Overall Predictions

I'm not going to do a bracket, but here is the order in which I think the teams will finish.

Winner
A&M

Runner-Up
Marquette

Semifinalists
Texas
UCLA

Quarterfinalists
LSU
Miami
Kansas
USC

Pool Play Predictions

On the Eve of the World Cup, as I sit here in my hotel in Orlando!!!, I thought I'd roll out my predictions just for kicks.

Pool One

Baylor 4-0

Kansas 3-1

VCU 2-2

California 1-3

Qwertyians 0-4

Baylor wins pool but Kansas chasing core puts up a good fight. Keir Rudolph is shown to be inexperienced and fails to catch the snitch. VCU grabs the last spot.

Pool Two

Penn State 4-0

Skrewts 3-1

Florida 2-2

RIT 1-3

Loyola 0-4

Parada outplays Oelze and Clements to win the pool. Some of the closest, fun games come from this pool. RIT gets unlucky, losing to Florida and the Skrewts while still in snitch range. 

Pool Three

Texas A&M 4-0

Michigan 2-2

NYU 2-2

Johns Hopkins 2-2

Fleming 0-4

Texas A&M wins pool and cards hurt Johns Hopkins, who miss bracket play. Michigan and NYU advance due to clean physicality and tenacity. A&M looks unbeatable with great play all-around.

Pool Four

USC 3-1

Emerson 3-1

Minnesota 3-1

USF 1-3

UTSA 0-4

USC, Emerson and Minnesota split games. USC takes the pool victory due to a blowout over UTSA. August Lurhs, David Fox, David Demarest and Jared Sipe shine. USF's troubles continue at WCVI despite home-field advantage.

Pool Five

UCLA 4-0

Paris Phénix 3-1

Bowling Green 2-2

Rochester 1-3

Oklahoma State 0-4

UCLA wins pool easily but Paris upsets BGSU on a snitch catch. Devin Sandon and Rochester just do not have the size to beat BGSU. Oklahoma State keeps games close but is weak at the seeker position.

Pool Six

Marquette 4-0

NAU 3-1

Ottawa 2-2

Boston Riot 1-3

Florida State 0-4

Marquette wins easily. Takes the second overall seed. NAU takes second place with a sntich catch over Ottawa and Ottawa squeaks out a win against the Boston Riot to become the only Canadian team advancing.

Pool Seven

Pittsburgh 4-0

Michigan State 3-1

Geneseo 2-2

Texas State 1-3

Toronto 0-4

Pittsburgh wins pool due to the fact that they don't have to play Maryland. Michgan State and Geneseo defeat pot one team, Texas State to advance into bracket play.

Pool Eight

Boston 4-0
Austin Quidditch 3-1
Villanova 2-2
CMU 1-3
Tec Quidditch 0-4

Austin Quidditch completes the upset of the day over Villanova, who barely makes bracket play. Boston wins pool. The Villanova-Boston matchup does not meet the hype.

Pool Nine

Hofstra 4-0
Ball State 3-1
Silver Phoenixes 2-2
Tennessee Tech 1-3
QC Carolinas 0-4

Hofstra wins pool with a win over Ball State. Seeker Tyler Macy is unable to influence the game because Hofstra takes the game out of snitch range. Tennessee Tech and QC Carolinas do not make bracket play showing the weakness of the Carolinas-Tennessee region.


Pool Ten

Texas 4-0
Richmond 2-2
Tufts 2-2
Ohio State 1-3
Southern Miss 1-3

Texas blows out everyone to take the number one overall seed on Sunday. The rest of the pool is very exciting though. Richmond beats Tufts but loses to Ohio State. Tufts loses to Richmond but beats Ohio State and Southern Miss loses to everyone, except Ohio State.

Pool Eleven

Maryland 4-0
Lost Boys 3-1
Macaulay 1-3
Arkansas 1-3
Illinois State 1-3

Maryland and the Lost Boys meet in a great game of day one. Harry Greenhouse bests Steve DiCarlo after 15 minutes of the snitch being on the pitch. The Lost Boys strategy keeps Greenhouse away from the snitch with beating. Macaulay breaks a three way tie on point differential.

Pool Twelve

LSU 4-0
Miami 3-1
Arizona State 2-2
Purdue 1-3
UMass 0-4

The records tell the story. LSU upsets Miami with great beater play from Sniper and Sarah Kneiling. Brad Armentor dominates despite being double-teamed. ASU proves to not be deep enough to beat LSU or Miami. Purdue and UMass get screwed by the pool of death.

Spectator's Guide to WCVI

9:00-Field Three-Texas A&M vs. NYU

Arriving just in time for the start of QWCVI, jump over to Field Three to see the consensus #1 ranked team. This will be A&M first game at a major tournament since suffering a loss to Baylor at the Southern Regionals. Texas A&M's lineup and skill should get you really pumped for a great weekend of quidditch. It will also be interesting to see if NYU holds down the point differential because they will likely be competing for Pool 3's final spot.

Also see Emerson vs. Minnesota on Field Five or UCLA vs. Oklahoma State on Field Six

9:40-Field One-Penn State vs. RIT

This game might not be the biggest thriller, but be there to see Michael Parada. As I said before, if Parada is on the top of his game, Penn State could go from being a Round of 32 team to an Elite Eight team. Against RIT, Parada will be tested physically. RIT will also likely be competing for the third spot in a weaker Pool 2.

Also see Boston vs. Austin Quidditch on Field Six or Miami vs. Purdue on the Championship Field

10:20-Championship Field-Michigan State vs. Pittsburgh

Although the rosters have certainly changed, Michigan State and Pittsburgh are two older teams with a lot of World Cup experience. At WCIV, MSU and Pitt came closest to defeating Middlebury at a time when the sport was still new. Michigan State is probably the favorite here due to keeper Lawrence Lazewski and seeker Jacob Heppe.

Also see Michigan vs. Johns Hopkins on Field One if you like physical quidditch

11:00-Championship Field-Arizona State vs. Louisiana State

Even though neither team in this game came out of Pot One, both of these teams are really good. LSU has a great core of players including chaser Brad Armentor, and beaters Sarah Kneiling and Kody LaBauve. People forget that LSU played dominantly at the last World Cup but was ousted on a Minnesota snitch catch. LSU hasn't forgotten, but ASU's monstrous keeper Willie Jackson will try and stop the Tigers.

Also see Tufts vs. Ohio State on Field Two. A good measure of Northeast vs. Midwest

11:40-Lunch

What can I say? This time slot isn't exactly packed with exciting games. Grab an early lunch.

12:20-Championship Field-Emerson vs. USF

Both the Northeast and the South have been trashed as regions that aren't as good as others by some. Emerson, a school that lives and breathes quidditch's even more than Middlebury possibly, will be going up against USF, a team that burst on to the scene on Randall's Island. Both teams will show with high levels of skill, physicality and strategy that their regions aren't as bad as some think. Watch David Fox and Benny Nadeau of Emerson.

Also see Baylor vs. Cal-Berkeley on Field Four or Texas A&M vs. Johns Hopkins to see the might of the Southwest

1:00-Field One-Marquette vs. NAU

Although LSU-Miami is in this time slot, I wanted to look at this matchup between Marquette and NAU. NAU barely qualified out of the West but still is Marquette's toughest competition in an easy day of pool play. Marquette captain Curtis Taylor, joked that many of his starters would be resting on Day One. My guess is that fans will get to see Marquette's full strength only once on Saturday: in this game.

 Also see LSU vs. Miami on the Championship Field and Texas vs. Ohio State on Field Seven

1:40-Championship Field-Bowling Green State vs. Paris Phénix

If Paris Phénix is anything like the French team which placed second at the Olympic Exhibition in England this summer, Paris Phénix might beat some good American

?teams. Paris will be put to the test against Daniel Daugherty and BGSU.

Also see Stanford vs. South Carolina on Field Seven for a good Division Two game

3:00-Field Five-Tufts vs. Southern Miss

Tufts is a team full of freshman, so in four years, you can say, I saw Nick Ryder and WCVI. Seriously though, Ryder is developing into one of the best seekers in the IQA. Tufts caught the snitch in six out of seven games at NERC. Southern Miss will be an interesting team to watch because they play a very unique style. USM will slow the pace  the pace of thue game down tremendously and advance the ball in a sort of bubble. At the World Cup, a spectator has the chance to see so many different styles of play. Don't miss USM.

Also see Ball State vs. Silver Phoenixes on Field Three or Arizona State vs. UMASS on Field Seven

3:40-Field Two-Johns Hopkins vs. NYU

Again, see a whole different style of quidditch. Hard-hitting, physical quidditch courtesy of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. (Quid-Atlantic and Northeast physical quidditch is completely different fromSouthwest physical quidditch)

Also see Florida vs. RIT on Field One for a dose of Dr. Dre, Florida's exceptional chaser

4:20-Championship Field-Baylor vs. Kansas

When Baylor beat Kansas 160*-30 at the Collegiate Cup, many people counted Kansas Quidditch out. Now with new seeker, Kier Rudolph, Kansas has a shot again. A win against Baylor would likely mean a much higher seed and pool victory for the Jayhawks. At full strength, Kansas' chasing core can also match up well with Baylor. Watch Paul and Mark Williard on the Bears.

Also see, Texas A&M vs. Michigan on Field One or SV Skrewts vs. Penn State on Field Eight

5:00-Everywhere

Seriously IQA? We can't be in ten places at once? Haha. Emerson vs. USC on Field Two, UCLA vs. Bowling Green State on Field Three, Texas State vs. Michigan on Field Six, Hofstra vs. Ball State on Field Eight, and Villanova vs. Boston on the Championship Field. All of these games will decide the pool champion. Go root for your favorite team at this time. Chances are, they'll need it.

5:40-Championship Field-Maryland vs. Lost Boys

If Parada vs. Sandon was the matchup of great chasers, Maryland's James Hicks and the Lost Boys' Tony Rodriguez are facing off as two of the best chasers in the IQA. Maryland has blossomed into a Mid-Atlantic powerhouse this season and the Lost Boys were changed with the transfer of Rodriguez from the Hollywood Harpies. The Lost Boys proved they were one of the best of the West, but can they beat Maryland? Also a battle of regional runner-ups!

Also see Texas vs. Tufts on Field Two or Miami vs. Arizona State on Field Three

6:20-Championship Field-Tennessee Tech vs. Silver Phoenixes

Tennessee Tech surprised everyone by placing second at the Southern Regional, but the Silver Phoenixes have not had a fair chance at a major tournament achievement. A&M or Texas has always been in the way. The Silver Phoenixes will look to qualify for bracket play against TTU and hopefully not get stuck in an infamous "teams from Texas" side of the bracket.

Also see NAU vs. Boston Riot on Field Two.

7:40-Field Four-Penn State vs. Florida

Michael Parada vs. Dre Clements. Two teams fighting for better seeds in bracket play. Awesome game

Also see Ottawa vs. Florida State to watch everyone's favorite Canadian team :)

8:20-Field Three-Villanova vs. Austin Quidditch
Similar to the Silver Phoenixes, Austin has always been in UT's shadow. A win over dominant point defender, Zach D'Amico and feared seeker, Billy Greco of Villanova would be an amazing way for AQ to prove themselves. Villanova will be coming off a win or lose against BU, so it will be interesting to see if they can be caught off guard.

Also see Ball State vs. QC Carolinas on Field Four to see the other Team USA seeker, Tyler Macy of Ball State

9:00-Field Two-Texas State vs. Toronto
At this point, Texas State could be 0-3 or 1-2. They will have already played Pitt, Michigan State and Geneseo, three very experienced World Cup teams. Texas State won't get to play their pool's pot five team until now and this game will matter. Toronto isn't exactly a great team, but Texas State may be so demoralized at this point, Toronto might be able to squeak out a win.

Also see Skrewts vs. Loyola on Field Six. The Skrewts could be in a similar position as TxState, but I doubt it. OR UCLA vs. Paris Phénix on the Championship Field

9:40-Field Four-Texas vs. Southern Miss
Since we started the day with the 1st ranked Aggies, let's end it with the second ranked Longhorns. Texas is one of the fastest teams I've ever seen. Fastbreaks with Slipstream and Kody Marshall are unstoppable unless the opposition is truly special. Southern Miss will try to slow the game down. Also, UT might go for the blowout, which could lead to  the number one seed.

Also see, bedtime.

Quidditch World Cup from A to Z

Abramson. Asher King Abramson is the best beater I've ever seen. His field presence makes you want to watch him more than the seeker or the chasers. (And that's something on UCLA- a team full of exciting seekers/chasers) He is intimidating and I will be watching when he faces off against BGSU's Daniel Daugherty in pool play.

Bludger Control. While in some teams can win without bludger control, certain big games could be influenced based on who has two armed beaters. Baylor could run into trouble against great beater play and UCLA with dominate bludger control, is a death knell to any team.

Cards. It will be interesting to see how lenient the refs are in giving yellow and red cards, especially in bracket play. No ref wants to give a card that might ruin a team's chances, even if it is deserved. I'm smelling a lot of cards out of the A&M, Johns Hopkins, Michigan, NYU and Fleming pool. We all know that Fleming is ruthless.

Dr. Dre. The Florida player that electrified World Cup V, leading his team to the finals and grasping the lead against Middlebury right before the snitch was caught. I'm curious to see if Dre can do it again. I don't think he has been mentioned enough recently and has almost been forgotten by some. Get ready for the Gators and Dr. Dre to win their pool and go to the Sweet Sixteen.

Emerson. One of the oldest teams left now with Vassar and Middlebury failing to qualify. David Fox and Victor Viega two bulldozer-like keepers with great passing ability could lead one of the smallest schools at WCVI deep into bracket play.

Forgetting. We are all forgetting about Division Two! D2 is loaded with teams that are rapidly improving like Stanford and NY Badassilisks. For many teams, D2 will be their first World Cup experience. My pick for winning D2, is Ringling.

Goliaths.  Bracket play will certainly produce many David vs. Goliath matchups and who knows whether David can win. Right now, I consider Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, UCLA, Marquette, Maryland and Miami Goliaths. Emerson, BU and Villanova get honorable mention.

Hicks. James Hicks, Maryland and Team USA keeper, will be hard to stop. Hicks is an outstanding player and Maryland's success really comes down to the supporting cast of Hicks.

IQA. Led by Benepe and Alicia Radford, the IQA has come a *really* long way since the first World Cup. WCVI is the first to not be in New York or at Middlebury. The IQA seemed to address the problems at WCV in planning for WCVI. WCVI will have war at every field, enough food vendors and (hopefully) good, trained referees. And thank God there's no Middlebury because I can't stand the conspiracy rumors.

Jackson. Willie Jackson of Arizona State is a brick wall. Known in the past for dirty play, as well as dominant defense, Willie Jackson has apparently cleaned up his game as of Western Cup IV. The more time Willie spends on the field (not in the penalty box) the more ASU wins. A Jackson red card is really bad for ASU in the pool of death.

Keeper. Normally, a team's most important offensive player plays at the keeper position. I'll be watching the keepers specifically in Emerson vs. USC, Lost Boys vs. Maryland and Boston vs. Villanova in pool play.

Lurhs. Coming back from an injury that prevented him from playing at the Western Cup, August Danger Lurhs is the key to a USC team that was ranked #1 in the fall. As I said in another post, I think Lurhs will lead USC to the top spot in their difficult pool and all the way to the Elitte Eight.

Maryland, Marquette, Miami. I have these three teams practically tied in terms of skills. Seekers Harry Greenhouse, Alex Busbee and David Moyer are all really good and each team is backed up with World Cup experience, super-athletic chasing cores and world-class beaters. I would love to see semifinal or quarterfinal matchups between these teams.

Northeast. The Northeast has the most to prove at World Cup VI. Although I don't believe this is true, many quidditch fans think the Northeast is inferior to all of the other regions. This spring, Hofstra especially, has had encouraging results. Look for Tufts, Emerson and BU to play well too.

Overtime. Overtime games at World Cups are intense. With the Snitch on the field and the crowd cheering at full strength from "Brooms Up" to snatch, an overtime game also puts a lot of pressure on the players. The favored team has a sense of urgency to put 30 points up on the board, which I have seen teams do, but in an even game, the players might as well sit down and watch the snitch. Anyways, OT is chaos!!

Pools. The Pools are pretty fair, I think. There are no outrageously difficult pools and I think at least two teams have a shot at the pool championship in every pool. Last year, the three Florida teams burst onto the scene by winning their pools. Will any specific region make statement in pool play?

Quidditch!! The sport we are flying across the country and spending time and money on. We wouldn't have it any other way though. Yay Quidditch!

Roth. Marquette's key chaser is physical and smart and was been a huge part of Marquette's championship at the Midwest Cup and the finals appearance at the Collegiate Cup. Bobby Roth has an amazing powerful arm which he uses for long distance shooting and passing, which stretches the field vertically.

Southwest. All I hear going into the World Cup, is how good the Southwest is. UT, LSU and A&M proved how good they were at WCV, but the rest of the crew coming from the Southwest has little or no World Cup experience. For teams like Texas State or UTSA, I've heard arguments that since they play the best teams in the country (see "T") on a regular basis, that they must be really good. The problem is, none of these teams have ever beaten the Big 3/4. The bottom of Southwest has something to prove and the top has a reputation to uphold...

Texas/Texas A&M. There's a reason these two teams are one, two in both the IQA Standings and the Eighth Man Rankings. While both teams are physical, they play completely different styles of quidditch. Texas plays a fast break, almost frantic and out of control type game through Augie Monroe and Kody Marshall. And A&M runs the best half-court offense in quidditch. The Aggies' precise passing and truck-like drives are impossible to stop. If neither of these two teams make it to the final, it is a travesty for quidditch.

Unstoppable. Will there be any team that is far and away the best? Will it be Ucla?

Victory. One team will claim victory and hoist the Cup. And, for the first time, it won't be Middlebury.

Weather. Writing this article exactly one week before the games begin, the forecast for World Cup isn't the best. The weather will be hot. Highs in the low 80s- which will be hard for the Northern team. There is currently a chance of a thunderstorm on Sunday afternoon, which could really put a damper on the WCVI finals. Partly cloudy all weekend.

Xs and Os. Whoever is drawing up the Xs and Os, aka the team coach, is going to have a big role at WCVI. A team's strategy needs to be able to shift and change according to the opposition and the coach, on field or off field, needs to guide his/her through the change.

Yada. Michael Parada, Penn State chaser, has the ability to lead his team on a run in bracket play. Penn State is another one of my upset picks to make the Elite Eight, and its because of Yada. This Spring, at the Shell-Shocking Spectacular, Parada's team, the Dallas Yadas, beat Maryland. Parada's leadership and on-field skill, combined with fellow PSU chaser Jason Rosenberg, is dangerous for any team.

Zero. Will any team have zero losses? It hasn't been done at a World Cup since Middlebury did it in 2010.

Four Unpopular Opinions on WCVI Pools

I guess I'll give my own version of the most recent Eighth Man article.

1) USC will advance to the Elite Eight. Stuck in a pool with Emerson, USF and Minnesota, a few bloggers haven't even picked to USC to advance into bracket play. I think, that not only will USC win their pool, but will win it with a good point differential. August Lurhs is one of the scariest players to play because of his experience, intelligence and size. While the matchup with David Fox might challenge Lurhs, he will lead his team past Minnesota and USF, who can't matchup with USC's size. Although they didn't make it to the finals, parts of USC's Lurhs-less performance at Western Cup was impressive, especially the first ten minutes of the UCLA game. USC hung with the highly-ranked Bruins. With Lurhs, USC is an Elite Eight team.

2) The team with the best point-defending (not seeking, or beatsr-play) will win the World Cup. Keepers or the chaser that brings the ball up the field is normally a team's best player. (ex. David Fox, August Lurhs, Zach Luce, Dre Clements, James Hicks, I could go on...) So, the team that is able to foil that player, and make him/her ineffective, will win. For instance, in the Western Cup finals, the Lost Boys' Tony Rodriguez was met every possession at mid-field with a physical UCLA player. Adam Richardson's take down and Corey Osto's harassing of Rodriguez turned the game around and won the Western Cup for the Bruins. Good point defending can disrupt an offense like a full court press in College Basketball. Passes become harder to make, drives to the hoop become impossible and a loss becomes probable.

3) Marquette will make it to the finals. Marquette is an all-around talented team that is quick and good at long passes. Marquette is the kind of team that feeds off an excited crowd. (Exhibit A: when they jumped out to a 40-0 lead against Middlebury at WCV) Bobby Roth is one of the most impressive shooters I have ever seen, and with the luck that comes with World Cup bracket runs, Rth could be draining goals from half-field. Marquette also has two of the best female chasers in the game, Caroline Villa and Cecila Ware. The entire Marquette team is physical, especially Chaser Joe Simonelli and Keeper Pat Doyle, and Ware and Villa bring it too! With tactical genius Curtis Taylor and, in my opinion, the Midwest's best Seeker, Alex Busbee, Marquette is a finals team.

4) The reffing will be good. I have confidence in the referees and the referee-certification process. The IQA will not put someone out there who isn't ready or good enough to be ref. Saying this, I'm scared I'll be proved wrong, but I have gut feeling that the refs will come through this year.

Seeking the Cup: Miami

Featuring U Miami Quidditch! I apologize for the shortness of this one. There were only two UM games on YouTube that I could find. Also, I shout out to David Moyer. Neither of the games showed David in action, but he is a fantastic Seeker and a big part of Miami's success.
https://vimeo.com/63284986

World Cup Game Schedule

The exact schedule of games was supposed to be released in March 2013 according to the Schedule page of worldcupquidditch.com. Guess what? It's April! Am I the only one who's anxious to see when certain games are gonna be?

And also, it's April. April 1st. I wonder if the IQA is gonna pull another prank like saying the World Cup is in Hoth. I hope they do. :)