Ontario
Inaugural Canadian Eastern University 4 on 4 Series
Written by: Teri-Lynne Belanger
Winter 2014 saw the launch of the new Canadian Eastern University 4 on 4 Series. The creation of the series was to satisfy three goals that Ultimate Canada had for the development of University Ultimate.
The first goal was to help lengthen the University series. Given Canadian weather, the only solution to extend the season was to take it inside. Of course, cost then becomes a significant barrier, as space is always expensive. The 4 vs 4 format made it possible to make fees reasonable for players and have the tournaments be economically viable. Secondly, Ultimate Canada wanted to develop the skills of University players and teams. Getting more touches on the disc and more opportunities to be on the field and playing helped give all players a chance to improve. Finally, given the 4 on 4 format, the hope was that smaller schools, that might struggle to put together a 7 vs 7 fall series team, may see the indoor series as a way to start building their Ultimate programs.
Kicking off the series in Niagara on January 11-12, we saw the University of Toronto come out as a clear powerhouse team. Toronto’s B team made a surprising run to the finals upsetting higher seeded teams en route to a second place finish. The first instalment of the 4 vs 4 series proved that it would be competitive.
REGIONAL INTEREST
Kingston was next on February 1-2 and hosted the first women’s division in the series. University of Toronto Women came out strong and won the event. Second place went to the University of Waterloo. On on the Open side of the tourney, Queens 1 and Queens 2 took home first and second on the podium proving they would be firmly in the hunt for the series championship.
Intense play at the Eastern Canadian University Championships
Photo: Ed Kung
It all came down to Toronto on March 1-2, the final series event. On the Open side, the series title could have gone to a number of teams depending on the outcome of the final tournament. In the end, while Toronto did not win the tournament, they scored enough points over the course of the series to secure first place in the series and took home some championship shorts thanks to VC’s sponsorship.
On the Women’s side, the University of Western Ontario came out very strong and took first place at the Toronto- hosted event leaving the University of Toronto in second place. However, with the win in Kingston, University of Toronto took the series point total and also scored a pair of shorts for their players.
Ultimate Canada is excited to get started on next year’s series and would like to see more Universities extend their season and develop their skills.
University 4v4 indoor play
Photo: Ed Kung Ultimate Canada Magazine -
www.canadianultimate.com 37
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