Varsity and JV Ultimate frisbee played the first game in the  SLUH State Tournament last week. JV took on De Smet’s B team while Varsity headed over to Edwardsville for a rematch. Both games were elimination, raising the temperature for the players. De Smet and Edwardsville both proved difficult opponents and tested SLUH to a new level.

JV had an afternoon game against De Smet’s B team. SLUH focused on defensive counters to deep cuts. De Smet came out strong to start the half with a more physical defense. 

“They had one way of scoring points,” said junior Alex Nance. “They had some impressive deep throws and we ended up getting in our own heads for a bit.” 

The physicality of the Spartans gave them the advantage going into the second half. Down 8-2, SLUH had a lot of ground to make up.

The second half continued with the Spartans maintaining control. However, the Jr. Bills shifted to a defense similar to De Smet’s. The new defensive style slowed down the game and forced several turnovers from the Spartans. Unfortunately,  it wasn't enough to completely stop De Smet. The game ended in a loss for SLUH 15-4. 

“I think that we as a team have improved greatly on our team’s composition,” said Nance. “For a lot of us it was our first year playing Ultimate, so I think with a whole season under our belt we can come back next year better equipped mentally, physically, and athletically for another State run.” 

The varsity squad took on Edwardsville in the evening. SLUH had played them the previous Friday and lost in a hard fought game and the Jr. Bills went in ready to win the game.

SLUH began the game and quickly found it to be an uphill battle against Edwardsville. The first half saw complete control by the Tigers with a halftime score of 8-2. 

“We had played Edwardsville before and had been on a losing scenario at half before,” said senior David Slama. “Our mindset was to come out strong and make it a close game.”

The Jr. Bills entered the second half and looked to capitalize on all the offensive opportunities the Tigers were presenting them. However the Tigers’ defensive setup was challenging for SLUH to overcome.

“We weren’t swinging the disk between our handlers as much as we should have,” said Slama. “As a result the stall counts started to get higher and higher which forced rushed throws to cutters who weren’t necessarily open” 

The Tigers’ aggressive defense was the driving force behind their maintained control over the Jr. Bills and the final score of 15-3. 

With both varsity and JV seasons over the team looks back on all the positive work that was done and what could be carried on into next year. The seniors of the team are all grateful for a final outing of frisbee and look forward to hearing about how their legacy will play out for the future seasons.  

“I was really happy with this season. This was the first season in a long time where we had the numbers to have a split varsity and JV team,” said Slama.  “This year really showed immense growth in the program and a growing love for the sport at SLUH. I hope that as I leave here for everyone to put in their hardest work, build the Ultimate community even stronger, and the winning records will flow from there.”