USA masters

Photo by Hart Matthews.
www.digitaldurham.com

Profile

Team USA hails primarily from Florida, specifically the Miami area, and features a core of players who have been playing Ultimate together for 20 years or more as the Miami Refugees. Six of the starting seven were playing together with the Refugees when they first qualified for the UPA Championships in 1984.

There are not a lot of opportunities for the Miami players to attract new Ultimate talent in South Florida, so the players there keep competing. Miami played in the more competitive Open division as late as 2002 and defeated a Death or Glory team in Boston to win the 1999 Boston Invitational. The majority of this team has played in the 1989, 1993, 1995, 1997 and 2004 World Club Championships, finishing 4th in the Open division in 1997.

Recently, many players from the rather famous Venezuelan Worlds team Yanomami have moved to Miami and are now playing with the Refugees. Look for #8 Pablo Saade and see if you can’t get a naked drum circle going.

The Miami players are known as cantankerous and curmudgeonly competitors who aren't afraid to make a lot of foul calls. They are gritty and sometimes bullish, but that's because they like to compete. One thing is for sure, you can always count on them to share beers and camaraderie. These fellows enjoy company after the game and the greater family of Ultimate will always be near and dear.

USA on Offense

This team has been playing together for so long that there is no need for them to have a structured offense. "The players on this team know each other and know what they are going to do before anyone else on the field," says captain Kurt Dahlenburg. The advantages are as clear as a German isolation cut: they know ahead of time where to go on the field and are difficult to stop.

"There are two ways of looking at our offense. Some opponents have called us 'The Turtle Offense' because we move so slow. But I also like to call it 'Organized Clogging' where instead of classic cutback cuts, everyone goes into the middle of the field and gets in the way," says Dahlenburg.

One thing to know for sure is that players on this team will have psychic connections on cuts and can wait out defenders who shut down the first, second and even third cut. Teams should also be aware of #69 Milan Hooper's hammer throws, which can be thrown from 50 yards out or more and were singularly credited with defeating Boston in 1999. Hooper will catch unaware teams off-guard and flatfooted. 

Look for these players when the Refugees have the disc:

Milan Hooper #69, main weapon is one of the premier hammers in the world that can touch down anywhere on the field. Hooper has been playing with Miami since 1980.

Erik Peterson #2 nicknamed "Kermit", a primary handler who favors his forehand

Steve Fowler #11 is the team's primary receiver due to his excellent hand-eye coordination and large frame. In the offseason Fowler is a competitive baseball player and he brings that competitive spirit to the game.

Garrett Crosbie #35  is another veteran from 1984 and one of the team’s main receivers.

Luis Casteleiro, #33 is the team's energetic sparkplug. At 5'5" he's built close to the ground and utilizes his quickness and speed to get open.

USA on Defense

Miami is well-known in the United States for their 4-man cup zone defense which has rattled superior opponents. However, with a younger look on defense, the Refugees have been able to switch their focus to playing man-to-man as speedy players like Saade, Shannon and Price have been able to keep the pressure on. Additionally, this Masters team is used to playing against Open teams and are in excellent shape. Expect them to stay with the man pressure even in adverse conditions.

If they do play zone, watch for the 4-man cup with a person back to guard the dump throw and be prepared to call out double teams, an inadvertent effect of playing a 4-man cup.

Look for these players when the opponent has the disc: 

Butch Brown #96, a hard-nosed tough-guy defender that will trash his body on layouts.

Jimmy Price #57 and Brent Shannon #20 are younger speedsters transplanted from the West Coast where they played D for the Santa Barbara Condors and San Francisco Jam, respectively. Shannon is known for getting footblocks.

Steve Fisher #0, is a former college football player and a track star who trains with Gold Medallist Gail Devers. He will be the man to score on fast breaks after turnovers.

Parker Gillum #13 is a tall main handler on the defensive team who will throw goals and Pablo Saade #8 is the other offensive force for the defense with a unique throwing style, particularly his fast forehand flick that rifles into a receiver.

Darius Khonsary#17 will be a marker threat for the team when they play zone.

Team Colors:
Red, White and Black. 

Roster:
28 players

Captain:
Kurt Dahlenburg