Who to watch in 2009 in the Great Lakes and Central Regions

Great Lakes
David Vuckovich (Ohio State)
Will Neff (Michigan)
Aaron Zigler (Michigan State)
Luke Johnson (North Park)
David Fumo (Michigan)
Craig Poeppelman (Ohio State)
Daniel Reimer (Notre Dame)

Nationals Frontrunners (2 bids): Michigan, Ohio State, and Notre Dame

Central
Ben Feldman (Wisconsin)
Tom "The Animal" Annen {Wisconsin}
Grant Lindsley (Carleton College)
Sam Kanner (Carlton College)
Alex Versackes (Iowa)
Michael Arenson (Minnesota)
Adam Fagin (Carlton College)

Nationals Frontrunners (4 bids): Wisconsin, Carlton College, Minnesota, Luther and Iowa

NUMP Poll

I was recently named to the Panel of the National Ultimate Media Poll. What this means, each week I have to submit a ballot with the 20 top teams in the country, men and women.

Here are my pre-season top 20 for the open division;

1. Wisconsin
2. Carlton College
3. Colorado
4. Florida
5. Notre Dame
6. Pitt
7. Minnesota
8. Stanford
9. North Carolina
10. Texas
11. Michigan
12. Harvard
13. Georgia
14. Tufts
15. Iowa
16. North Carolina Wilmington
17. Illinois
18. Oregon
19. Minnesota Duluth
20. Ohio State

Here is a video of Iowa at Missouri Loves Company. Look for me, I am in it quite a bit (bad).

Sheep's tip of the Week

Before tournaments or games, get into a ritual. It could be having a power bar, not tying your shoes until the first drill, keeping a shirt on over your jersey, stretching with your favorite rookie on the team, whatever it is, get in the habit. It will help you prepare for each game and help develop the same mindset before games.

Sheep's Tip of the Day

When throwing, try to put the disc to certain parts of your receivers body. Make it easier for them to beat their defender, make it simple for the break throw to be in the flow of their movement, make every player love to be your receiver. Find their sweet spots and make it happen.

-Sheep

Introducing the 2008-2009 Burning Couch of Michigan State University

Congratulations to everyone who made the team. We look forward to a great year of ultimate.


Alex Edinger
Ryan Heffernan
Aaron Ziegler
Andy Barnhart
Weston Laabs
Michael Hagop Dagher-Margosian
Connor Grant
Hatham Shawqi
Jesse Ellwood
Christo Ferguson
Kevin Stowe
Phil Garcia
Brad Morstadt
Ryan Morstadt
Scott Alton
Dave Hochhalter
Keith Johnson
Jason Mirjah
Zach Albright
Mike Chase
Zach Simmons
Alex Birko
Eric Flatley
Dan Blue

Burning Couch vs. magnUM Showcase Game

Some of you may know that each year Michigan plays a showcase game against BAT to show their prospective players a real game. However, this year, they asked us to come down to Weasel Town hoping to draw a bigger crowd. A total of 13 returns plus the promising young talents of Ryan and Brad Morstadt made the trip down to Ann Arbor. The game started at 6 at Palmer Field right in the middle of campus. The Couch started on offense using Ryan Heffernan, Aaron Ziegler, Jason Mirjah, and Christo Ferguson as cutters and Alex Edinger, Kevin "Marty" Stowe, and Connor Grant (myself) as handlers. Ziegler caught an in cut and immediately looked deep to a streaking Heff who came up with a nice one handed snag on the goal line. However, the disc was turned over as magnUM took a shot at working it up-field. Due to excellent sideline help, wild marks, and hard dump defense, we were able to force a turn and Marty was able to break his mark and hit Heff for the first tally of the game.

Weston Laabs, Hatham Shawqi, Dagger, Andy Barnhart, Ryan Morstadt, Heff, and Jesse Ellwood stepped on for our first D point of the game. After some hard man D, we were able to get a turn but not able to convert. MagnUM then took Ryan Morstadt deep who caught up step for step with his man but a weird hang on the disc prevented him from coming down with the D giving magnUM their first score of the game. The O got broken the next point but the next point was able to score when I ripped a forehand blade to a wide open Ellwood. 3-2. Our D line this game was just giving Michigan nothing. Throughout the whole game, we were able to get them were we wanted for our guys to make some plays on the disc. There were multiple magnUM turfs, stall 9 toss up throws that for the most part we were able to D, and great dump defense allowed for myself, Laabs, Ferguson, and Mirjah to get layout D's on dump passes. Fast forward a few points and we find ourselves down 5-2 on O. The we turn the disc but get the d right back after a nice layout d by Heff. Heff then takes off deep with Dave Fumo guarding him as I proceed to pick up the disc and jack it deep to him. Heff is able to box out one of the best defenders in the region then layout for a huge point that then made the game 5-3. Magnum was able to take half 8-4. We were able to break the first point after half and sent out a sick D line to try and bring the game to 8-6. Jason Mirjah came up with another sick layout D which turned into a perfect Dingo up-line huck to Justin Hentemann who was able to run it down inside the end-zone. Michigan was able to go up 10-8. If there was one thing that killed us this game other than a few poor decisions it was out D line's inability to convert after we got the turn, however, this will come with time as we work on disc skills and chemistry develops. On another note, one thing that really brought this game down in my eyes were the very very poor foul calls by magnUM. At one point, some chump that Weston was guarding called a foul on him because the guy ran into Wes when he was fronting him. Marty also had numerous Busch league calls made on him. We were able to maintain our composure and not stoop down to weasel call status.

The run starts. Our original O line comes out ready to make a statement. As I get the disc in the middle of the field, I see a match-up made for the ages: Aaron Ziegler with Ollie Honderd guarding him. My eyes light up and Ziegler, as well as the rest of the Couch, know what is coming. I let a forehand bomb go as Ziegler somehow moves his 6'3 frame gracefully towards the end-zone with the future leader of the weasels following him deep. Boom!!! Head Shot!! It was a true beaut' to see Ziegler bag the shit out of the Great Lakes Freshman of the year. No fear at all. I would like to take a moment very quickly and say how proud I am of our second year players who came to this event. You guys have progressed so much. Jesse, you are turning into one of the most reliable handlers on the team and have been able to develop into an excellent defender as well. Christo, not only are you always able to get open, but you disc skills are so much better than last year. When you come back to handle, you have every throw we need. Ziegler, when I first laid eyes on that massive frame of yours two summers ago, I knew that you were destined for ultimate greatness. It is this progress from players like you guys that will make or break a nationals run. Even with out sidelines echoing in Ann Arbor and our handlers shredding magnUM's marks, we found ourselves pulling 12-10. Our D was able to get down and stop the second throw, making one of magnUM's handlers very uncomfortable. We were able to get the turn and Alex Birko threw a nice forehand blade to Laabs making the game 12-11. After I pulled it out the back (nOOb), Fumo got the disc on the force sideline. Our downfield D shut down everything, looking dump Fumo threw up a 8 count backhand to space for his handler. It never got there. Jason Mirjah came soaring through the air, snatching up the disc and landing gracefully in the endzone. CALLAHAN! This was by far the biggest play of the game so far. At 12-12, his layout Callahan brought this game to universe.

The Universe line was called. Zigler, Heff, Laabs, Dingo, Marty, Christo, and myself all stood on the line waiting for the Weasles stumble out onto the line still shocked at what had just happened. After a fairly decent pull on my part, we were able to lock down on our men. After a few swing passes, they finally gained the courage to look upfield. As Gordon Siegfriedt passed to a magnUM cutter, I saw a green blur whose body I will always recognize (howdy sailor). Heff came in red hot for a soaring layout D on universe. We started running our endzone and were able to find some success for a while. However the endzone stalled and Dingo ended up throwing a stall 9 desperation hammer to me which was D'ed. Gordon picked up the disc and jacked it to Ollie. Wes was able to catch up but Ollie just simply had better position. Game 13-12 Magnum.

Couch, throw your throws, accept the risk, and know that errors are not evenly spaced. This was one hell of a game. We need to use this as motivation to become even better and not be satisfited with were we are but were we can be. We can go up or down. Get high like planes.

Regionals 2008

    About a week later, sitting at home eating a pint of Rum Raisin Haagen-Dazs ice cream, I finally think I should write about regionals.  The most important tournament of the year was finally upon us.  The track workouts, plyos, drills, and tournaments had prepared us for this day.  Seeded 5th overall, we faced the University of Ohio in the first game of bracket play.  The defense stepped onto the field ready to set the tone for the game.  I had the honor of the first pull and did not disappoint.  As the D line sprinted down the field, you could feel the sense of urgency.  Hard handler D shut down Ohio and caused them to throw up an errant pass which landed out of bounds.  Alex Edinger called for an end zone, I Hotttt.  I got the disc, dumped to Hatham Shawqi, then beat his man upline, seeing this, Edinger cut breakside.  I throws a invert forehand break for the first break of the tournament.  Unable to break Ohio's O again, MSU's O line stepped onto the field ready to prove that they could score easier than Heff on a Thursday night.  However, this game would be highlighted by the O line's inability to work the disc into the end zone.  Broken 5 times in a row, the D was finally given the chance to get back on the field and provide the match the Couch needed to get going again.  I gave the disc a ride again and the head galloped down ready to munch on Ohio.  Matt Dagher-Margosian, who proved to be the best handler defender on the team, was possesed.  This was his point.  Marking up on their stud handler, Dagger gave him the business then called his mom to say thank you.  Hand block city.  Hype as shit, there is no way the D line is going to give this back unless Pat O'Callahan tries to squirt ink at it.  The handlers go UpLine like there is free beer in the back of the end zone and I find myself in an all too familiar spot.  Aaron Zigler is being forced sideline and I see the mismatch, being more accessorized and prettier than his opponent, I soon find myself in the end zone drop kicking the disc like it was a bag of kittens out of an airplane.  3-6.  The O line muffs the disc and somehow we find ourselves down 7-3 against Ohio.  Game time.  Justin Timberlake, I mean Matthew Mcconaughey, wait no, David Vuckovich, had warned me earlier not to look past Ohio.  Good looking and intelligent, watch out, especially if his MLU career falls through.  Needless to say, he was right.  We were in a dogfight and needed to make plays.  Somehow,  Phil Sommer was able to come up big time after time and put us in position to score.  The miracle 9 was complete.  Burning Couch 13-9.  

     Finally, a shot at Leadbelly, who was looking rather professional in their black jerseys, quite unexpected ( I was hoping to see Beemer's "World's Best Cheddar" tee, but it was not in the cards).  Coming out in the Special Sauce, we were looking for a big stop to get this game started with a break.  OSU had too many handlers who were hitting the spots.  Man called.  Goal scored. 1-0 Lead.  O line steps onto the field ready to keep the squad in the game.  Leadbelly must have seen that we had been struggling with zone and immediately threw one on us.  This is the first time I have ever seen a zone from Ohio State who is known for their man defense and not having jerseys.  Were we really playing Ohio State?  After a few turns on both ends, Leadbelly got the break.  3 more breaks followed and suddenly we found ourselves in a hole again.  OSU was keeping a tight rotation in as Timmy, Jimmy, Beemer, and T Lake were running the show.  The Couch was able to battle back to make it 10-7 at one point but Ohio State refused to let us back into the game.  Final score 15-10, Leadbelly.

     Losing at regionals sucks.  Everyone goes into the weekend with dreams of making it to nationals.  Surprising people and going on that Cinderella run is everyones hope.  Time to move on, Oberlin was waiting for us.  

     We had played Oberlin twice this season already and beaten then rather easily 13-4 each time, we expected this to be an easy game.  It was Regionals though and this was a different Oberlin team ready to run.  We found ourselves in a dogfight just letting them hang out, but took half 8-6.  During the second half, we finally came out with some intensity and were able to put them away 14-9.

     Miami Ohio stood in the way of us and Sunday.  The only time we had played them had been in the fall as a split squad at Best of the Midwest.  Taking second place in the East Plains, we knew we could not take this team lightly.  The game started with MSU on O.  The Couch was really fired up for this game as most of us remembered how we already had been eliminated.  This game went back and forth until MSU went up 12-9.  The game seemed to be in hand until Miami somehow gained momentum back and won 14-13 on universe.