Iowa vs. Pitt Recap – Day 1

The first game I watched was definitely the most exciting game of the day. It was between No. 1 seed Pitt and No. 8 seed Iowa. Despite the seeding, these two teams turned out to be extremely evenly matched which made for an incredible game. The two teams started out trading points, with Iowa gaining a break to make it 5-4. Each team’s offense looked solid through out the game. Pitt was able to reliably move the disk down the field thanks to the stand out play of Julian Hausman, Chris Brenenborg, and Geoff Zettel. With their smart decisions, Pitt was able to effectively move the disc against IHUC’s zone and eventually tie the game at 5-5. The two teams traded several more points making it 7-7, it wasn’t clear which team would take half in such a close game. Each team pursued it with vigor, but a drop by Iowa gave Pitt a chance to take a deep breath and hit an isolated Tyler Degirolamo who then threw a quick pass to Alex Thorne to take half 8-7.Iowa kept with the number one seed proving that they are a force to be reckoned with. A combination of deep looks and sharp in cuts kept fans on the edge of the sideline the entire game.

Pitt started the 2^nd half receiving and moved the disc effectively until the disc was thrown out of the reach of #59 of Pitt Aaron Watson. Aaron Watson played great all game and was a fun to watch because of his intensity and speed. Iowa was on the verge of tying the game, but Pitt’s Watson reinforced his reputation with a HUGE layout D, which eventually led to a Pitt goal, putting them up 9-7. On their ensuing possession, Iowa immediately jacked it to Tyler Glenn, but good defense by Pitt was too much for Iowa. A quick score by Pitt’s Colin Conner made the score 10-7. It appeared the momentum was changing in Pitt’s favor, however, Iowa was not done yet. They earned 2 breaks and then Iowa’s Nick Moore #4 was able to break his defender and hit the speedy Tyler Glenn for the tie 10-10. IHUC was about to capitalize on a poor throw by Pitt but Julian Hausman was able to make an amazing grab for the D. Another bad throw by Pitt gave IHUC one more chance; they took advantage of it and scored to lead 11-10, leading for the first time in the second half. It was the turning point in the game. The soft cap came on after the point, making it a game to 14. What followed was an incredible grab by Pitt’s Alex Thorne which tied the game at 12-12. Each team was playing with incredible intensity and it seemed impossible to predict a winner. Iowa scored to make it 13-12; game point IHUC. A missed layout grab by a Pitt  gave Iowa the disc on Pitt’s end zone. Tyler Glenn then hit Jake Oakley for the win. IHUC’s raw athleticism and stand out players allowed them to upset Pitt and eventually go on to take the 1 seed in pool A.