Cape Town Ultimate

Another round of the Winter League has been completed this past weekend and yet again we were blessed with perfect weather for Ultimate! In fact the weather has been so good each round, that all the hype over playing in the rain and getting awards for being muddy is now looking a little bit silly…
The only let down was the non-arrival of Khaya which effectively forces them into last place and the league structure to be rearranged. The re-organisation on the day worked well though with all but 2 of the remaining pool games being completed.

UCT showed up with their usual energetic and athletic squad, as well as showing off their new team structure which they must have been working on and was looking great! An excellent performance for such a new team. Chilli boasted a formidable lineup of the usual suspects complimented by some awesome new talent. Chilli started their game against the as yet unbeaten Zebru in a blur with an intense defense that gave them the early lead. Zebru were forced to play catch up, showing moments of domination with smooth disc movement on offense but lacked the defensive pressure to shut down Chilli’s deep game.

The third game slot of the day had Ambassadors versus Zebru playing for the top spot in the league with one loss each so far. The Ambassadors showed great style and control in their short game, working the disc around with quick, short passes. Zebru worked hard to maintain their form which paid off to give them the lead, however fitness began to play a factor and a few mistakes allowed Ambassadors to catch up. Trading points up to 10-10, this was turning into an epic game. Ambassadors shot ahead to 12-10 and had the game point in their grasp but Zebru held them off to take the score to 12-11. Zebru needed to score one more point to force the win-by-2 margin and increase the winning score to 14, but the Ambassadors shut them down and took the game and the top rank in the league leading up to playoffs on the last day of the Winter Series.

Standings:
1 – Ambassadors
2 – Zebru
3 – Chilli
4 – UCT
5 – Khaya

At this point the 2 games remaining in the round robin will have no bearing on the final standings, and so they will be dropped from the schedule. The final day of the Series takes place on 6th September, and will host a third place playoff and a final, with Prizegiving and a few social activities to close off the Series in good Spirit. Make sure you are there to support your favourite team in the final showdown of the 2009 Winter Series.