Men’s Ultimate Takes 11th Place in Brisk Winds XV

The Men’s Ultimate Disc team traveled to the University of Rhode Island this weekend to compete in the Brisk Winds XV tournament.  With windy conditions at the start of their first game, Stonehill took control with tight marking by Connor Shea and a zone defense allowing for an even flow to the game.  Stonehill was ahead early with a 4-1 advantage over their opponents, Central Connecticut University and never looked back.  Leading the offense were Billy Rust, Patrick Kelleher, and Mike Caruso who combined for 7 of the team’s 13 points.  The final score of game one was 13-4 Stonehill.
            Stonehill continued their strong play in the second game against Fordham.  Utilizing the tough winds to their advantage, they converted several attacks from their opponents into counterattacks for scores.  With a 7-2 halftime lead the game was already all but over, and three scores from Captain Billy Rust in the second half gave Stonehill the 13-3 victory.  In their third game against UMass-Amherst, Stonehill fell behind early and were unable to mount a big enough comeback as they fell 12-8.  To finish out the day, Stonehill took on Bryant-B, and finished the day strong with a 13-0 victory, closing out the first day 3-1 overall.
            Heading into the second day of the tournament, Stonehill had already amassed three victories, but some of their toughest competition was yet to come.  In Sunday’s first game, Stonehill took on Yale.  Trailing early in the second half, Stonehill made a push, scoring three times in a row, but ultimately fell by a score of 15-5.  In the second game of the double-elimination playoffs, Stonehill took on an experienced Wesleyan side.  Unfortunately, the team was plagued by injuries and man power, lacking to put forth their best effort against the team from Connecticut.  In the end, Stonehill fell by a score of 15-6.
             Captain Mike Caruso spoke about the team’s tournament performance saying, “Playing at one of the biggest fall tournaments in New England was a good experience for our young team.  This weekend we saw that when we really work we can compete with the bigger D-1 schools in the region.  We know what we have to work on in the off season and the spring looks promising.”