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.
Bias disclosure: I’m the assistant coach of UCONN! I honestly wish I could write a blurb about every single player! But in the interest of a semblance of brevity…
All-Region:
Jenna Gall #7 - Stud handler and great handler defender. Last year she marked Jolie Krebs in our box and one and made her look human.
Hyunah Boo #46 - Our rock plain and simple. Always open, solid hands, never turns it over, lays out for absolutely everything.
Aisling Hinchey #17 - I’ma be bold and say she is the best deep threat / deep defender in the region. She’s a cheat code for our zone D.
FOTY:
Angelina Grimes #2 - Stand out in a super talented rookie class for us this year. Watching back film of her, I swear she has to be lying about never having played before. She’s got innate field sense, great timing and is incredibly poised with the disc for a rookie.
Coach:
Honestly, I think we’re really lucky to have some truly amazing and dedicated coaches in the region, a lot of whom came up through programs in the Metro East and are still going strong and helping advance women’s programs in the region.
That said! I want to shout out our Head Coach Matt Kearney for his dedication to the UCONN program. As with a lot of programs, COVID was really rough and it’s been a battle to get back. Winning our section this year is a testament to the culture he’s helped create and the buy-in he’s been able to generate, and I think the team has a bright future.
See everyone at Regionals! Good luck & hope we have some great games!
-Sterling
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Adding a few players after seeing teams on the weekend!
#16 on Cornell - Really solid player, was ripping 50 yard hucks in the finals in a heavy crosswind and some straight up marks, which was pivotal in the game.
#26 on Yale - Solid handler and defender. They had some really, really nice leading IO backhands through our zones.
#7 on Buffalo - Had to put our best mark on because the flick hucks were killer!
There were so many more standouts, but I am bad at remembering numbers!
Great weekend, congrats to the Roses! Make us proud at Natties!
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#16 Eve Lesburg on Cornell- undoubtedly the best player in the Metro East. Her field awareness is incredible and she puts up some of the best hucks I’ve ever seen. Strong, fast, and moves the disc really well. She comes up with the disc in the deep space every time.
All Region:
#16 on Cornell - wow! deep thrower, deep threat, always seems to have a vision on the field, 100% deserves all region
#0 on Cornell - very quick and dominant handler, she will be a huge threat in the metro east for years to come
#20 on Cornell - what a steady handler, quietly dominant and makes great decisions on the field, rules-knowledgable
#23 on Binghamton - she is their swiss army knife! incredibly quick cutter that teams didn’t have an answer for, two way threat, a lock for all-region
#7 from Buffalo - their leader on the field, a mark is meaningless against her, that flick huck is something else, run through Ds are to be expected
#7 on UConn - very athletic, layout d, UConn’s first look on the field, pen in for all region
#46 on UConn - another incredibly athletic player, layouts seem to be an instinct for her, reliable cutter, she always seemed to be open
Honorable Mentions:
#3 on Columbia - speedy cutter, great defender matchup
#39 on Columbia - dominant for that team, quick, solid throws
#17 on Cornell - very shifty cutter, another great two-way threat
#3 on Cornell - fast cutter, often an end zone look
#21 on Binghamton - i watched her in the quarters and holy smokes, she probably had 15+ skies then hucked it 60 yards downfield
#15 on Buffalo - dominant in the deep space, solid throws, will come down with every disc, great pairing with #7
*I didn’t watch any games with Rutgers or Yale
**Adding Ottawa into this list changes the field entirely
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UCONN
FOTY: In my mind has to go to #2 Ang Grimes. Sterling already mentioned her but she very quickly became a presence on our uni line in the spring. We had the same case with #20 Jahne Carrenard last year who ended up winning the accolade for the region. Only difference is that Ang Grimes came in with no prior experience at all. Seriously, she makes grabs that take my breath away and her field awareness and understanding of the game match that of a seasoned vet.
All-region:
#46 Hyunah Boo - The most reliable player I have ever seen. Absolutely rock solid. Great throws. Smart decisions. ALWAYS open. If I had to trust anyone with the game on the line it would be Hyunah Boo.
#17 Aisling Hinchey - I mean yea just like Sterling said, an insane deep option and defender. Padded stats like crazy racking up Ds in zone and reeling in any hail mary hucks. Also became one of our lead choices to throw hucks by the end of the season. Watch out for her next year.
#20 Jahne Carrenard - Last years Rookie of the Region. She was a uni line handler last year and has only continued to improve. She missed the fall but is back and better than ever. No spot on the field is safe with the disc in her hands. Insane throws and just absolutely visionary finds. Our star handler in the finals against Cornell and shes only a sophomore.
Other teams:
#16 on Cornell - Very impressive player. Great throws and strong deep defender
#39 on Columbia - Another super strong handler with great throws and a strong deep defender
#26 on Yale - strong defender and a very reliable handler
#23? Cook on Bing - I remember being them being a strong player at regionals last year and they’ve only taken on a larger role for Big Bear since then. Great player
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I play for Cornell!
Eve Lesburg #16 - best player in the metro east and it’s not close. insane and consistent hucks even in the wind, unbeatable mark, and absolute threat in the deep space. eve was the backbone of the roses offense this season
Claudia Miner #13 - Ds for days, beautiful cuts, never stressed when the disc is in her hands, if she goes up for it, she’s coming down with it
Celia Doherty #17 - dominating cutter with perfect throws. will bid for anything and everything. if she’s marking you, you’re not getting the disc.
Other teams
#39 Columbia - solid solid handler. really great execution on some super difficult throws, even during crazy upwind points
#7 UCONN - great player, hard to guard in the handler and cutter space. sick bids
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Some observations from Regionals (caveat of only seeing half the teams):
#7 UConn- the Gall (finger guns) to not include yourself above…- Is all over the field with relentless energy, makes all the plays they “should” and a scary % of ones they “shouldn’t”, while providing the grit and hard-nosed attitude that is vital to any competitive team.
#46 UConn- Hyunah Boo- absurdly dependable with and without the disc, invaluable to start/maintain their offense
#7 SUNY-Buff- Grace Aderibigbe- definition of MVP for The Lorax, with some throw refinement is going to be super scary in coming years
#0 Cornell- Jenna Li- IMO their most reliable playmaker in the handler space over the 2 games of heavy wind I saw
#8 Columbia- Isabelle Puhl- constantly making plays on both sides (particularly on D), had one of the best skies I saw all weekend (with an and-1)
#25 Columbia- Kyra Ramesh Krishna- nonstop downfield threat, caught nearly everything in high winds, and would’ve had the play of the weekend toeing the EZ sideline but lost possession on the hard ground contact
Obvious Inclusions: #16 Cornell Eve Lesburg, #39 Columbia Naomi Miller- Do it all players that are integral to their teams
Honorable Mention: #20 UConn Jahne Carrenard
Coach: Amy Leder, Columbia- Provided relentless energy, positivity, and guidance to her players while not being overbearing. Coaching style preferences are subjective, but she exemplified the type of coach I would want to play for/have coaching a team I cared about.
apologies for any mistakes on names/numbers etc.
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I am a coach for SUNY Buffalo Lorax. Only included players on teams we played or I was able to watch.
All-Region :
#7 Buffalo: Grace Aderibigbe - Leader and MVP for Buffalo. Will do it all kind of player on offence and defense. Every other throw small ball to the best flick deeps of the weekend. No mark could stop
#7 Uconn: Jenna Gall - Some of the best plays I saw all weekend laying out and making crucial and well placed throws.
#46 Uconn: Hyunah Boo - Consistent and smart player. Has experience playing and knows the right play to make and when to make it.
#16 Cornell: Eve Lesburg - Played a crucial part to Cornell’s success. Was a general for the offense and made huge throws all over the field.
#15 Buffalo: Laina Bockus - Easily a top cutter in the region. Unstoppable threat in the endzone as well as deep.
#39 Columbia: Naomi Miller - Crucial part of Columbias team running their offense making the tough throws they needed with control.
#23 Binghamton - Strong downfield threat almost always will get open under and a great distributor and decision maker with the disc.
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Disclosure: I am one of the Cornell Coaches.
All-Region:
Eve Lesburg #16 on Cornell: She is and has been the player to watch in the Metro East and peaked at the just right moment. Based on her throws you would not know that Eve is a want-to-be-cutter who is forced-to-handle. She consistently hits 50-70 yard hucks with perfect placement which was huge for Cornell’s success to take the region. On defense her presence is just as dominant. She has a suffocating mark, often getting a hand or foot block in crucial moments. The deep space is her space - it is a large task for any player to go head-to-head with her on any deep shot. Keep an eye on Eve in the club scene for years to come.
#39 on Columbia: Another “I can do it all” player who works within her team’s systems. Awesome throws in challenging conditions, great field awareness, and an overall really spirited player on the field.
#23 on Binghamton: Always open downfield, and has the shots to keep things moving. At regionals Cooke was consistently catching throws in the wind that many other players would have counted out. A persistent force on the field to watch in years to come.
FOTY: Sophie Reed, Cornell #77: Her first year ever playing ultimate but would now know that based on her play. An absolute unit of a deep threat down field, she has the strength of an Olympic lifter (her side hobby) with incredible body awareness/control. She makes the grabs of a 4 year veteran and has the field IQ and patience of one too. Sophie is a player to watch in the region and beyond in the years to come.
Coach: Sophia Hulbert (Cornell). Sophie has really built this Cornell program to where it is today, and is a large part of the team’s success in taking the region and earning the bid to Nationals. She stuck with the team through the lows of Covid when it was a struggle just to get enough players for a full field scrimmage. She brings a deep IQ of the game and lots of high level ultimate experience to back it up. She is the coach we all want on our team: smart, talented, patient, kind, and fun to be around. As 2 of our graduating seniors put it, “Sophie is the only person who has been with the team these past 4 years” in addition to them.
Thank you Sterling for the shoutout!
Just wanted to chime in with my support specifically for UConn’s #2 Angelina Grimes for freshman of the year. I’ve been extremely lucky in the past 2 years to have had the opportunity to coach some amazing freshman players who have come on and immediately cemented themselves as starters. Jahne, last year’s winner of this accolade, has been mentioned elsewhere in this thread. The difference with Angelina is that she had never played a single point of ultimate before this year yet she became a universe line player for us after just a single semester. She was both a top 3 cutter and defender for us which speaks to her athleticism and field awareness. What was most remarkable was the growth in catching, throwing, and decision making which saw her commit (I estimate) fewer than 3 turnovers per tournament - despite playing 50% of all points.
All-region picks:
#16 Cornell - Eve Lesburg
#17 Cornell - Celia Doherty
#0 Cornell - Jenna Li
#13 Cornell - Claudia Miner
#7 UConn - Jenna Gall
#46 UConn - Hyunah Boo
#17 UConn - Aisling Hinchey
#39 Columbia - Naomi Miller
Couple shout-outs to coaches here:
Sheets and Allison Case brought Syracuse to regionals this year for the first time since 2021, which was awesome to see. Congrats to them and the foxes and we hope to see them there next year!
Aki and Liv took NYU on a great post-season run, upsetting a handful of teams to place second in the section. Despite a thin regular-season schedule, they came to sectionals and regionals well-prepared.