Torneo Cocibolca 2020
Managua, Nicaragua (Chasen Brokaw / Breaking Borders) - Wow! What a day. It was everything we expected and nothing that we expected all at the same time. Keiser University provided a great location for the event. People who weren’t supposed to be there played. People who were supposed to be there didn’t show up or couldn’t play. We thought it would be really windy and it was. We could have guessed that the Osos might be in the finals, but never knew the crazy path they took to get there. Torneo Cocibolca 2020 is done and you can read all about it below.
Warriors
The Warriors started their day against the Osos Perezosos. This was the first time any of their players had the opportunity to play against an international team. The score doesn’t necessarily reflect it, but the Warriors played well in the wind against stiff competition. They moved the disc, they made some good decisions, they had some highlight reel plays, but at the end of the game they fell to the more experienced Osos 2-10. I believe they learned a lot from this game and the Osos were great sports to share some encouraging thoughts in a spirit circle afterwards.
The Warriors were led by their captains Rodney Juarez and Joel Martinez throughout the day with good supporting play from Luis Loisaiga, Johanna Silva, and Josue Cano. The Warriors still hold the record for most girls on their team. These girls are starting to make a name for themselves and I am excited to see what a little more high level experience will do for their growth.
Hormigas Locas
Oh, what can we say about the Hormigas? They started Torneo Cocibolca off on the wrong foot getting stuck behind a sugarcane truck and arriving late to the fields. To top it off, when they got to the fields it looked like they were missing several key players. After talking to “El Abuelo,” Chris Allodi, it was made known that several of their higher level players decided to not play at the last minute for various reasons; some valid, some not. Either way, it left the Hormigas with just two ladies and a small team for the whole day. For those that showed up they gave it all they had and it was encouraging to see them accomplish what they could accomplish. Especially the ladies. Marling Herrera and Hilary Hernandez played almost every point and made an impact in every game. They are the true winners of this tournament! Due to a smaller squad, inexperience in the wind, and a lack of focus, the Hormigas left a lot of us wanting. They finished their day only beating the Warriors in a game that was tied 4-4 at one point. This team probably has the most potential of any team in Nicaragua right now, but in order for them to achieve that potential they need to find a way to focus, take tournaments seriously, and support their teammates. I hope they can turn it around for the Club Championships in March.
Disc Magnets
Like the Hormigas Locas, the Disc Magnets started the day in the hole. Unbeknownst to them, their leader and main handler, Dave Boone, went to bed dreaming of another championship, but woke up in the middle of the night experiencing just the opposite. It could have been something he ate or a premonition of what was to come, but either way he was unable to help his team defend the title. Most players arrived to the field unaware they would be playing without their huck-happy leader. Ruben Gomez had to step up and take over a majority of the handling responsibility. Even though it can’t be statistically proven, because for some reason the scorekeepers only recorded how many turnovers he had :) , he stepped up and made clutch throws all throughout the day. The Disc Magnets also had a few other players that couldn’t make it, but were able to pick up some Dale Pues alumni to help balance out their team for the day. The Disc Magnets had the hardest schedule of the morning by playing the Tornados and Osos Perezosos back to back. The Tornados and Disc Magnets have been stiff competitors for each other over the years as one or the other has been the Club Champion for the past 4 years. During the inaugural club league this year the Disc Magnets have been close several times, but have yet to beat the Tornados. Today was different though. After some heated calls and good play by both teams the Disc Magnets came out on top 7-5. It will be interesting to see how this translates to the Club Championships in March. The Disc Magnets then played the Osos in a rematch from the final of Torneo Cocibolca 2017. Both teams fought through the wind and made plays, but in the end the Osos beat them 9-7. This was setting up for a potential tie for first place depending how the Tornados vs Osos game finished.
Osos Perezosos
The Osos Perezosos are a team made up of players from all over the world, with most of them living in Costa Rica. They had players from Canada, Germany, the United States, Venezuela, and of course Costa Rica. Having seen them play at PAUC 2019 I was curious to see what version of the Osos Perezosos would show up. The Osos won their first two games, one against the defending Torneo Cocibolca champs, the Disc Magnets, and set themselves up for an extended lunch break. Moritz, one of their main handlers from Germany put on a show with his upside down break passes in the wind and an overall solid tournament. Their third game was against the Tornados and would most likely dictate the rankings for the finals later in the day. The game was well played with excited plays and runs from both teams. The Tornados were ready to show the Osos how much they had grown in the last 2 years and did so by beating them 10-6. This led to a three-way tie for 1st place and would require figuring out the point differential in order to determine which two teams would go to the finals. Based on point differential it was determined that the Tornados were comfortably in first place with a game against the last place Warriors to end the day. The Disc Magnets could do no more as they had a bye for the last round of play. It all came down to the Osos Perezosos vs Hormigas Locas game. The Osos needed to win by 11 in order to jump the Disc Magnets and reach the finals. The Osos didn’t travel to play in this tournament to be left looking in at the end of the day. After starting the game 0-7 the exhausted Hormigas Locas could only hope to go through the motions quick enough given it was their last game after playing almost savage* the whole day. The Osos Perezosos did the improbable and won 13-0 to secure themselves a spot in the finals against the Tornados.
*to play with the minimum amount of players
Tornados
The Tornados came into Torneo Cocibolca 2020 with one goal in mind; prove they were the best team in Nicaragua and beat the Osos after having lost to the Osos Perezosos twice in Torneo Cocibolca 2017. In round play they did just that by beating the Osos Perezosos 10-6 and cementing themselves a spot in the finals. Throughout the entire day they played the best Ultimate at the tournament and lived up to what Captain Zeke Rocha said in the group chat before the tournament. “It will be a day with wind, but they don’t call us the Tornados for no reason. We are the Tornados because we are capable of dominating the wind.” The Tornados lived up to their name and in the finals the Big Three” (Andy Genet, Zeke Rocha, Byron Rodriguez) made their presence by being a part of every score. After starting the finals 6-1 the Tornados crowned themselves champions with a victory 7-4 over the Osos Perezosos from Costa Rica.
Resultados
Tornados: 4-1
Osos: 3-2
Disc Magnets: 3-1
Hormigas Locas: 1-3
Warriors: 0-4
League Rankings
Tornados: 21 points
Hormigas Locas: 11 points
Disc Magnets: 8 points
Warriors: 4 points
Spirit Winners: Marling (Hormigas Locas), Ruby (Disc Magnets), Paul (Osos Perezosos), Blanca (Tornados), Joel (Warriors)
Conclusion
Torneo Cocibolca was a great success! The Osos Perezosos helped bring in new perspectives, styles of play, and good spirit. They ended each of their games with a spirit circle encouraging the teams they played against. Our national teams loved having the opportunity to play against them and look forward to future opportunities. For some, Torneo Cocibolca didn’t end on the fields. That night, fun was to be had in the colonial city of Granada and the next day a small group was able to enjoy a day at Hostel Paradiso on Laguna de Apoyo. It was a great way to relax after a fun tournament and get to know new and old friends. We are grateful for all the participating teams, sponsors, and spectators. We look forward to next year and hope to have more local teams and more international teams participating. The trophy stayed in Nicaragua for a third straight year. Will an international team ever be able to take it? If you think your team has a shot we welcome you to visit and try! We can guarantee you a group of great local teams waiting to prove you wrong!
