spirited play make her a strong candidate for all-region.
Maya Karl: Quiet and strong, I would like to suggest that Penn State’s Maya Karl is a strong candidate for all region if not player of the year. I takes a unique type of player to play with a mid-level team and bring them up to her level. Maya has a 50yd hammer in her back pocket, something that not many women in the region can claim. Her turnover rate is the lowest on Crisis. She is a dynamic player who shines on both O and D line in handling and cutting positions. Her luscious ~3 ft long hair can be seen trailing behind her (as she runs at crazy fast speeds) that can only be compared to black beauty’s mane.
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Nominations for Case Western
So I’m relatively new to the ultimate scene and these nominations but I feel very passionately about my team and want them to be represented in my region. I am a current player on CWRU Fighting Gobies and here are my nominations:
All-Freshman
Haley Devine - Haley is an absolutely fantastic player who is new to the sport. I can barely believe that 8 months ago, this girl had no idea how to play ultimate. It has been my pleasure to watch her grow as a player and play with her. She is tall, fast, and has made a huge impact on her team and the game.
Kippie Douglas - Kippie is charismatic and one of kind but also a fantastic player. She sees the field in a way that I’ve never experienced before and I have learned so much from her. She is smart, athletic, and I can’t wait to play with her for at least 2 more years.
All-Region
Ashley Leyden - She is a fantastic ultimate player and person. She knows the rules and the game (maybe that’s because she’s been around forever) and handles all disputes, scores, and communications with grace and class. She knows where to be at all times and where she wants everyone else to be. She works harder than anyone and it shows. She can outrun anyone, out jump anyone, but will never admit that she’s that good.
Lucia Wei - I have a special place in my heart for Lucia and if you met her, you would too. Not only is she the most excitable and crazy girl I’ve ever met, but she is so dedicated to ultimate and the game that she’ll do anything for her team. She knows the games, sees all the possibilities on the field from the handler position, and makes CRAZY layout Ds. She is also incredibly fast, often pulling the disc and outrunning her team to attempt to D the centering throw. At only 5’1 or so, she is one of the shortest and smallest people on the field but she makes up for it with an incredible vertical and wicked speed.
Nicole Wilkinson - Nickle (as her team affectionately calls her) is one of the most reliable players on the field. She does it all. She can cut deep and get open on unders to huck it to her teammates. Nicole is always open and is a super reliable player. She puts her body on the line and does everything to make sure she helps her team. She is also super giggly and goofy. When music is playing, Nicole is always dancing in her special goofy way that makes everyone else want to dance with her.
Lauren Ficek - The team has so many nicknames for Lauren but my favorite its Monty. She is kind and sweet and a gentle leader as the co-captain of the team. Lauren has dime throws of all kinds and is very supportive of all of us. She’s always having fun and giggling at everything. She plays all the time as well because she’s so spectacular and never complains about the physical toll that can take on a person. She is persistent and determined. She’ll never give up on the play and she’ll be goofy and giggle with you on the sideline.
Julia Mickey - She is so goofy and has great spirit. She is loud and ridiculous in the best way. She also is a great ultimate player with solid throws. From the years of experience she has under her belt, she is able to take throws like hammers and make them into consistent DIMES. She’s also speedy and smart with her cuts even though she claims “she hates running,” She is such an uplifting presence on the field and sideline that always leaves me smiling.
Erica Bindas - The biggest player on the field towering at 6 feet tall. She skies easily with this height and gives CWRU a huge advantage with her throwing abilities. She is also a lefty so it’s a double threat making her unstoppable. She is very thorough with her decision making and just the other day at practice, no one was in the vert stack during a scrimmage so she held the disc to her chest and yelled at us that she would not throw until we got in our stack. She did not get stalled out and threw a perfect throw on stall 9. She is funny, witty, and so goofy.
Chloe Lim - Chloe is intense, both on and off the field. She gets in her zone when she is focused and that’s when it’s time for her to dominate. She layouts out constantly and puts her body on the line for the sake of her team. Under this wall of intimidation she is goofy and so kind. In the last practice before regionals, she fractured her wrist so she will not be playing 
She also tried to play through the injury which speaks to how tough Chloe is.
Kathy Tong - Kathy really stepped up to the plate this past year. As a lefty hybrid, she does what she needs to for the team. She loves to run and never stops. She is constantly aiming to improve and once ran sprints because she couldn’t sleep. Kathy is also so very cute and sweet. She wants to take care of you and feed you and make you feel amazing. She is a ray of sunshine and an excellent player. This is only her second year in the game and I’m excited to see her continue to improve.
Coaching Awards
Joseph Marmerstein (Joe Mama) - I don’t even know where to begin with how truely amazing Joe is as a coach. I’ll do my best. I started playing ultimate at the beginning of Spring 2017 and had NO idea what I was doing. I have quickly learned how to play and have come into great success on my own. I can attribute most of my success to how I learned to play from Joe. He finds new ways to explain the same things and is constantly sending emails to individual players and the team trying to help us improve. He eat, sleeps, and breathes ultimate and he shares this passion and knowledge with the team and has helped the team grow from a bunch of rookies into fantastic players. Everyone on the Fighting Gobies team has learned something from Joe Mama because he is an absolutely incredible coach.
I wish I could nominate everyone on my team because I respect and admire each and every individual for what they bring to the team but it would not be fair to all the other awesome in the region who deserve to be recognized.
Post Reg:
-Case Western has a girl named either nickel or Nicole and she is very talented and deserves a nod.
-Temple’s Erin Curry is gr8 and she’ll definitely do big things for them in the future.
-Anna Thompson is obviously standout for UPenn, not really sure how much/if she played this weekend tho.
-Penn State’s Gwen Rausch (ya her dad is president of wfdf) is actually amazing and underappreciated. The layout d’s were soo real this weekend.
I’m the coach of West Chester and here’s my somewhat biased opinion about all-region nods:
West Chester:
Danielle Byers #7: Just a deadly all-around player who combines dime dropping throwing skill, blazing speed, elite hops, and absolute undeniable competitive fire. She just never stops grinding out point after point facing the hardest matchups the other teams have to offer. Danielle’s energy and fire are the engine that makes our team go. She would be a starter on any team in the country.
Lindsay McKenna #5: Lindsay has emerged as a top thrower in the division if not the country. She has full field range on both her backhand and flick. Combined with her elite combination of size (5’11"), speed and vertical she is the prototype deep defender who gobbles up any disk in her area and can completely change the field in one throw. In the backfield she is an imposing matchup with a rare agility for someone her size. Her timely leaks downfield are unstoppable.
Liz Hart #8: Liz is an imposing presence downfield and is probably WCU’s most feared cutter. She routinely wins most 50-50 discs, but really shines when running into open spaces as she is simply faster than anyone else on the field. Add in breathtaking layout bids and an improving arsenal of throws and you’ve got a big problem for other teams to deal with.
Rachel Alfano #3: West Chester’s best kept secret, Ralf routinely scores most of our goals. Hyper quick, great hands and a knack for timing deep cuts off of completions to other players, she is often seen making catches in space with nobody around her. On those rare occasions where a defender is in the area, Ralf is often able to box out much taller players and go up high with one hand for the catch. On D, she baits in cuts and up the line cuts and just blasts into another gear for run through blocks.
Mallory Drake #15: Mallory is a tireless cutter and facilitator and often drops back into the backfield to do a little handling when Lindsay and Danielle decide to go downfield. She is absolutely TIRELESS. Seriously, she’s one of those players that goes on a 2 mile run after a tournament where she plays a huge amount of points. You know, to cool down. Mallory is skilled, athletic, dependable, and always always a positive force on the field and in the huddles.
Ohio State: (We’ve played OSU four times this year.)
Sadie Jezierski: Just an incredible athlete and competitor with an all-world backhand and about a dozen other release points (uhhh… high release lefty flick??). Definitely one of the top 3 players in the region. One of the few players that i find myself reminding my team about before every point.
Annelise Peters: Great handler and all-around player. Big flick huck, laser sharp around backhand, and the athleticism to go toe to toe with top cutters downfield. Apparently has Wolverine-like healing powers as well.
Corinn Pruitt: Just incredible hands and bids all the time. The perfect exclamation point for deep throws by Sadie and Peters. Also a great deep and in defender.
Cara Seiber: One of the quickest players in the region, she couples that speed with the ability to just change direction on a dime and create tons of separation for her talented throwers to put the disc into. If she puts a hand on some plastic, its always a catch.
Emily Barrett: Tall, athletic and very good in the air. Made multiple deep stops for them at regionals.
Pitt: (Havent seen Pitt very much this year. Just one game at sectionals and a few points in the pouring rain at QCTU.)
Carolyn Normile: She’s been amazing for years now, and this year is no different. It is interesting to see her downfield a little bit this year catching discs in space and just dissecting defenses with pinpoint throws. Her all-around ability and incredible hustle (at sectionals she sprinted 50 yards from the backfield and hauled in an AMAZING layout on a deep throw to someone else… ridiculous play) just cement her status as an all-region selection.
Hannah Blizzard: Has great disk skills and is untrappable on the sidelines. Just too many release points to guard. I think she is the main reason Carolyn can roam around downfield and get discs in space. Just adds a whole new dimension to their offense.
Penn State:
Jess Sourbeer: Penn State’s main go to player. She’s around the disc constantly and has the skill to go every other when necessary. I think she’s just a sophomore this year so PSU has plenty of time to build around her.
Molly Robertson: Super tall with great mobility and great hands. Lots of potential and only a sophomore too. Could there be another dynamic duo in the works for PSU?
Case Western:
Erica Bindas: Easily the most recognizable player on Case. Very tall, lefty, handler. Has one of those sweet effortless lefty backhands that just flows out of her hand with a smooth snap and puts so much spin on the disc that it is impervious to wind. Very solid.
Ashley Leyden: Great all around player, athletic, speedy, great throws. Seems to be all over the field making plays. Makes sharp in cuts for huge gains and can get a disc out into space to a streaking teammate.
UPenn:
Anna Thompson: Had a rough year fighting a stress fracture in her foot, but is still one of the most talented players in the region.
Amanda Farrah: Seems like she was thrust into a more central role in Thompson’s absence and seemed to flourish there. Has a big big backhand and good all around throws and had a very high ultimate IQ. Anticipate the flow of the disc and puts herself in good areas on defense. Of offense, she times her reset cuts well and can change the field with that backhand. A much improved player!
Thats all i have for now.
Thanks,
Doc
Hello all, Joseph Marmerstein (CWRU coach) here. I have some shoutouts after regionals + my picks for the all-region teams. I’m pretty bad with names so I’m sorry if I mess up somebody’s name/can’t remember it. Also decent chance I’ve missed/forgotten somebody but what can you do
CMU
- Marissa, big throws and a big defender
- Tall cutter, was their main initiator on offense. #32 I think, but I don’t remember her name
Penn State
- Jess Sourbeer is still one of their top players. real good break throws and vision
- #21 was another one of their top handlers, very solid all-around player
- their tall cutter, name is something like Marrow (?) is a huge playmaker downfield
- Maya, #20, is super fast and always a tough cover for us
Pitt
- Carolyn is the best player in the region. Her throws, skies, and defense elevate her team to another level
- Sarah Russek played super well this weekend. huge bids, good defense, solid upwind throws
- Shmi (?) tall athletic defender who is a tough matchup for anyone
- Hannah (?) seemed to be on of their main O line handler, very solid with the disc
While there were plenty of other players on Pitt who may deserve recognition, I think their strength was in their depth, nobody else stood out as having as much of an impact as those 3
WC
- Liz killed us last year and she killed us again this year. I think she’s the fastest player in the region, combined with her size, on-field IQ, it’s a scary thing
- Danielle didn’t seem to be as active in our game, but still had a few huge hucks and defensive plays
- Lindsay McKenna was lights-out in our game against them. Offensively limited her turnovers and had a few big upwind hucks. Defensively she was able to cover a ton of ground and make several huge layout Ds
OSU
- Sadie is still fast, explosive, and has the throws to put the disc almost anywhere
- Corinn Pruitt (champ), is another huge playmaker on both sides of the disc for them
- Don’t remember her name, but the red-haired cutter (#4 I think) played very well against us at sectionals
UPenn
- Anna Thompson is real good. Not sure if she was injured or something (looked like she was doing a lot of stretching while on the sidelines) but she had some jaw-dropping layouts against us and was shooting it deep pretty well (edit: based on Doc’s post, I guess she’s recovering from a stress fracture?)
Temple
Since we didn’t play/see them this season, I can’t really comment
CWRU
- Nicole “Nickle” Wilkinson. Hard to really describe her impact but I think she was one of the top 3 players at regionals this weekend. Taking the toughest matchup (and usually winning it). Getting open everywhere on offense. Huge layout grabs, skies, and layout Ds, all while playing something like 80% of our points in close games.
- Lauren Ficek. another case player who deserves a ton of recognition. She played an insane 104 points on the weekend. She was our catalyst on offense, putting the disc deep and hitting the breakside, no matter how loudly the other team’s coach would yell “no around” or “hands low” or “no huck”. Defensively shutting down handlers
- Ashley Leyden. Track star turned ultimate player, she’s improved her throws a ton in the last year and became a two-way threat
- Erica Bindas. the tall lefty handler that was the rock of our O-line. Big hucks, breaks, and just a steady confidence that she exhibited all year
- Maddie Pletzke. Tall athletic defender and receiver, caught a ton of goals and got a ton of Ds for us at regionals, usually taking the opposing teams top deep threat
- Kathy Tong - despite being injured pretty much the whole fall, she stepped up huge for us. A fast and quick lefty cutter who can run for days
- Lucia Wei. A little ball of energy, she came up with huge Ds and big throws for us all year
- Alicia Chang. Veteran handler who is a deadly break thrower and smart defender on both cutters and handlers
- Julia Mickey. Handler with bold breaks, hucks, and over-the-top throws
FOTY
As usual, I have no idea who is a rookie on any other teams. However, I think that Hayley Devine from Case is absolutely deserving. She came in having zero ultimate experience, and was our team leader in goals and Ds pretty much all season. Her throws are quickly improving and she is going to be a force in the OV region for the next 3 (hopefully 4!) years
So, my picks for all-region are below, just my opinion which is mostly based on one tournament (plus sectionals for OSU, and obviously a full season with CWRU).
First team:
Carolyn Normile (Pitt) (POTY)
Liz Hart (WC)
Lindsay McKenna (WC)
Danielle Byers (WC)
Pick 3 of: [Sadie (OSU), Champ (OSU), Nickle (CWRU), Lauren Ficek (CWRU) ]
Second Team:
Anna Thompson (UPenn)
Sarah Russek (Pitt)
Ashley Leyden (CWRU)
OSU #4 (tall red-haired cutter)
Hannah (Pitt)
Jess Sourbeer (PSU)
+1 from above
FOTY
Hayley Devine (CWRU)
Erin Curry from Temple here: I’m going to talk about a couple my teammates who might not get any recognition because of the size of our program. All of these people deserve to be noticed for their abilities even if we are a new and developing program.
Emma Palacio, Senior #8: One of our captains, Emma’s an outstanding handler who has been the anchor piece in our handling core for years. Her ability to break marks and extend plays is incredible. Her recognition on defense has saved our asses quite a few times this season, and challenges defenders much taller than her with unreasonable success for someone so small. She’s one of our best all-around players this year, and is going on to Northeastern this fall for grad school and hopefully won’t kick our butts too badly when we eventually have to face them.
Helen Van Natta, Senior #10: Another one of our captains, Helen is our lone fifth year this year, and our longest tenured player on TUF. She’s been a huge part of our growth and success this year. Her ability as a hybrid player, coming in and out of the backfield as well as her ability to find the open space anywhere on the field have been a huge piece of our success this year, allowing us to work through tough zones. She’s been kind of an unsung hero as one of the most consistent players on the team for years.
Caroline O’Brien, Senior #19: Caroline has been one of our most important cutters all year long. Her speed and agility allow her to shred zones as a popper as well as burn her defenders on a deep huck. Her field vision has allowed our team to extend big openings in defenses with deep looks from in cuts. Her defensive tenacity has been incredible the last two years, recognizing the disc has gone up and tracking it down for the D on both in cuts and deep hucks. She’s been another unsung hero this year in our offense and defense as an extremely consistent player.
Kaila DeFrancesco, Senior #20: Kaila’s been in and out with us this year as she’s been student teaching, but every time she steps onto the field she’s made a meteoric impact on our team. She’s a physical player who lives for layout d’s and deep hucks, skying defenders that easily have a head or more on her by outplaying them on reads and boxing out.
Rachel Tigol, Sophomore #9: Our third captain this year, Rachel came into TUF last year and immediately stepped into a main handler role. Her ability to stay calm on the field and make the right throw as well as create space for her teammates has been a real inspiration to me. Her throws are some of the best I’ve seen and she’s one of the most consistent reset handlers I’ve ever come across. She also has been playing for like, forever, and it one of the most knowledgeable people I know about the game. Rachel is TUF’s future, give the kid some props.
FOTY:
Kirah Brown #17: Even though she’s ~technically~ a sophomore, she was a rookie this year with us and coming in with no ultimate experience this fall to being an extremely good cutter, her ability to step in to the offense and get open is incredible for someone who originally thought they were signing up for disc golf. With our limited numbers this weekend at regionals, she stepped up and handled (and found pretty high levels of success) against nationals levels teams like OSU and WCU. This kid never even really handled at practice. She’s got huge things in her future, watch out for her in the next two years.
Kenagh Babcock #15: Kenagh came in this year and has just balled all year long. She’s got great offensive and defensive vision on the field. When she’s not on the field, she’s the driving force of our sideline presence and her leadership abilities on and off the field earned her the nod of her teammates to captain next year.
Carley Perloff #1 Another kid who had never picked up a disc before coming to college, Carley impressed the hell out of us from the first informal scrimmage during syllabus week with her incredible field vision. She’s 4’9, but has skied people with easily 6 inches if not way more on her. This kid has the DRIVE to succeed, laying out, taking hard matchups, shutting down handler resets, and is the ONLY PERSON I’VE EVER MET WHO THROWS A HAMMER DUMP. Once Carley has throws, she’s going to be unstoppable. She’s another one to watch for in a couple years.
Danielle Byers here from west chedda here are my thoughts and over the top feelings about all region people. I’ll start with my team and then head on over to some other team ballers
West Chester
Lindsay “Mckilla” Mckenna- I am constantly impressed by Lindsay every time I play with her. It has been an extreme pleasure seeing her grow more and more confident. She was always athletic and talented since she started, but in the last two years she has really broken out and become a huge playmaker on our team. We would not be the team we are without her insane throws and ability to crush people on defense. She is a huge example of high risk high reward, she is able to put up crazy dimes in any circumstance (rain,wind, over a cup). She has basically every throw (high release backhand hucks, hammers,left-foot high release scoober etc.) and everyday I play with her it seems like she has a new one. She is also 6 foot tall and extremely hard to defend (trust me I know from doing it at every practice).
Liz “BEEF” hart - Liz is one of the most athletic people I have ever met. Anyone who has seen her play knows exactly what I mean, she skys everyone, has insane layouts, and is faster than anyone. At least once a game i have to stop for a moment and process some ridiculous play she made. More than just her athletic plays, this girl’s ability to give 120% on every point is astonishing. She will be tired, barely able to walk due to her constant injuries and then go out on the field and just give it everything she has and dominate her match up. It has been incredible having such a fiery and explosive cutter on our team, you can put up anything with confidence knowing she will rip it down. She also has greatly improved on her throws and from time to time she will rip a money huck down field.
Rachel “Ralph” Ralphano- she makes scoring basically every goal on our team look easy. She is incredibly quick and has extremely sneaky well timed cuts. Everytime I look up field I just see ralph going deep uncovered. She has insane scoring stats on our team, as well as a ridiculous amount of D’s. I think she get at least 10 bookends a tournament, her favorite move is getting a run through D and immediately taking off deep. I’ve never seen someone be so good and barely look like they’re trying, but I think it’s a huge reason people underestimate her, she just makes it look way too easy. She also cannot catch with two hands it’s physically impossible
Mallory “Teal Thunder” Drake- I am not sure which is more unwavering her endurance or her persistent smiling. This girl can run forever and has been a consistent rock on our team for the last 5 years. She can play every point and then some and literally never stops running. She also has great hands and an even better back hand Huck. She is the nicest brute force we have on our team and we really couldn’t do it without here consistency, endurance, and positive spirit.
Our coach- Doc “Doc” Stachowski - Doc took a motley crew of athletes who lost every game, and turned them into a team ranked 8th in the nation. There was a time when we were stoked to just be going to regionals and thrilled to get third at sectionals, to being a team that finished 2nd at regionals and is going to Nationals. We honestly and truly could not do it without Doc. He taught us how to play and worked his butt off making us the team we are now. It definitely wasn’t easy, since we had no idea what we were doing 3 years ago (seriously it was a mob of running around aimlessly and no one could throw). He pushed us hard, while constantly being encouraging and positive. He is the backbone of this team, without him we would not be as good as we are. He knows how to challenge not only the team as a whole, but each player individualy, constantly giving us things to work on and improve on. This man is a legend. He needs to be talked about more. There is no west chester women’s team without him. He made the impossible happen. I had a dream of making it to natties since I was a sophmore and I feel so incredibly grateful that he came along and saw the potential in our team that most people didn’t notice. I say this all the time but people used to laugh at me when I said we were going to make it one day, and look we finally did! Doc’s optimism, leadership, and constant sacrifice for our team lead us to this point against all odds and people constantly doubting us. Also we can’t pay him, he just does this out of his own passion and love for our program, that in itself deserves a reward.
Pitt
Carolyn- There’s not much to say here that people don’t already know. She is crazy good. She can catch anything, throw anything, and cut up anyone. If she isn’t on first team we all need to have to stop and heavily reflect on our life choices.
Penn State
Jess Sourbeer- she is the rock that holds the team together. She is a dominant thrower and can huck some dimes. She is also a great athlete. We have only played them a once or twice, but she definitely stands out on their team. She is young and already an incredible player, I’m excited to see her in the years to come.
Ohio
Sadie Jerzininskiisomething- Her name is about as hard to pronounce as she is to cover (I know because I do it every time and it’s very difficult). Every time you think you are doing an okay job she whips out something else. You’ll be trying to stop her back hand and feeling good about it and then she whips out a full field hammer or high release lefty, and then she lays out for a disc you thought was way too far away and then she skys you, leaving you in a daze of what the H E double hockey sticks just happened to me. One of the friendliest and fiercest competitors I have ever met. I seriously cannot wait to just watch and cheer for her and the rest of ohio state at Nationals (hopefully we don’t have to play each other again haha)
Annalisse- She wrecked her ankle, rubbed some dirt on it, snorted some protein powder and came back stronger than ever on sunday. She’s there O line handler and has incredible throws. She kills us with her break throws and her amazing hucks. Just an all around great player
Champ- this girl brain-explodingly catches everything, I literally don’t know what else to say because that alone just speaks for itself. She straight flies all over the field and bids for everything. She has easily had some of the most impressive catches I have ever seen (uhhhh universe point against pitt, I lost my mind)
Cara- dang she’s fast. I swear she catches every other throw and is impossible to stop. From time to time she also shows her throwing skills which are equally as impressive.
Case western
Number 12 - I couldn’t find her name (case put yooo numbers on your roster). This mysterious number 12 is their best handler and she makes some awesome catches as well. We only played them once, but she was definitely a force that made the game harder for us.
Penn
Anna Thompson- ehhhhhh she’s alright I guess. She apparently was out for most of the season due to “injury” I just think she’s lazy. While I was happy I didn’t have to play against her, I am also bummed because she is so incredible to watch. She has a relentless work ethic, is a huge thrower and can rip down any disc, she’s also just an all around great person. I would have liked to see how we would have done against Upenn had she played. She is easily one of the top 3 players in the region, had she been able to play more everyone would be able to see why. (maybe check out club mixed finals, I think she had a decent D or something)
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Case #12 is Lauren Ficek.
Fun fact, she has synesthesia and wears #12 because in her brain, #12 is her favorite color.
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That’s so cool!!! i just googled it! thanks telling me her name and for the fact.
Liz from West Chester here, not going to add much that hasn’t already been said, but to reiterate, these are the players that I think stand out the most:
West Chester:
-Danielle Byers:
Its been such a privilege playing with Danielle for the past 4 years, and over that time I think she’s become one of the best players in the region. She works tirelessly to become the best she can be, and doesn’t let anything stop her. Seriously, this girl has the strongest work ethic i’ve ever seen in someone. She’s got a huge range of throws, with varying release points, and excellent touch. I can always count on Danielle to drop a dime to me; anything from a precise stall 9 hammer, to throwing me open with a perfectly timed huck. She always has crazy good endurance, and her impressive speed allows her to effortlessly move between handler and cutter positions. Also at only 5’5”, its insane how dominant in the air she is.
-Lindsay McKenna:
I go way back with Linds, we started playing the same year. And I’ve had the privilege of playing club and college with her every year since. To see her grow to become the player she is now is amazing, she’s got backhand and flick hucks that she can effortlessly throw end zone to end zone. She also uses her height to get off high release throws, and to step around defenders to throw breaks with ease. She’s a well rounded athlete and is also excellent downfield, defending anything the other team puts up, and baiting in cuts to get run through/ layout d’s.
-Mallory Drake:
A hidden talent, and a tireless worker. Mallory has some history with distance running, and it shows. She never stops moving, and is usually the only person who is seemingly unaffected on Sunday from soreness, or fatigue. She’s a lefty, and she’s honed her abilities to be a perfect continuation cutter. Getting open on a huge incut, to immediately turn and rip a huge backhand huck is really where Mallory shines. But she is also a great hybrid player who comes back and handles for us. She’s got steady hands, a level head, and great decision making.
-Rachel Alfano:
Sneaky, Sneaky Ralf. Rachel has been playing for many years, and her experience definitely shows. There may not be anyone else who gets as effortlessly open as she does, just by reading the game. She has great ultimate IQ, and has been playing long enough that her anticipation for the game just comes naturally for her. Her cuts are perfectly timed, and she is often seen catching the disc with no one around her. She is also a great defender that highly contests any disc put near her. Her throws aren’t flashy, but they are super fundamentally strong, and very reliable.
Pitt:
-Carolyn Normile:
Always fun to play against Carolyn. She can basically do anything she wants with the disc, and she uses this skill to command Pitts offense. She’s also a great defender, she’s fantastic at reading the disc, and finding the exact right spot to post up and body out the receiver. I’ve cut to receive many a deep look, and been bodied out of the play by her. Super well rounded, experienced, and the core of Pitt.
OSU:
Did we play each other enough?
-Sadie Jezierski:
Dude. Just fun to watch. Sadie is a phenomenal athlete, she’s got just about every throw (including lefty backhands AND flicks), and attacks every single disc put near her. Great in the air, i’ve seen her rip down huck after huck on offense and defense. And she lays out all over the place, catching and making plays on discs that are seemingly well out of reach. Always fun to play against, and she’s one of the nicest and most spirited players I’ve met.
-Corrinn “Champ” Pruitt:
Love playing against her, she’s got great speed, solid throws, and catches literally anything put in her general vicinity. Some of the sickest layout catches i’ve seen have come from this girl. She’s an important part of OSU’s offense, and very well rounded.
Cara Seiber:
Bruh. Not sure how old she is but damn, she’s quick. She uses her speed to make consistently open incuts, and if she’s not open on the first one she uses her wicked change of direction to shake her defender and effortlessly get open. She’s got excellent hands, and a fantastic around backhand.
Annelise Peters and Emily Barrett are also great players, and deserve some recognition.
Penn State:
-Jess Sourbeer:
Young, yet very experienced, with great ultimate IQ. She’s got great throws, and can create a solid give-and-go offense using her self as the primary handler. Given a few more years she’ll be an even bigger force to be reckoned with. She served as the core to Crisis this year, and is well supported by cutters like;
Molly Robertson who is formidable in the air, and has great hands, and…
Maya Karl who boasts solid continuation throws off very speedy incuts.
CWRU:
-Erica Bindas:
Tall, lefty, handler. What a deadly combination. She’s got great release points that use her height, and can throw precise hucks that slice through the wind to her cutters downfield. Her high release break throws were particularly deadly near the end zone, CWRU scored many an uncontested break side goal against us due to Erica throwing her cutter open this way.
-Nickle?:
If I’m remembering correctly she’s a very athletic cutter, she’s got great hands and field sense, and doesn’t have much trouble getting open. Also a very capable defender.
Temple:
We only played them once this year…
-Emma Palacio:
Great speed, good hands, and the core handler for Temple. Emma makes great decisions behind the disc, and has very solid handler cuts, and movement. Easily the player that stood out the most to me when we played them over the weekend.
UPenn:
-Anna Thompson:
Never got to play against Anna, as she was hurt for the majority of the season. But from watching some of her game against CWRU on Saturday at regionals, she seems to be having no trouble making an impact despite some set backs. I’ve watched her play in club (and played against her), and she’s a force to be reckoned with. She commands offenses with crazy good throws, and proves to be a consistent playmaker on both offense and defense. Unfortunate she was hurt during the season this year, but I have no doubt she’ll make a huge impact in years to come.
Oh and for coaches, obviously I think Mark “Doc” Stachowski, my own coach, the coach of West Chester, is more than deserving of some recognition. Doc puts in hour after hour of volunteered time with our team. And since his involvement with the team 3 years ago our program has made insane improvement. From losing most games when I first joined the team, and barely making regionals, to making NATIONALS this year is crazy. Doc has spent his time carefully crafting practices, and building strategies around our group of players. There isn’t one player on our team that doesn’t know what the game plan is, and how to execute it, and that’s because of Doc’s tireless attention to the needs, and questions of each and every player on our team. He turned a group of athletic, yet clueless girls, into a team that has a system. A system created by Doc, and a system that has allowed West Chester as a program to steadily grow, and compete against some of the best teams in the nation.