At the Canadian Ultimate Championships in Ottawa Aug. 11 to 14, Vancouver ultimate players again showed that B.C. is home to many of the best teams in the country.
Four provincial teams won gold, including Furious George in the open division, Team Fisher Price in the mixed division, the junior team Shock and the Nomads in the plus-30 masters division.
The adult winners qualified for the 13th annual World Ultimate Championships set for Sakai, Japan in 2012.
Vancouvers Furious George won its eighth consecutive title, a streak theyve maintained without having dropped a single game.
But against Toronto rival Goat, Furious George came close to not only losing a match but losing the championship.
It was one of the most intense games Ive ever played in, said team captain Morgan Hibbert.
After trading points to start the final game, Goat took an 8-5 lead at the half. Furious George evened the score at 11, but momentum swung again and Goat took a two-point 11-13 lead in a game to 14.
That was tough, said Hibbert. We battled back but then got scored on twice. I knew our defence would create more turnovers, but wasnt sure if we were going to be able to punch it in.
The defence did create key turnovers, but credit for the clutch plays down the stretch goes to Andy Collins who launched three long throws for three consecutive points.
Furious George and Team Fisher Price will both defend their World Championship titles.
TFP defeated Montreals Odesée after trailing for most of the game. Down 11-10 after a lightening delay, TFP scored there unanswered points to win 13-11 and reclaim the national title.
Shock, a junior team from Vancouver, won gold as did the master team, Nomads.
Vancouver has a huge ultimate community with elite players who give back to help junior players grow, said Shock head coach and Furious George team member Jon Hayduk.
These kids have such athleticism, skill and determination that B.C. will continue to have a large representation at the national and world level.
Junior teams will compete at a separate world championship event from the adults.
The Vancouver Ultimate League is one of the largest in the world, boasting more than 4,000 active members and 230 teams.
mstewart@vancourier.com
Twitter: @MHStewart
