Preview

World Cup

March to Myrtle

by IQA Staff | April 1, 2014

Photo courtesy of Will Michels

World Cup VII is this weekend, 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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Cal Quidditch – West – Regional Finish: 13th
By Andy Marmer/Correspondent

Cal Quidditch, a team associated with the University of California-Berkeley, will make its third consecutive trip to the World Cup. The team initially missed out on qualifying, finishing 13th at the West Regional Championship; however, it was  rewarded with a World Cup bid after the University of Southern California deferred its bid. Last year, Cal Quidditch similarly received a deferred bid and was able to win once, narrowly missing bracket play; this year, Cal will look to improve on its World Cup VI performance.

Strengths
Defense – Cal features a physical man-to-man defense. Its athletic chasers are effective at shutting down opponents. In three games this spring, the team has held its opponents, all World Cup qualifiers, to an average of 56.67 quaffle points per game. An athletic chasing corps can go a long way in shutting down the opposing offense, keeping games close enough for Cal to attempt to win via a snitch pull.

Weaknesses
Passing – Cal’s passing game is not particularly developed, which in turn harms its offensive game. The squad is mainly reliant upon its quaffle players driving to the hoops and converting fast break opportunities. With a weak passing game, a good tackling team has the ability to stop Cal’s drivers in their tracks, completely stymieing the offense. Add onto this Cal’s lack of true star players and you end up with a team that has trouble putting points on the board. In 15 games this season, Cal has eclipsed 50 quaffle points just six times. Cal’s inability to put points on the board can, in part, be attributed to its lack of strong passing.

Standout Player
Salvador Sánchez – Cal’s co-captain Salvador Sanchez is one of the team’s top players. He is a physical presence at keeper, where he frequently runs the team’s offense. Sánchez is also in excellent shape and has the endurance to be on the pitch whenever needed. While Cal’s offense has struggled at times, Sánchez has been the top offensive weapon when it has succeeded.

Underrated Player
Jacob Waschak – An experienced beater with a strong arm, Waschak anchors the Cal beater line. Waschak’s biggest strength is his accuracy; however, his experience is also an asset to his less experienced teammates. In addition to donning the black headband, Waschak has been known to show off his seeking skills when the snitch returns to the pitch.

Key to Success
Cal has to find a way to generate points. With a stagnant half-pitch offense, Cal will be reliant upon generating fast break chances to get points. Its defense can hold opponents, but without scoring points, Cal is going to find itself out of snitch range in many matches.

Photo courtesy of Cal Quidditch

Prediction
Cal Quidditch drew itself into a tough pool and, as a result, has very little chance of advancing to the bracket. A well-played game may be able to keep the team within snitch range of the University of Virginia in time for a clutch pull, but in all probability, Cal Quidditch will fail to win a match.

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Eastern Michigan University – Midwest – Regional Finish: 16th
By Daniel Daugherty/Eighth Man Correspondent

Eastern Michigan University (EMU) has been around much longer than people give it credit for. Unfortunately, to this point, it hasn’t deserved the credit since it has never been able to rise above the mediocre third tier of the crowded Midwest. Overall, this team should be thrilled to be attending World Cup this year.

Strengths
Keeper play – EMU has one of the best keepers in the Midwest in Chris Tyler. He generally plays every game in its entirety, but when he does sub, his back-up, Nathaniel “Gib” Gibson, is more than formidable. Gibson is a big, physical player who has been around for at least four years and has continued to adapt to whichever role EMU needs him to fill. The team’s keepers are not only the cornerstone of EMU’s defense but are also the main component of its offense.

Weaknesses
Depth – In total, this team might have four World Cup-caliber players who could make it on a Pot One or Two team. Beyond that, it has very unskilled and inexperienced players. It will be interesting to see just how long these top players can stay on the field and be effective. With the nature of World Cup being the most grueling tournament any of these players have ever seen, I think these top players will be lucky to get through game one against Texas State University before truly feeling the lack of depth.

Standout Player
Chris Tyler – As stated above, Chris Tyler is an outstanding keeper and the key to this team. In a critical game against the Falcon Warriors at the Midwest Regional Championship, he single-handedly led EMU to victory and, ultimately, a World Cup bid. Tyler is a tall, athletic player who understands multiple ways to score. He can be the main ball handler or he can play off the ball and provide nightmares for defensive wing chasers. If a team can shut down Tyler, it can shut down EMU’s offense.

Underrated Player
Kern Stanley – Stanley is a small, fast chaser who excels playing off of Tyler. He can generally get open after the first few minutes of the game because teams begin to realize they need to focus in on Tyler. Stanley is a threat at all times and excels when slower wing chasers try to guard him. If Stanley can get open often, he can open up the field for Tyler and EMU’s other players.

Key to Success
Keep Top Players Fresh – Tyler, Gibson and Stanley are essentially all EMU has and without them on the pitch, EMU will be completely anemic offensively and in the quaffle game in general. As far as beater play goes, the team has Ray Ravary, who is a top player for EMU. It will be imperative for this team to keep these four on the pitch as often as possible. The biggest question will be if somebody can step up and be relevant on the pitch when the aforementioned take their inevitable breaks.

Prediction
I see this team being eliminated in pool play and spending Sunday watching top-level quidditch and hopefully learning what it takes to become an elite team. There is a chance that EMU can steal a win in this pool, but anything beyond that seems out of reach for this team.

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Silver Phoenix – Southwest – Regional Finish: 12th
By Beto Natera/IQA Southwest Correspondent 

The oldest B-team in the IQA, the Silver Phoenix entered World Cup VII with a roster of inexperienced players and two or three veterans. While most expect an early exit from the tournament, the Phoenixes have the potential to make a shocking appearance on the second day of the World Cup. Lacking in athletic ability but coached by a former great, what exactly are the Phoenixes capable of accomplishing at North Myrtle Beach?

Strengths
David Gutierrez – Chaser and coach David Gutierrez provides this team with extensive tactical knowledge and special athletic abilities that the Phoenixes sorely lack. While one player can only do so much, Gutierrez has spent the entire year coaching up this team and instilling his own quidditch philosophy in the Phoenixes. His experience and presence on the field could serve to calm his team down if they let in a few goals early on in games.

Camaraderie – This team is one of the more united squads in the game. Certain players declined the opportunity to join the varsity team in favor of remaining with the Phoenixes as they had developed close friendships with the rest of their teammates. Opting for friendship over a shot at a World Cup title may seem ludicrous to some, but victory isn’t the sole reason some of these players suit up for tournaments. This team pulls for one another and will give it their all for their teammates, which is an admirable quality that provides a hidden strength this team can draw upon.

 Weaknesses
Athletic Ability – As a B-team, the Phoenixes are left to scrape the bottom of the barrel in terms of talent. While this squad has taken advantage of its status as a community team by adding chaser Guttierez to the roster, the Phoenixes will struggle against the majority of moderately athletic teams they will face. Keep in mind that the purpose of this team is to provide newer players in the Texas A&M University quidditch program with tournament experience before they make the jump to the varsity team. This being the case, the Phoenixes are permanently hindered by their inability to stop top offenses or beat solid defenses as individuals.

Depth – This weakness ties in directly to the Phoenixes’ aforementioned lack of athletic ability. While players like Gutierrez and chasers Keith Walker and Justin Tepara are solid, there is simply no difference maker outside of this starting group. This results in a tired starting lineup that should look to rest once games against Ohio State University and the Lost Boys come to a close. If their starting line can stay fresh for their late matchups against Rollins College and the University of Rochester, perhaps the Phoenixes could overcome this glaring weakness.

Standout Player
David Gutierrez – The former Texas A&M captain, chaser David Gutierrez would have been an outstanding addition to the current Aggie roster. Fast, intelligent and skilled on defense, Gutierrez was a top player in years past. However, his graduation from Texas A&M left him unable to join the top team in the nation and he has instead spent the majority of the season as the coach of the Phoenixes. Gutierrez will don a uniform once more and easily become the Silver Phoenixes’ most potent offensive weapon.

Underrated Player
Colton Mikulencak – It is difficult to pinpoint a single underrated player for the Phoenixes as the majority of their team is unknown within their own region. However, beater Colton Mikulencak will be essential if the Phoenixes hope to nab two wins on day one. Colton lacks the game sense most veteran beaters have. He and the rest of the Silver Phoenix beaters are prone to getting caught up in beater battles, abandoning their defensive duties and giving opposing teams no bludger-driving opportunities. If Mikulencak can lead his fellow beaters by being vocal on the pitch and ensuring they maintain their defensive discipline, the Phoenixes have a much greater chance at winning a few games

Key to Success
The Phoenixes must keep games close if they hope to pull an upset against the Pot Three team in their pool, the University of Rochester Thestrals. I do not believe that this team has the requisite athletic ability to stay within snitch range against the top teams in its pool. Sneaking into bracket play would be a major achievement for this squad and its only hope to make it to day two is by hanging with the Thestrals long enough to give its seekers a shot at the snitch. If this team takes care of business against Pot Five team Rollins College, the Phoenixes could prolong their World Cup stay.

Prediction
I desperately want to see this team make the second day of World Cup. However, I have zero faith that the Phoenixes can pull off an upset against Ohio State, much less the Lost Boys. A 6:20 p.m. matchup on day one against the University of Rochester will determine this squad’s fate. This game is a complete tossup and I can honestly see it going either way. However…
ELIMINATED IN THE PLAY-IN ROUND OF DAY TWO!

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Texas Tech University – Southwest – Regional Finish: 15th
By Tylor Mclaren/IQA Guest Writer

Texas Tech University is one of the teams that used to be considered one of the “big four” in the state of Texas, but, as of late, it has fallen off the radar. While most teams underestimate this once good team, it is not a team that should be overlooked. Texas Tech always seems to find a way to make games closer than they appear. This is not a team to underestimate just because it is a lower-tier team. Texas Tech comes from the Southwest and will bring the region’s patented physicality to its games.

Strengths
Josh Carroll – As stated above, Texas Tech somehow finds a way to make games closer than what most opponents would want to see, which is due to its beating corps. Josh Carroll anchors this shaky defense and keeps matches manageable for the rest of his team to work with.

Passing – Tech’s offense relies heavily on passing and the majority of the time it makes smart decisions with the quaffle. Look for Phillip O’Brien and Tyler Jewell to be facilitating the offense to chasers at or behind the hoops. Being a pass-heavy offense has some drawbacks though; something that can be one of Tech’s strengths can easily be turned into a weakness if its ball handlers are having an off game.

Weaknesses
Inexperience – Being located in Lubbock, Texas, Tech is a very remote team that does not get a lot of playing time. Any tournament for this team is at least a six-hour trek one way, making it very difficult for Tech to travel to competitions. The lack of experience is going to hinder this team at World Cup because constant scrimmages among teammates can only get a team so prepared.  

Roster Depth – Texas Tech is only bringing a total of 14 players to World Cup, four of whom are women. With such a depleted roster, especially lacking in female participants, Texas Tech is going to be struggling to keep up with the fuller rosters of teams in its pools. Besides a few key players, this team is comprised of subpar talent that needs to develop quickly if Tech wants to make it out of pool play.

Standout Player
Josh Carroll – Without this man on the field, Tech has little to no chance of staying in games that it could possibly win. Carroll is the rock of this defense and plays the majority of the game, logging major minutes. Expect to see this man play the majority of the tournament, if not the entirety of every game. Carroll is going to have to come up big for his team to even have a shot at making day two.

Underrated Player
Phillip O’Brien – O’Brien is not only one of Tech’s main chasers but one of the captains of this team. He has been on the Texas Tech Quidditch team throughout his undergrad years, continuing with the team while going to graduate school. O’Brien is one of Tech’s main ball handlers, so anticipate him to have a major role in this team’s success on the pitch.

Key to Success
Tech’s key to success at this tournament is going to rely in the hands of Carroll. If he has a good tournament, expect to see good things out of Tech. If not, look for this team to fall apart from frustration. It seems as if the whole game revolves around the beater play of Tech. If its defense can make stops and retain bludger control, its offense will find plenty of opportunities to score.

Prediction
If Tech can maximize its strengths and play through its weaknesses, I see this team for sure winning one game. For Tech to get another win would require great teamwork all around and standout performances from the beating corps and the entire offense. If Tech plays its cards right, I can see the team pulling out a second win, but it would be a long shot for that to happen. This team will not see day two.

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University of Massachusetts Amherst – Northeast – Regional Finish: 11th
By Ethan Strum/Eighth Man Editor-in-Chief

The Kings of the Southern New England Quidditch Conference (SNEQC) – and also the conference’s only qualified team – University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) has a lot to prove as it heads to North Myrtle Beach. While teams in its own conference have rarely given the squad trouble, struggles against even lower-tier Northeast teams have raised questions about what it can accomplish on the sport’s biggest stage. More recent results point to a team that has grown through the year and is more prepared than it was when it took early season losses to Clark University and the New York Badassilisks. Looking to improve upon a disappointing 0-4 exit from World Cup VI, this iteration of UMass has the leadership, experience, drive and, perhaps most importantly, the pool to do just that.

Strengths
Defense – With solid beating and tough, physical play at the hoops, UMass is a difficult team to score on in the halfcourt, and this gives it the threat of keeping games close. While the team can be exposed at times in transition, if it can keep the tempo slow, its defense is more than capable of keeping it in most games.

Weaknesses
Athleticism – Pound for pound, this isn’t the most athletic team that will be in attendance at World Cup. It can play physically, but it isn’t going to be out-enduring opponents or winning many races to loose balls. UMass likes to play at a slow pace, and teams that can up the tempo could threaten to run circles around it and quickly put a game out of reach. An 0-2 record in overtime games speaks in part to its struggles in that department.

Seeking – Once a very strong team in the seeker department, UMass has struggled to fill the hole left by graduates over the past few years. The team is 3-8 in SWIM situations on the year, and that kind of record is going to make putting up good results at a tournament like the World Cup difficult, especially when the Northeast isn’t exactly a hot bed of seeking talent. Whether it’s the seekers themselves or the seeker beating game around them, something has to change.

Standout Player
Robert Vortherms – This fourth-year beater brings an air of calming experience to the UMass beater lines. Combining a strong arm with impressive catching abilities, Robert Vortherms is more than comfortable sitting in the middle of the team’s defense, anchoring it with pinpoint beats and retaining possessions with reflex grabs. Simply put, when he’s the best beater on the field, he can single-handedly take over games. His one shortcoming may be his quickness: don’t expect him to win many races to a bludger.

Underrated Player
Thomas Walsh – While UMass has lost much of its size over the past few years, Walsh continues to be a force anchoring the team’s defense. While his offensive game is still developing, he can lay a hit and block a shot with authority. He’s also worked hard to continue to improve his game, attending every fantasy tournament he could while even captaining at a few of them. Walsh is a determined captain and will make sure his team comes to play well at World Cup with him leading by example.

Key to Success
If UMass hopes to move on to day two, it is going to need to find a way to generate some offense. Against World Cup-qualified teams this season, the squad is averaging just over 40 quaffle points per game, which is not going to cut it with so many questions at seeker. This isn’t a team that’s going to run you up and down the field, so it’s going to take putting together a few passes in the halfcourt to generate the points needed to win UMass a couple of games.

Photo by Michael E. Mason/IQA Photo Editor

Prediction
Luck has favored UMass, who has drawn a pool it has a very real chance of making it out of. While UMass is unlikely to compete with the likes of Baylor University and the University of California, Los Angeles, it could be considered favorites in both of its other games, with Ottawa Maple Rush struggling to match up against Vortherms at beater and Grand Valley State University simply being overmatched from top to bottom. In the end, it’s probably going to come down to a snitch grab or two, and we’ll have to see whether UMass can muster up something in the seeking game.

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Quidditch at the University of Virginia – Mid-Atlantic – Regional Finish: 11th
By Steve Minnich/IQA Mid-Atlantic Correspondent

Quidditch at the University of Virginia (UVA) snuck into the field for World Cup VII by receiving the first deferred bid appropriated to the Mid-Atlantic.  After falling just short of qualification in November’s regional, UVA has gotten improved results of late, capped by victories over the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Richmond for a tournament win in A Cup Worth Fighting For.  The squad will be eager to show that it belongs in North Myrtle Beach with the 79 other qualifying teams this weekend.

Strengths
Slow-Ball – If there are any more ways than UVA utilizes to slow a game down and minimize total possessions, I’d be surprised.  Its offense gets set in position as the quaffle is walked up the pitch and passes back and forth at the point to keep the quaffle, defense and clock moving.  In transition, beaters are set to stop any fast breaks from occurring while the quaffle-handler is always ready to jump back and help.  In a set defense, the unique “line-on” formation makes opponents slow to look for an opening or other way to break the set.  On top of this, the team’s slow play mixed with grit and determination forces a lot of scrappy games with a lot of stoppages for referees to sort out what’s happening, which frustrates opponents while UVA expects and handles the stoppages – after asking a couple times for clarification, of course.

Two-Pass Offense – The slow advance of the quaffle into a set offense allows UVA’s chasers to choose their positions in the half-field.  This team is scoring points when the two-pass is clicking: switch the field at the point, then go back to the give-and-go target or hit a wing chaser with a pass at the hoops.  It’s a simple. fundamental passing game that requires crisp passes and good positioning to execute, and when UVA is able to play the way it wants, it’s able to execute well.

Weaknesses
Transition Offense – Simply put, UVA’s transition offense is non-existent.  As a result of the team’s game plan, UVA has given up nearly every opportunity for a fast break goal that it’s gotten this season.  After forcing a turnover, the first move is never to look down the field at what’s available.  Instead, the first step is to get the quaffle back to the keeper to secure control.  While this keeps the possession count low, it leaves goals on the table, which can increase in value in a low-possession game.

Focus – Another result of the team’s game plan is that UVA’s players talk – a lot.  While communication within the team is great, the players also spend large parts of the game talking to opponents, referees, spectators . . . again, it serves to slow the game down and frustrate opponents.  On the other side of that coin, it might lead to a number of penalties at World Cup for arguing.  Worse than that, though, players can be caught sometimes paying more attention to a conversation than to what’s going on in the game.  If its opponents manage to avoid getting caught up in those heated moments, the lack of maintained focus can be exploited.

Standout Player
Erik Morlock – Erik Morlock is the rock on which this team stands.  His steady presence at the keeper position gives his teammates an anchor to rally around when games aren’t playing out the way they would like.  With good offensive and defensive positioning, reliable passing and surprising quickness to complement his solid frame, Morlock is noticeably UVA’s best player in most games.

Underrated Player
Michael Reilly – Michael Reilly’s impressive speed, sharp cuts, good hands and solid strength make him both an adept finisher and feisty defender at the chaser position.  However, his skills have been underutilized by UVA as he’s been in the shadow of more veteran players and because the team’s game plan doesn’t match too well with his best skills.  While he is effective in games, he might not get enough playing time and would definitely benefit from being able to break in a transition offense.  While I considered highlighting Michael Dong in this spot, another reliable keeper behind Morlock, Reilly is a player who can really shine if he’s given the chance.

Key to Success
Seeking – While UVA’s style of play will keep a lot of games close and low-scoring, it will need to rely on a seeking game that has been inconsistent throughout the season.

Prediction
UVA will take one win and create some frustratingly close games for the top teams in its pool. It will not move on to day two.