"We had the best season in Tufts history last year, so we're looking forward to another great season," junior starter Zach Gellar said.
While it certainly seems conceivable that the squad can compete on the level it did last year, the task is not an easy one. The team lost ten seniors from last year's New England Championship _ which equates to half of the 20 man roster.
Perhaps the loss of former captain Mike Zalisk who won the Callahan Award, the Frisbee equivalent of college football's Heisman Trophy, as the best Ultimate Frisbee player in the nation will be the hardest to overcome.
Despite the loss of half the team, all is not lost as a number of talented veterans are returning. This year's front line includes one graduate student, two seniors, three juniors (including captains Andy Valen and Matt Abbrecht) and one sophomore.
"While we can't replace last year's seniors, the majority of us have had starting experience as well as big game experience, so we should be alright," Gellar said.
While the college competitive season doesn't start until this spring, the E-Men still play competitive Frisbee in the off-season. This past weekend, they had their first exhibition tournament, in which the likes of Brown, Harvard, Boston University, Boston College, MIT and Yale, amongst others, competed. A tournament similar to this will be held just about every weekend in preparation for the spring. While the fall season is used to hone skills and to build team unity, it also serves another purpose.
"The fall club season helps evaluate which players will be best for us come spring time," Gellar said. "So while it may be like practice, it's still pretty intense."
To those unfamiliar with the ultimate Frisbee team, it may seem odd to see the words "Frisbee" and "training" in the same sentence. There has always been a stigma attached to Frisbee that has made it appear to be more of a leisurely hobby than a legitimate athletic endeavor. But the E-Men provide evidence to the contrary.
While only a club sport, Tufts Ultimate demands just as much time management and dedication as any varsity sport. During the fall season, the team practices outside two times per week, after winter break it practices three times a week, and following spring break the team moves outside for three practices per week.
Even more jaw dropping is the team's travel schedule. On first glance, it bears a resemblance to that of a Div. I basketball team. Last year alone, the team flew to Spokane, WA, Atlanta, GA, Wilmington, NC and the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, CA. The E-Men will be making the same travel arrangements for this coming season
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