Phoenix Army Takes Champagne Cup
“I was surprised by how evenly balanced the teams were overall. Despite all the talk of some teams being stacked or the on-paper favorites, the course of the day showed that the random generator allowed for the teams to be really balanced this year. Also, the atmosphere of the tournament was wonderful; everyone just focused on having a fun day playing this sport that we all love and getting back to quidditch at its core. [It was an] intense competition on the pitch, with hugs and laughter off [of] it. [Each] team deserves to feel great about how [it] played, as there was a large amount of talent out there. Everyone bonded, and with Phoenix taking home the [championship title,] memories were made in that middle-of-nowhere town in the Hamptons. And yes, I'm already thinking about plans for next year” - Jeff Sherman, Tournament Director
Phoenix Army rushes forward at "Brooms Up!". Photo by Michael E. Mason/IQA Staff.
Recap
Champagne Cup 2013 was a highly successful tournament; with eight teams and over 100 players, it was on par with any fantasy tournament this summer. The teams, however, were decided by random draw, and with no mandatory gender rule this produced some combinations GMs would never have believed to work. Even though teams were not forced to obey the rules of a two-minimum gender requirement, nearly everyone followed it, only breaking it when players were reaching the point of exhaustion. On paper it didn't seem like teams were even, but the scores of games show how that was false. However, when it was all said and done, Phoenix Army came out on top over Leopard Army with a snitch grab in the finals. Overall, the tournament was a great experience. It was extremely gracious of Sherman and his family to host all of the players once the games had ended so that they could have an opportunity to get to know each other off-pitch.
Dragon Army's Jason Rosenberg (Right) brings the quaffle up with fellow chaser Lauren Hossenlopp in support. Photo by Michael E. Mason/IQA Staff.
Pool A included Phoenix, Tiger, Rabbit, and Dragon Armies. It was believed beforehand that this would be the more competitive pool, with any team able to advance. That prediction proved completely true; all but one game was decided by a snitch grab. Dragon came out on top in pool play, followed by Phoenix, then Rabbit, and finally Tiger. This pool was jam-packed with talent, which was apparent to everyone attending the tournament.
Phoenix Army was lead by chaser/keeper/seeker Michael “Yada” Parada of Penn State University. The depth at beater kept this team afloat with Amanda Dallas( New York University) , Robbie May (NYDC Capitalists), Mike Iadevaia (Hofstra University), and Ben Tunick (University of Maryland) all running the show. They fed off the success of one another to keep momentum on their side. This team excelled at keeping bludger control against most other teams, and when not in control they were aggressive in their attempts to regain it. Although primarily the teams go-to scorer, Parada turned into a clutch seeker if others were not able to catch the snitch before he got his shot at it. The chasers on this team took advantage of the beaters being able to control the bludgers, and they kept an up-tempo speed in their game with Leeanne Dillman (Boston Riot), Mo Haggag (New York Badassilisks), and Nick Romano (Penn State University) playing extremely well with one another. Defensively this team was strong at intercepting passes, blocking shots, and being in the opposing point player's face. This team ultimately walked away with the title of champions, and only dropped a single game -- to Dragon Army in pool play; the depth at every position was what gave them the title at this year's tournament.
Salamander Army's Kerri Donnelly looks for her next beat. Photo by Michael E. Mason/IQA Staff.
Before the tournament, Dragon Army was the favorite and almost lived up to expectations. Having lots of players from the Rochester area allowed this team to come out and have early fluidity to their game. The team was headlined by star beater Alex Leitch of Hofstra University, who was extremely impressive with his powerful beats, sniper hits, and ability to wreak havoc on other beaters with his presence with or without the bludger. Offensively this team had Aaron Pinzer and Jeff Sherman, both of Rochester Institute of Technology, as well as Jason Rosenberg of Penn State who used their size to get plenty of quick goals. Chaser Andrew Hollenbach (University of Rochester) had an amazing breakout tournament and was a surprise gem for this team. They finished 1st in the pool, 2nd going into bracket play where they faced a hungry Tiger team, and were sent home a little earlier than people expected during the quarter finals. Dragon was a team everyone feared to play, and they had the potential to take home the title, but they just ran into a Tiger team that refused to walk away without a victory on the day.
Dragon Army's Frieda Haerter fights through a pair of Phoenix Army chasers. Photo by Michael E. Mason/IQA Staff.
Rabbit Army of Pool A didn't look the most intimidating. Showing up with rabbit ears sticking out of their headbands and their star beater wearing bunny slippers didn't do much to strike fear into their opponents; however, anyone who played this team quickly realized they weren't just there to make friends but rather to win some games as well. Ricky Nelson of the University of Maryland was this team's go-to player; his beating ability was strong and he kept teams from getting quality shots, and any that got by him were usually met with a block from keeper Sean Sullivan of Seton Hall University. This team's offense lagged behind, as Tom Skudlarek (Rochester Institute of Technology), who is known for his defense, had to make the transition into a scorer and it took him some time to do so. However, once this team's offense got going, it was a force to be met with. Despite a 1-3 record, this team had an impressive day: they were highly competitive and all but one game was in snitch range.
A Griffin Army chaser runs with the quaffle. Photo by Michael E. Mason/IQA Staff.
Tiger Army was the final team in Pool A. Finishing 0-3 in pool play and 1-4 overall, this team was deceivingly good. All games in pool play were decided by a grab, as this team had no experienced seeker. However, their beating corps was impressive. Although none of the players are people you expect to headline a team, they all played well together. Scoring-wise, this team struggled to find its groove early on, but chaser Hannah Debaets (Tufts University) was everywhere and made perfect passes as well as finished off goals. What kept this team afloat was their ability to rally back when down early, as well as having intimidating defense from everyone. Plenty of crowd-pleasing hits came from a number of players. In the playoffs, they was matched up against the two-seeded Dragon Army, and despite losing on a grab earlier in the day, Tiger Army pulled out a clutch win where everyone clicked. The team ultimately ran out of steam going into the semi-finals against Phoenix, where nearly all chasers were exhausted, and an injury to key chaser Hannah Debaets really hurt the team. Losing Kyle Jeon (New York University), who had to leave right before the semi-finals, was the final straw for this team as his excellent play in the quarterfinals was what helped the team move on. This team had an amazing day, and despite being the team with the people who knew each other the least beforehand, they were able to come out and use up all the talent they had to create a strong team and great friendships.
Dragon Army's Jeff Sherman releases the quaffle as he's tackled. Photo by Michael E. Mason/IQA Staff.
Pool B was believed to boast the strongest, as well as the weakest teams. However, games are played on the field, not on paper, and this pool was a lot more interesting than people had previously expected. Leopard Army ran away with this pool, Salamander Army upset the talented Griffin Army who followed them in the standings, and the Rat Army finished things off coming in fourth.
Leopard Army performed amazingly, dominating this pool. Devin Sandon (University of Rochester) and Ethan Sturm (Tufts) both are intelligent players, and Sandon is an amazing player that people always underestimate when talking about great chasers. The team had an amazing beater in Heather Knoch (formerly of the New York Badassilisks), who came out and just dominated despite not having played all season. Seeker/chaser Adam Robillard (University of Ottawa) came up big with five of six grabs, missing the one that meant the most in the finals. Leopard was on paper a strong team, and that on paper strength translated even better into real life when they took the pitch.
Phoenix Army's Michael Parada distributes the quaffle under defensive pressure. Photo by Michael E. Mason/IQA Staff.
Salamander Army was believed to be somewhat of a pushover when the day began, but the team proved to be strong. They made it all the way to the semi-finals and finished the day with a 3-2 record. Despite none of the beaters knowing each other, they played impressively and gelled together very fast. Kerri Donnelly (New York Badassilisks) took charge and Joey Distefano (Syracuse University) was everywhere in support. Dante Close( New York University) is an amazing player and was the player to watch for this team. Exceeding all expectations, this team was an amazing team to view.
Leopard Army's Devin Sandon attempts a tackle of Salamander's Robert Clifford. Photo by Michael E. Mason/IQA Staff.
The Griffin Army was expected to come out and challenge Leopard Army for the top spot. Sadly this was not the case, and even though they played well they didn't quite meet all the expectations everyone had for them. Regardless of this, Dan Hanson's (Lost Boys, formerly of Emerson College) return to his home region was impressive; he implemented the strategy this team used and organized this team's successes. Jenna Jankowski (Macaualy Honors College) played a phenomenal tournament, and seeker Joey O'Connor (SUNY Geneseo) was also very successful. Utility player Sheneuque Tissera (Macaually Honours College) was also extremely instrumental to the team's play. Although finishing in the 6th seed and ending their run at the quarterfinals, the team was a pleasure to watch.
Phoenix Army's Michael Parada attempts to block Tiger Army's Alex Linde. Photo by Michael E. Mason/IQA Staff.
Rat Army was not expected to win, but rather give teams solid competition. They met expectations, Marilyn Tourangeau (University of Ottawa) took on a role most females don't often play as the point defender, and Andrew Zagelbaum (Macaualy Honours College) never got to flex his muscles at seeker as he often returned back to the field and found his team out of range. However, the team kept themselves competitive and never got down on each other. The fact that they did so despite the situations they faced were hard for morale speaks to the fact that they built a great relationship with one another.
Phoenix Army took home the winning medals. Photo by Michael E. Mason/IQA Staff.
Scores
Pool 1
Phoenix 80* - Tiger 30
Dragon 80* - Rabbit 30
Phoenix 90* - Rabbit 10
Dragon 80* - Tiger 40
Dragon 90* - Phoenix 50
Rabbit 110* - Tiger 50
Pool 2
Leopard 110* - Salamander 40
Griffin 160* - Rat 50
Leopard 90* - Griffin 70
Salamander 70* - Rat 50
Leopard 150* - Rat 50
Salamander 70* - Griffin 50
Pool Play Standings
1. Leopard 3-0
2. Dragon 3-0
3. Phoenix 2-1
4. Salamander 2-1
5. Rabbit 1-2
6. Griffin 1-2
7. Tiger 0-3
8. Rat 0-3
Bracket PlayQuarterfinals
1. Leopard def. 8. Rat
4. Salamander def. 5 Rabbit
3. Phoenix def. 6. Griffin
7. Tiger def. 2. Dragon
Semifinals
1. Leopard def. 4. Salamander
3. Phoenix def. 7. Tiger
Finals
3. Phoenix def. 1. Leopard
Photo by Michael E. Mason/IQA Staff.
All-Tournament Team
As so many players played fantastically, it was very hard to make an all tournament team, so I have some honorable mentions to add in before the announcement of my all tournament squad. Andrew Hollenbach, Jenna Jankowski, Jason Rosenburg, Ricky Nelson, Leeanne Dillmann, Howie Levine, Ethan Sturm, Alex Linde, Kyle Jeon, Stevie Borello, Robbie May, and Shenuque Tissera all deserve recognition for excellent play. However, I had to trim this list down, and this is what I came up with.
Keeper: Michael “Yada” Parada, Penn State, Dragon Army
At this point in his quidditch career, the man shouldn't need a introduction. This weekend he delivered what he has always done: he scored goals, and the defense he has worked on all season showed throughout the day. He blocked a lot of shots, intercepted countless passes, and was able to organize his whole team and make them all play better.
Chaser: Hannah DeBaets, Tufts University, Tiger Army
DeBaets has really stepped up this summer to come out and impress plenty of people across the league from coast to coast. In this tournament she was responsible for nearly half of her team's goals, always with the correct placement for a pass or being able to send it to another teammate for a nifty assist. Unfortunately, an injury removed her from play in bracket play, but her body of work up until that point of the tournament was extremely impressive.
Chaser: Adam Robillard, University of Ottawa, Leopard Army
Robillard was nothing short of a monster at this tournament. his improved defensive play in this tournament showed when he voluntarily played point defense and did it fantastically. His natural scoring ability also shined as he ran it into the opposing hoops. He was also a candidate for all-tournament seeker, catching five out of six snitches but just came up short one the one that mattered the most.
Chaser Devin Sandon, University of Rochester, Leopard ArmySandon did what Sandon does: he scored and then he did it some more. He is among the fastest people in the whole IQA, and his ability to play off-ball and get open is phenomenal. His defense is also amazing, as he is a great form tackler, especially for his smaller frame. He is almost unable to get tired, and is an amazing teammate because despite injuries, he will continue to play if he is needed to do so.
Beater: Heather Knoch, Free Agent, Leopard Army
Despite a lengthy break from quidditch, Knoch came back with a vengeance. Her incredible accuracy and the power of her throws made her highly effective, and the fact that she was very careful with her positioning and setting up shots that would bounce back to her allowed her to keep her bludger even when making long beats. Her intimidation factor is through the roof as she isn't afraid to get confrontational with other players, be it physically or verbally.
Beater: Alex Leitch, Hofstra, Dragon Army
Leitch was a machine this weekend. He awed the crowd with fantastic beats. He was able to pick off streaking chasers for goals, he was able to steal a bludger back whenever he did not have one, and his onfield commentary just gets under the skin of his opponents. Leitch's aggressive play style is very unique, and the fact that he likes to get physical as a beater intimidated a lot of the players he went up against.
Seeker: Justin Kieber-King, University of Rochester, Salamander ArmyFacts are facts, and when it came down to it, all three of the wins for Salamander are because of Kieber-King. Three-for-three in snitch range games was the only perfect record for a single seeker at the tournament.
