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.
#20 on UConn for All-Freshman. Jahne Carrenard joined the team and quickly started handling on the kill line. She can seriously do it all. Reeling in Ds as a deep in zone, GORGEOUS flick hucks, beautiful hammers, lays out when need be, and some crazy sticky hands just to name a few things. It would be tough to try and find someone with better spirit and a happier aura too. She’s great. Can’t wait to see what she does with her next couple years.
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#0 Jenna Li on Cornell for All-Freshman. Honestly, for all-region as well. She is among Cornell’s top players – she’s a calm yet powerful presence as a handler but can also do everything else. She handles, she hucks, she gets Ds, she skies, and she has makes everyone else on the team look good too. Not to mention her knowledge of the game, spirit on and off the field, and determination. She is a big reason that Cornell was able to put up great showings against other Metro East powerhouse teams. The Metro East should look out for Jenna because she is a force to be reckoned with.
With another regionals come and gone, here’s shoutouts for some of the teammates and opponents that lit up the field this past weekend. To start with some of my teammates:
#10 Wilhelmina Graff (Yale) - There is no shortage of admirable qualities Graff has as a player, but I’ll highlight a couple for you. When she gets into her flow on offense, she can’t be denied. She’ll happily march every-other all the way to the endzone or use her expansive arsenal of throws to get things rolling. On defense, her speed and superb field positioning get her plenty of blocks.
#19 Lila Brady (Yale) - Brady is a savvy handler and rock-solid defender. Offensively, you can tell she’s spent a lot of time optimizing the way she plays because she’s always finding the right spaces and moving the disc at pace. Her innate understanding of what her opponent wants also allows her to generate handblocks and clutch ds for Mona. She and Graff led the team in ds over the regionals weekend.
#26 Louise Puchalla (Yale) - Puchalla has been a force on the field since their first year but they’ve stepped up their hucks and defending game in big ways this season. They’re the one intercepting deep shots, orchestrating the team to a break, and crossing over when we need some extra firepower.
#9 Cosima Deetman (Yale) - On Mona we like to say Deetman has the best hands because she can catch literally anything, even passes not originally meant for her. Deetman’s the reliable offensive outlet that makes the Mona hex go ‘round and her continued growth as a thrower makes her even more of a threat, year after year.
#23 Caroline Eldridge (Yale) - Eldridge has been running the deep space for a while now and there’s few players in the region who can track down a deep shot like Clem. She’s also taken up a big hybrid role for Mona this year, using her experience and throws to initiate the offensive flow.
#99 Sophia DeLuca (Yale) - DeLuca has been an instant impact player for Mona with her unmatched speed and energy. She’s a tenacious defender who’s unafraid to take the hardest match-ups and an absolutely unguardable cutter.
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And some opponents that stood out to me over the weekends (conference and regionals):
#8 Riley Shaeffer (NYU) - Shaeffer is an amazing downfield presence for Purple Reign. She made some truly incredible plays at conferences and regionals, including a masterfully controlled toe-in score that had my jaw on the ground.
#4 Carmen Lo (UConn) - Lo is a big threat on the field any way you slice it. She’s comfortable helming the Rise offense with her big throws and patient movement, and she’s a tough defender who’s capable of shutting down her match-ups.
#7 Jenna Gall (UConn) - I continue to be impressed by Gall’s speed and playmaking. She had a great layout block in the endzone during our Regionals game and consistently makes clutch plays for Rise. Her quickness makes her an extremely difficult cutter to stop as well.
#18 Eastelle Ding (Columbia) - Ding is a talented thrower and offensive anchor for Chimera. Her ability to move the disc quickly and decisively through zone sets throughout the series was impressive.
#97 Hanah Glick (Rutgers) - Glick was taking quality shots for Rutgers all weekend and seems to be a huge presence for them on the field.
#30 Jessica Dugo (Rutgers) - Dugo was often on the receiving end of a Nightshade huck and her prowess in the air speaks for itself.
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Rookie nominations:
#3 Ai-Li Hollander (Yale) - Hollander immediately took up a huge role for Mona as an anchor handler. She knows how to crack defenses with precise throws and endless patience, and she’s more than capable of sending the disc deep too. Plus, she always seems to come up with a crucial block just when we need it. I’m so excited to see what another year will bring for you.
#20 Jahne Carrenard (UConn) - Carrenard is a polished thrower who’s already operating as one of Rise’s universe line handlers as a first-year. She’s proven her defensive chops too with a multitude of poach blocks and shut-down d.
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All-region:
#24 Jolie Krebs (Bing) - I worry she won’t be talked about a lot on this thread because she’s just THAT good. She can do everything; cut, handle, play lights out defense. She deserves all the hype and more.
#5 Melissa Torchio (Bing) - she really stood out to me when watching Bing play. Very reliable handler that could just take over when needed and did it pretty dang well.
#10 Wilhelmina Graff (Yale) - Yales offense ran through her. When she got going it was really hard to stop her and her decision making was precise and smart.
#97 Hanah Glick (Rutgers) - Hanah is a cutter that was put into a handler position this season and excelled beyond measures. Her throws are consistent and she’s extremely quick on her feet. You can put her in any position and she’ll have no issue rising to the challenges thrown at her.
#30 Jessica Dugo (Rutgers) - she scored 80% of Rutgers goals against Yale at sectionals. Shes a huge threat in the deep space and never stops running. Can also throw sick hammers.
#9 Jasmine Akman (Rutgers) - main O line cutter for Nightshade who also does not stop running. Her field vision when playing zone offense is amazing and when she takes over on a point it’s really hard to stop her.
#8 Rylie Shaeffer (NYU) - I believe she played every point against Rutgers at regionals and you could not tell if she was tired. She is exceptional in the deep space and her field awareness is amazing.
#18 Eastelle Ding (Columbia) - such a solid handler who isn’t afraid to run deep as well. Truly shows no issue when throwing thru and around a cup defense and overall is extremely fun to watch play this sport.
#11 Sandy Yang (Rutgers) for All-Freshmen: she joined Nightshade and immediately was someone I could trust on offense as a center handler. Her handler skills are really amazing and she’s only going to get better.
#16 Eve Lesburg - Cornell: huge threat in both handler and cutting spaces. amazing deep shots and great field awareness. super reliable. her teammates look to her every time when they need to reset the disc because she easily beats her to defender to get open. absolutely unguardable and did an incredible job leading Cornell to a successful season
UConn coach here. Shouting out a couple players from our team who I believe ought to be locks for all-region:
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#4 Carmen Lo - Carmen does everything at an extremely high level on both sides of the disc. As a center handler, her creative throws and accurate hucks helped unlock all parts of the field against any defense. She is quick with reset cuts and poised and calm against pressure. Between sectionals and regionals, Carmen amassed 24 assists. She was also incredibly impactful as a defender, with 3 key blocks against Bing at Regionals on her way to 11 for the weekend.
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#46 Hyunah Boo - Hyunah sat out for much of Sectionals with an illness but came back with a vengeance at Regionals. Hyunah is another quick and creative thrower capable of breaking any mark and is a calm presence with the disc; she is one of the most reliable resets and will maintain possession at all costs, often laying out or making otherwise spectacular catches. At Regionals, Hyunah had 9 assists and 8 blocks.
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#7 Jenna Gall - I will no longer stand for the Jenna Gall erasure, Keith! Any ultimate player in CT who has played with Jenna will tell you she’s one of the best in the state. She is constantly making plays on the field that legitimately make my jaw drop. She’ll put her body on the line and lay out for the catch regardless if the score is 12-12 or 12-1. She’s a lockdown defender. She’s the quickest person on the field at any given time and has all the throws to be a scoring threat with the disc in her hands anywhere on the field. Jenna should be first team all-region.
All-region Freshman of the Year
- #20 Jahne Carrenard - As a freshman, Jahne is already playing like a seasoned vet. She has the deepest bag of throws of anyone on the team by far. She’ll hit upwind cross-field hammers no problem. She’ll throw deep hucks that look like they sit on a silver platter for the receiver to perfectly run on to them. She’s going to be a problem for defenses in this region for a while, all while playing stellar defense herself. At regionals, she threw 7 assists and led the team with 12 blocks.
Honorable mention
- #17 Aisling Hinchey - You could call Aisling a bit of a specialist, she played deep for us in zone defense and racked up an insane tally for blocks - 24 total in the postseason. To call her a specialist though would be disingenuous and overlook the work that she put in this year as an offensive cutter, improving at every tournament all the way to regionals where she tied for the most goals on the team with 7. Aisling is a sophomore rookie.
I’d like to should out just a few players from the teams we’ve played this year:
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Jolie Krebs (Bing) - Jolie is the real deal. Sometimes Ultiworld goes overboard in hyping up one player on a team that’s very good as a whole. In this case, the team around her is great AND the hype is real for Jolie. One-of-a-kind talent, and a lock for RPOY.
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Danielle Dattler (Bing) - Danielle is a weapon. She’s got the motor of a Panzer and a cannon for an arm. DD and Jolie can 2v2 the next two best players in the region and win every time.
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(There are probably 3-4 more players from this Bing squad that deserve mention in this thread but I will leave that to others)
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Eastelle Ding (Columbia) - Centerpiece of a solid Columbia squad. Works quickly through her progressions and gets the disc out of her hands in a hurry. Eastelle is one of the fastest people on the field, working give-gos with ease and playing great 1v1 defense.
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Wilhelmina Graff (Yale) - Mina is a creative thrower whose playstyle seems tailor-made for Yale’s offensive system. Mina is patient with the disc, adept at faking, and accurate on difficult passes.
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Lila Brady (Yale) - Lila is another extremely talented thrower on this Yale squad that seemed to have them in droves this year. Mina and Lila are both two of the top defenders in the region.
Jolie Krebs seemed to be at least above average
that’s probably facts. #highmotor
All-Freshman
#39 Naomi Miller of Columbia. I truly have never seen a more talented freshman, this girl is serious. Anyone who watches Columbia play sees that. It’s her first year playing college ultimate, but is consistently among the top players on the field in any given game. She’s going to be the rock of the team for the next three years, and will undoubtedly be doing huge things for Columbia and beyond. She is strong in the air, nasty on defense, a natural leader, and an extremely reliable handler. She’s got every throw down to a tee, including perfect hammers and hucks, and will soon show she is the best the Metro East has to offer in the next coming years.
All-Region
#18 Eastelle Ding of Columbia: Ding is a high-level player who brings up the intensity and skill of every game. Her leadership has carried Columbia’s offense through tough games and points, and her drive is felt by everyone one on her team. She wins nearly every matchup, and it’s like skies seem to come naturally to her.
#24 Jolie Krebs of Bing: One of the most incredible players I have ever played against, I honestly don’t mind being clipped in her Callahan video. I appreciate her intensity and enjoy the match up.
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All-Freshman
(Columbia) Naomi Miller #39 - Just as a freshman, Naomi is an incredible main D-line handler with the chilliness and decision-making that leads her line to success. Her throws have a huge range and speed/touch control that adjusts to different cutters— a surreal skill to have just as a freshman. Not only is she a fantastic handler on offense, she is a monster on defense who will leave feet and layout to secure the turnover. Naomi also has great leadership skills and frequently checks in with not only her fellow freshmen but also with her upperclassmen to constantly keep everyone’s spirits up.
(Columbia) Eva Supanc #13 - An absolute beast of an athlete. Eva is impressively strong, physically and mentally, and consistently presents the ability to manipulate her inner intensity on the field. She gets so fired up to safely execute a chest-high bids to maintain possession on O, then gets right up to calmly and patiently make a good decision with the disc in now her hand. Eva also carries this intensity into defense where she will shut down any given player to make sure they don’t get the disc. Eva understands the depth of the field and finds open spaces perfectly where the handlers can hit her with ease.
Although Columbia has a deep roster with consistently great players, these two are absolute stars shining on the field just as freshmen and will only grow and grow from here to shape the level of play of the team and the Metro-East.
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