Christian Ultimate
Disc League

First impressions

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     So. There's a lot to unpack.

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     The first six weeks of the CUDL 2022 season have been, I think, wholly successful. The teams are good- very good. Surprise wins- and losses- have made every game fun and suspenseful. In the first half of the season, we've seen more ties and overtime play then we did the entire last season. That's not all, either- week five saw the first two callahans in CUDL history. Week six saw the first time all year HammerTime had its full roster- yet they have already fought their way to the second position. CUDL 2022 saw two expansion teams, the Golden Scoobers and Green Eggs and Hammers.

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     But like I said, there's a lot to unpack.

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     Like the Steal Turtles threatening to go undefeated through the regular season, having won all six of their first six games.

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     Like both expansion teams falling to 5th and 6th seeds almost immediately.

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     Like Hammertime and The Wind's ongoing rivalry, culminating again in Hammertime's tie with The Wind 13-13 last night.

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     Like three ties and two overtimes in six weeks.

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Thus Far

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The Steal Turtles:

     The Turtles are the team to beat- except that none have yet done that. At 6-0-0, they've officially beat every team in the league. Strangely, they're not that impressive on paper. It's their endurance that makes them so good- Teal's roster has the rare talent of being able to run and run and run... and not stop. They're reliable, too. Teal's short game has been virtually unstoppable. The Turtles are the team to beat- but which team can get the consistency and accuracy to finally take down the reptilian empire?

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The Purple Landsharks

     Well, this is an improvement from last year. The Landsharks were (0-6) this time last year. The Landsharks, however, have clearly put the past behind them. After a quick loss and a subsequent tie, The Landsharks pulled their act together. They beat Yellow and Green, then tied Gray in a fantastic down-to-the-wire comeback. Which, by the way, seems to be a theme for the Landsharks this year: play it excruciatingly close, then do what needs to be done in the final few minutes. The Landsharks can definitely stand improvement- but they're working hard to do just that. 

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HammerTime

     It took them a few weeks, but they finally got there. HammerTime took four weeks to get a single win- but hasn't lost since. Week six saw the first time they had their whole roster, including a very valuable asset to the team. HammerTime, too, could use improvement. But they're on the fast track to being top contenders this year. Perhaps a rematch of sorts? Underdog Red versus undefeated top team? That sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it...

    Middle-of-the-pack standings aside, Red will be hard to beat. HammerTime pulled off the first Callahan in CUDL history, and has consistently been making big plays that will certainly influence their games in the future.

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The Wind

     Is it just me, or is The Wind overthinking things? They're currently stuck in 4th place at (2-2-2) after their tie with Hammertime yesterday. They're tied with the Landsharks and HammerTime, placed third only by 5 points. It may just be me, but I think Gray is good enough. They have the talent- they just need to be smarter. Think about the throws, not the game. Don't huck every other throw. 

     In their defense, though, Wind has been building an extraordinary defense. Their hard man-to-man defense has been on point, making it very difficult for opponents to make completions. Bottom line: Gray is good enough to win again. They are. A little luck and a few good plays will make The Wind very difficult to beat.

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Green Eggs and Hammers

     So they have a cheesy name. Whatever. I don't know, I rather like it. It's punny.

     But we're not here to talk about their name. The Hammers have quite possibly the best collection of potential in the league. Their goal: harness it. The Hammers won the first game of the season, in a 12-4 trouncing of the Scoobers. Unfortunately, they've lost almost every game since. Interestingly, the only other game they won was also against Yellow- and the rematch yesterday was even more dominant, ending 20-2 in Green's favor. By the way, it is not lost on us that this is the largest margin of victory of any CUDL game ever. 

And no one can blame them for not trying- Green's players have fun while they play. They play hard and long, the results (Scoobers notwithstanding) just aren't there yet. They'll come, though.

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Golden Scoobers

     The CUDL went into this season thinking that the Golden Scoobers would be unstoppable. They are on paper, but if we've learned anything from the last season, it's that paper can't be trusted. The Golden Scoobers are (1-5-0). They've lost to the Hammers twice and won only to gray. As we've noted, though, the talent is most certainly there. The next few weeks should be very interesting- I can't wait to see where Yellow goes in their first-ever CUDL season.

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final buzzer:

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Few things are certain right now. Teal has now clinched the first-place seed and is definitely a champion contender. So are the Landsharks, HammerTime, and Wind. But when it comes down to it, the playoffs are single-elimination. Any loss will eliminate a team completely. Anything could happen- hold on to your hats.

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Comment below on which team you think has the endurance, skill, and stamina to win the CUDL2022 Title!

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But let's not get ahead of ourselves: we still have three weeks left before the playoffs even start. That's enough time for seed two to become seed 6. Let's see what week 7 has in store first. I, for one, will be sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying the playing of some good Ultimate.

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We'll see you in July!

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P.S. While you're at it, check out the highlights from the first six weeks- out on YouTube now!