THE Fantasy Tournament Preview

Gray
GM Jacob Adlis

Gray will certainly have dependable scoring and a physical defense. Both LSU's Brad Armentor and Texas State's Eric Reyes are big, hard-to-stop, proven scorers. Power chasers like Armentor and Reyes, tend to excel in moments of defensive beater confusion, and in a fantasy tournament, there are guaranteed to be miscommunications between beating pairs that have never practiced together. Without beaters placed strategically, power chasers can truck through defenders and score relatively easily.

Gray's beating core is small, but anchored by Texas beater Hope Machala. Machala is surrounded by Texas State's Ryan Peavler and RRQ's Jacob Wilson. I believe a lot of Gray's success depends on whether or not these three can have a "suffocating" effect defensively (crashing on driving players and beating players hanging out close to the hoops). It's going to be hot, and the physicality of Armentor and Reyes might become less effective as the day goes on. Gray's beaters will need to step up then.

Watch Out For... Texas Quidditch's, Ryan Davis and Austin Quidditch's Daniel Rice can completely change the pace and style of play on the pitch for Gray. Likely switching to a more up-tempo, fastbreak oriented attack when Davis and Rice enter the game, the change in pace could disrupt defensive rhythm and strategy.

Teammates at the Summer Games, Brad Armentor will think that he has played with Sarah Holub all season. Armentor's LSU teammate Melissa White, has a very similar skills set as Holub, and plays a very efficient 1-2, both receiving passes and distributing, with Armentor. Expect the duo of the Honey Bradger and Holub to be Gray's go-to combination when the snitch is on the field and the score is close.

Questions
Will Eric Reyes and Brad Armentor play together or at different times? If the two power chasers are on the pitch at the same time, will Gray use a double point guard system?

Will Hope Machala bring UT's style and strategy of beating to her partner, or will she be playing in a completely foreign system? If forced to play less conservatively, can she continue to have a suffocating effect on defense? Will having only three true beaters be a problem?

Daniel Rice is Gray's only seeker. Simply, will he get hot? Rice isn't known as a top seeker, but he has the athletic ability to make a great seeker. Can he out seek more well known players and make a name for himself?



Pink
GM Evan Bell

Pink's starting lineup looks stacked beyond belief. GM Evan Bell probably spent a majority of his money to get Texas stars Stephen Bell, Kody Marshall and Colin Capello and the majority of what was left to get LSU beater Sarah Kneiling and Lost Boys chaser Amanda Nagy. Despite leading his team to a World Championship and being a consensus All-American as a beater, Capello will be handling the quaffle at THE Fantasy Tournament. I imagine chasing will come naturally to the hard hitting Longhorn, especially since he is surrounded by two of his teammates. The three UT players will be running rampant, running up the score and passing better than any other trio at the tournament.

Watch Out For... Pink's beating core--especially Jordan Key with Sarah Kneiling. Kneiling is known to be one of the top beaters and competitors in the sport and her aggressive strategy will translate well to THE Fantasy quidditch pitches. Key, a tall Arkansas beater, is not known as well, but he has outstanding field awareness. Kneiling can run around on the perimeter, stalling the play and sending other players back to the hoop before the action really starts. Key will play further back, but will surely not be shy to unleash a lazer beat at a driving player.

Questions
Does Pink have a lack of depth? Considering to amount of money GM Bell probably had to pay to get five players, he probably had less to work with for his later round picks. Pink needs these players to overachieve.

Can Marshall, Bell, Capello and Nagy carry the team offensively? Are the UT players still in World Cup-winning shape? Can they seemingly sprint for hours in the intense heat without getting tired?

How will Colin Capello do in his big-stage debut at chaser/keeper? Will he play beater at all? When the snitch is on the field, and the game is in snitch range, will he stay wearing the white headband? A combo of Kneiling and Capello is compelling.



Lime Green
GM Alan Black

Without any superstars, GM Alan Black drafted a team with many good role players and no obvious weaknesses. The chasing core is good and made up of players who haven't nessecarily seen the spotlight on their own teams. Black clearly didn't splurge on any players and I wonder whether lack of stars will hurt the Lime Green. Several players can play both chaser and beater, which is vital in case of injury. With no depth problems anywhere, as far as I can tell, Lime Green was smartly assembled keeping in mind past fantasy trends. Black drafted phenomenal beaters and a top notch seeker in Duncan Ferguson (LSU).

 In a My Quidditch Life feature on LSU's Daniel DePaula, Black wrote, "Daniel is, simply put, a complete, well-rounded beater."

Complete and well rounded describes the type of beaters Black drafted perfectly. Texas A&M grad Savannah Allison, USC grad Julia Thomas, DePaula himself, and Dakota Briggs  are very experienced players who commonly maintain bludger control for their teams.

Watch Out For... The performances of Katelynn Kazane and Jordan Callison. Both players played behind great players in 2012-13 and were rarely expected to carry the team. At THE Fantasy and during the 2013-14 season, Callison will likely bring the quaffle up the pitch more than he's ever done before and Kazane will play more minutes and be counted on in crucial moments of the game. Yes, it is a fantasy tournament, but seeing Kazane and Callison in more important roles could offer a glimpse into how UCLA and Kansas will perform this season.

Questions
Will Hank Dugie share point guard duties with Jordan Callison or will he play more as a wing chaser? I think it would be interested to see what Dugie can do with the ball in his hand every possession. He doesn't get as many touches as he probably deserves for UT and I think he could be a star player.



Can any two of Lime Green's beaters get hot and be THE beating that leads Lime Green to victory? Who will they be?



White
GM Alex Clark

White has a lot of players who are known to be good throughout the Southwest, but haven't really proven themselves on a national stage. White is going to be a fast, explosive, uptempo offensive team with players like Jordan Parisher (Texas State), Sam Keegan Adlis (Silver Phoenixes), and Sean Fry (A&M). If the three can get into a rhythm, and the offense stays in control, that trio can be dangerous.

White's beating, led by Chris Rhodes and Ryann Padilla, I expect will be conservative on Day One, but will have to be more aggressive on Day Two to compensate for the loss of Ronnell Sharp. Rhodes needs to watch his accuracy, because losing bludger control can matter immensely on Day Two. Mollie Lensing's dropout due to injury might hurt White the most then. Parisher and Fry are also solid beaters and it will be interesting to see how much they are used at that position.

Watch Out For... Ronell Sharp. Sharp's presence will especially be felt on defense, where he can provide an extra dose of physicality. His tackling's technique is phenomenal and he should be playing as White's point defender. Sharp leaves after Day One, though.

Questions
Who will step into leadership roles on the pitch for White? Which players will mark the other team's stars on defense?

Will the departure of Sharp throw off White's rhythm? Sharp's role will certainly be a big one on Day One. Can White handle the loss?

Is Alex Clark, despite the statistics, going to roll out a two male beater set? Can Parisher and Fry work well with Rhodes? Keri Callegari and Marissa Hunt will definitely have to step up then.



Purple
GM Zach D'Amico

Despite being made up a majority of non-Southwesterners, Purple is an early favorite to win THE Fantasy tournament. With 3 Eighth Man All-Americans, Purple has large variety of playing styles and certainly geographic diversity. GM D'Amico was sure to draft a top seeker in Maryland's Harry Greenhouse. If Greenhouse gets hot, Purple could plow through bracket play. The UMD player is also a terrific chaser. I can imagine a hot Greenhouse was D'Amico's worst fear in the weeks leading up to MARC, and now he will be hoping that Greenhouse is on fire!

A trio from the West, Alex Makk, Vanessa Goh and Harrison James will be doing most of Purple's scoring along with Baylor's Mark Williard. Purple's offense should be able to really spread the pitch and create lots of space for driving. Marking will have to be really tight if a team plays man-to-man defense. My only concern for Purple is that their chasers might start playing too much like an NBA All Star team. If their passes start to lose precision and ball handling becomes a little sloppy, Purple is in trouble. Harry Greenhouse isn't going to be able to bail them out game after game.

Watch Out For... Doug Whiston's beater strategy. Whiston is one of the best strategic minds in the game right now, especially with beaters. Opposing teams are going to know that when the snitch gets back, a beater needs to be holding back Greenhouse. Whiston and Purple's beaters needs to find a way to clear a path for their seekers without getting pulled into the snitch-beater game, a la Lost Boys vs. BGSU.

Questions
Beater Duston Mazzellla played an important role in Red's victory at Firemercs. Can he have a similar performance and win the two biggest fantasy titles?

Alex Makk left injured from Firemercs. I don't know how serious the injury was, but is he 100%?

Will Purple's offense stay precise, crisp and efficient or will they end up looking like a careless All Star team? There's a lot to play for here at THE Fantasy!

Is Harry Greenhouse really that good? He had a so-so season. Will that continue at THE Fantasy?



Teal
GM David Guitierrez

On the pitch, Teal will be led by UT chaser Chris Morris and Baylor keeper Jacob Bruner. Bruner is a dangerous point guard because he is such a good passer. For Baylor, he commonly lobs it up behind the hoops, through a tight window, for Paul Williard. It would be really interesting to see Chris Morris playing behind and to the sides of the hoop like Williard. Morris' strength is driving, but I'd like to see him drive from the wings and behind more because it can cause a defensive breakdown. Morris would draw the keeper out of position and dish off to a teammate like dribble penetration in basketball.

I'm really skeptical of Teal, though, because they only have six male chasers, some with limited experience. Unless they're planning to play a two male beater set, they don't have enough depth at male chaser to make it through a long, hot day.

Watch Out For... Texas A&M seeker Dirk Hryekewicz. Quietly one of the best seekers in the game, Hyrekewicz is massive and can overpower and out-grapple most snitches. His defensive play is even better.  A brick wall, it often seems harder for opposing seekers to get by Hyrekewicz than for them to catch the snitch.

Questions
Will the pairing of Bruner and Morris work well together? What roles will each of them play for the team?

Will Hyrekewicz be put in situations where Teal needs the snatch for the win or will he be playing more defense than offense? How will he play outside of A&M's tight rotation?

I'm not that impressed with the rest of this team. Which player or players will step up and prove me wrong? Will it be the beating core led by Austin Potts? Will it be chasers like Sarah Sherman and Morgan O'Neil?



Burgandy
GM Caroline Villa

Drafted with the intention of bringing together Texas A&M's biggest stars for THE Fantasy Tournament, Burgandy had chasers Drew Wasikowski and Kifer Gregorie, both All-Americans in my book. Gregorie is out for the tournament with mono, though, so Wasikowski should be carrying his team on both ends of the pitch. Offensively, the tall Aggie will be at the point, watching the play develop, then passing or driving. Defensively, he will either be defending the point or guarding the hoops as a keeper. Either way, Wasikowski is the most important player on the pitch and all aspects of Burgandy's strategy should revolve around him.

Villa drafted more beaters than most, including Chandler Smith and Seth Segura. Burgandy's beaters will need to work closely with Wasikowski if Burgandy wants to score as many points as teams with 2 or 3 star chasers.

Watch Out For... Kansas' Grant Daigle. Daigle has already had fantasy success this summer playing for Colby Soden's Midwest Fantasy Championship-winning Orange team. Daigle is the closest thing Burgandy has to replacing Kifer Gregorie. He is fast, surprisingly a strong tackler considering his size, and I believe he will be fantastic as a wing option for Wasikowski.

Questions
Can Drew Wasikowski carry the team? Will he have to? He was the leading scorer at the Southwest Regional despite being surrounded by many amazing scorers. Will he top that performance?

How good is Burgandy's beating core? The Burgandy beaters are good, but I doubt they'll be able to out-play some other teams? Is being badly out-played in the bludger game a death knell for the entire team?

Burgandy has two solid female chasers in Nicole Galle and Brandi Cannon? Can the team (and Wasikowski) figure out a way to involve them in the offense?



Orange
GM Curtis Taylor

Orange, drafted by Curtis Taylor, has an impressive headlining trio of chasers that are fast, physical and incredibly athletic. All-American Simon Arends, Olympian Kedzie Teller and top 10 Southwest Regional scorer Craig Garrison will come together to form a fearsome starting line. The styles of play of these three chasers should easily mesh and create high scoring games. Orange's chaser defense is sure to be stout in every aspect: tackling, marking, blocking and intercepting. Arends especially is world class defender, with perfect technique and strength. If Orange can get into the fastbreak, onlookers will feel like they are watching the burnt orange, not just regular orange.

Watch Out For... Ringling beater Bryan Bae. Despite being better known for his snitch talents, Bae is a fantastic beater. Bae is used very frequently on offense, creating space and driving lanes for his point guard. Often able to ward off opposing beaters simultaneously, his effect can allow chasers room to pass and drive. Capable of having an MVP caliber tournament, (similar to Peter Lee at Firemercs) Bae needs to be used to his fullest potential for Orange to win the tournament.

Questions
How far can the trio of Arends, Teller, and Garrison carry Orange? Will having only 14 players be a tough disadvantage?

How will Rosemary Ross (A&M) and Jason Winn (LSU) perform with Bryan Bae? Bae needs a partner that will be able to work with him to regain bludger control because if he's playing offensively, there's a much greater chance for the opposing team to recover  his beats.

Was not drafting a true seeker a mistake? Who will fill the seeker rotation?



Forest Green
GM Samy Mousa

GM Samy Mousa snatched one of the most coveted players in the region in Augie Monroe and surrounded him with a few of Kansas' stars. Monroe will be sharing the field with graduating Jayhawks, Connor Drake and Hai Nguyen. Drake likes to play in a dual point guard system. Once his Midwestern Fantasy team switched to the system, they went on a run and advanced to the finals. Drake and Slipstream would be dynamite in that system. On fast breaks, Slipstream will likely be working with the speedy Nguyen
One of Green's biggest strengths will be movement. I expect a lot of give and goes between Monroe and Drake in the half court offense and I believe that neither will settle for many long shots. If one drives to the hoops, the other will be in a position for a pass, so the driver can execute perfect penetration.


Questions
Will Forest Green play a dual point guard system? I'm convinced that if they do, they'll be a lot more successful. Drake and Nguyen would feel more comfortable and Monroe would fit right in.

How will Forest Green's beating core play? Mousa previously said he wanted utility players as beaters, but he does have several true beaters in Melissa DeVarney, Haley Shaw and Tyler Dukes.




Red
GM Becky Schmader

Like Alex Clark's White team, Becky Schmader's Red team features a chaser line without a single star player. Unlike White, chemistry between these chasers will probably not be a concern. Texas Quidditch chasers Kenny Chilton, Aryan Ghoddosay and Cody Tadlock were assembled by Schmader, also a Longhorn. Chilton is crafty and quick and doubles as a seeker who happens to have a World Cup finals snatch under his belt. Ghoddosay is the Southwest equivalent of Jake Tieman, a tank with good ball handling skills and surprisingly decent speed. Tadlock, a physical wing chaser, is a defensive specialist who can point defend as well as any of his 2012-13 Longhorn teammates.

Watch Out For... The beating pair of Lost Boys' beater Michael Mohlman and Kansas beater Nicole Denney. Mohlman, relatively new to beating, and Denney, who has greatly improved, both helped their teams make a run to the Elite Eight at World Cup. Both beaters shone on defense and shut down hot seekers. Neither beater is flashy or will make extraordinary beats, but both have good field awareness and play smart.

Questions
How deep will Red be? In other words, what percentage of their 14 players are going to be putting in quality minutes?

Are Chilton, Ghoddosay and Tadlock as good as I think or does playing alongside some of the greatest players in the game make them look better?



Black
GM Ethan Sturm

Drafted by Eighth Man EIC and founder Ethan Sturm, Black will be going with a two male beater lineup featuring the likes of Reed Duncan, Matthieu Gregorie (practically two generations of great A&M male beaters) and Kyle Pink-Haired-Snitch Carpenter. The role of the beating core will be drastically different depending on which keeper is in for Black.

When Silicon Valley Skrewts' keeper Kevin Oelze is in, Black will slow play the ball up the pitch and a beater will need to be accompanying him. Beaters need to be on top of their game and be willing to step outside their comfort zone to assist the offense. Black will be most successful if Oezle is passing and shooting accurately and he can't do that with defenders in his face.

When Loyola keeper Etefia Umana is in, Black will be playing more loosely. Plays will develop faster and possession times will be shorter. Umana is incredibly athletic and fast. He's constantly surveying the pitch, looking for a teammate, but is able to carve up the defense, spinning, juking and dodging bludgers.

Male quaffle players are certainly a strength for Black as they also have Santa Barbara Blacktips keeper Chris Lock and two double digits Southwest Regional scorers in Hunter Turner (RRQ, 19 goals) and Richard Kemp (Texas State, 11 goals). Black is going to need two female quaffle players on the pitch at all times if they go with a two male beater set. Several of the female chasers are very inexperienced, having played less than a year. The five are going to have to share many minutes with the two more experienced ones likely playing most.

Watch Out For... After a solid, yet, under the radar season, former Texas A&M star seeker Isaac Salazar is ready to burst back onto the scene. Salazar's moves are like the crack a whip, clean, crisp and very quick. He is tenacious and relentless in his fight for the snitch. Black is lucky to have him as a game closer.

Questions
Quidditch strategy and gameplay has come an extremely long way in one year. Will Reed Duncan be as good as we remember or will the increasingly complex strategy be overwhelming?

Will the female chasers' lack of experience coupled with Sturm's desire to play a two male beater set hurt Black? If it's not going well, will Black switch back to the more common, 1 male, 1 female beater set?



Blue
GM Monty Turner-Little

Blue's strengths seem to be many others' weaknesses. Blue has two of the best female chasers at THE Fantasy Tournament in Beissy Sandoval and Becca DuPont.  Sandoval and DuPont are outstanding ball handlers and incredibly scrappy and tough. They can drive and shoot from distance, often sneaking the quaffle through a tight gap with great accuracy. If Blue wanted, they could play a two male beater set without worrying about sacrificing offensive power. A two male beater set would be an absurd waste of consensus All-American Brittany Ripperger, though.

I'm excited to see Ripperger play with beater strategy mastermind, Mitch Cavender, the conductor of UCLA and USC's revolutionary strategies that led to two Western Cup wins and a World Cup finals experience. I also want to see Baylor beater David Gilbert play with Cavender. While Ripperger's role in Baylor's beating strategy is clear, her male counterpart's is not always as clear and he (whether it's Gilbert or Chris Rhodes) could learn from Cavender about point pressuring on offense and defense.

Watch Out For... The duo of Trent Miller and Beissy Sandoval. The Baylor teammates are used to slamming home each others' assists for 10 points. Alley-oops will be contagious for Blue if Miller and Sandoval are in a groove. Players like LSU's Beto Natera and UCLA's Michael Binger will find themselves dunking more than ever and lobbing up passes on the run. Baylor's style of play is naturally fun and it works well, which makes it perfect for an event like THE Fantasy.

Questions
Monty Turner-Little will be the only GM playing due to the fact that so many of his players dropped out. How will he do at seeker? He's used to a rotation. Will Blue use a rotation?

Will Blue play the signature Baylor defense (guarding each hoop with a quaffle player)? How will the non-Bears adjust?

How many of his beating strategy secrets will Mitch Cavender share with Ripperger and Gilbert? Baylor is going to be right back in the final four next year and Cavender certainly believes he'll be back too.

Source: QC Boston Adds Four Players

A source close to the team has informed me that QC Boston-The Massacre has added four new players. Benny Nadeau, Dan Miller, Jayke Archibald and Bobby O'Neill are joining the effort to develop Boston's first community team. The Massacre, led by Team USA teammates Kedzie Teller and Zach D'Amico, are currently pursuing other players but the source told me that Nadeau, Miller, Archibald and O'Neill are the only names that will be leaked now. Each new player brings something important to QC Boston and with six players, I can start to speculate and imagine how the team will look and perform on the pitch.

Chaser Benny Nadeau will leaving ECQ to play for QC Boston. An outstanding off-the-ball chaser, Nadeau has a knack for getting open, and taking accurate, mid range shots. If the Massacre run an offense similar to Villanova's (which is what I expect), Nadeau will benefit from the quick play qnd precise passing. Complex chaser weaving, give and goes and designed screens will allow him to get more touches of the quaffle and score more frequently. Nadeau played and excelled in Emerson's  man defense and if the Massacre decides to play a zone, he will have to adjust.

Photo by Liz Fisher

Photo by Mollie Evans

Dan Miller, the former Ringling keeper and captain, will be moving to Boston and playing for the Massacre. Miller is a leader and offensive playmaker with size and length--something that will be very valuable to the Boston community team when they face off against Emerson and BU. QC Boston's first Southern addition doesn't fit the passing-minded and speedy model that they might become known for, and it will be interesting to see how he is used in the offense. Miller works terrifically with beaters, often instructing them to clear out driving lanes for him. Playing primarily at the point, he can drive and shoot well too.

Photo by Michael Mason/IQA Staff

 Jayke Archibald will also be heading up to Boston to play with the Massacre in 2013-14. Archibald starred for Hofstra at chaser, drawing the eyes of onlookers every game he played. A prolific goal scorer, Archibald's speed and agility make him a great driver and he just knows how to score. On the fast break, Archibald and Teller will be a deadly duo, pulling QCB out of snitch range in many games. He has great field vision and will be a reliable and efficient scoring weapon for the Massacre. As a defender, the Hofstra grad is not very physical, but smart. He is good at blocking off passing lanes and can strip the ball sneakily.

The first non quaffle player confirmed for QCB is Boston Riot beater Bobby O'Neill. O'Neill is incredibly smart when trying to regain bludger control and a strong defensive presence. He has the skills to become an elite beater, and on a team that will most definitely use complicated, beater-chaser strategy, I believe he will.

With these four exciting additions, anyone following QCB has to ask: who's next? The Massacre are starting to build something special through aggressive recruiting: a team with recognizable names and great talent from many different teams and regions. Without any seekers, only one beater and no female players, the Massacre are very incomplete still and will hold official tryouts. The six players confirmed for QC Boston's roster though, have set a high standard in terms of talent, athleticism, leadership and experience.

First Team All Stars

(K) James Hicks

Maryland's transformation into a top-tier quidditch program can largely be credited to Team USA keeper James Hicks. Maryland's "Diamond Shell Defense" has been a major reason for success in 2012-13 only allowing an average of 30 points a game. In the back of Maryland's D, Hicks is a formidable presence, often charging out to meet driving players and receivers. Able to knock out the quaffle with hard hits, he causes and recovers many turnovers, then quickly runs down the field. Hicks possesses surprising agility and light-footed-ness in transition and his juking is the best I've seen from a keeper of his size. Hicks heads and paces an offense terrifically, with great patience and passing. Maryland's offense is very controlled and reminds me somewhat of a basketball offense, with Hicks being the main ball handler along the perimeter. Maryland was the elite team in the Mid Atlantic in 2012-13 and disappointment at World Cup doesn't change that

Created by James Hicks

(C) Drew Wasikowski

Photo by Kat Ignatova/IQA Staff

When he is on his game, Texas A&M chaser Drew Wasikowski is the most dominant player in quidditch including players from UT and UCLA. A sub-par performance against Texas in the World Cup VI quarterfinals has overshadowed the fantastic season "Drewski" has had. Leading Texas A&M to a Collegiate Cup championship, Diamond Cup championship and topping the standings at the unofficial BTCW Tournament, the Aggies were the consensus number one team in the country for most of the year. Wasikowski does it all for A&M. He can play at the point or off the ball, always contributing to the offense. He stands out on his team and at each tournament. Your eye is drawn to him because he is the perfect chaser, holding exceptional tackling, driving, passing, shooting and defending skills.

(C) Daniel Daugherty

Photo by April Gonzales

While BGSU's Daniel Daugherty isn't the most physical chaser, I believe he is the best shooter quidditch has ever seen. Daugherty's ability to make even half of his long range shots is an amazing weapon that can befuddle the best defenses. Able to evade top point defenders with tackle-breaking and help from beaters, Daugherty only needs a second to look up and fire. Opposing keepers, who can have obscured vision and be as far as 25 feet away, need stay very aware and be able to make diving stops. Daugherty is also a fantastic passer and driver. Number 19's point play stretches the field unlike any other player and creates a harder job for the defending team's beaters. With more open space, he can weave through the defense and shoot closer to the hoops--sometimes off balance, on the run or while being tackled. On defense, Daugherty is most valuable as a keeper. Against Texas in the World Cup VI semifinals, he blocked five shots from strong, powerful Longhorn chasers with a mixture of stuffs and deflections. BGSU was a semifinalist at WCVI and a finalist at Midwest Regionals in 2012-13 and it's a shame that comprehensive statistics do not exist to show that Daugherty probably has one of the highest points per game averages in the country.

(C) Melissa White

Photo by Elizabeth Barbier

It seems quidditch was made for LSU's Melissa White. She is outstanding at breaking tackles and dodging bludgers, a skill that only a very few female chasers have (and none do it as well as White). A talented offensive point guard, her head is always up looking to pass or make a good shot. She tracks down errant shots and receives passes behind the hoops as well as assists and finds open teammates. White creates her own chances at goals doing more than simply getting open, catching and shooting. Often spinning and trucking through 2 or 3 bigger defenders on her way to the hoops, she is really hard to tackle. On defense, the Olympian dishes out hard hits and precise take downs and she will always be at the bottom of a scrum for the quaffle.

(B) Kody LaBauve and (B) Kyrie Timbrook

Photo by Elizabeth Barbier

Photo by Monica Wheeler

Kody LaBauve of LSU and Kyrie Timbrook of the Silicon Valley Skrewts are two of the most aggressive beaters in the country. With their beating partners playing more conservatively, LaBauve and Timbrook can pick up and intimidate the point player. Unafraid to make long or difficult beats, LaBauve, nicknamed "Sniper," and Timbrook, a former collegiate softball player, have amazing arms. The two beaters can cover ground quickly, rarely losing bludger control, and halt the opposition's transition game with extraordinary half pitch beats. Each assisting their offenses too, LaBauve and Timbrook are smart and strategic. Possessing every skill you could want from a beater, the pair have yet to win any big tournaments--perhaps the reason they do not receive as much attention.

(S) Steve DiCarlo and (C/K/S) August Lührs

Photo by Isabella Gong/IQA Staff

Created by James Hicks

Both playing for teams in the City of Angels, Lost Boys' seeker Steve DiCarlo and USC's August Lührs have different seeking styles. DiCarlo's consistency and number of clutch snatches is unmatched in the quidditch world. While many seekers get hot, cold, and streaky, DiCarlo has been reliable to catch the snitch all year for the Lost Boys. DiCarlo has grabbed three tournament winning grabs and countless others that propelled his team to important wins.


By now, everyone knows that USC's August Lührs can take the quaffle the length of the pitch, run through the entire defending team, and slam it through the hoops past the best keepers. With immense physical talent and ability, the Trojan and Olympian will win every loose ball and will always be moving on offense without the ball. He may be an even bigger weapon at seeker though. At World Cup VI, he overwhelmed every snitch he faced with size, aggression and tirelessness. Lührs' lower body strength makes him impossible to throw and as his grappling improves, he will become an even more dangerous seeker.

 First Team
Keeper-James Hicks
Chaser-Drew Wasikowski
Chaser-Daniel Daugherty
Chaser-Melissa White
Beater-Kody LaBauve
Beater-Kyrie Timbrook
Seeker-Steve DiCarlo
Utility-August Luhrs

Departing Players Database Part 2

I want to finish off this so I can do my predictions for the three remaining US Regions: South, Southwest and Mid-Atlantic. Teams that I am especially curious about--USF, Florida, LSU, Arkansas, Texas State, Pittsburgh...

South

Miami

Jenn Baumgartner - Beater

Todd Grimm - Chaser

Sean Pagaoda - Beater/Chaser

South Carolina
Jacqui Ahearn - Chaser

Ringling
Dan Miller - Chaser
Steven Wong - Chaser
Anthony Sherburn

Southern Miss
Tyler Edwards - chaser

Southwest

Texas A&M

Keri Callegari - Chaser

Savannah Allison - Beater

Texas
(Information obtained from a Muggle Net video pointed out to me by Ian Hoopingarner and confirmed by a source who wished to remain anonymous. If any of the following players are continuing to play for the Longhorns or the list doesn't include a player, be sure to point it out).
Simon Arends - Chaser
Chris Morris - Chaser/Keeper
Stephen Bell - Keeper/Chaser
Jacob Adlis - Beater
Lauren Carter - Beater
Hope Machala - Beater
Hank Dugie - Chaser
Kody Marshall - Chaser
Augustine Monroe - Keeper
Jake Alford - Seeker
Sarah Holub - Chaser

Sam Houston State
Brandi Cannon - Chaser
Randi Sampson - Beater
Ryan Bowers - Chaser/Keeper

Oklahoma State

Corie Jo Fegel - Chaser

Julie Glenn - Beater

Chase Thackerson - Chaser

Andy Iverson - Beater

John Whiteaker - Chaser/Beater

None: Baylor, Loyola

Mid-Atlantic

VCU

Haley Moffitt - Beater

Scott Behler - Coach (ex-beater)

Katryna Fernandez - Chaser

Sam Rosenberg - Chaser/Keeper

Nicholas Waddell - Beater

Villanova

Zach D'Amico - Chaser

Blaise Sceski - Keeper

Penn State
Michael Parada - Chaser/Keeper/Seeker
Kelly Gambocurta - Beater
Steven Hysick - Chaser
Ben Kolmer - Beater
Joe Tucker - Chaser 

Maryland

James Hicks - Keeper

Patrick Rardin - Chaser

Sarah Woosley - Beater

Jimmy Pritts - Beater

Liz Miles - Chaser

Richmond

Nick Candido - Chaser

Billy Rothert - Beater

Second Team All Stars

(K) Tony Rodriguez

Photo by Kat Ignatova/IQA Staff

No player has ever revolutionized a team as much as Tony Rodriguez. The Lost Boys were a mediocre team before the transfer of Rodriguez, picking up their only wins in games against teams that weren't competitive and getting blown out by the big boys of the West. Rodriguez was, in many ways, the missing piece to a talented lineup that featured one of the best seekers in the game and a great beater pair. Rodriguez, an imposing physical presence to spearhead the offense, plays a fundamentally sound all around game. His shooting, driving and passing are superb and playing with injury, Rodriguez helped the Lost Boys become the first community team to ever reach the Elite Eight. The Lost Boy keeper is extremely dedicated to improving and has traveled and played with the West's best at West by Southwest and at the Cinco de Mayo Cup.

(C) Bobby Roth & (C) David Demarest

Bobby Roth, of Marquette and David Demarest of USC, have all the athletic talent a player could want. Both excellent point players and feared tacklers, Demarest and Roth are the leaders of their chasing cores on their respective teams. Roth, tall and long, is a physical, hard-hitting defender. His shots and passes whiz by the defense with stunning speed and accuracy. Roth is not afraid to initiate contact when driving and his ability to run through tackles demonstrates his strength. Marquette and Roth's performance at World Cup VI was underwhelming, but the blue and yellow collected plenty of hardware in the fall, winning the Midwest Regional Championship and placing second in the Collegiate Cup.

Photo by Kat Ignatova/IQA Staff

David Demarest has lived in the shadow of August Lührs and Remy Conatser at USC, and doesn't receive the credit he deserves. Playing a much more controlled and smart game than his Trojan teammates, Demarest has a broad skills set that includes trucking, penetration and dishing out the quaffle. The Trojan chaser has the build of, and is, a fantastic power chaser. Demarest was greatly missed by USC at World Cup VI and with Demarest, USC could have easily been a Final Four team.

(C) Paul Williard

Baylor chaser Paul Williard is an amazing player on both ends of the pitch. His quickness and agility make him one of the most dangerous players off the ball in the IQA. Williard always finds ways to get open and is a master of give and goes. Streaking down the field, or making sharp cuts behind the net, his vertical allows Baylor's point players to lob him high passes over the opposing keeper for goals. On defense, Williard's strength is his vision. Normally sticking to his hoop like glue, #10 pops out suddenly to intercept passes and race down the pitch. Blocking shots and retrieving loose balls from missed shots are also strengths of the Baylor captain. Teams playing against Baylor should attempt to target the other side of the pitch more because on Williard's side, turnovers will be more common than goals.

Photo by Lauren Carter

(B) Brittany Ripperger & (B) Katrina Bossoti

Both from BUs, Baylor's Brittany Ripperger and Boston's Katrina Bossoti are some of the smartest, most strategic beaters in the sport of the quidditch. Ripperger and Bossoti can pounce of loose quaffles allowing their team to regain possession, kill drives by stopping the player in his/her tracks with a timely beat and pressure players into making bad passes. Rarely losing bludger control, neither beater seems to make bad mistakes or inaccurate beats. Ripperger is the unsung hero in Baylor's rise to prominence and her beating is vital Baylor's signature defensive strategy. With a regional championship and a World Cup final four appearance, she will undoubtedly continue to pick up trophies and tournament titles. Bossoti, coming out of the Northeast, returned for World Cup VI after winning Northeast Regionals in the fall, and despite missing a semester's worth of practice, played as Boston's MVP. Both Ripperger and Bossoti have revitalized the position of female beater.

(S) Keir Rudolph

Photo by Madeline Finn

Called the "Jeremy Lin of quidditch," (props to whoever came up with that on Facebook) Keir Rudolph, Kansas' seeker, is a freshman sensation. The hype surrounding Keir Rudoplh since his perfect performance at Missouri's Spring Breakout Tournament had been previously unheard of. Rudolph lived up to expectations at World Cup VI, snatching victory against eventual semifinalist Baylor in pool play and helping Kansas advance to the Elite Eight. Wrapping his long arms around snitches, Rudolph can only improve in the next three years and it will be exciting to see him take the position of seeker to a whole new level.

(C/B/S) Sean Pagoada

Photo by Monica Wheeler

Miami's Sean Pagoada, who earned a Team USA chaser spot, converted to beater in 2012-13 and also worked his way into the Hurricanes' seeker rotation. Truly embodying a utility player, Pagoada excels at every position he's played, bringing energy and determination every time he steps on the pitch. Pagoada is a fearsome point defender with a white headband and he is difficult to take down. Armed with a bludger, Pagoada is quick, darting across the field to make strategic beats and occasionally unleashing his cannon. Pagoada also seeked behind David Moyer in 2012-13. Although Miami has a large rotation of seekers, Moyer and Pagoada were most successful (at WCVI) due to their contrast in styles. Pagoada works tirelessly on the snitch, grappling and reaching for the snitchsock. Miami placed second at the Hollywood Bowl, first at Southern Regionals and had the third best point differential after Day One of WCVI (playing in the pool of death). Weaving in and out of a lineup, switching positions and providing anything a team needs, unselfishly, makes the perfect utility player.

Second Team
Keeper-Tony Rodriguez
Chaser-Bobby Roth
Chaser-David Demarest
Chaser-Paul Williard
Beater-Brittany Ripperger
Beater-Katrina Bossoti
Seeker-Keir Rudolph
Utility-Sean Pagoada

Third Team All Stars

(K) David Foxx

Photo by Emily Oliver

Capable of leveling players and trucking through the strongest chaser defenses, David Foxx is an outstanding keeper. Foxx is the point in Emerson's effective half court offense. Surveying the pitch for open teammates, or driving to the hoops, Foxx plays smart and has fantastic field awareness. While he doesn't have explosive speed, nothing is more terrifying than Foxx accelerating down the field on a fast break. Foxx led Emerson to second place at the NERC and a Sweet 16 appearance at World Cup.

(C) Devin Sandon & (C) Kifer Gregorie

Photo by Isabella Gong/IQA Staff

Photo by Blake Hemmerling

What the chaser pair of Rochester's Devin Sandon and Texas A&M's Kifer Gregorie lacks in size, they make up for in shooting, athleticism, quickness and playmaking ability. Each player has a very different role on his team. Sandon is Rochester's leading scorer and has the quaffle in his hands every possession. Gregorie plays for one of the top, deepest teams in the nation. Players like Drew Wasikowski or Andrew Dinwoodie tend to get more touches per possession than Gregoire. However, when Gregorie gets the ball, he makes it count with accurate shooting, great positioning and the ability to slip out of tackles. Gregorie helped Texas A&M to a near perfect pre-World Cup VI record and a championship in the Collegiate Cup.

(C) Meredith Taylor

Photo by Tim Adkins

BGSU's Meredith Taylor is one of those rare players that capitalize on every touch of the quaffle they get. Rarely taking bad shots or turning the ball over, Taylor is incredibly efficient and scores and assists almost every game. Taylor fits into BGSU's offense best when she is playing behind the hoops, scrappily recovering missed shots and receiving passes. Taylor's broad skills set could make her dangerous anywhere on the field though. Taylor's contributions continued as her team knocked off Miami, Maryland, and the Lost Boys at World Cup VI

(B) Luke Changet & (B) Sarah Kneiling

My third team's beater pair consists of Ohio State's Luke Changet and Sarah Kneiling. Changet and Kneiling are both seniors playing in their final year at their respective schools. Changet is a general on the field, commanding beater, chaser and seeker strategy all with a bludger in hand. A natural leader, Changet led Ohio State to the Sweet Sixteen at World Cup VI and has helped to build a team that should be competitive for the next few years. Kneiling, a member of Team USA, is often overshadowed by beating partner Kody LaBauve. Kneiling is a reliable, smart defender who pursues the ball carrier relentlessly. Although she is small, she is fearless in trying to regain bludger control from larger opponents.

(S) Harry Greenhouse

Photo by Tim Adkins

Maryland has the best snitch catch percentage in the IQA at 76% in official games. At the center of Maryland's seeking game is Harry Greenhouse. Greenhouse is strong and normally makes quick work of all but the best snitches. Charging onto the pitch, Greenhouse is determined and confident and has a way of boxing out the opposing seeker. Although he struggled in Maryland's biggest games in 2012-13, removing him from the list because of this is unfair. The reality is, Harry Greenhouse is one of the most valuable seekers in the IQA and when Greenhouse can grapple the snitch, he doesn't come away empty handed.

(C/K/S) Reed Marchman

Photo by Monica Wheeler

Known for his backwards broom and gold shorts just as much as his strength and physicality, Baylor chaser Reed Marchman can't be left out of this list. An aggressive point defender and good shot blocker, Marchman can defend well anywhere on the pitch and is vital to Baylor's defensive strategy. Marchman seeks for Baylor often too, easily catching less physical snitches and providing an equal match for the most physical snitches. Marchman has been part of Baylor's rise from not being known to Regional Champion and Semifinalist.


Third Team
Keeper-David Foxx
Chaser-Devin Sandon
Chaser-Kifer Gregorie
Chaser-Meredith Taylor
Beater-Luke Changet
Beater-Sarah Kneiling
Seeker-Harry Greenhouse
Utility-Reed Marchman 

Rules of my All Star Lists

My All American team (with no rule changes) is virtually identical to the Eighth Man's. When other blogs like the Golden Snitchy and Butts and Brooms began to release their teams, I knew I couldn't just "rewrite" what the Eighth Man said. For the sake of presenting something new I changed some rules...

1) My All Star lists will take into account more than just the overall skill of the player. I also examined the player's accomplishments this year and value to their team.

2) I wanted to produce teams that I thought could play well together. This was not taken heavily into account but was always in the back of my mind.

3) No players from Texas or UCLA will be featured. Many All American lists have paid due respects to the talents of the players from Texas and UCLA. I want to look at and reward the performances of players from other teams throughout the entire season. This is not an All American list. I do not intend for this to be considered an All American list.