Horsecows Return to Action

Mother Nature always seems to know what the Flying Horsecows are up to. Traditionally, she'll send one of her gray sentinels to hang over their heads, no matter where they may be - Columbus, Ann Arbor, Atlanta. But this past weekend she was sneakier.

Charlotte, N.C. played host to the first annual Queen City Tune-Up last weekend, where, of the 12 men's teams in attendance, Oberlin was one of three Nationals qualifiers from a year ago. For anyone who's been under a rock for the last two weeks, it should be noted that Charlotte and the rest of North Carolina also spent the latter half of January playing host to some of the worst winter weather that region has experienced since the last Ice Age. Undaunted, the 'Cows headed south last Friday with visions of balmy 40 degree days in their Winter Term-addled heads.

And indeed, the weather in Charlotte was gorgeous, with blue skies and temperatures perhaps approaching 50 degrees both days. But Mother Nature would not be so thoughtful as to let the 'Cows off with beautiful weather if she had not already exacted some toll. Had she ever.

One car filled with Horsecows broke down in Marietta, Ohio and was towed across the border to scenic Parkersburg, West Virginia. It was up to your intrepid correspondent to drive the six hours back through blizzard conditions in wild, wonderful West Virginia.

I'll spare the details, but let's just say that five very tired 'Cows did not show up until the closing points of Oberlin's first Saturday game against 1999 Nationals Semifinalist UNC-Chapel Hill Darkside. The shorthanded Horsecows were understandably rusty and were taken to half at 8-2. Despite a new offense and small numbers, they were able to storm back in the second half, and were down merely 10-7 when the reinforcements arrived. However, the initial UNC push had given them too big an edge, and Darkside prevailed 15-9.

The next game was against the University of Tennessee, with whom the 'Cows had an old score to settle. The finals of the 1998 UTUT tournament had pitted a short-handed, exhausted Oberlin team against the huge, hometown UT team, and seen the 'Cows fall in the end after a hotly contested match. With full strength and a neutral field, Oberlin hoped to get some measure of payback.

The Horsecows came out looking better than the at-times-rusty UNC performance, playing mostly point-for-point with UT. Tennessee took half 8-6, but the 'Cows were by no means disheartened. Sun on their pale necks, they went out to play in the second half.

Apparently, UT was expecting whatever it was the 'Cows threw at them, and were able to forge an 11-6 lead as the horn blew for the time cap. Oberlin put one in, and so the cap was set at 13, but UT responded with a score for a 12-7 lead and game point.

But just then, as it seems happens at least once a season, a little magic dust fell from the heavens onto the Horsecows' wings and they truly took flight. One 'Cow on the sideline was heard to remark, "Well, we've done this before." To which former Horsecow and OC '99 graduate Harlan Fichtenholtz responded in his ever-sage manner, "Yup."

Try as I might as a semi-skilled journalist, I simply cannot dramatize what followed any more than what reality presented. The Horsecows, needing to score six straight points, did just that. A single UT score would have brought the 'Cows' defeat-and they did not allow a single UT score, winning 13-12. Junior Adam Zucker summed up the victory in a way only he can: "We made their captain cry." [This actually happened -Ed.]

The day's third and final match pitted Oberlin against an up-and-coming University of Virginia team, the Roadhead Warriors (and you thought "Flying Horsecows" was a silly nickname).

Perhaps building off the momentum from the Tennessee game, the Virginia match started off even better for the 'Cows. Oberlin held the lead for much of the first half, though Virginia tied the contest and took half 8-7. Senior co-captain Todd Daloz ratcheted up his always-exciting play another step in the Virginia contest, and one defensive body hurl of his landed a UVA player on the sidelines. The replacement was obviously a rookie, so when the 'Cows worked the disc up the field, the disc went up to Daloz and he easily brought it down over his inexperienced defender's head. Afterwards, he remarked, "That was just like jackin' a deer."

The teams played tight in the second half, point for point, and the cap set in at 14. The teams tied at 12, and then Virginia scored for a 13-12 lead and game point. But Oberlin refused to be put down quite yet, and drew even at 13. Virginia, however, were no slouches, and marched down the field for the score and the victory.

And so that was the day. The 'Cows finished at 1-2, though within a single point of both 2-1 and 0-3. A hotly contested tournament, to be sure.

The next day's action pitted Oberlin against Georgia Tech in the pre-quarters. A looser, more comfortable Horsecows team came out and took charge early on. They jumped out to a 4-1 lead, and though they made a few more mistakes as the game progressed they took half 8-6. Not a gimmie, but Oberlin appeared ready to advance to the quarterfinals.

Maybe that's what got the 'Cows. They scored to open the second half and take a 9-6 lead, furthering their confidence. Tech responded with three straight scores. So much for that (over?)confidence. Resilient as they are, Oberlin bounced back to take the lead 10-9 and it became a tit-for-tat battle until the cap horn blew with the score tied at 12. GT scored after a few turnovers by each team, to take a 13-12 lead in a game to 15.

The 'Cows regrouped and tied the game at 13, Tech again took the lead at 14-13, and Oberlin tied the game at 14. For the third time in four games over the weekend, the 'Cows were tied in a capped game where the next score would win. The Horsecows were able to defend Tech's first scoring attempt, but proved unable to put the score in themselves. After a long point, Georgia Tech was finally able to score and put the game away 15-14.

Out of the championship bracket, it was only following the disheartening Tech loss that many 'Cows discovered they had a consolation game to play. Their opponent was an inexperienced but enthusiastic Richmond Spider Monkeys team. A combination of fatigue both physical and mental, lackadaisical play and inability to step their game up led to a disappointing Horsecow loss, 15-9.

Though the weekend ended on a sour note and began with rustiness and confusion, in between were three very solid Horsecow games. Certainly a fine result for a team that had not played outside in at least two months (longer for some), still lacked some players and was running a new offense. Perhaps most importantly, the 'Cows displayed a high level of team cohesion and nearly every member of the team made a contribution. So as the Flying Horsecows made their way back to Oberlin Sunday night, they savored the sunshine that had shone on their manes and readied themselves for another season of college ultimate.

-Jacob Kramer-Duffield is a member of the Oberlin ultimate Frisbee team.