Community Quidditch Team of Providence, RI
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The India Point Ashwinders got their first action of the season at Joe Moakley Field in Boston last Saturday when they played in the MQC/SNEQC Season Opening Tournament. IPA was in the first pool with Emerson College Quidditch, QC Boston Massacre, the Brandeis Wizengamot, and Smitch College Quidditch.
The Ashwinders opened the tournament with a match against the runners-up of Northeast Regionals last year, Emerson. IPA attended the tournament with the intention of learning how to play from the best and saw it up close and personal right away. Though India Point held the game to 20-0 for the first couple of minutes, Emerson systematically rolled over the second-year team. Save for one chance in the first minute of the game on which Chaser Derik Wagner waited too long behind the hoops, IPA had difficulty advancing the ball past midfield all game. The Quaffle-carrier often had to pull themselves off the ground due to Emerson's point defender's ferocious play and quick passes often resulted in turnovers due to timely Beats. The final score was 230-30* due to a Snitch Catch by Seeker Jeff Blum.
The second game of the day pitted the India Point Ashwinders against a quality SNEQC team in the Brandeis Wizengamot. Brandeis brought a revamped lineup that seems much improved from last year. The Wizengamot scored off of the opening play and didn't look back en route to a solid 130-60* win. The Ashwinders had many more opportunities in this game but didn't bury them while Brandeis swarmed the hoops and got many quality chances. The highlight of the game was when the Snitch came on pitch and rookie Keeper Amanda Richards recovered the ball and saw plenty of green field in front of her and took it all the way down for the first goal of her career.
GAME RECAP: MQC/SNEQC TOURNAMENT
Keeper Amanda Richards.
Photo produced by Michael E. Mason Photography.
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The India Point Ashwinders paired up with Smith for the third game of the tournament which proved to be their best outing of the day. IPA had a game much more like how they played in SNEQC Cup 2013 where Chasers flew up and down the field. The defense stood up phenomenally, rarely allowing Smith to get deep into the zone. The Chasers did well at halting the point of attack while the Beaters effectively cleared out passing options. Rookies Nick O'Mara and Joy Yamaguchi scored three and two goals respectively, and their firsts as Ashwinders in the 150-40* victory.
The final game of pool play, and the tournament for India Point, was between IPA and QC Boston Massacre, the newest community team in the Northeast and formed by the joining of some of the best recent graduates from the East and other key pickups and this game was very similar to the struggle against Emerson. The Massacre scored quickly and often outside of a few stops by the Ashwinders defense. A big bright spot from this game was the Beater play. Against the team that placed fourth in the tournament, IPA held on to Bludger control for almost half the game. Another small bright point in the match was that the team scored its first goal against one of the biggest powers in the Northeast on a Hail Mary shot by Wagner that went through a hoop off of a Boston defender. India Point went down 260*-10.
The India Point Ashwinders came away from this tournament with a better appreciation of what they need to be able to do to move up the ranks in the Northeast and got invaluable playing experience in the biggest tournament in their history. Five of their rookies, Jane Jacoby, Leah Jones, O'Mara, Richards, and Yamaguchi got their first action in competitive Quidditch. And lastly, they came away without injury.
An important note that was not mentioned in the synopses above was the play of the Beater corps which was composed of veterans Rod Hasbun, Nate Kingston, and Patricia LaSalle and Jacoby when she joined up with the team in the last game. They made some big stops against two of the best teams in the tournament. The team was just unable to generate much zone time and gave up too many quality opportunities.
Wagner and Keeper Jeremy Work led the team with seven and six goals respectively. The Ashwinders start their regular season this Sunday at Clark.
