The NC State men’s club ultimate team is well on its way into cranking up the spring season.
The team starts out playing tournaments in the fall to prepare for the spring. It will end up playing three to four tournaments along the east coast, possibly ranging from Atlanta all the way up to New Jersey. By the end of the season, the team will have played around 30 games. While the journey to nationals is never easy, and bids have been hard to come by, the 1999 NC State men’s ultimate team did win the national championship.
“It’s more than just a team, it’s a brotherhood,” Andrew Loughran, the vice president of the NC State men’s ultimate club said. “I want people to know it’s a community.”
He wants people to understand that this isn’t just about the sport, but instead it is a close-knit group of guys who enjoy doing what they love together.
Although the team did well last season, it didn’t quite finish with the high expectations it started with. Many seniors departed from the team after a disappointing ending, but Loughran stays confident because of the new recruits that have joined the team.
“We picked up some of the best rookies that I have ever seen in my years of playing,” Loughran said.
Loughran also explained that it isn’t the record that matters all that much, instead it is how you finish out the season.
Ultimate is unusual from most sports in that you play to 15 points rather than having a time limit.
“If you aren’t pushing yourself as hard as you can, you’re doing your teammates a disservice,” Loughran said.
Sophomore Jeffrey Perkins agreed about how important it is to constantly be paying attention and backing each other up.
Additionally, Loughran and Perkins both emphasize UNC-Wilmington and UNC-Chapel Hill will be the teams to beat this year. Both always have a very successful season, making a rivalry between the teams inevitable.
“Every game always comes down to the last point or two,” Perkins said.
While the team is set for the season, Loughran and Perkins want students to know that an intramural league is coming up. Furthermore, they are hoping that more people will show up for tryouts next year, as they are always looking for new players.
This year, nationals will be taking place in Raleigh in some time early May. The team encourages students to come out and cheer them on.
The team heads to Charlotte for the Queen City Tune-up this Saturday and Sunday.
