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All-Region 2024: Metro East (D-III Men's)

USA Ultimate College
#21

Hey, Jack/Barnes here, #59 on Wesleyan.
My favorite matchups of the year:
Ithaca - Jack and Jalen were both scary as hell last weekend. Always sucks to get skied by another Jack in the end zone.
Rochester: #26 was the bane of our D line on Sunday. we tried a lot of matchups and none of us could guard you well, and I don’t know if I ever saw you throw a significant mistake throughout the game. Well done.
Cortland: the Mark-Luke connection was real when we played you guys at NEC, and your zone killed. I was relieved y’all were put on the other side of the bracket at regionals.
Conn College: Prosser was another tough matchup, guy is quick as hell and seemed to be the core of the conn offense this year. My coach always gets mad when I give you free unders cause I’m not trying to get beat deep.
Hamilton: #10 (John?) was great, got a handblock and then locked me up in the first point he was on me. #8 is a great player too, I got injured halfway through our last game against Rochester so I know your pain man.

Super fun season y’all - looking forward to next year

#22

Biggie from UR. Thank you all for the support and encouragement going into Nationals. We will do everything we can to represent the Metro East in Milwaukee.

TCNJ
Didn’t play TCNJ but we absolutely game planned for Evan, as there was a good chance we could have seen them in the bracket.

Geneseo
Noah is a baller.

Army
Whole team. Took us to universe. #17 played very well. They play a team game and it shows.

Deimos
Prosser and Leo are outstanding and deserve a lot of credit for shouldering the loss of so many seniors, especially without a coach.

Ithaca
#25 JBS is as good a handler as anyone in the region.

Wesleyan
Many players that deserve praise. I have always been impressed by #50 Judah, #00 Brick, and #59 Jack Noble. Judah is very steady in all conditions, plays tall, and is a huge source of energy for his team: the best kind of teammate. Brick does everything very well: handling, cutting, hucks, pulls, bidding for the disc, etc. Very high ceiling. Jack is the prototypical “elite cutter that can’t escape handling responsibilities”, and other teams should be thankful for that. Nonetheless, he has held it down wherever he is on the field.

Rochester
#26 David Leder. Challenges expectations for what an elite Ultimate player looks and plays like. Went from being a cut-to-dump receiver last year to an every-other handler this year on the O-line, and he excelled. While his throws can be rough, he brings a style of offense to small spaces that compliments more traditional downfield cutting in a way that leaves defenses confused as to where to expend defensive resources. He takes a tremendous amount of pressure off of cutters by being a reliable reset that can also advance the disc independently.

#29 Jacob Trokel. Quietly became the most well-rounded player on our offense. Has a high offensive IQ and reads defenses very well, whether it is person or zone; he has every throw to advance or reset the disc; he is a dawg on a turn, embraces every point, and truly leaves it on the field. He will do whatever it takes to win, which made me and the team want to fight tooth and nail every game. That is everything you can ask of a captain, and the energy and drive he spread through the team is a big reason for our success.

I will mention a few other names before this glazing session ends: #42 Isaac Degenholtz, the leader of the D-line. He is and has been a staple of our team for many years and will be deeply missed. #8 Mitch Whisner: I did not see anyone put up a convincing performance on defense against him and he single handedly scored us many breaks. #32 Timothy Loftus, my MIP for this year. He is comfortable in all offensive and defensive situations and is a lockdown defender in the reset space.

Coach
Tyler Davis from Fredonia, an unsung hero of Metro East Ultimate. Since the team crashed during Covid he has put an extraordinary amount of time and effort into bringing the Turtles back. He is extremely patient and a fantastic teacher. The strides Fredonia has made over the last few years is a testament to everything he has done. He always puts on great tournaments, including regionals, and embodies everything I love about this sport.

See you all next year.

#23

What’s up gang! My name is Austin and I am one of Hamilton’s captains. Unfortunately I didn’t get to play at regionals due to an ankle injury in our first game against Roc at sections, but getting to watch a lot of great players and games this weekend was awesome. The Metro East is so sick, and love the level of play we are all bringing!

Here is who I’d want on an All-Metro East team:

First, from my own squad:

  • #10 John Carbone - There’s no way John shouldn’t be on this roster. I think he is the best puller in the region, he’s got a deep arsenal of throws that he is never afraid to throw and always able to, and he is an absolute defensive unit in the handler space generating key hand (and foot) blocks and disallowing players from ever getting open. Our team wouldn’t have had as good of a season as we did without him.
  • #8 Luke Hanson - Luke has it all. He’s young, tall, handsome, experienced, athletic, and sees the field far better than most. He ripped holes in every zone we faced, kept the disc alive in dire moments, and stood out with his excellent decisions and plays in the red zone.

Rochester

  • #26 David Leder - A strong player at the core of his team’s handler base, hard to stay with and very shifty. It’s almost impossible to run any sort of zone against him since he either steps out around the mark or fires something high and deep over the cup.

Wesleyan

  • #59 Jack Noble - A real pain to mark especially with all of the other threats on the team. Smooth offensive flow with enough patience to stretch the defense to the point where they could just walk down the field.
  • #30 Daniel Glickman - One of the many spark plugs on the Wesleyan team that helped propel them through regionals. Sheehan has so much energy and passion for the game it’s hard to compete once he gets a D or scores on you.

Conn College

  • #20 Prosser Friedman - We haven’t played Conn since I was a freshman so I didn’t know what to expect, but Prosser really blew me away with his handling and defensive abilities. He works so well with the other handlers on the team and is actually one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Super happy we got to play Prosser and his squad and look forward to playing them next year.

Ithaca

  • #25 Jalen Bolton-Steiner - One of the best handlers in the region when it comes to all-around ability. Kid is able to throw bombs into the wind while also having touch on the unders as well as covering the deep space.
  • #20 Jack Butler and #4 Thomas Cronin are also strong players.

Cortland

  • #23 Mark Weidman - I think everyone else in this thread has been spot on. He can fire deep from anywhere but can also hit unders with incredible precision. Great handler movement and can get open from literally anywhere making him basically unguardable. He’s the core of his team and works well with everyone else, especially #1, #13, #11, and #2.

Vassar

  • #12 Jasper Smith - Jasper is a really gritty flex player who really knows what he’s doing. The few times I’ve played against him before regionals he was one of their central handlers, but he all of sudden switched to a cutter and absolutely messed us up in the middle. He is dominant at both roles and is also a pain to play offense against.
  • Other notable players on Vassar are #17, 9, 33, and 15.

TCNJ

  • #37 Evan Sapirman, #36 Macy Desmond are my two picks.

Colgate

  • #4 Eric Barber - One of the nicest guys I’ve ever met and played against, Eric is both insane on offense and defense. He will lock you down in person and zone D, then pick the disc up and blow right past you. Great spirit and energy and is so much fun to chat with mid game.

  • #11 Andrew Lass - Another great guy from the Colgate lineup, both in terms of skills and attitude. He’s super fast and shifty and can weave through any defense. He locks down the handler space on D too - any throw just a little off will be a layout D for him. He’s also incredibly nice and great to chat with mid game. Excited to play these guys more down the line.

#24

Whats up guys Tommy Cronin (#4) from Ithaca here. Sorry i’m a little late on my post but nonetheless wanted to shout out some players I thought killed it this year.

SUNY-Geneseo:

  • Noah Ofri-Aikman (#4) is a no brainer on this list. Dude is super consistent and makes some beautiful throws while consistently getting open and staying an option for his team. And dont forget about this guys ability to grind on defense either. If you stop for half a second on an in-cut he will layout and knock it down.

  • Colby Dreschler (#26) Also deserves a shout for being the number 2 on this team. He was working the handler space well and took care of the disc. Also a grinder on defense and wont let you get away with a cut without working for it.

Colgate:

  • Eric Barber (#4) is a super chill guy who makes plays and makes it look easy. Leads the team well and always brings a fight.

  • Andrew Lass (#11). As primarily a handler defender this guy gave me one of my hardest matchups. Super quick and keeps you on your toes throughout every point. You never know when he is going to pounce upline or sneak in an easy dump for his teammates.

Cortland:

  • Mark Weidman (#23) its no suprise the guy has been doing it for years. He places the disc perfectly for his boys and then beats everyone deep and skies you if youre lucky enough to still be with him.

Wesleyan:

  • Dennis Cha (#0) despite the nickname brick which I would love to learn more about, This guy was eletric. He would be a great addition when dropping back to handle along with being a great cutter able to track down and make a play on any disc.

  • Jack Noble (#59) is one patient dude. Definitly the backbone of the strong wesleyan handlers. Dont you dare bite too hard on the mark because he will break you without an ounce of effort. Super strong player offensively and defensively.

Hamilton:

  • John Carbone (#10) deserves some credit for creating a ton of movement offensivly, but being a wall in the deep space. On multiple occasions this guy would go up for a disc against some of our deep threats and shock them because of how quick he got up to the disc. John also had some pristine hucks and perfectly placed throws against a zone.

Finally the Ithaca Family

  • Jalen Bolton-steiner (#25) It would be stupid to not put this guy first. For a preferred cutter this guy is a DOG with the disc. Making pretty around throws for our handlers to run onto and gorgeous throws downfield that can get past any mark. This guy is going to cook you on offense and there unfortunately is no way around it. His defense this year stepped up like crazy as well getting multiple red zone layout blocks saving games and keeping our team afloat. Locking down the handler space with this guy is an art form as he knows where to be and what to do always.

  • Jamie Falkovich (#11) is also a beast with the disc. One of our best handlers who will put the disc deep without hesitation. He can see the cut coming before it happens and knows exactly where he has to put the disc. Also his around backhands are magical. Jamie also stepped up big time on D this year accumulating countless blocks in the middle of our zone and making the deep space a hazard to throw to.

  • Jack Butler (#20) cocky, yes. Drunk, Probably. Easy to guard, Absolutely not. Jack has proven to cause issues for every team we have faced by making solid in-cuts just before shooting deep and leaving you with no time to react. His skills with the disc in his hand have also improved a ton and is a reliable person to touch and make the right throw.

  • Mike Colombo (#32) easily out chilliest handler and knows our sets like the back of his hand despite being a rookie. If we are going upwind it will not matter because make has the most elegant flick huck you will ever see. It will loop around a mark and glide perfectly into the hands of anyone mid stride. Lurking injury prevented this guy from playing as much as he wanted to unfortunately, but keep an eye out for years to come because we may be seeing one of the best handlers in the region erupting.

  • Jaden Fitch (#22) This guy doesn’t get nearly as much recognition as he deserves. I had to beg this guy to come to regionals despite his insane workload and thank goodness he did. This former football legend will sky you so hard you will bench yourself for the rest of the game. One word to describe him is simply explosive. He will jump over your head, beat you to the front cone, or take off deep before you know it. I’ve also seen him turn the disc over once maybe. He always gets the disc to a handler safely and he makes everyone on our team’s lives easier.

Congrats to Rochester on another regional W. I hope you guys kill it at nattys and show everyone that the metro east is full of talent. Hope everyone has a great summer. I cannot wait to get the chance to play against you all again next year.

#25

Imagine knowing Ithaca was not a real13 seed. :pensive:

#26

Kyle Morgan chiming in. Lots of parity in the WNY Section and ME Region at the DIII level makes for incredible drama every year. Big ups to all the Tournament Directors, Coaches, Players, Fans and everyone else that made this season possible.

COTY - Tyler Davis is relentless. Bryan Jones tactics and confidence are commanding. Ben Kelley is the truth.

FOTY
#8 Samuel Bonesteel cemented his place on the Geneseo Snail universe line for the next 3 years. He’s a plus puller, efficient cutter, hustle machine.

ITHACA
#11 Jamie Falkovich plus thrower, plus defender.

CORTLAND
#2 Luke Barrett steady contributor on offense and defense.
#23 Mark Weidman plus plus thrower, voracious defender and receiver.

GENESEO
#4 Noah Ofri-Akman plus plus thrower with IQ and plus plus defense. for every contest I personally witnessed this year he was the best player on the field.
#11 Andrew Thompson moves really well for a big man.
#24 Sam Moritz the heart and soul of Snail. his consistency will be sorely missed.

TEAMS I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE PLAY 10 SANCTIONED GAMES NEXT YEAR
HAMILTON
COLGATE
VASSAR

2 Likes
#27

Yo yo my name’s Jordan and I graduated from Cortland last year, although I was around a bit this year and did make the trip out to regionals.

I want to highlight #23 Mark Weidman (shocker… I know) for wilding out on the regular for 5 years. Mark and I were rookies together and ended up being officers together in our later years, there’s nothing this man can’t do. Everything everyone is saying is true, and it’s a nightmare to guard him in practice but his infectious energy always pushes me to get up and try again even knowing ill probably get cooked every time.

Mark is one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever seen, he gets open all the time and is nigh-impossible to keep up with. He will D everything, catch everything, make every throw both short and deep and is all around one of the most complete players I’ve ever witnessed.

In his time, Cortland went from just trying to make Regionals every year, to making the sectional championship 3 years in a row (winning over Ithaca in 2022) and bidding for Nationals every year, winning their regionals group 3 years in a row.

Mark will be sorely missed but his effect on our team will cause Cortland frisbee to be better than ever in the long run.

Mark it’s been an honor to wstch you play these last 5 years, thank you truly for all you’ve done :clap:

#28

Great topic! I’m eager to hear everyone’s picks for the best players in the Metro East region. There are plenty of deserving candidates for All-Region and All-Freshman nominations, plus coaches who have made a big impact. Let’s keep the discussion positive and respectful!