The Firedogs next game was against 22nd ranked Calvin College from Michigan. The Dogs were finally awake after a slow start against Brandeis and were ready to pounce on Calvin. After a
quick exchange of points, the Dogs went on a classic 5-0 run to take
the half at 7-2. D-lined shined in this run, coming up with big D after another and solid handling from Tappan, Conor and Chan. On the O-line Jay, DPD and Paya continued to control the disc as DA pumped in more and more assists. The run culminated in a classic DA huck to a streaking E-man downfield into the end zone; a play that has become routine over the years, and will be impossible to replace. From here the Dogs cruised to a 13-7 victory to improve to 2-0 in pool play.
The next game was the most important of pool play for the Dogs. It pinned them up in against last year’s runner-up team, the 8th seeded Swarthmore Earthworms. With the Firedogs at 2-0, and the Earthworms at 1-1, the dogs needed to win, or lose by no more then 5 to advance into the championship bracket later that day. It was clear both teams had this game marked on their schedule, knowing that we both were the team for the other one to beat on the day.
The Dogs and Swarthmore quickly exchanged points as it was clear that both teams brought the intensity, with the Dogs scoring on a Conor to DA huck. However costly turnovers and stale
defense allowed the Earthworms to shock the favored Dogs with a 5-0 run to take the lead 6-1. The overwhelmed Firedogs called a timeout and gathered to discuss what it would take to get back in the game. Senior leaders Evan, DA, and Dale chimed in on what it meant to be a Firedog, and how it meant to dig down for everything you’ve got when it mattered most.
Down 6-1 the Dogs put in their clutch line. Half way down the field Conor put up a huck to a streaking Yoder and E-man towards the end zone. The towering throw was caught up in the wind and hung as 3 Dogs and 3 defenders surrounded it. DA tipped it up in an attempt to catch it, and E-Man ripped it down from the air, claiming possession. The disc was then kicked out to Conor and tossed to Yoder jetting towards the corner. The throw was behind Yoder and he had to come back towards the disc, snagging it one handed away from the oncoming Swarthmore defender. From here the Dogs started a tenacious comeback. E-man pulled down 2 scores in this stretch including a violent spike which upset the opponents and bringing the score to 7-5 at the half. The two teams continued to trade points from the half-on. Big D’s by Conor and Tappan tried to turn the tied against the Earthworms, but the inability to move the disc without turnovers lead to the ultimate Firedog demise, falling 13-10.
With the loss the Firedogs finished their pool in a 2 way tie for first, and because of head to head record they finished seeded second. The Dogs next game was in the championship bracket, on the championship fields. The bracket pinned them up against Wisconsin Stevens-Point, a very talented team from a area known for good ultimate.
The O-line came out early and scored right away on a full field DA huck to a diving E-man in the end zone. Stevens-Point however answered back immediately, flowing the disc up field with ease and into the end zone. The O-line came back on the field to show Steven’s-Point a thing or two about flow having everyone on the line touch the disc at least once. The Dogs moved the disc up the field uninterrupted, swinging it from sideling to sideling with Paya and Dpd, and finished with another DA to E-man score. The stale defense and solid offense continued for both sides bringing the score to 4-4.
Then the Firedogs started their run, beginning with a big D by Tappan setting up a circus catch by E-man from a hammer in the end zone. On the fallowing point a layout-D by Drover on the mark set up yet another DA to Eman score in the back left of the end zone. The Dogs rode this run to take half 7-4, and continued after half to take the lead 9-4 over Stevens-Point. However the good Stevens-Point team could not be held down long as they charged back with 4 straight points bringing the score to 9-8. The two teams exchanged points until Stevens-Point tied it up 10-10.
The Dogs appeared tired after a long day of ultimate and after a turnover near their end-zone it looked like their dreams of a National Championship were fading. As Stevens-Point worked the disc up the side-line Yoder’s full extension layout D on to the gravel earned the Dogs the disc back. Immediately, DA picked up the disc and hucked it to a streaking Yoder into the end zone, taking the lead 11-10. It seemed this play took the wind out of Stevens-Point’s sails as the dogs continued to a 13-10 win to finish the day. DA finished the game with 11 assists, and Yoder and E-man contributed 5 scores each.
The Firedogs came to the field that Sunday at Nationals 3 wins away from the D-III National Championship. The quarter finals however pinned the Dogs up against the best opponent they would face all year, the top seeded Wisconsin Whitewater Sub-par, a team that nearly made regular Nationals that same year.
A quick lay-out D by Sub-Par and throw for a score gave Whitewater an early lead. The Firedogs answered back with another DA to E-man huck. Whitewater then threw zone stalling the Firedogs offense. The teams traded long possessions and good D’s but all the breaks seemed to go Whitewaters way in a remarkably evenly matched 6-0 run. The 7-2 halftime lead was too much for the Firedogs to overcome as they fell 13-6 in the quarterfinal. A highlight point for the
Dog’s came when they boasted an all underclassmen line, featuring all returning players. A huge defensive stop by Chan set up a huge break-mark throw from Conor to a laying out Yoder on the opposite side of the end zone.
The Firedogs finished the season 21-7, the best in history. They also finished tied 7th for division three. The Firedogs graduated an amazing senior class including E-man(going to Stanford Business School), DA (going to Wisconsin Grad-School and wining the Callahan), Dale (going to work in Cleveland), Curt Sykes(going to Ohio Grad-School), and Danny Peters(working in Mexico). All the Firedogs wish to thank these seniors for everything they have given us, and hope to make them proud next year.
