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School: University of Pennsylvania
Team Name: Void
Captains: Jay Choi (’11), Aaron Caulfield (’12), Eric Mead (’12)
Coach: Billy Maroon (Southpaw)
Jersey Colors: Blue & White
Website: http://www.dolphin.upenn.edu/ultimate/void/index.html
2010 Record: 16-13
Score Reporter
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Tell me a little about yourself. How did you get involved with ultimate at your school?
Jay Choi: I had played competitively for four years at the high school level at Churchill High School, learning from Luke Johnson, the best coach I have ever had. I was very interested in getting started at Penn and showing what I could do, so I emailed the captains about fall practices. Once school started I was out on the field.
How did your team do last year? What was the highlight of your season?
Jay: We finished tied for 5th in the Metro East Regionals. The highlight of our season was our Sectionals and early Regionals tournaments. We took first at Sectionals and ripped off two wins in our first two regionals games, including a hard-fought win against (former) regional rival Delaware.
Who is your favorite team to play against?
Jay: Our games against Delaware have always been close, with players from both teams intense yet spirited. One game that stands out in my mind is our game against them in quarterfinals of the Metro East Regionals last year, where we ended up taking a 14-13 victory thanks to a bookends by Edward Linton. Too bad we won’t be seeing them at Regionals this year.
Are there players on your team who deserve consideration for Callahan, All-Region, or Freshman of the Year?
Jay: One all-region candidate on our team who definitely merits discussion is Aaron Caulfield. A tall receiver who can beat defenders in or out at will, he is the cog of our offense. He has good throws and defense as well, and is a threat from really any position out on the field.
What player is most likely to make a huge play as a thrower? As a receiver? On D?
Jay: Expect Aaron Caulfield to make some big plays as a cutter, getting open all over the field. As for defense, Alex Ruch and Edward Linton both come up huge with layout D’s.
It’s easy to see when someone throws a huge huck or gets a layout D. Who’s a player you have to watch more carefully to see how valuable they are to your team?
Jay: One player critical for our team’s success is Chris Ballard. He’s a phenomenal defender, and while he won’t get that layout D, he will smother up-field cutters. A model of defensive consistency.
Has your team set any goals for this season? What are they?
Jay: We plan on breaking through at regionals (against new and mostly mysterious opponents) and finally making it to Nationals.
What tournaments do you plan to attend in the spring? Which one are you most looking forward to?
Jay: Among the tournaments we are looking at, Queen City Tuneup and Spring Ultimax – both in North Carolina – stand prominently. Roll Call in DC is definitely an option as well.
What do you think about the USA Ultimate College restructuring?
Jay: For our team, the restructuring brings a huge change in the set of teams we play. The last few years we have had to fight for a nationals berth against the likes of Pittsburgh, Cornell, Delaware, and Maryland. Now we will go up against a new group of teams from Ohio that we don’t know much about, and haven’t faced much in the past. It’s a new challenge that I’m looking forward to.
Jay: The early favorites have to be Pittsburgh and Carleton. Pittsburgh made semi’s last year, and I don’t believe they lost too much from last year’s team. Carleton simply reloads every year.
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