After ending last season with a fifth place finish at nationals, the women's ultimate frisbee team enters the new year with much to live up to. Under the leadership of senior co-captains Johanna Neumann and Neva Cherniavsky and coach Paul Sackley, the squad has trained extensively to prepare for this upcoming season. That, combined with the arrival of new players, has instilled a sense of optimism into the team.
"We'd like to think that we're going all the way this year," senior Sally Mimms said. "It's not an unrealistic goal. Our defense is solid and our offense is really coming together. We only lost one senior [to graduation], and she wasn't a consistent starter, so the staring line is intact."
While the official season does not start until this weekend's trip to Georgia, the E-Women sent a squad of seniors to a 16-team tournament in Baton Rouge, LA earlier in the season. After thrashing Michigan in the semifinals, 13-3, the E-Women seniors held nothing back in the finale, crushing Indiana 13-2. In winning the tournament, the Jumbos gave up a combined total of eight points.
"I think that the results speak well for the season," Mimms said.
This year's team boasts a great deal of talent, especially among the ten seniors. Neumann won the Callahan Award - the Heisman Trophy of college ultimate - last year. Cherniavsky played club ultimate this past fall to keep up her skills.
"Club ultimate is as close as you can get to professional ultimate," Mimms said. "Neva learned a good bit from that, she's going to be good. [Senior] Kate Bloom is also back from being abroad. She's going to bring a great deal of energy to the team."
Under the senior class is a large and important junior class, which will be especially important considering this will be the last season for many team members. Juniors Tali Avery, Liz Corb, and Allison Mixter will have to prove themselves on the field this season, as next year's season depends on them.
"For next year, there's a big weight on their shoulders," Mimms said.
With every new season come rookies that are not to be overlooked, and this year is no exception. Freshmen Gabrielle Eklund, an extremely athletic addition, and Britton Goodale will be the newcomers to watch. Goodale joins the team after having competed for Amherst High School, which traditionally has a strong ultimate program.
During the preseason, the E-Women practiced hard in anticipation of the games ahead. In the fall, the season is informal and they practice outside and compete in four to five tournaments. In the winter, the training moves to the Gantcher Center, where they play games twice a week and run once a week. Beyond these scheduled practices, team members are expected to run 25 to 30 miles per week. After break, the E-Women will be practicing outside again with the same schedule - only beginning at 6 a.m.
"We've been training really hard," Mimms said. "But the key to our success is our coach. He is extremely intelligent and gives us the best strategy and helps our mental game."
This weekend, the E-Women will travel to Georgia for their first regular tournament of the season, Terminus. The squad is currently seeded fourth, behind Carleton College, the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, and the University of Georgia.
"I would predict fairly heartily that we'll beat Georgia," Mimms said. "We'll have to see on the others."
The following weekend, the E-Women will head to UNC-Wilmington for the College Easterns tournament, which features tough competition. The team is seeded sixth, after Carleton, the University of California- San Diego, UNC-Wilmington, Brown, and the University of Colorado-Boulder. Of these contests, the Brown game will be the one to follow.
"Brown is an extremely good team," Mimms commented. "If I could cite any team as our nemesis, it would be them. We're the best two teams in the northeast. We beat them this fall, but they have a lot of players who play club [ultimate] and come back for the spring."
Overall, the E-Women have high hopes for the season.
"I can't emphasize enough that we're going to do very well," Mimms said.
