Managua, Nicaragua (Chasen Brokaw/Breaking Borders) -- Welcome to Torneo Cocibolca 2020! This is a special event part of the inaugural Nicaraguan Ultimate Club League. The tournament will be at Keiser University in San Marcos, Carazo on Saturday, January 18, 2020. Games will start at 9:00am and end around 5:30pm.
National teams will have the opportunity to not only add to their league point totals, but will be seeking bragging rights for who does best against the visiting Osos Perezosos. It has been just over 2 years since we were last able to host Torneo Cocibolca. We’ve experienced many changes in the Ultimate community here in Nicaragua since the end of 2017. I believe this year, although there will be less teams, it will be a higher skill level tournament with some potential upsets in the making!
Torneo Cocibolca 2017
During our last edition of Torneo Cocibolca we had 5 national teams, the Osos Peresozos from Costa Rica, and a tourney team composed of players from all over the world.
The Tornados, Disco Duro, Team Cocibolca, Dale Pues, and GranadaActiva all exchanged wins and used this tournament as a way to learn, grow, and create foundations for the future. The Tornados, more or less as they were, are the only team that will be returning to play in the upcoming edition of Torneo Cocibolca. Disco Duro is no more due to the premature departure of its leadership, Dale Pues was not invited (though some have been drafted to play with the Disc Magnets), and the GranadaActiva team has not only changed their name, but 90% of their roster since playing at Torneo Cocibolca 2017.
The Osos were the first foreign team any national team had competed against in our short history of the sport in Nicaragua. Due to their experience and high level of play they had little trouble beating 5 of the 6 other teams. The Disc Magnets were the only team they lost to, once in round play, and on universe point in the finals. It was an exciting finish to a great tournament as the Disc Magnets had to fight back from a 3 point deficit to win it. We can only expect that the Osos will be coming back hungry to win it all this year. The Disc Magnets will be looking to defend their title not only against the Osos, but the other Nicaraguan teams. It’s not a secret that the Disc Magnets have lost a step or two and that the other teams are composed of younger, more athletic players, who have been practicing weekly over the last 2 years. But I have learned that experience has proven to be more useful than young athleticism in high pressure situations.
I am excited to see the impact two more years of development will have for all of these teams!
Torneo Cocibolca 2020
Even though the Osos are coming back prepared to win it all, they will be competing against a very different group of teams from the last edition of Torneo Cocibolca.
Warriors- 3 league points
This year the Osos will be competing against the Warriors who started playing about a year ago. They are a young team who always have fun when they are together. They have gained experience playing in the Nicaraguan Ultimate Club League and the Leon Invitational Tournament. We will see if they are able to put into practice what they have learned this year to surprise the other teams.
Disc Magnets- 5 league points
Since the inception of all club tournaments in Nicaragua the Disc Magnets have been the team to beat. They were the pioneers of Ultimate in Nicaragua and their experience has given them success. Now that Ultimate has developed more, some of their players have moved back to the states, those that stayed are getting older, and the team dynamics have changed. We will see if they can use their experience to empower their young recruited talent to success at this year’s edition of Torneo Cocibolca.
Hormigas Locas- 9 league points
The Hormigas are the updated version of GranadaActiva. They are led by a group of squirrly handlers and fast cutters. They are gunslingers who like to move the disc quickly. This team probably has the most potential to surprise at the tournament. They recently lost two of their leaders in Erik Hof and Bertha Pineda as they are moving to Portugal, but I believe the Hormigas will use this as motivation to play well in this upcoming tournament. We will just have to see if they can keep their emotions in check and make the necessary plays when they count.
Tornados- 17 league points
The Tornados are leading the Nicaraguan Club League currently and are the favorites to win both Torneo Cocibolca and the league championships in March. After the Disc Magnets won many of the first tournaments in Nicaragua, the Tornados have recently taken the crown and have been wearing it proudly. The team is led by the big three, Exequiel Rocha, Andy Genet, and Byron Rodriguez. One of those three is involved in almost every point they score by throwing it or receiving it. They are supported by many skilled players and arguably can put together the best universe point line of the tournament. They are also led by Blanca Lira, arguably the top female player in Nicaragua. She can throw, she can run, but will she lay out? That is the question on everyone’s minds! Worth noting is the addition of Julia Holsinger who started the league playing for the Disc Magnets. We will see what teams can do against the strong female duo. At least we know Blanca and Julia will be happy as they no longer have to cover each other!
Conclusion
Which team will be crowned champions? Which team will surprise us all? Will the Osos be ready for the updated national teams? Will there be any major upsets? All these questions will be answered Saturday, January 18th at Keiser University in San Marcos. Come out and watch what happens first hand!
Sponsors
