Ultimate caps off busy October with 1st place at tourney
Women’s team will now focus on preparing rookies for spring season
October was a busy month for the MIT women’s ultimate frisbee team as it fielded teams in three different competitions. With an unprecedented addition of over 30 members to the roster this fall, MIT had the luxury of fielding multiple teams in the same tournament, giving its rookies valuable match experience.
Travelling to Yale on Oct. 17 and 18, MIT handed out debuts to a number of rookies. Although the team didn’t end up scoring very well in that tournament, the captains and players agreed it was a success. First-timers Audrey Li ’19, Michelle Chen ’19, Amy Liu ’19, and Bethany Cates ’19 all stepped into handler positions for the first time. Team captain Claire Duvallet G remarked after the tournament, “If this is what our rookies play like after less than two months of practice, I can’t wait to see where we’ll be at the end of the year.”
The club also hosted its first home tournament of the season this October, fielding two teams and competing in a total of eight games. Both MIT teams included a mix of veterans and rookies. Opponents included Brandeis, Middlebury, Northeastern, Boston College, and Brown. The two MIT teams came away with a combined seven wins and one loss, falling only to Middlebury.
“It was a great opportunity for our newer members to learn from our more experienced veterans,” senior captain Alina Li ’16 said.
On the weekend of Oct. 24 and 25, a team of more seasoned players travelled to Maine for a two-day tournament at which 13 schools from the Northeast engaged in enthusiastic competition. It was the toughest challenge yet this year for the MIT ultimate club, but they finished in first place, winning some prize money that will benefit the future of the women’s ultimate program at MIT.
“Ultimate can unite women from various communities, and it was awesome seeing their hard work paying off this fall,” Li said.
The fall tournament season is drawing to a close, and the ultimate team is already looking forward to an exciting spring season. The team is planning on putting in a lot of hard work this winter, and with so many new players interested in the sport, the club has high hopes for the future.