2007 Recap
2007 was an up and down year for the Pone. The team added some new personnel over the off-season, and managed to overcome early field space issues and injuries to gell quickly, coming out of the gate strong with solid showings at Cazenovia and Easterns. However, faced with the oppressive humidity of the Chesapeake Invite, the team whithered, losing heartbreaker after heartbreaker and eventually finishing the weekend winless and sunburnt (the redheads at least). Some of the swagger was regained at Chicago (PoNY’s final non series tournament), where despite limited numbers the team played well.
The brain trust gathered, formulating plans for victory – knowing full well that all the tournaments from late April to mid September are just a prelude to the series. After cruising through sectionals PoNY headed up to Boston – eyeing a bid to nationals, the goal against which the season would be measured.
Regionals went to seed and in the last round on Sunday, PoNY found themselves in the game to go to Nationals against GOAT. The game was a back and forth affair, with both teams running off strings of breaks but unable to land the knock-out blow. When the cap went on, PoNY found themselves down 11-9, hard to 12. The O team managed to punch it in on a huck from Masulis to Bailey to bring the game to 10-11. On the ensuing D point, Goat quickly marched down the field and looked poised to score until Duke came through with a layout on the goal line, which the D team quickly converted to bring things to double game point. Unfortunately however, the comeback was not to be. On universe point despite huge Ds from Joe Smash and Jeff (called back on a strip and a foul respectively), Goat was able to put it away with a scubber to the front cone.
Offseason
Devastated from missing out on Nationals but proud of being part of PoNY ‘07, the team got together in Astoria for the final event of the season. DQ, a captain for 3 years, announced that he would be unable to play next year to dedicate himself to becoming a father, and in true PoNY fashion the team decided to close out the 2007 season and send DQ off in style. In past years PoNY has been known for for spiking shot glasses and getting thrown out of bars, but this team is all about upping the ante, and before long players were spiking discs on police officers and getting arrested. It was a night to remember.
Anyone who watches Animal Planet knows that ponies tend to hibernate for the winter – this team is no exception. After electing Al, BVH and Jody captains for the upcoming year, the team turned in for 3 months of slumber, waking up just in time for high level pick-up and tryouts. It turns out that while we slept, ultimate players moved to the city in droves. Heading the call of the PoNY beacon in the New York City sky, ultimate players turned out in record numbers to try out for a spot on the PoNY ‘08 roster.
Tryouts
It must be hard to run tryouts when 15 kids named Ben show up, but somehow the captains managed. Every player was subjected to a rigorous battery of physical and psychological tests to determine if they were PoNY material. Eventually over several rounds stretching through practices, scrimmages and tournaments, the tough but necessary decisions were made whittling down the tryouts to a core group of players: *PoNY ‘08! (Change you can believe in) *