Snitch World Cup Recap Part V
Welcome back! In case you missed it, or if you need a refresher, check out part 1 here, part 2 here, part 3 here, or part 4 here. We continue where we left off.
Photo by Deanna Edmunds.
Roadrunner Quidditch (San Antonio, TX): Achieved. Roadrunner Quidditch went 0-4 in a very tough Pool 4. While they lost all of their matches, they did well to keep two of their matches within snitch range, losing 130*-120 to the University of South Florida (Tampa, FL) and 80*-60 to the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN), in addition to their two other losses. Roadrunner's draw did them no favors at this tournament, and overall they held their own fairly well against their schedule.
Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY): Overachieved. RIT faced a tough schedule in Pool 2 with the Silicon Valley Skrewts (Mountain View, CA), Penn State University (University Park, PA), and the University of Florida (Gainesville, FL) all being highly regarded teams. Overall, RIT went 2-2 in their pool with all four matches ending in snitch range. They achieved a 160*-80 win over the University of South Florida (Tampa, FL) in the Round of 36 before falling to the University of California Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA) 130*-20. Within pool play, RIT challenged both Penn State and the Skrewts, losing 60*-40 and 140*-90, respectively, while beating Florida 100*^-90. RIT did very well to make it through this pool into the bracket, and the win over USF was impressive as well.
Silicon Valley Skrewts (Mountain View, CA): Underachieved. The Skrewts failed to capitalize on a pair of excellent opportunities: a pool that - while difficult - was winnable for them, and a decent matchup in the round of 32. After surviving 90*-60 over the University of Florida,\ and defeating Rochester Institute of Technology 140*-90, the Skrewts were taken down by Pennsylvania State University 110*-30. SVS entered bracket play as the 21st seed and faced Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ) in the Round of 32. Although the two did not face each other at Western Cup IV, the Skrewts were eliminated in the semifinals and earned the second-seed, while NAU was eliminated in the quarterfinals as the fifth seed at that tournament. Still, NAU entered this match-up after having gone 3-1 and ended up topping their pool. The Skrewts were unable to overcome their regional rival, falling 100*^-60 to NAU.
The Silver Phoenix (College Station, TX): Underachieved. The third spot in Pool 9 was thought to be wide open between the Silver Phoenixes, Tennessee Technological University (Cookeville, TN), and QC Carolinas (Winston-Salem, NC). The Silver Phoenixes went 1-3, missing out on the third spot by one win, but they were never that close. Although they beat QC Carolinas 60*-30, all three of the Silver Phoenix's losses were outside of snitch range. Their 160*-70 loss to Tennessee Tech was particularly poor, but it's not like a 130-point loss to Hofstra University (Hempstead, NY) or 100-point loss to Ball State University (Muncie, IN) is particularly good. I thought this team was capable of contending for a bracket spot, but they were never all that close.
SUNY Geneseo (Geneseo, NY): Achieved. SUNY Geneseo went 1-3 in pool play, falling to Texas State University (San Marcos, TX), Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI), and QC Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA), all outside of snitch range. Geneseo's one victory was a rout of University of Toronto (Toronto, ON), 140*-0. The top three teams in this pool were heavy favorites, with Toronto as major underdogs; everything went as expected for Geneseo and Pool 7.
Tec Quidditch (Monterrey, MX): Achieved. Tec Quidditch was overmatched entering this tournament. Overall, they were outscored 860-40 in their four games, but it's tough to criticize such an inexperienced team that chose to attend the World Cup.
Tennessee Technological University (Cookeville, TN): Achieved. After their surprising run to the championship game at the Southern Regional Championship, Tennessee Tech maintained their strong performance, advancing to the bracket out of Pool 9. TTU finished 2-2, with a snitch-range loss to Ball State University, a snitch-grab win over QC Carolinas, an out of snitch-range victory over the Silver Phoenixes, and an out of snitch-range loss to Hofstra University. Overall, TTU turned in a completely average performance, finishing 2-2 in pool play with a 0-point differential. As the 32nd seed, Tennessee Tech was the first snitch-grab victim to Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, OH) in that team's run through the bracket, falling 130*-100.
Texas A&M University (College Station, TX): Underachieved. Texas A&M was doing everything they were supposed to, cruising through Pool 3 unchallenged, with all of their victories outside of snitch range. In the Round of 32, A&M continued to roll, beating QC Pittsburgh 230*-60. A&M's momentum continued with a 130-60* win over The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH) in the Sweet Sixteen. However, at this point Texas A&M ran into archrivals University of Texas (Austin, TX). In the Elite Eight, A&M's championship aspirations were thoroughly crushed, 200*-40. Many were looking forward to an A&M-Texas matchup that somehow, despite the team's proximity, had yet to happen this year. That matchup was projected for the Southwest Regional Championship, but Baylor University (Waco, TX) thwarted those plans when they beat A&M in the semifinals. Texas A&M was unlucky to earn the No. 7 seed in the World Cup bracket; had Fleming College (Peterborough, ON) not forfeited, A&M's seed likely would have been higher, and they probably could have avoided Texas. Still, all excuses aside, A&M got thwacked by Texas in a completely unexpected and disappointing way. 200*-40 is not a score that is expected when two top teams play.
Tufts University (Medford, MA): Achieved. Tufts went 2-2 in pool play, finishing third in Pool 10. The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH) finished second in the pool with a 2-2 record as well, earning an extra point with their overtime loss to the University of Richmond (Richmond, VA). Tufts' point differential led them over Richmond for the final bracket spot and the 34th seed. Tufts' 140*-10 victory over the University of Southern Mississippi was crucial in earning the necessary point differential. Beating Richmond 70*-50 was also huge for the World Cup IV finalists. Although Tufts snuck into the bracket over Richmond, it was that school's citymates Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, VA) that knocked Tufts out, 90^-60*.