USA Tryouts Feature DC Stars

Breeze Head Coach Alex “Dutchy” Ghesquiere led the list of a large group of Breeze players and other DC stars in Kissimmee, Florida last weekend for the USA Team tryouts that will determine who represents the country at the world championships in London this June. Ghesquiere will coach the men’s open team, while several Breeze players are competing for spots on either the Open or Mixed team and area Scandal stars shoot for Women’s or Mixed spots.

Saturday’s Ultiworld recap noted the fine play of Octavia “Opi” Payne and Sandy Jorgensen, former and current players from DC’s top women’s team Scandal, along with Scandal star and Breeze Assistant Coach Sarah Itoh. [The Breeze and Scandal have a close affiliation for promotion, clinics, etc.] The Saturday breakdown also featured Jonathan “Goose” Helton of the Breeze, having this to say about his performance: [He] was one of the most dominant defenders and a solid player on offense throughout the day, living up to his status as one of the recognizable players in the field.

Sunday’s full weekend Ultiworld recap went on to feature the Breeze’s Alan Kolick and David Cranston, along with Scandal’s Jenny Fey and 2014 Breeze standout Chris Kocher.

On Kolick: Kolick was a stud defender and one of the most impressive handlers on the weekend, consistently getting open for resets and showing off an electric arsenal of throws to keep the offense moving quickly. He also made arguably the play of the weekend, recording a hand block on a force side throw, chasing the floating disc, and laying out for the catch block to ensure the turnover… When asked to assess his weekend performance, Kolick said, “I was pretty happy with the way that I played, especially at the end. I think my last two games were probably my strongest games, which was good.”

On Cranston: A player of similar physical stature to Stuart, Washington DC Truck Stop defensive cutter David Cranston used his size and athleticism exceptionally well on both sides of the disc and was one of the most effective defenders amongst the men’s groups. Other players identified him as one of the most difficult players to get open on this weekend, crediting his expert use of his length and physicality.

In all, 9 current players plus Coaches Ghesquiere and Itoh made the USA tryouts for the WFDF World Championships, along with 3 former players:

From Our Announced 2016 Roster: 

Nate Castine
David Cranston
Jonathan Helton
Alan Kolick
Bob Liu
Brett Matzuka
Markham Shofner
Nicky Spiva
Jeff Wodatch (West tryouts)

Breeze 2016 Roster

Former Breeze Players Selected:

Tyler DeGirolamo
Chris Kocher
Alex Thorne