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.
Yale
Micah Derringer, great handler, great defender, and after taking a semester off studying abroad came back and balled out for Yale
Ben Chaimberg, this man can literally play the whole game going every other, easily has the highest motor in the region. Fast, great hands, vocal leader.
CCSU Yetis
Bobby Elston in my eyes is the best player in the region, he has battled injuries this year but he’s an unstoppable force in the cutter space, easily going over any defender in his airspace, and demonstrates great throwing prowess even under pressure.
Travis McClay deserves some flowers too. He has been a leader and the center handler for Central.
Rutgers
Unsure of names
But #14 was their best cutter, wicked fast, good defender, good hands
Small, ginger, center handler, played almost every point
UConn:
Evi Ashkenazi, center handler, leader for this UConn team, high motor, great throws.
Alex Manos, only a sophomore, tenacious defender, elite small ball handler, this kid has a bright future
Austin Rey, best cutter for UConn, a force in the air, and one of UConn’s best defensive players.
Syracuse
Eamon Conneely has been the best player every time we match up against them, he can cut, he can handle, he can play defense. He does it all.
Columbia
Bernie (unsure if his last name), was their go to player, agile cutter, sick bids, great throws, and can’t say enough about his spirit.
Rowan
Only showed up with 10 players, but number 88 their center handler is an absolute baller.
If I missed anyone it’s probably because we haven’t played them this year, and this forum is about this year alone. Thanks for a great season all!
I play at Cornell, so I can only speak to players on teams we’ve played this season.
First team:
Cornell #31 Davith “DC” Chan - most unguardable player in the region and it’s not close. A monster on defense who will blow you up and then go every other on the turn. In tough games he was on the field almost every point and put the team on his back.
Cornell #21 Nathaniel Chin - lockdown handler defender with a huge bag of throws. Nat quarterbacks our D line offense and can break any mark at will.
Columbia #11 Bernie - this guy does it all for UpLo. He’s been a beast for a long time and it really showed at semis this year.
Buffalo #63 Jack Puttre - an excellent defender with a high game IQ. Especially at regionals, he seemed to know every pull play we run and shut it down. Not to mention a super solid handler who orchestrated their d line offense.
Princeton #22 David Hwang - great athlete, tons of throws, and lots of game knowledge. When we play clockwork, we worry about this guy.
Binghamton #40 James Pardo - clearly stands out amongst his team as an elite player in the region. He’s good for chest high layout D’s as well as calm quarterbacking on offense.
Ottawa #83 Maxime Ayad - dude has crazy hops and elite quickness. He consistently gave our best defenders the hardest matchup of the weekend at regionals.
Rookie of the year:
Cornell #99 Milo Rappport - Coming from the DC high school scene, Milo brought game experience, reliable throws, and excellent defense to Cornell for his freshman year. Not to mention that he’s 6’4 and can sky any other team’s big without breaking a sweat. He quickly made it onto our starting D line and played as a shutdown deep-deep in our zone. On a turn, it’s only a matter of time before he runs deep and comes down with anything you throw to him. No other rookie in this region is as dominant as Milo is right now, and no one is gonna be scarier in the coming years.
DC, Bernie, James Pardo, D. Hwang, Mackey, #3 on Ottawa #83 on Ottawa. HM for Tomer, that one tall cutter on Princeton, and probably a couple guys on Ottawa.
Chris Wells is all region-consolation bracket.
Disclaimer that I play for Columbia but here are my thoughts on players who are worthy of all-region consideration (amongst the teams we’ve played which doesn’t include Ottowa/Buffalo/Bing)
All-Region First Team
Columbia #11 Bernard Wang (Bernie) – Our captain and center O-line cutter for Columbia, the offense flows entirely off his initiation and he can get open in any space on the field, no matter where he’s being forced or who’s guarding him. Bernie’s athleticism, speed, bids, and agility make him an impossible cover for opposing teams. He’s also a terrific thrower with some of the best hucks in the region.
Columbia #41 Luke Holtzman – Center O-Line handler and undisputed heartbeat of Columbia’s offense. Luke regularly goes every-other up the field and can break any mark to hit any cut. Between his no-look throws, his high release, and his mastery of positioning, it’s impossible to run zone against Columbia with Luke on the field. Luke played on a dislocated shoulder throughout the weekend and didn’t make it to the semifinals against Cornell which was a huge blow.
Yale #18 Micah Derringer – Shifty, speedy, and agile leader for Süperfly. Capable of playing every point in a game while going every other. Plus/plus hucks, hammers, and break throws to open up the entire field for the Yale offense. Incredible athlete who makes up for his smaller size with huge bids to play great pressure/poach D. Also one of the most spirited players in the region and someone who genuinely enjoys playing and learning ultimate.
Cornell #31 DC – Engine of the Cornell system, whether he’s crossing over to O-line or running the D-line offense. Quick, shifty, agile, athletic, and literally every other synonym you could think of. Unquestionably the toughest mark on a Cornell team filled with ballers.
Princeton #… David Hwang – Most athletic player on a team that shoves its athleticism down your throat. Will routinely go every other and probably runs 2/3 fields over the course of each point while pushing in and out of the handler space. Runs an elite and disciplined small ball Princeton offense with perfection.
Rutgers #3 Tyler Mackey – Leader of both the Rutgers O and D-line. Will play every point in a game and either finish things off with a pinpoint huck or a series of tight insides and arounds to the break side. Impossible to stop upline and impossible to completely seal.
UConn #… Evan Card – Big imposing D-line handler for UConn. Plays tight D and has the best hucks I’ve seen this year off the turn. Spirited and friendly player who stepped in to fill any role UConn needed him to.
Rookie of the Year:
Columbia #68 Vincent Harwood (Woody) – Plenty of other rookies in the Metro East and on Columbia stepped up to fill select key roles this season but I’ll bet very few had to take over an entire system like Woody did. Countless times this year he had to shoulder the D-line offense on his own due to injuries and patchy handler-depth and he did it phenomenally: orchestrating breaks against many high-level teams. Woody plays tough physical defense and after the turn, can make any throw and can break any mark. He’s going to be monster in this region for three more years.
First team
Rutgers Tyler Mackey
Center handler for Rutgers Machine, this kid has an extremely deep bag of throws, over the tops, insides, hucks, he has them all. Mackey is the worst nightmare to any team that tries to run a zone against him. Mackey also seemed to play almost the entire game for Machine, he never stops running.
Columbia Bernie Wang
Bernie is a cutter who seems to always seems get open whenever he feels like it. Under? Sure. Deep? He’s open. Great cutter, but just as solid of a handler Bernie is a comfortable and confident thrower, many times I saw him come under and then throw a perfectly placed continuation huck for a goal. Very spirited player as well! The best player on a semi final team.
UConn Evan Card
Evan is D-Line handling juggernaut. Can’t say enough about his throws, his flick is unstoppable. More than once I saw Evan pick up the disc on the goal line, then proceed to throw a full field huck, cutting through the wind like butter. Easily the best hucks in region. Not to sell his cutting short, multiple times Evan would crossover to the O-line as a cutter and get open at will and scoring even against elite defenders. Very spirited player, even saw him even go against his teams opinion to resolve a foul call in a close game. He’s the best player on a young, rebuilding team. My vote for RPOY.
Ottawa Maxime Ayrd
The definition of a hybrid, it felt like whenever Maxime cut under he was open by a few yards. Whenever the handle space got stagnant or a zone was thrown at Ottawa, there he is, placing a throw right where it needs to be. Super athletic, and I think the best player on the only team that made it out of the Metro East.
Cornell Davith Chan
This dude is scary. DC plays D line but will crossover to O when needed. Lightning speed, Elite defense, and very solid throws. His Callahan video will be fun to watch. RPOY Runner Up. He’s the best player on the the second best team in the Metro East.
Yale Micah Derringer
Micah is one of those guys where you see him and don’t think he is a threat because of his smaller frame, then next thing you know he has 4 layout Ds, 3 assists, and a goal and he hasn’t broken a sweat yet. Super athletic. Has all the throws in the book. Spirited player, always has a smile on his face! The best player on a quarterfinal team.
Rowan # 88
I wish I knew this guys name, Rowan showed up with about 11 players to regionals, and this guy literally might be the only reason they scored any points. Played every point, went every other, and his throws were fantastic. Many teams ran zone against Rowan (when in reality it was just an excuse to cup him), needless to say he broke the zone consistently. The best player on a small, rebuilding team.
I play for Bing (might be biased, but I love my Big Bears), so shoutout to all the great players we didn’t get to play against this year, but here are my nominees for
First Team All-Region:
Davith Chan (Cornell #31) - The way this kid moves is freaky. Amazing throws and athleticism. Just seems to be getting better every year too. Complete workhorse. Don’t watch the first four seconds of the Cornell Spring 2022 highlight reel.
Drew Holahan (Bing #14) - Drew is in my opinion the best cutter in the region. The dude has crazy hops and speed. Never has to layout because he can just run onto everything. Has roofed probably 90% of the people who are going to be reading this forum. Can also just huck at will and throws are super solid. If you throw a deep ball up to Drew there’s almost no chance he’s not posterizing the dude attempting to guard him.
Tyler Mackey (Rutgers #3) - Mackey pretty much put the entire Rutgers team on his back for the Spring season, and did it incredibly well. Led the team to the quarterfinals at regionals and played damn near every point doing it too. Deadly thrower that can place the ball anywhere on the field and is quick on his feet too.
Ottawa #3 - Sorry I don’t know your name dawg, but you are one of the quickest players I’ve ever seen. We played Ottawa 3 times this year, and every time all his throws were some of the most fundamental and accurate ones you’ll ever seen no matter the wind. Virtually unguardable in small spaces.
Matt Nieto (Bing #77) - Matt is just an animal. Despite some nagging injuries, he consistently made highlight and point-saving plays while also just constantly being open. Layouts and skies out the wazoo, not to mention one of the deepest throwing bags I’ve ever seen on a cutter. When Matt was healthy, he was an insane difference maker for us. Athlete through and through.
David Hwang (Princeton #22) - Dude is a dawg out there. Super athletic and fast with some great throws. Smart and intense player who stood out on an already strong Princeton team.
Luke Smith (Bing #23) - Luke might be the smartest player I’ve ever played with. He sees the field in a way no one else does. A true hybrid, his timing on his throws and his cuts are impeccable. So comfortable in the handler and cutter space. Will sky the hell out of you and put up a dime crossfield backhand huck in the same point like it’s nothing. Your favorite player’s favorite player.
Second Team All-Region:
Chris Wells (Bing #17) - This dude is an incredibly shifty handler with great game IQ. The best handler defender I’ve seen. Chris consistently took the other team’s best handler with ease. Definition of the opposing team’s nightmare. Great leader on and off the field. Super quick with his throws and cuts and will get open at will in small spaces. Could easily be First Team.
Maxime Ayad (Ottawa #83) - Another dude who could easily be First Team, we just didn’t play against him at conferences or regionals. Incredible thrower with great energy and sportsmanship. From the little that I did watch of the regionals final is an insane athlete too.
Nathaniel Chin (Cornell #21) - Great handler defender. Gave me an incredibly tough time at regionals in the handler space. Has incredible break throws.
Tomer Poole-Dayan (Cornell #83) - This dude is one of the most well-rounded players in the region. Has incredible throws and cut timing. Consistently led Cornell to some great victories.
Jack Puttre (Buff #63) - Last year I guarded this dude at conferences and he was a complete headache and has gotten better since then. Super shifty and smart with quick decision-making and accurate throws. Quarterbacks the Buffalo offense with incredible patience.
Michael Levy (Bing #20) - Levy is a defensive beast, but made a huge impact on our O line for a lot of the season. Absolute cannon of a flick huck. Fundamental and doesn’t turn the disc.
Ottawa #9 - Also don’t know your name bro, but this guy was a big reason that Ottawa ended up earning that bid to nationals.
Freshman of the Year:
Leo Fell (Bing #5) - Kid is legit. Only his second year playing frisbee, and he’s laying out and getting D’s on other team’s best players. Made a huge impact the moment he stepped on the field for Bing.
Honorable Mentions:
Chris Iglesias (Rutgers #?) - Was out for most of the Spring with a brutal knee injury, but this guy is an absolute baller. Would 100% be First Team if not hurt. Explosive beyond measure with great throws to boot. Sad I didn’t get the chance to match up against him this year.
Dylan Kenniff (Cornell #15) - We went to high school together, and I like his vibe.
Binghamton
#40 James Pardo - goat
#14 Drew Holahan - athlete
#5 Leo Fell- All freshmen. consistently was asked to guard other teams top players and played a almost every D point for us. #RollBard #U20USATryoutIncoming
Ottawa
#3 Martin Gallant - was an amazing thrower in western NY conference wind as well as a great athlete
Coach of year Luke Phelan - seems like an amazing coach to play for. Ottawa players, systems and sets were all very polished.
Buffalo
#63 Jack Puttre
Cornell
#31 Davith Chan
#88 Iram Liu
Most spirited:
#15 Dylan Kenniff Cornell. I also like his vibe. He gave my a hug.
PSA:
#56 Charlie LaBarge (D line handler) is a freshmen on Binghamton. @people on buffalo that were glazing him.
I feel like I can only speak about my own teammates as those are who I have gotten to see play the most, so sorry if this seems biased. There are a lot of great players in the region, but these are who stick out to me.
James Pardo is legit. Consistently makes jaw dropping plays that even his own teammates—including myself—cannot believe (check out our highlight reels). His overall consistency and leadership skills make him an asset that we on Binghamton are lucky to have.
Luke Smith is a great all around player, who is incredible at controlling the pace of the game. He will go every other when he wants, and is a commanding presence in both the cutter space and the backfield. Very hard worker, and low key just a good guy all around, he will be missed.
Michael Levy might have the greatest hucks in the region. Consistently puts out bombs for our cutters to run onto with ease. The O line would not be the same without him. Also plays lockdown defense and gets open like no other. Great all around player. Pretty funny guy too.
Chris Wells is a passionate leader and a valuable asset to our teams handler core. He gets open in the handler space at ease, hits break throws like there is no mark, and controls the pace of the game well. His defense is also incredible, and he is a big reason our team could generate so many breaks.
Leo Fell is an incredible freshman. Bro has been playing for 2 years and already is a commanding presence in the cutter space and on defense, getting open at ease, and guarding other teams top players. I’m jealous of this kids playtime, but he deserves it and was a great asset for our team this year so I can’t really complain.
Disclaimer: I play on Cornell, so I know a lot more about the Cornell guys and will talk about them in more depth. Also, the players on here are only from teams we played this season:
First team:
Maxime Ayad (#83 Ottowa) — Super athletic, great all-around player, hard to stop, had an insane vertical.
Mathis Turgeon-Roy (#3 Ottowa) — Super super quick, all-around great player
Logan Keillor (#9 Ottowa) — Great cuts, super quick.
Bernie Wang (Columbia) — Rock of his team. It’s hard to keep the disc out of his hands. A huge player in the deep space, with nice throws an all-around star O-Line cutter.
Davith Chan (Cornell) — The quickest guy on almost every field, DC is impossible to stop when making a 1 on 1 cut. His quickness on offense and defense is impossible not to notice, but because of this, it’s easy to overlook his insane break throws and ability to consistently hit any spot on the field with any throw. His throws, cuts, and defense are all elite.
Iram Liu (Cornell) – Iram is a defensive monster. He generates everything from insane athletic layout D’s to smart poachy D’s. And once he generates that turn, his handler offense is superb, with impressive accurate insides and arounds and great handler space cuts and movement.
Roan Chadsey (Cornell) – The center O-Line handler for Cornell, Roan just doesn’t really make mistakes. Playing ultimate since 3rd grade, Roan is the rock of the Cornell O-line, getting something like 50-100 touches each game and turning it 0 times in almost all of those games. In addition to his consistency, though, his ability to hit any spot on the field with his beautiful break throws is beyond impressive. On top of his throws, he draws the hardest matchups and guards the other team’s best players on a turn, almost always locking them down, and his ability to get the disc in his hands in the handler space, regardless of the defender, is unmatched.
Honorable Mentions: Neal Vasireddi (Cornell), James Pardo (Bing), David Hwang (Princeton), Austin (#11 Princeton), Tyler Mackey (Rutgers)
All-Region Rookie of the Year:
Thomas Meyer (Cornell) – Thomas’s athleticism, game sense, and dedication to the game are what make him special. Thomas will beat you to the disc. Over one year, Thomas grew to be the player who catches the most hucks and possibly one of the top players for goals on the Cornell Buds. His quickness and speed in the cutter space are unstoppable, and that athleticism transfers over to defense, too. Thomas, an O-Line cutter, worked his way onto Cornell kill lines, playing offensive and defensive kill line points in the second half of the regional finals.
Honorable Mention: Milo Rappoport (Cornell) – Milo quickly emerged in his rookie year to be Cornell’s primary puller, deep-deep, d-line deep cutter, and all-around big man. He and Thomas are going to be a scary duo in this region going forward.
Binghamton #40 James Pardo - straight up dog. Most athletic bids in the region, unguardable in the handler space and a momentum shifter.
Binghamton #14 Drew Holahan - there are no 50/50s when drew is in the deep space. Defensively he is a blackhole and offensively is one of the the most dominant cutters in the the region.
Binghamton #23 Luke Smith - One of the most consistent, high IQ players I’ve had the pleasure to play with. A hybrid who can both put up and come down with deep hucks when needed most but is also just as comfortable running small-ball in the handler set.
Ottawa #3 Martin Gallant - might be the quickest player in the metro-east, extremely hard to guard and throws consistently on the dot in all weather
Ottawa #83 Maxime Ayad - athletic all around force
Cornell #31 Davith Chan (DC) - Extremely hard to shut down, consistently connects on difficult throws, engine of the cornell offense off turns. Willing to put his body on the line
Rutgers Tyler Macky #3 - Very talented thrower who is responsible for much of Rutger’s success this spring, playing almost every point at a high level.
All Freshmen: Charlie Labarge (Binghamton #56) is a rare player who has found a way to come into college ultimate this year with an already high level of skill and experience and also continue to raise his ceiling and improve hugely. Playing both O-line or D-line, Charlie could be counted on as a veteran handling presence and a playmaker.
Buffalo Coach here, Ill start with other teams players that I believe are worthy of a nod. Disclaimer, this only includes players on teams we faced or games I was able to watch.
Binghamton #40 Pardo - A very patient handler and big time playmaker. Good for at least one-two layout Ds a game
Princeton #22 Hwang - Unreal Athlete that seems to have an endless motor as he went every other for multiple points straight in their comeback against us. He also can throw very precise flicks very very far
Cornell #31 Chan - It is so dangerous to turn this disc over against Cornell because there is no getting it back from him.
Cornell #13 Poole-Dayan - A do it all piece in Cornell’s offense. Whether it be consistently getting open downfield or connecting on big throws, he can do it all at a high level
Ottawa #83 Ayad - From what I saw, he was 100% completion on multiple full field hucks.
Ottawa #9 Keillor - Relentless defender who is always in pursuit trying to make a play. Any mistakes by the offense and he seemed to be there to get a D
Ottawa #3 Gallant - Too quick to keep up with. The game seemed easy as his defenders were constantly 2 steps behind him
I’d also like to shout out a couple of my guys who should be talked about
in consideration as well.
#63 Jack Puttre - D Line Handler who quarterbacked every turn whether it be death by a thousand give gos in the reset space, slicing OIO blades around the mark, or with big throws, he was beating defenders.
#45 Colton Zack - Relentless leader and cutter who can play lockdown defense or precision offense. During sectionals he approached double digits D’s as the middle of our zone in a single game against Bing (no shade)
#69 Evan Bembenista - our tallest player who is extremely effective in the air, but when our OLine was struggling at regionals, we switched him to a handler and he took over the offense when we needed it most.
And lastly a freshman of the year nominee, I don’t know who is a freshman at any other school so Ill keep it short.
#7 Nico Angulo Stevenson - with no prior competitive playing experience, Nico had grown tremendously throughout the year. During sectionals we were down a key piece to our OLine and we asked him to fill in to that role. He did so tremendously and helped us to a 4-1 weekend. Watch out for him doing it all on the field in the next few years
I would first like to begin by saying I play for Binghamton Big Bear so I can only comment on the teams we played this season.
First Team All Region:
Binghamton:
James “Juice” Pardo (#40): Best player on Binghamton and captain of our team. Some of the best bids and layout Ds from the tournament and anchors the O-Line. Has every throw in the book, absolute playmaker, and leader on the field. He was counted on to make plays on both sides of the ball and contributed to most holds and breaks generated throughout the season. Without him, Binghamton would not be the same and arguably the most important player on any team. His knowledge of the game is second to none and his friendship one of one.
Binghamton:
Luke “Dizbot” Smith (#23): Luke is the most technically sound player on Binghamton and surpassed any expectations set as he established himself as one of the best cutters in the region. His transition backhand hucks are some of the best I’ve seen and the way he sees the field and understands the game is a testament to the countless hours of work he puts in. Luke in many ways was a spiritual leader on Binghamton establishing a culture of hard work and discipline. Luke took over the cutting space at regionals, getting every under at will, threatening the deep space, and putting hucks into any part of the field he wanted.
Binghamton:
Drew “Starboy” Holahan (#14): Drew has continuously been the most underrated player in the Metro East. Drew makes 50/50 balls a guarantee when he goes in the air. He is the best deep space cutter and deep space defender in the region. There is not a moon ball he does not come down with or D. Drew is an absolute machine being able to cross almost every point in bracket games and makes play after play with ease.
Rutgers:
Tyler Mackey (#3): I had the task of guarding Mackey every point this weekend at regionals during our pool play game and was able to get a feel for his game up close. He uses his speed and quickness to attack space at will and it was a great battle during pool play. I heard through the grapevine that he played 67 total points on Day 1 of regionals including every point in the Pre-Quarter final game against UConn. He is clearly the backbone of their team and carried a heavy load both offensively and defensively. Deserves some recognition.
Ottawa:
Martin Gallant (#3): Also had the job of guarding him in all three games we played Ottawa this season and just going to echo what has been said already. Great handler, very shifty, and breaks the mark well.
Ottawa:
Max Ayad (#83): Definitely one of the best players in the region and definitely deserving of a shout here. Once again, echoing what has been said already.
Cornell:
Davith “DC” Chan (#31): Once again, another shift, quick, handler that I guarded every point during our pool play game against Cornell. What separates DC from everyone else is his explosiveness. His ability to shift and change direction within an instant is unmatched or unseen among any of the other top handlers in the region I was guarding. Is most definitely deserving of a shoutout on this thread. Also a super great dude to chat with.
Honorable Mentions:
Binghamton:
Matt “Gorilla” Nieto (#77): Matt is a do it all guy. Cut deep, throw deep, get layout Ds, break the mark, etc. A true hybrid and true swiss army knife. There is nothing on the field he can’t do and no position he can’t excel at. Matt is easily a top player in the region and deserves that recognition.
Rutgers:
Chris “Iggy” Iglesias: Unfortunately Iggy was injured this year and was unable to showcase the talent that he has. If Iggy were healthy there is no doubt in my mind he would be a consensus nomination for first team all region. Great dude to catch up with and definitely going to be an issue for the Metro East next year.
Freshman of the Year:
Binghamton:
Leo Fell (#5): This was Leo’s second year playing frisbee and came into Binghamton eager and willing to learn. Already an athletic beast, Leo quickly put all the pieces together and became an immediate contributor on our D-Line, oftentimes taking the opposing team’s best O-Line cutter and getting sick layout Ds and skying cutters taller than him. Leo is a hard worker, great kid, and loves the game and deserves a shout here.
First Team All-Region:
Binghamton #40 James Pardo
Binghamton #23 Luke Smith
Columbia #11 Bernard Wang
Ottawa #9 Logan Keillor
Ottawa #3 Martin Gallant
Ottawa #83 Maxime Ayad
Cornell #31 Davith Chan
Second Team All-Region:
Binghamton #14 Drew Holahan
Binghamton #77 Matt Nieto
Binghamton #20 Michael Levy
Cornell #88 Iram Liu
Cornell #83 Tomer Poole-Dayan
Buffalo #63 Jack Puttre
Princeton #22 David Hwang
Freshman of the Year:
Binghamton #5 Leo Fell
All Region
Rutgers Tyler Mackey
Ottawa Maxime #83
Ottawa Logan #9
Ottawa Marty #3
Cornell Davith Chan #31
Cornell Roan Chadsey #16
Cornell Iram Liu #88
Honorable Mention: Neal Vasireddi, Nathaniel Chin
Freshman of the Year: Cornell Milo Rappoport #99
Leo Fell All-freshman is a lock
I (Neal Vasireddi) played for Cornell (Indian wearing bright red pants all tournament) and have been in the region for 6 years, so I have seen a lot of players grow into dominant players for their teams over many years. These are the players I either struggled to defend, watched tape to gameplan against, or watched take on the most dominant role for their team.
First Team:
#3 Ottawa: Marty
#9 Ottawa: Logan
#83 Ottawa: Maxime
All were either unguardable, had deep throwing bags, and/or played disciplined person and junk defense. Ottowa’s offense in the finals was near perfect when these players were on the field (with only 1 O-line turnover, and single digit overall)
#31 Cornell: Davith Chan
#88 Cornell: Iram Liu
#16 Cornell: Roan Chadsey
Our three best handlers. Iram leading the D-line, forcing turnovers and driving the offense on the turn. Roan providing consistent reset throws and options for our O-line. And DC playing around 90 points over the course of the tournament, being the best 2-way player on our team, and possibly the region.
#22 Princeton: David Hwang
Motor of Clockwork’s team, and a phenomenal 2 way player. Had the pleasure of coaching with him at Princeton last year and playing club together last season.
Second Team (not a full 7, fight me):
Princeton: Austin Fan
Princeton: Mark Gazzerro
Lethal cutters and defenders. Austin will burn you with his speed and Mark will box you out with his strength. Mark was injured earlier in the season, but his presence was definitely felt at regionals.
Cornell: Jacob Groner
Probably the hardest on field worker on the team. I can’t count how many impossible layout grabs and catch blocks this man has. He never gives up on saving possessions or making defensive plays, and always puts his body on the line.
Ottowa:
Could add a few more ottawa players here, but I have not gone through and watched the film from their quarters and semis games.
Honorable Mentions:
Rutgers: Tyler Mackey
Rutgers: Chris Iglesias
Mackey had the biggest role to step into this year, with Iggy unfortunately being injured. Iggy would be a lock for first team, he is the most freak athlete I have seen in the region.
Cornell: Neal Vasireddi (shameless, ik)
I wore red pants to keep my knee brace clean and hidden. Could not play at conferences, but I did not want to sit out my last college post-season due to injury. I’m glad I got the opportunity to play against y’all.
Bing: James Pardo
Columbia: Bernard Wang
Catalysts for their teams’ offenses. Get the disc in their hands, and special things can happen.
Coach of the Year: Luke Phelan, Ottawa
Well trained squad, great spirit. Would love to see how they perform at nationals.
ROTY: Cornell #6: Thomas Meyer
Our fastest cutter, he has quickly established himself on our O-line. In just one year, he has developed strong reset throws and great field awareness, recording the most huck receptions on the team. I’m terrified to see what he will do in years to come.
All region:
Cornell:
DC
Roan Chadsey
Iran Liu
Ottawa:
Logan Keillor
Martin Gallant
Rutgers:
Tyler Mackey
Bing:
James Pardo
Honorable mentions:
Neal Vasiredi, Iggy, Maxime Ayad, Nat Chin
All Freshman:
Thomas Meyer
Cornell’s head coach here.
First Team All Region:
Ottawa #3 Martin Gallant (POTY): All around great player. Crisp throws and good decision making with the disc. Aggressive nonstop cutting and a matchup nightmare.
Cornell #31 Davith Chan: Shifty and quick. Deep bag of throws and a nonstop motor on O and D.
Ottawa #9 Logan Keillor: Lockdown defender with impressive explosive power.
Princeton #22 David Hwang: Great motor with strong command of the offense and an athletic relentless defender on D.
Columbia #11 Bernard Wang: Columbia’s top guy. Dominant primary cutter with good disc skills and tight D on the turn.
Ottawa #83 Maxime Ayad: Incredibly consistent with the disc, deep bag of break throws and hucks. Great puller, really helped pin Olines deep in their endzones for additional defensive pressure.
Cornell #16 Roan Chadsey: Center Oline handler. Break ability to break the mark and win the small space to give his teammates easy resets.
Second Team All Region
Binghamton #40 James Pardo: Do it all guy for Bing. Swiss army knife of a player that fills whatever role they need.
Rutgers #3 Tyler Mackey: Center handler for Rutgers. Dangerous hucks with great ability to break the mark and difficult to stop in the reset space.
Cornell #8 Jacob Groner: Physical cutter defender. Often taking the opposing team’s strongest matchups. Huge bids and good offensive instincts on a turn.
Buffalo #63 Jack Puttre: Athletic defender and the centerpiece of the offense on a turn. The first to be crossed over in a big moment.
Cornell #88 Iram Liu: Strong cutter and handler defender with the ability to slot in wherever needed on offense.
Princeton #11 Austin Fan: Fast confident cutter and an impact defender.
Cornell #13 Tomer Poole-Dayan: Primary offensive cutter with the power to push the disc deep downfield. Did well to elevate his play in the biggest moments.
Honorable Mentions:
Cornell: #21 Nat Chin, #17 Neal Vassireddi, #20 Dylan “Snow” Winchell, #12 Thomas Wu
Ottawa: #16 and #17
There are certainly other deserving players from the other semis and quarterfinals teams that deserve honorable mentions, but I will leave it to just the finalists for the sake of brevity.
Freshman of the Year:
Cornell #6 Thomas Meyer: Already has the makings of a feature offensive cutter and becoming a more dominant defender with each game. I expect he’ll be getting some shoutouts on this list next year.