Eastern's overview

Eleven girls team traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio May 9th and 10th to show their worth in the 2009 High School Eastern Ultimate Championships. One team, Paideia, came all the way from Georgia and was not ready to go home without a fight.
The number one seeded team got a lucky break in Pool A, getting a first round bye. This advantage was seen by a very sloppy, sluggish first round game put on by the other teams in the pool. Columbia, Andover, Woodside and Hampton all had to fight back the sleep in their eyes and the hard wind that was stirring.
Paideia’s first game was against the last seeded team in their pool, Hampton. Although Hampton was aware the game was going to be tough they kept their heads up and remained optimistic. Georgia’s Kalli Perano was ready for a quick win, becoming Paideia’s lead scorer. With the wind blowing strong they set up a zone defense to try to encourage throw always by Hampton’s handlers. But Hampton’s number 12, Sydney Huerbin pulled out some active, smart popping that helped her team work the disc. After a hard first half Paideia lead eight to zero. The second half of the game was not reflected in the end score, Hampton did not let the seeding go to their heads and were able to pull out a hard game against Paideia. But in the end the more experienced team from Georgia pulled out a victory of 15-0.
The next game for Paideia was against the 8th seeded team, Woodside from Virginia. Woodside was a newly formed team who were excited to come and play at Eastern’s for the first time. Paideia used the wind to their advantage and threw a zone defense on the new team. Handler’s Christine Bosch, Katherin Diaz and Erin Tucker became quickly flustered by the fast moving cup and had severe problems with holding on to the disc for to long or throwing the disc right to waiting Paideia members. But on the flip side Katherin Diaz was able to make a few nice defensive moves on several Paideia members. On the offensive side for Paideia, they showed their diversity allowing all members to actively assist or score points. The wind showed mercy to Woodside towards the end of a hard game, and they were able to make it up the field to end the game in a 15-1 ending.
The last game of the day was shaping up to be a good game, having the first and second seeds of the pool go up against each other. Massachusetts’s Andover team was struggling in the wind to pull off a victory for the day. Their team was dealing with problems of not being able to clear cutting lanes offensively, a problem that followed over to the last game. Their main handlers Molly Rodin and Emily Perterson tried to make the best of the game and work to pull out a hard game for the undefeated Georgia Paideia’s. Andover struggled to beat Paideia’s zone, just like every other team that day. And Paideia’s fast moving and skilled handling of the disc was to much for the tired Andover team, who lost 15-0.
Day two of the tournament brought on sore muscles and a wet playing field; a deadly combination for inexperience ultimate teams. But Paideia showed their true colors in the final game of pool play as they went up against the very loud and enthusiastic team from Maplewood, New Jersey. Even thought the wind was not as persistent as it was the day before, Paideia continued to put forth a zone defense that served them well on the first day. But Columbia’s handlers, Kate Donatelli and Kayla Walsh were ready for it and were able to work the cup as well as make some nice breaks down the field. Paideia’s India Stubbs was ready for those hucks in the back field and was able to come away with several steals. On offense, Paideia showed good form yet again having no member become a lead scorer. They team came out showing nice flow and understanding of the game, and despite Columbia’s hard defensive playing they were able to continue their clenching of Pool A win by winning 15-0.
The quarterfinal was the first cross over game that Paideia would play. Trying to stop the force was Amherst JV team from Massachusetts, who had shown no fear of hitting the ground and playing hard. Both teams played a strong zone defense, and Amherst’s handler’s Katie St. John and Amelia Mead worked well with Yeye Tarren to move the disc well against the Paideia’s cup. They quickly became the second team of the tournament to score against Paideia. But the first seeded team was yet to be outdone; the team’s handlers Hailey Alm and Sophie Darch worked the cup easily and were able to find their lead scorer Julia Fuster several times in the end zone. Amherst was ready for Paideia’s ability to move the disc and had several hard defensive plays, but Hailey Alm’s was always quick on defense to turn the disc back over to Georgia. In the end Paideia came away with a trip to the semifinals with a victory of 15-2.
New York’s Stuyvesant team was ready for battle in the semifinals. Paideia was unable to hide their tired muscles in the first couple points of the game. Stuyvesant’s Emily Park and Michelle Ma were able to score twice on the sluggish team. But the fast-pace-high-turnover game quickly turned to Paideia’s favor with aggressive defensive plays by Sophie Darch, Rachel Kessler and Camila Arevalo. Not to be out done, Paideia’s Julia Fuster pulled out her strong hucks to get the disc moving down the field and the team again brought new life and a halftime score of 8-2. The second half brought out the best in Stuyvesant’s Emily Park who was an all around hard player and created some nice flow for her team. But in the end the team bond of Paideia’s Sophie Darch and Kane Seidor, who have been playing together for seven years, were able to help seal up a victory for Paideia and a trip to the Eastern’s final.
The final match up was against the number one and two seeds in the girl’s bracket, Paidia and Amherst Varsity. Amherst’s Hannah Yee set the game rolling with a strong layout defensive play against Paideia. The game was fast and energetic and each team gave its all. Players were laying out and jumping all over the field. Amherst pulled an unexpected zone on Paideia to force a turn over and a score, but Paideia came right back ready to work the cup slowly up the field. Amherst’s Keri Lambert was a strong member of the cup who did not easily give up. Her efforts were met by her teammate Claudia Tajima who made several defensive and aggressively plays on offense. Paideia worked the cup and moved effortlessly up the field, including several connections between Sophie Darch and Lane Seidor. Although both teams played hard, in the end Sophie Darch was able to connect with Rachel Kessler in the end zone for a final of 13-7. And Paideia was able to be rightfully called the 2009 High School Eastern Ultimate Champions.