Occidental’s men’s and women’s Ultimate Frisbee teams — respectively Detox and WAC — competed in the Snowmelt Tournament Feb. 28 to March 1 in Colorado Springs. Both teams faced new opponents and continued building momentum for the season.
WAC
WAC captain Ella Lietzau (junior), whose hometown is in Colorado, said the team’s performance at the tournament reflected noticeable improvement. She said that WAC went 4–2 in tournament play.
“I was really proud of how we did,” Lietzau said. “I feel like our quality of play has really improved this year.”
Lietzau said the presence of coaches helped the team manage lineups and make adjustments during games.
“Having the coaches there is really helpful,” Lietzau said. “They’re able to organize what’s going on at each point, and I feel like that is probably the hardest thing when they’re not there.”
According to Lietzau WAC traveled with 27 players, displaying the program’s influx of new members, but could not travel with the entire roster due to financial limitations.
“We had a lot of people join this year […], but we had to figure out how to balance having so many people on the team […] and also not having funds for everyone,” Lietzau said.
Rookie Ashley Rodgers (sophomore) said the trip to Colorado allowed her to compete against unfamiliar teams while traveling with her teammates.
“I just thought it was really cool to be able to go to Colorado to play a sport that I love, and be with the team that I love,” Rodgers said. “The altitude sucked, but it was fun to be with WAC in Colorado.”
Rookie Rosalie Deglise-Moore (junior), who joined WAC this year as a transfer student, said playing teams outside California helped challenge the team.
“We were the only California team,” Deglise-Moore said. “Everyone else is from Colorado, so it was really cool just to see how different teams function.”
Deglise-Moore said joining WAC helped her make new connections after transferring to Occidental.
“Joining WAC was actually super helpful for just finding community, finding ways to meet people […] and fall in love with the sport,” Deglise-Moore said.
Rodgers said the team environment helps new players adjust quickly.
“I’ve always thought that the team has been the most welcoming environment I’ve ever been a part of,” Rodgers said. “There’s always someone there that will support you on and off the field.”
Detox
Detox player Noah Hébert-Lynch (sophomore) said the team competed in seven games in the tournament and secured its first two wins of the season.
Hébert-Lynch said the team’s first win of the season came after overcoming a defensive strategy they had not seen before. During their game against Xavier University, Detox started strong but struggled when the opposing team switched to a zone defense, a tactic that can make it harder to move the disc down the field. Hébert-Lynch said a mid-game adjustment helped Detox regain control of the game and secure the win.
“Our D-line was playing extremely well through the first half,” Hébert-Lynch said. “Something flipped in the second half, and we changed our game plans, and it showed how adaptable our team [is].”
According to Hébert-Lynch, Detox’s second victory came against Grinnell College. The game was close throughout and came down to the final point, known in ultimate frisbee as a “universe point,” where the next score determines the winner.
“It was definitely a more heated game, which is sometimes rare in frisbee,” Hébert-Lynch said. “There were definitely some points in that game where guys were letting emotions get the best of them.”
Detox player Andrew Eisenberg (junior), who returned to the team this semester after studying abroad, said the team’s mindset helped them bounce back after early losses.
“In our third game, we were telling ourselves that if we just play to the level that we expect from each other and we play for each other, then we will achieve these wins,” Eisenberg said.
Eisenberg said the team’s energy this season has been boosted by a strong freshman class.
“Having a freshman class that’s been really great and committed to the team […] helped to bring the energy up,” Eisenberg said.
Lietzau and Hébert-Lynch said both teams are now preparing for sectionals later this semester as their divisions expand. The women’s division has grown from two to four teams, while the men’s division has increased from four to six.
Eisenberg said the change means Detox will face different opponents this season.
“Our division got expanded […] so Claremont, Cal Poly, and Santa Clara are all teams we’re competing against,” Eisenberg said.
Lietzau said the Colorado tournament showed the results of the team’s work this season.
“The hard work that we’re putting in is coming back,” Lietzau said. “We lost to Santa Clara when we played them in our previous tournament, but if we just keep practicing, then I feel like we can beat them.”
Contact Zumyna Kabir at kabir@oxy.edu
