Preview

World Cup

March to Myrtle

by IQA Staff | March 31, 2014

Photo courtesy of Will Michels

World Cup VII is quickly approaching and qualified teams are scouring the internet for information on their opponents. Here at the IQA, we decided to help you along and introduce you to the 80 teams you could face in North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

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Indiana University of South Bend – Midwest – Regional Finish: 19th
By Alex Scheer/Guest Writer

Indiana University of South Bend (IUSB) finished the 2013 Midwest Regional Championship on the edge of qualifying for World Cup by losing to TC Frost on a snitch catch 100*-80. IUSB fell all the way to the consolation bracket to finalize regional rankings, landing 19th of 26th in the region. Many people expected IUSB to qualify for World Cup after finishing third in pool play, where it lost only to regional champion Bowling Green State University  (BGSU) and the University of Kansas’ B-Team, the Crimson Warhawks. Now, after passed up bids by Purdue University and Iowa State, we will get to see how this team pans out on this sport’s most important stage.

Strengths
Speed – Chasers on this team are very speedy, and while not extremely physical, they are in good position to move down the field quickly on offense. Leading the speedy pack is chaser Michael Reed, a great player and scoring threat for IUSB. Expect to see him doing a lot of the scoring for IUSB alongside Ronnie Bogle, a former wrestler who is a very physical specimen. 

Beater Game – Beating is another strong suit for this team. Cannon Barnard, a truly great beater with an arm like a cannon (no pun intended), can hit anyone on the pitch from almost anywhere on the field. He also has the vision to guide other beaters to their target.

Weaknesses
Lack of Preparation – IUSB has only participated in one tournament since its regional and that was at the Grand Valley Grindylow Cup, and even there it had to combine with another team due to depth issues. The lack of playing experience will hurt this team, especially against battle-tested University of Texas and QC Boston: the Massacre. 

Strategy – Another weakness surrounding this team is the lack of a true strategy. A good team can win games with one set strategy as long as its entire unit is playing the same way, all the time. For IUSB, its strategy last semester was simple: give the ball to Bogle and have him run over the other team. This strategy will not work against the likes of Texas and QC Boston, so IUSB would be wise to implement a strategy that uses the team’s strengths.

Standout Player
Cannon Barnard – Cannon Barnard is one of the most talented beaters in the region and is a major reason why IUSB has been able to stay in games. His strong arm, his accuracy and his field awareness all make him the strongest defender on the pitch for IUSB.

Underrated Player
Rachael McCahill – Rachael McCahill is the most athletic and physical female on this IUSB roster, and she is not afraid to take a hit or give one. A chaser with a high motor, she has quick feet to keep her close to her opponent and can break up most passes in her direction.  She also has the ability to stay on pitch for long periods of time, which is good news for IUSB, as it lacks female players.  Expect to see her on the pitch often at World Cup.

Keys to Success
As mentioned earlier, IUSB needs to come up with a strategy that uses all of its strengths, and quickly. Last weekend’s play against fellow Midwest World Cup team Grand Valley State was a good run through for IUSB to find things that work so it can fine-tune everything this week, just in time for World Cup. 

Prediction
IUSB will not make it past pool play. The lack of playing time will really cripple this team, and while wins against Stanford University and Rutgers University are within the realm of possibility, I would be very surprised to see this team make it out of day one. This World Cup will be a great learning opportunity for all returning players to the team next year.

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Rutgers University – Mid-Atlantic Region – Regional Finish: 13th
By Erin Mallory/ IQA Mid-Atlantic Correspondent 

After a disappointing regional, Rutgers University finished in 13th place and failed to secure a bid to World Cup VII. With all of the European teams unfortunately dropping from the tournament, with Johns Hopkins University failing to meet the requirements for World Cup and with Duke University deferring its bid, a spot in the tournament was offered to Rutgers, which gladly and excitedly accepted the bid. Now coming in as one of the last teams to qualify, Rutgers looks to find success at its first World Cup and show that it should have originally received a bid.

Strengths
Staying Power – Some quick numbers for you: Rutgers’ current record is 3-9, not usually a record we think of for a World Cup-quality team. But let’s look at those nine losses. One is a forfeit, two are blowouts and the other six were all snitch range games where Rutgers lost out on the catch, and five of those six games were against World Cup-qualified teams. Its record does not look impressive, but when one looks closely, you can see that it could easily have a 9-3 record if its seeking game was stronger. Now, I don’t know if the seeking situation has drastically improved for Rutgers this semester, but if it has, teams need to be wary. This is not a team you can easily get out of snitch range on. It has a staying power that keeps it in every game, which will greatly benefit the team at World Cup.

Photo by Michael E. Mason/IQA Photo Editor

Spirit – Someone said it on a Facebook comment, but Rutgers is already becoming the darling of World Cup. As one of the last teams to qualify, Rutgers has already started a Cinderella story and people never like seeing those stopped. Many will be rooting for the upsets and Rutgers will want to give it to them. The players will have some of the highest enthusiasm and excitement to play because until a week ago, the team didn’t know it would be playing. They are going to be excited to be on this stage and that excitement will translate into some very good quidditch.

Weaknesses
Point Chasers – Like many other teams, Rutgers runs a point chaser. However, many times I have noticed this to be a problem for its defense. When the other team is bringing the ball up, Rutgers looks to make contact, but a quick juke or spin move out of the wrap up and the opposing team was past the point chaser. This effectively takes one of Rutgers’ defenders out of the play and makes it that much easier for Rutgers to be scored on. Playing quick and physical teams at World Cup, Rutgers will have to hit hard if it is going to hit or just keep the offense in front of it with beater help.

Experience/Depth – Many of the players on this World Cup-qualified team were new to quidditch last semester. This makes for a great story and a great experience for them but does not usually equal success at World Cup. On a stage this big, the players will have to keep their cool and play their game. Many should look to coach Jaws Yu, who should be able to keep his players calm, collected and focused. If the players become unfocused, it may create for some bad score lines.

Standout Player
Chisa Tko-Br Egbelu – When he traveled to THE Fantasy Tournament over the summer, Chisa Tko-Br Egbelu created a name for himself. With his football background, he was able to drive in and score against some of the best players. He was a spark at that tournament and by himself created a lot of hype for his team. Egbelu also possesses an uncanny ability to jump over and dodge bludgers, making himself a great offensive threat that can wreak havoc on any defense.

Underrated Player
Juan Carlos “JC” Arencibia – The starting keeper for Rutgers, Juan Carlos “JC” Arencibia is a key component to the team. His large wingspan gives him a huge advantage when playing keeper because he is able to reach all the hoops without having to move too much. This, along with his ability to take anyone to the ground, makes him a strong defender for the team. On the offensive, he’s a huge attribute as well because he has amazing control of the ball and his accurate passes make him the playmaker. JC makes his teammates look great as he distributes the ball to them.

Keys to Success
Seeker Game – As stated above, Rutgers is able to stay with many teams of World Cup quality. It has not been able to finish, however, having never won a game that was in snitch range. If Rutgers was able to improve its seekers and has a great weekend at World Cup, I expect a few upsets from this Pot Five team.

Prediction
Entering as a Pot Five team, Rutgers drew a pool with Stanford Quidditch, recently added Indiana University South Bend, QC Boston: the Massacre (QCB) and the defending world champ, University of Texas at Austin (UT). I immediately have to give wins to UT and QCB over Rutgers due to the experience those two teams possess, and a first year official team will not be able to hang with them. However, Stanford appears to be a wild card. Although I think it unlikely that Rutgers will pull out a win it, I think there is a slim chance that it could happen and that Rutgers could be one of the few, if not only, Pot Five teams to move onto bracket play. It’s a long shot, but one that I think could be possible off the back of Egbelu.

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Santa Barbara Blacktips – West – Regional Finish: Quarterfinals
By Mitch Cavender/IQA West Correspondent

What many predicted to be a rebuilding year for the Santa Barbara Blacktips turned out to be a reloading year, with the team picking up two standout rookie chasers in Ren Bettendorf and Ben Harding, along with Andy Abayan, who previously starred as a beater for World Cup VI runner-up University of California Los Angeles. Eager to prove themselves on the global stage, these sharks will be hunting for blood in the water in what many have dubbed the pool of death.

Strengths
Height – At chaser and keeper, the Blacktips are a nightmare to match up with. With keeper Chris Lock towering at 6-foot-6 and chasers Ren Bettendorf and Ben Harding standing 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-2, respectively, there are few teams in the IQA who can lock down Santa Barbara in a straight man-to-man defensive set. Lock’s height as a distributor allows him to loft passes over shorter defenders with ease, with Bettendorf using his height and vertical leaping ability to sky over the backs of defenders for one-handed alley oops. The Blacktips’ height also translates to the defensive side of the ball, where Bettendorf and Harding use their combination of length and quickness to jump into passing lanes for easy interceptions. Down low, Lock makes long shots almost impossible to convert and can effortlessly block weaker dunk attempts with hands big enough to nearly cover the full area of the hoop.

Beating – The Blacktips have one of the strongest one-two punches of male beaters in the IQA in Brian Vampola and former UCLA star Abayan, who have the ability to control the bludger game against most teams in the league. It will be imperative that Santa Barbara uses Abayan and Vampola to dictate the pace of the game so as to prevent the first line chasers from getting gassed in the early goings against a pool of teams primarily touted for quality depth at quaffle positions.  

Weaknesses
Depth – Santa Barbara has one of the absolute best starting lineups in the IQA.  However, that’s pretty much all the team has. Once some combination of Lock, Harding and Bettendorf needs to sub, the Blacktips devolve into a team that struggles to create scoring opportunities and to take them away on the other end of the field. To make matters worse, the Blacktips are bringing a paltry 15 active players to North Myrtle Beach, only five of whom are male quaffle players (two double as seeker). While the Blacktips will benefit from having extremely long breaks between games, the team still risks having its depth become an issue in a pool where it most likely will not have much opportunity to turn on cruise control and will instead have to battle for 20-25 minutes against similarly skilled teams.

Female Players – In the modern era of quidditch, it’s virtually impossible to be an elite team without at least one standout female player. Santa Barbara had one in chaser Yaneli Gutierrez, but she broke her collarbone recently and will no longer be competing at World Cup. With her loss, the Blacktips now lack a legitimate fourth scoring option to stretch defenses, allowing their opponents to instead key exclusively on the aforementioned chaser/keeper trio. They also lack the ability to competently run a two-female chaser lineup, which could have been a saving grace for a team carrying four male beaters and five male quaffle players to the tournament.

Tackling – While Santa Barbara excels at closing off passing lanes with its height, it lacks the physicality to shut down skilled drivers when caught without beater support, especially once it is forced to sub out its starting line.

Standout Player
Ren Bettendorf – In only his rookie season, Ren Bettendorf has already solidified himself as a star in the making out West. Defensively, he has the wingspan to be an effective keeper, along with the quickness to stay in front of ballcarriers at point. Offensively, Bettendorf is amongst the best wing chasers currently in the game. As already noted, his height and vertical leaps make him nearly unguardable one-on-one when moving off ball. Even if a defender can stay with him, he will still be able to leap up, pluck the ball out of the air with one hand and finish over the top in one fluid motion. He can also put on a quick spin and overhand dunk once his feet hit the turf. If opposing teams do not have a sizable wing defender to match up with Bettendorf, he could eat them alive in North Myrtle Beach.

Underrated Player
Andy Abayan – While Andy Abayan is by no means an underrated player, he is possibly the biggest player to watch in the entirety of the Blacktips’ pool. At Gold Medal Invitational, Abayan showed glimpses of his former self, able to single-handedly dominate his time on pitch despite being rusty. However, he was noticeably not in the same cardio shape he was in at World Cup VI, which is to be expected for someone playing in their first tournament in almost a year. If Abayan is back in tournament shape for World Cup VII, he has the ability to swing the spread by 30 or 40 points in Santa Barbara’s favor in each game with his full-field beating, especially against weaker beaters.

Keys to Success
Control the pace and end games quickly. Due to their lack of depth, the Blacktips cannot afford to let the snitch stay on pitch for more than a few minutes per game. If it can use its beaters to slow the game down and catch the snitch within one or two minutes after it returns to the pitch, Santa Barbara will be able to maximize the percentage of the game that its star players are on the field. While said stars are on the pitch and fresh, they can compete with the majority of teams in the league. When they are not, they are a middle-of-the-road team.

Prediction
I see the Blacktips clawing their way to survival in the pool of death and being eliminated in the Round of 32 due to their shorthanded roster and presumably being matched up against one of the top eight seeds.

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University of Sydney Unspeakables – Oceania – Regional Finish: 3rd
By Luke Derrick/Guest Writer, JackthePhan/IQA Correspondent

The Sydney University Unspeakables have been the dark horse in the Australian quidditch world for the better part of a year now. Since a sixth place finish in its debut at the 2012 QUAFL Cup and a relatively quiet 2013 season, Sydney wowed at the 2013 Oceania Regional Championship and fought itself into a third place finish.

Strengths
Bludger Control – Sydney’s main strength is its extreme bludger control which, when established, can be absolutely crippling to the other team. With an aggressive pair of starting beaters and equally good substitutes, Sydney's bludger control is always a focus and one of its keys to victory. The Unspeakables' beaters are strong, fast and proficient from long range.

Athleticism – The Unspeakables' key players are incredibly fast and athletic, as evidenced by their furious counterattack. In addition, the athleticism of Sydney's key chasers allows them to run around the defenders rather than having to go through them.

Weaknesses
Inexperience – The Sydney University Unspeakables will be the first Australian university team to ever attend the IQA World Cup, meaning that their experience is very focused on the Oceania region. With a lack of experience playing North American teams, Sydney could struggle to adapt to its unfamiliar opponents. Whether Sydney's inexperience playing North American teams is truly a weakness can only be revealed through pool play.

Seeking – Sydney's other great weakness is seeking. Its snitch catch percentage over the past few games has been very low; however, this is most likely due to the fact that Sydney has transitioned to a new seeker. The Unspeakables will need more practice with the snitch on the pitch and more confidence in their seekers to come through, especially against tough opposition.

Standout Player
Cameron Brown –  The Unspeakables keeper, Cameron Brown, is the team's leading scorer and a member of the Australian National Team. With athleticism and the ability to maintain quaffle control even against the strongest opponents, Brown is able to provide a fast and strong threat to the Unspeakables' lineup. His agility also lends itself to solid defensive capabilities, including shot blocking due to his physical height and presence. Brown will be a large part of the Unspeakables' game and is someone who can definitely turn the tide in a tough match.

Underrated Player
Patrick Ward – Ward flies under the radar due to average statistics, but is a key player to the offense and defense of the Unspeakables. His fast counterattack and weaving speed adds a lot to the lineup and scoring potential of this Australian team. He has great control of the ball and though he does not score as much as Brown, he contributes just as much to the team as a whole.

Keys to Success
Sydney's beaters will need to outperform their North American counterparts, especially since bludger control is both a key part of the Unspeakables' game and a strength. Otherwise, athletic players competing for the lone Australian team will need to use the counterattack to evade physical North American half-court defenses.

Prediction
Being a first-time IQA World Cup participant based thousands of miles from their opponents, the odds are against the Unspeakables. However, Sydney was certainly not dealt the pool of death and there's a window of opportunity for the Australians to sneak into bracket play. If Sydney can come out strong in its first two games against McGill University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the Unspeakables could have a bracket play ticket punched by the afternoon.

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Syracuse University – Northeast – Regional Finish: 13th
By Erin Mallory/IQA Mid-Atlantic Correspondent

After just missing out on a World Cup bid for the second year in a row, Syracuse University was upset and believed if given the opportunity it could make a statement. With the unfortunate drop of European teams from World Cup VII, Syracuse now has the chance to compete in North Myrtle Beach. With a chip on its shoulder, this team will come in fired up to show that it has come a long way since Northeast Regionals.

Strengths
Driving – Syracuse is filled with athletic players, notably its chasers who can drive to score. Its offense heavily relies on one pass, if at all, before it takes the ball to the hoops. This will work well against smaller, less physical teams because the chasers are able to power through the opposing defense.

Beaters  – Syracuse’s beaters have come a long way in a short time; many who have played them in the Northeast have noticed a dramatic improvement. What is most noticeable about them is their physicality. Syracuse’s beaters have started playing very aggressively and are very good at harassing opposing beaters. They are a solid defensive line who go so far as to help the offense by distracting their opponent’s beaters.

Weaknesses
Passing – Parallel to its chasing strength is Syracuse’s chasing weakness. The offensive unit is athletic as stated above, but against some of the bigger and more physical teams, the chasers will not always be able to drive through the defense. These players will have to pass more and create space, but this is not something that they have proven they are capable of doing. Most possessions do not have more than one pass, and if Syracuse hopes to hang with some of the bigger, stronger teams, this has to change.  

Chasing Defense – In the Northeast Regional, Syracuse played Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) for the last World Cup spot. The game went into overtime and RPI pulled away with a victory. Syracuse did not have the defensive ability to keep the game within snitch range, quickly letting RPI run up points and ultimately causing it to lose the game and the bid. Syracuse’s chasers will have to play both sides of the ball in order to succeed at World Cup.

Standout Player
Duane Ford – Chaser Duane Ford can be an imposing player for anyone going against him. His raw power and force, along with his quick feet, allows him to drive through opposing defenses with ease, creating many scoring opportunities for his team. If he doesn’t feel like driving, he has accurate shots and a powerful arm to shoot from distance. When the snitch comes back, Ford will don the yellow headband and at times can make crucial snitch grabs for his team.

Underrated Player
Chelley Pietras – Everyone always hears about the female chasers from the Southwest and the West, but here is one who has been flying under the radar and can make some crucial plays for her team. She seems to always know exactly where to be for a quick dump from her teammates when they drive in and draw the defense. If they pass it off to her, she is open and can put it through the hoops to help bolster Syracuse’s offense. This is also complemented by her speed, which allows her to cut past many females who attempt to guard her. Her quick jolts of energy send her away from her defender and always present her as a viable option for her teammates.

Keys to Success
Having chasers that are multi-dynamic. Beaters are a critical part to defense, but without chasers defending, teams will run all over Syracuse. On the offensive end, if Syracuse only has one way of attacking, it will become very predictable and very easy to stop. If the chasers become multifaceted, this team will have more success.

Prediction
Syracuse is entering World Cup in a pool with the University of Arkansas, Michigan State University (MSU), Steel City Quidditch Club (SCQC) and the Long Beach Funky Quaffles (LBFQ). Arkansas and MSU will most likely take first and second in this pool, but third is up in the air to me. SCQC, LBFQ and Syracuse all have a shot at taking it and sneaking into bracket play. Although Syracuse has a very good chance, I see it just missing out and getting fourth in the pool when those three teams all have the same record and its quaffle point differential is not high enough.