On April 29th, under blue skies and balmy weather, 90 women of all
skill-levels gathered at Gallaudet University for the first DC-Area
Women’s Combine, jointly hosted by Scandal and Backhanded Compliments.
Players had the opportunity to choose from 5 different skills
clinics, meet the local Club teams, and play in a round-robin
scrimmage.  Clinics focused on all aspects of play, to include
defensive positioning, hucking, cutting deep, agility, marking and
dump offense and defense. Players from Backhanded Compliments and
Scandal united to run this event, with members from both teams
instructing skills stations together. Our goal was to organize an
event that gives female players in the area the opportunity to play
with other women, and to learn from one another in a friendly yet
competitive environment.  We are looking forward to building on the
success of the WAFC Women’s Spring League and the overwhelming turn
out at the Combine as we head into the club season.  Next up: a
women’s hat tournament in July, so stay tuned!

After Scandal’s open combine tryout this Sunday, April 29th (see post below), we will be hosting two invite-only tryouts on Sunday, May 13th and Sunday, May 20th, both from 1-5pm. If you cannot make it to the open combine this weekend but would still like to tryout, please email the captains at scandalultimate @ gmail.

Scandal would like to invite all interested players to the DC-area women’s ultimate Combine on Sunday, April 29th from 10am – 3pm at Gallaudet University. The intent is to raise awareness of area players of all skill levels, while also working on specific skill sets in smaller, focused groups which are to be led by experienced local Club players. Additionally, we will be using the Combine to see talent in the area, to formally invite to our tryouts in mid-May.

We would love to see you there. If you plan on attending, please fill out the survey found here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFIyNEhvcHl1LTJYTWxScUdaX2t4Q2c6MQ#gid=0

We will be providing fields, discs to use in drills, and light snacks.

Thank you, and look forward to meeting with you and playing together!

Molly and Allison
Scandal Captains 2012

Follow us at the National Championships Oct 27-30! And read our Regionals write up below:

Despite rainstorms, threats of postponement and a last minute move to Toughkennamon, Pennsylvania,  Scandal took home the Regional title and snagged the first bid to Nationals.  Thank you for everyone who helped make Regionals possible at such short notice!

Our first hard-fought game was against Sweet T, an NC-based team traditionally comprised of former Backhoe players.  The final score, 15-4 is a poor indicator of the strength of the competition: Sweet T pushed us to run hard and adapt to their wily throws.

We then played our neighbors, Veto, in a fun and mentally challenging game.  As it began to rain, we had to hold ourselves to a higher standard and maintain a high level of play. We always enjoy playing against Veto and can’t wait to see them next season.

We were particularly eager to play Green Means Go, the brand-new, all-star packed team out of Philly, as we hadn’t seen them all season.  We knew that we would have to run hard, implement smart match-ups, and stick to our game.  Although we were able to post a great score against them, 15-3, we were not surprised that they earned their way into the game-to-go against Pheonix the following day.  We expect to see them as a very strong team next season.

After finishing day one of Regionals, we escaped the cold, rainy weather and found solace in Caitlin’s parents’ home.  We were welcomed with wine, warm chili and apple pie and enjoyed some excellent team bonding, in giddy anticipation of our games the next day.

Early the next morning, we were abruptly awoken by Hot Metal:  hungry to clinch a spot in the finals.  Hot Metal, a Pittsburgh-based team that was started last season, brought their A-game and gave us quite the battle.  It was absolutely freezing that morning and each team had to quickly adapt to cold hands and muscles, and wet discs.   Our D-line brought tons of energy at the onset, breaking Hot Metal the first few points..  A few highlights: Huldah Gronvall’s head-D, one (or a few) foot blocks from Briana Cahn, and a few heads-up snags by Manu Argilli.

Despite our best efforts, Hot Metal quickly adapted and used a zone defense to force our O-line to throw in difficult-to-navigate winds.  It took a few points to learn how to break their zone, but Amy Hudson utilized her height and mad skills to get the disc through, around and over the cup, while Margalit Gould generated much-needed movement down-field.  We ended the game 15-9 with a victory over Hot Metal, and promptly headed to Wawa to warm our hands before the finals.

Scandal was READY to play our Regional rivals, NC-based Phoenix, in the finals.  We had seen Phoenix just two weeks earlier at Virginia Fusion, where we went down hard in our first match-up against them all season.  Ready to redeem ourselves, we had been looking forward to this finals match-up for quite some time.

Captain Molly Roy made sure to pump us up with her pre-game ritual and from that point onward we played with a positive, excited energy.  Our D-line started the game with two breaks in a row – and never looked back.  Baller defensive plays were made by Crystal Davis (who also laid out for a few pivotal end-zone catches), Adrienne Dass (who stuck to her man with sick bad-touch D), and Sandy Jorgensen (who guarded our end zone like it was her job.)  Captain Allison Maddux also had a few defensive bids that fired everyone up.

Although our D-line looked hot, Scandal’s O-line stole the show.  After retiring half of our O-line from last year, Scandal has had a rocky season of experimenting with different O-line personnel and strategy.  Phoenix matched our physical, aggressive play, but our O line was able to hold strong. All of that was forgotten during the finals.  Despite icy hands, unpredicable winds, and fierce competition, our O-line was an incredible force to be reckoned with.  In the face of rough conditions and tough opponents, our O-line was a nearly-flawless, unified front.  Shout-outs to Jenny Fey, who played like a baller despite being sick,  Jennie Wellman for having the best hands in the entire Region, and Molly Roy for throwing the game-winner.

Props to Phoenix for braving the cold once more and earning the second bid to Nationals!  We are so excited to have two amazingly talented teams represent the mid-Atlantic in Sarasota.

Now we’re back to bootcamp, track workouts and practice, and rooting for our Truck Stop men to clench the Regional title in the Open Division this weekend.

-Ashley Daly
#6

The first youth clinic of 2011, hosted by DC’s Truck Stop and Scandal on August 20, 2011, was a huge success!  With almost 50 kids attending, the clinic was well represented by youth ultimate players around the DC-metro area, coming from schools such as HB Woodlawn, Yorktown, Herndon, Woodson, Deal, and Thomas Jefferson and ranging in age from 12 to 17 years old.  With such a range in age and experience, the players were split into beginner and advanced groups for the clinic.  About 15 coaches from Truck and Scandal were there running the clinic, and a few area coaches came out to support and watch.

The clinic began with some fundamentals, stressing forehand and backhand throws and two-handed catches.  A couple of “how many throws can you make in a row” contests brought out the competitive heat.  From there, the groups rotated through offensive and defensive stations.  The more advanced groups worked on offensive cutting and defensive positioning for both in and out cuts.  The more inexperienced players worked on their vertical stack and offensive positioning.   All of the players had great attitudes during the clinic, asking questions, working hard, and challenging each other.  Following the stations, the players were divided into teams and scrimmaged for the remainder of the clinic with some coaches subbing in.  We saw great hucks, aggressive layouts, and good spirit all around.

This past weekend, Scandal had the incredible opportunity to participate in our first west coast tournament, the excellent Emerald City Classic, and we also had the fortune to be placed in a pool with teams from Japan and Australia, as well as defending national champions Fury. Much of our team made it out to watch the Friday showcase games and to cheer on Truckstop, the DC men’s team, as they won out their Friday games.

After the unbearable humidity and heat of the Mid Atlantic, the cool Seattle weather was a great change. We met Fury first thing Saturday morning, and came out fired up. Fury brought out a tight zone and made countless athletic plays, but Scandal kept it close, with no team taking a significant lead until 12s. In the end, Fury rattled off three straight to win 15-12 – a good lesson in finishing a close match.

Next up, we met HUCK from Japan, which was such a unique experience. The Japanese style of play was a lot curvy, quick throws and precision away cuts. Despite our size advantage, we struggled to figure out their game plan and HUCK took the game 15-12. In a Division II crossover game we saw Further from Eugene, OR who ran a quick offense through their speedy handlers. We tried some different looks against Further, who kept it close, but we put the game away 15-11 when the pressure was on. Our last Saturday game was against the tall, workhorse Australian team known as Firetails. Again, it was really interesting to experience another unique style of foreign play. Firetails brought some tough, aggressive play, but Scandal staved them off to win 15-9.

After a yummy grilled salmon dinner and a chilly showcase game on Saturday night, Scandal went to bed early, eager for some elimination play. On Sunday morning we faced Eugene’s Further, yet again, in the prequarters. The result was the same, with a 15-11 win bringing us into a match up with hometown favorite Seattle Riot. Scandal had not played Riot in all our years of existence, so this was an exciting and rare match up for us.

Riot broke our O line right off the bat, but we were able to answer back a few points later. The game stayed tight early, an intense showcase of athleticism, with some big throws and sticky catches. Towards the middle of the game, Riot pulled away with a number of breaks in a row. Scandal looked to be out of the running, but we made a big rally, with a giant run to put us within one at 14-13. Alas, Riot scored the final point with a precision huck to end a hard fought game. They would go on to best HUCK in the semifinals and steal the championship from Fury 15-14.

In consolation play, Scandal faced east coast rival Brute Squad and pulled out a 14-11, come-from-behind win. On the backs of our D line, we ended the tournament on another come-from-behind win over Chicago’s Nemesis, 15-13, to take 5th place. Big defensive plays over the weekend came left and right from Crystal Davis and captain Allison Maddux. In the end, we definitely got our money’s worth out of our visit to the left coast.

Interested in some sweet flatball swag? Want to support Scandal and elite women’s ultimate? Buy one of our awesome new practice pinnies, beautifully made by Breakmark. We currently have Youth L and Men’s S sizes. $25 each! If interested, email captain Allison Maddux at madduxamaddog at gmail dot com. If you would like a larger size, contact Breakmark directly. Check the design out below and support Scandal!

Join DC’s Truck Stop and Scandal for their first youth clinic of 2011!

Date/Time: August 20th, 12:30-4pm

Location: HB Woodlawn, 4100 N. Vacation Lane

Player Registration Fee: $5

To register head to Wafc’s website.

The clinic is open to any and all youth players in the District, Maryland, and Virginia, regardless of experience. We’ll work to improve fundamentals like throwing and marking, as well as covering more in-depth techniques.

More clinics are on the horizon! Check this space!

After our first official tournament of 2011, Scandal is completely psyched for the upcoming season. At Boston Invite, new and old faces alike got a lot of chances to play together as we worked out our O and D lines. It was a weekend of experiences: together we rallied for narrow wins, watched our teammates make big plays, and also learned together from a hard loss.

Boston Invite itself was an excellent tournament with a competitive field and wonderfully cooperative weather (despite the crazy storm that hit the area before warm-ups on Saturday.) Our first pool play game was against the Canadian PPF. Our teams traded points until 6-6, then Scandal found its a groove and pulled away to win 15-8. Next we met QUB, another Canadian team, with a quick moving offense and a set of strong handlers. The score remained even until 12-12, when QUB got the first break of the game. This lit a fire under Scandal’s butt: we were able to hold QUB off, scoring the next three points to win 15-13.

After a bye, we faced the local Brute Squad, the team that knocked us out of Nationals in 2010 during the Quarterfinal round. Brute Squad has been a powerhouse for years, and always impresses us with the depth of their throwing game. Once again, their around breaks gave us some trouble, but Scandal gave a strong showing in the second half, earning a decisive 15-8 win. Last up was Safari, hailing all the way from sunny California. Scandal had the opportunity to face Safari in our first game of the National Championships last season, and always enjoy the chance to play teams from the distant west coast. It was an athletic contest on both sides, but Scandal stayed in control to win 15-8, ending the day with a 4-0 record.

On Sunday, Scandal bested Bent from NYC in the Quarterfinals 15-6, then entered into an intense match with Ozone from Atlanta, who looked like a brand new (and very fast) team. Scandal managed to eke out a win with a margin of one break, and then faced the Canadian Capitals (2010 Championship Finalists) for the Boston Invite elite women’s trophy. Capitals’ height and junky defense gave us some trouble to start and they pulled ahead a few breaks. We managed to earn them back, only to lose them again. Despite some hard fought D, in the end we went down 15-10 to a worthy Capitals team.

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend with some great games and some excellent team bonding. We are looking forward to the next few weeks of intense conditioning and throwing to get us ready for ECC in August. We are always hungry!

We’ve finalized the list of tournaments for Scandal’s 2011 season: you can check them out on our Schedule & Results page. This year we’ve added a West Coast trip to our schedule with a visit to Seattle’s Emerald City Classic in August. Check back later for all our results!

Also, see the previous post for tryout information. Open tryouts are continuing this weekend, with an invite-only tryout round robin to follow!