Flying Horsecows claim rights to their namesake

It was the fifth game of the day for the Flying Horsecows, and they were down 12-9 to the Rampant Cows, a team made up of club players from the College of Wooster and the University of Kentucky. The Horsecows had their backs against the wall, trying to stop the Rampant Cows from moving the disc the last few yards into the endzone for the 13th and final point of the day at Club Sectionals. The Rampant Cows came out of the time-out confident that they would score the game-winner right then. No such luck. The boys from Oberlin showed Wooster-Kentucky that they were the only team with the right to call themselves "Cows."

The Flying Horsecows rallied back to 12-11 and then 13-12 before the Rampant Cows put them away 14-12. The close score, though indicative of the Horsecows' insatiable thirst for defense, was not reflective of the great strides Oberlin had made in one day. Just fighting to keep the handlers healthy was difficult enough, let alone playing with a new offense and a score of rookies on a field dry enough to be called "parched earth."

Senior co-captain Todd Daloz said, "We really came out on top this weekend. Sure we didn't win all the games we should have, but we showed them that our offense could kick them in the teeth a few times." Indeed, the final game showed that the 'Cows could come out strong, despite the obvious setbacks. The Flying Horsecows started the game 4-0 half 7-3 before the game took on epic proportions.

"It wasn't just a game out there. You might have seen two teams on the field but it was a war-zone," said junior Adam Zucker. "Bodies flying through the air, men going down, psychotic screams rattled the air. I'll never forget it."

For those still playing in the final game, they saw it as a culmination of a great day at Club Sectionals. The Horsecows might have been battered and bruised, but that was merely a reflection of their intense play. Overall, the 'Cows went 3-2 on the first day, beating Sectional rivals Ohio University 13-7 in a game that saw three Horsecow handlers leave the game with injuries.

First, senior co-captain Jamie Merchant went down with a twisted ankle, and then junior Josh Adler, followed by sophomore Isaac Deeter-Wolf.

"Isaac was the most impressive," said Adler. "Catching a hammer going away from you and maybe six inches off the ground - now that's money."

With so many injuries plaguing the Horsecows, rookies were given ample opportunities to prove what they could do. They didn't let those opportunities go to waste. The play of sophomores Rich Raz, Anthony Davis and Felipe Fernandez astounded the veterans.

Senior Mike Wallerstein said, "Raz was a frenetic little monkey out there, making sweet Ds and incredible grabs that got the kids all crazy. Felipe made great catches, including at least one for a score. Anthony used his experience from last fall to show the other team up."

The Horsecows also triumphed over Wittenberg University in a 13-10 game that was never as close as the score indicated. The 'Cows toyed with their opponents, testing out hucks and playing effective zone offense that made Wittenberg cry. On one particular play, Daloz used a variety of club (i.e. scrappy and crafty) throws to break the loose zone. Sophomore Mateo Pastore said, "Todd basically told them to never, ever throw zone defense on us again. My favorite was the fake forehand, push pass for the score. Though he's not a handler, Todd can fake it pretty well when he has to."

In the quarterfinals of the tournament, the 'Cows readied themselves for a big game against Cash, an experienced, but still second-rate club team. The match-up proved to be more of a free-for-all than a game played with the spirit of the game in mind. Merchant said, "Cash was a salty team who had much less fun than we did. Basically, we smiled every time they let their bitter, jaded views interfere with the game. We experimented with different things and even tried to learn a little from them."

In the second, and final, game of the tournament, the Horsecows took on Cuyahoga Sheet Metal, the team they beat 12-10 in the first game of the day. Letting the rookies run rampant on the dry earth, with both captains watching from the sideline, the 'Cows watched the future of Oberlin Ultimate try their hand at a lesser club team. Daloz said, "I thought the young'uns did surprisingly well against Sheet Metal. They needed real game experience, especially in the wind. Every rookie who played a lot in this game realized why the learning curve for Ultimate is so high."

Overall, the Horsecows finished Club Sectionals with a record of 3-4. The 'Cows travel to Ann Arbor, Mich. in two weeks, looking to avenge their loss to Michigan at Regionals last spring.

Ben Gleason is a member of the men's ultimate frisbee team.

Catching on: Mateo Pastore, a member of the Oberlin Flying Horsecows, practices in preparation for University of Michigan and other rivals. (photo by Cory Mescon)