Snitch: World Cup Recap Part IV
The views expressed in this column are those of the author only and do not reflect the views of the IQA.
Welcome back! In case you missed it, or if you need a refresher, check out part 1 here, part 2 here, or part 3 here. We continue where we left off.
Photo by Kat Ignatova, Photo Editor
The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH): Overachieved. A 2-2 finish in pool play was not unexpected, but Ohio State did well to come out with the second seed in Pool 10 and leverage that into a Sweet Sixteen appearance. A 90*-40 win over Tufts University (Medford, MA) required a strong performance, and it took an 80^*-50 overtime loss to a perhaps underrated University of Richmond (Richmond, VA) squad to prevent a 3-1 record for Ohio State. Their second place performance, despite a poor point differential, earned OSU the 23rd-seed, where they squared off with Pennsylvania State University (University Park, PA). Strong defense from OSU led to a 70*-30 upset. Given that OSU lost to Richmond, it was surprising to see them beat a Penn State squad that has shown itself to be better than Richmond this year. OSU's run ended with a 130-60* loss to Texas A&M University; still, their victory over Penn State and run to the Sweet 16 was more than expected. Ohio State has always been led by their strong defense, and that was no exception at the World Cup, but it was their seeking that did enough to pull them over Penn State.
Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK): Underachieved. No team set back American quidditch more than Oklahoma State. I say that half-facetiously, but as the only squad to lose to a transcontinental foe - 80*-70 to Paris Phénix - Oklahoma State proved what many suspected: that American superiority in the sport may be limited. Yes, that is a bold statement, but it's disappointing to see a team that cut its teeth in the ferocious Southwest Region fall to an international team that has never faced elite competition (although many Paris Phénix players played in the Olympics Expo). Outside of that loss, OSU displayed matador-like defense, allowing over 200 points to both the University of California Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA) and Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, OH). While both of those squads reached the final four, neither displayed the scoring they did outside of their match against Oklahoma State.
Paris Phénix (Paris, FR.): Overachieved. Although this team only went 1-3, I would just like to take a moment to appreciate everything this team did. They surprised us with their win over an American team (even though this was somewhat expected, to actually see it was another matter entirely) when they beat Oklahoma State University. They entertained us, especially in their loss to the University of California Los Angeles. While that game was lopsided, it was one of the most entertaining contests of the tournament, and it featured one of the plays of the Cup when a Phénix chaser soared through the hoop. Most importantly, though, they competed for us. As far as the long-term growth of the sport, there may not be a more significant moment than an international team attending the World Cup.Pennsylvania State University (University Park, PA): Underachieved. This is a tough rating to give. Penn State went 4-0 to top Pool 2 on Saturday. While not completely unexpected, that they beat the other two “favorites” outside of snitch range - 110*-30 over the Silicon Valley Skrewts (Mountain View, CA) and 130*-50 over the University of Florida (Gainesville, FL) - was surprising. Still, one bad match erased all of their accomplishments as they fell to The Ohio State University 70*-30 in the Round of 32. I'm not sure how the Penn State club views their accomplishments or whether they're content with topping their Pool, but falling in the Round of 32 to an Ohio State squad they could have beaten is disappointing.
Purdue University (West Lafayette, PA): Underachieved. Purdue went 1-3 in Pool 12 as expected; however, their performance in those matches was less than expected. Purdue fell to the three Pool 12 favorites: Arizona State University, Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA), and the University of Miami (Coral Gables, FL), with all three matches outside of snitch range. Purdue's lone win came over the University of Massachusetts, 90*-60. While I didn't expect their results to be any different, I thought Purdue was capable of posting better margins.
QC Carolinas (Winston-Salem, NC): Achieved. QC Carolinas went 0-4, despite two good chances to earn a victory. Their narrow losses to Tennessee Technological University (Cookeville, TN) and the Silver Phoenixes (College Station, TX), 80*-50 and 60*-30 respectively, were both tight matches, and while it would have been nice if they could have grabbed one of the two snitches, an 0-4 record was not unexpected.
QC Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA): Achieved. Pitt went 2-2 in Pool 7, and ultimately fell to Texas A&M University (College Station, TX) in the Round of 32, 230*-60. Pitt, Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI), and Texas State University (San Marcos, TX) were the three favorites to escape that pool, and all did, but the order was unpredictable. Pitt lost to both teams by snitch catches: 100*-50 to Michigan State, and 90*-60 to Texas State. While you can't blame Pitt for losing either match, if they had managed one victory it could have been a very different tournament.
Qwertyrians Tijuana (Tijuana, MX): Achieved. I had low expectations for Qwertyrians coming into the match; they really had not faced any elite competition, and their 0-4 performance in Pool 1 was unsurprising. They did keep the University of California Berkeley within snitch range though, falling 110*-60, which can be seen as a small accomplishment for the group from Mexico.