Christian Ultimate
Disc League

First Impressions

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I believe that it is safe to say that CUDL2023 is off to a good start.

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And the first three weeks have been something of a roller coaster— Over the first 12 games, we've seen big wins, crushing defeats, and an extraordinary level of play. Two teams remain undefeated; two teams have yet to win. There's a lot to unpack, so I'll get right down to business.

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So What Happened?

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Let's break down the teams one by one, shall we?

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1. Mighty Mighty Tugboats

The Tugboats opened their first CUDL season with a huge game against the Hammers. 40 combined points were scored in 48 minutes of play. The Tugboats scored 23 of those points, the highest score in any CUDL game this season... until they broke their own record yesterday against the Scoobers. In another 40-point game, the Tugboats walked away with 25 points and their third win in three games. The Tugboats are living up to their name— they really are Mighty. Again and again, they've showcased a powerful, effective, run-hard-all-the-time offense. This makes them all but impossible to defend against in a man defense scheme. Their only weakness seems to be their defense— despite big playmakers and a huge defensive presence, the Tugboats continue to give up more goals per game than most other teams in the league. The Tugboats, though they average 20 points scored per game, also average 14 points given up per game. That's the third most in the league. If they double down on defense, however, the Mightiest team in the CUDL may become mightier still. It's too early to speculate, but might the tugboats become the first CUDL team ever to go truly undefeated?

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2. The Landsharks

Are the Landsharks actually *gasp* good this year? The Landsharks started the season with their fifth all-time franchise win. And they haven't stopped. They have an interesting team this year— not too powerful on paper, but smart. And it's bringing results. After going 3-0 through the first three games, The Landsharks are seeded the highest they've ever been, behind only the Tugboats. But even their wins are peculiar. I don't know what to make of it. Here's what we know: 1) They haven't lost. 2) They allow the fewest points of any team in the league, giving up only 8.3 points per game. 3) They also have the second-lowest point total of any team in the league, scoring only 10.6 points per game. So I don't know what to make of the Landsharks. Is their level of play sustainable? Can they maintain their high offensive standard if it converts so few points? Time will tell, I suppose.

I will say that the Landsharks - Tugboats game next week is going to be epic no matter what. Two undefeated teams head to head, each with completely opposite stats. Landsharks have the lowest points allowed per game in the league (8.3) but the second-lowest points scored (10.7). Tugboats have the highest points scored per game (20), but the third-highest points (13.7). 

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It's gonna be epic.

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3, Green Eggs and Hammers

We've been through this before, I think.

The Hammers started this season off with a crushing loss. They were in last place in the standings. But we watched them warily, because they scored 17 points in their loss to the Tugboats. Sure enough, The Hammers beat the Wind in week two, then followed it up with a big victory over HammerTime in week three. The Hammers are now seeded third overall in the standings, with a promising season ahead of them. Ahead of them in the standings are the tugboats and the Landsharks, both of which face the Hammers only once throughout the season. This could be an advantage in the regular season, but could create problems for all three teams if they face each other in the playoffs. 

The Hammers have a solid lineup and pose a serious threat to the top teams. I'm very excited to see how their season progresses!

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4. HammerTime

I'm not sure what I think about HammerTime. In many ways, I think that's because we just don't have enough information yet to make a detailed analysis. They're currently seeded fourth, with two wins and one loss. Both their wins were close: They won by a margin of 1 point against the Disc-iples, and by only 2 points against the Knights. Both their wins are against teams that are in the bottom three spots in the league. Their week three loss was a tough one— 14-10 against the Hammers. However, HammerTime was missing several key players and faced an all-but-complete Green. The mismatches were obvious and always in Green's favor. Red played exceptionally well, but eventually couldn't hold Green's offense accountable on the break. HammerTime (2-1) plays The Wind (0-3) next week. It'll be a great game, and I'm excited to see more of HammerTime's gameplay.

 

5.  Knights of Camolot

To be clear: Yes, Evan does know how to spell Camelot. The name is a play on words with Camo, his team's color this year. The Steel Teal Turtles underwent a big change in the 2023 off-season, changing their color and name. Personally, I really enjoy their new name, though I'm still a bit skeptical of the color. Seems like it would be hard to see your teammates.

Monikers aside, The Knights are a case study in unreliability. They've won only one game so far, and that by only one point. Their relatively higher ranking may be due to them not having faced the Tugboats yet, while lower-ranking teams did. However, the second half of their week-three game showed a different side of the Knights. The Knights were losing by four points at the end of the first half. Throughout the next 24 minutes of play, however, they went on a ten-goal streak while holding the Wind to only five points. This was a highly effective and focused team, one that showed a lot of potential for the coming weeks. As far as roster goes, the Knights have a great spread of talent, though many of their players are younger or inexperienced. However, the talent is obviously there. Their one big downside is their lack of a standout handler— but CUDL is a fantastic setting to stretch and grow players. Who knows? Maybe the apparent lack of a handler will raise up new talent for years to come. I sure hope it does. 

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6. Golden Scoobers

Things were seriously looking up for the Golden Scoobers after week one. They enjoyed a dominant win over the Knights, putting them in the second spot. They played hard, fast, and effectively. Their offense was on point, their defense focused. When time expired, the score stood 19-14 in the Scoobers' favor. Nothing could stop them... except the Landsharks, in a close week-two battle— and then the Tugboats, in a not-so-close battle.

The Scoobers played hard in both losses, but ultimately I think that's what killed them. The Scoobers have a fantastic deep-offense team. They've got smaller players who can catch tricky throws to the back of the endzone and who are difficult to guard. They've got some fantastic handlers and some really amazing cutters. However, I don't think they're really using their full offensive potential. Time and time again, the scoobers do the same thing: throw around a bit, quick reset, then huck. And huck again. And huck again. These deep shots work at first— they scored the first two points in their week two game in less than a minute. But it doesn't take long for the defense to figure this out, and those hucks are easy to block if the defense knows it's coming. I'm just speculating here, but I think that if Yellow used their cutters a lot shorter, instead of deep all the time, they'd be very, very hard to beat. The energy and durability of this team is incredible. If they were to put that to work on the short game, tossing the disc back and forth between the handlers and the cutters, it would be nigh unto impossible to get in their way. And if the defense did somehow get in their way, Yellow would still have their deep shots available. One player, after playing Yellow in week one, had this to say of the Scoobers' backfield players:

"Those girls! The short ones... they catch everything!" 

As  I said, just speculation. Bottom line: I think the Scoobers, if they get their act together, can win a lot of games this year. They face the Disc-iples in week four.

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7. The Wind

I felt bad for the Wind on Friday, They were significantly understaffed, playing five-on-five with no subs. They were winning, too— the Wind played a fantastic first half that ended 7-3 in their favor. But playing without subs just isn't sustainable. The Wind got tired.

To their credit, they still pushed hard to the end. But they couldn't quite keep the four-point lead they had in the first half, losing to the Knights by one point. It was a really disappointing loss for a team that hasn't won yet. 

Roster-wise, the Wind is very interesting. They have a huge variety of players, from complete novices to well-worn veterans. And that's one of the things I love about CUDL— everyone can play. The Wind has a lot of fun when they play. They take the game seriously, but they also take the time to just go out and have fun. That's the attitude I like seeing on the field. The results aren't in for the Wind yet, but I'm confident it'll come.

Also, Devon's full-field thumber gets me every time. He pulls with that thing! How?

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8. The Disc-iples

The Disc-iples have not won yet. They've been close, though— Only one point separated them from HammerTime in week one; six points in week two against the Tugboats; two points in week three against the Landsharks. But honestly, I think this is a huge testament to how well they've been playing. Think about it: all three teams they lost to are currently in the top four spots. They held the Tugboats to 12 points, the lowest they've scored all season. In that same game, the Disc-iples scored seven points, making it the smallest margin of victory the Tugboats have had all season. Both their other games were within two points— this is clearly not a team to mess around with! To add to this, their roster is fantastic— but they suffered a huge hit when their team captain broke his collarbone one week before the season. They still haven't had their full team since, with big players missing the first two weeks and at least two players who are still out with various injuries.

However, I think the Disc-iples are in much the same boat as the Scoobers. With the talent they possess, they should be able to run circles around a man defense in the short game. They did so against Purple on Friday. But it was the deep shots that killed them. All too often, hucks would land out of bounds, players would turn the wrong way, or lack of communication would send deep throws perfectly placed... to nobody. The slim margins of victory make me think that The Disc-iples have the ability to come up with big results. Their performances against top teams make it clear. But they're shooting themselves in the foot by not playing the strategy they're built for. The Disc-iples play the Scoobers next week. We'll see how that goes.

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Final Whistle

We're three weeks into the season, and things are already shaping up to be one of the biggest seasons ever. Everybody, in my opinion, has a good fighting chance. Sure, there are some teams that have an obvious edge— but even the mightiest team can be toppled by a smart, effective offense. All it takes are a couple cool heads. A few short passes are all it takes to score, and a few scores are all it takes to win. 

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There are no words to express how thrilled I am with this CUDL season. The teams are amazing. Every game is exciting and different. Players new and old around the league are being stretched, and teammates are being built into fast friends. I love CUDL, and I can't wait for next week.

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The Call

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As is my habit, I will give my take on the next week's games at the end of each article. Feel free to disagree with me; this is just my opinion. Put your own calls in the comments below!

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Hammers - Knights:

Hammers, 17-11

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Disc-iples - Scoobers:

Scoobers, 13-12

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HammerTime - Wind:

HammerTime, 13-9

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Tugboats - Landsharks:

Tugboats, 15-11