USA mixed

^{Photo by Scobel Wiggins}

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The Mixed club team Donner Party from North Lake Tahoe, California, represents Team USA. The elements that make up this team didn’t come together in full until 2001 when key women players from San Francisco moved to the mountain resort town and joined forces with an already established team.

Team USA will provide a formidable challenge for opponents in the Mixed division. In 2002 the team attended the 2002 World Club Championships as the 27th overall seed and stunned the competition en route to a win in the finals. They followed that title by winning the 2002 and 2003 UPA Championships, the latter coming in as the 5th seed.

In addition to team plyometrics, players on Donner Party are kept in excellent shape with year-round cross-training in disciplines such as hiking, skiing and biking. After a rare loss, Donner Party has been known to say "Yeah, well we can ski better than you!" which should make for a good challenge should Team USA lose a game to host Finland or upstart Switzerland.

They will be hard to beat, but don’t be fooled by the training. Team USA is very spirited and fun to play against. "Our mantra is 'play hard and party harder'," says one of the captains. "This sport is about the people and its a bonus that we get to play Ultimate."

USA on Offense

Donner Party's women are some of the best in the world and will prove tough matchups on offense. The team does not run a traditional vertical or horizontal stack with specific play calls, but instead relies strongly on remaining in the "flow" of the game. Playing together and living together in a small town keeps the team familiar with each other and they seem to have a sixth sense for cutting to the open space on the field at the right time. Like other California teams, Donner Party does not call player substitutions. "We depend on our cohesion as a team and the flow that generates from that," says captain Scott Conway.

Look for these players when Donner Party has the disc:

Jeff Fillinger, #44, nicknamed “Filly”,  a local ski patrolman at Alpine Meadows, Fillinger is one of the core throwers on the team with exemplary fakes that will disrupt aggressive marking.

Mary Burke #59, is a consistent thrower with breakmark throws that enable her to find teammates anywhere on the field.

Tim Peterson #2, nicknamed “Matrix” , is the team’s second-best receiver behind Conway and is the one to make the spectacular play look easy.

Scott Conway #39, one of the most dynamic players across all divisions, red-headed and left-handed Conway has been Donner Party’s most prolific scorer and consistent defensive specialist. Conway is impossibly fast and quick to react to discs and his leaping ability is unparalleled. Look for him to catch a lot of goals.

USA on Defense

There is nothing particularly noteworthy about Donner Party's defense. One thing to know is that they rarely lose focus or confidence. Like other Mixed teams, male poachers like Conway or Neill will be able to play off their man to disrupt long throws to the endzone. Conway especially has great defensive prowess and will usually guard taller players and bait hucks.

Look for these players when the opponent has the disc:

Christine Johnson #13 is a core veteran who gets defensive blocks on man defense.  Look for CJ to stay tight on defense and bait throws to her player.

Jen Mader #25, excels on defense. Look for her endurance and defensive ingenuity to disrupt offensive timing.  

Andy Neill #9, added to the Donner Party roster from Oregon, Neill keeps the entire field within range of his defense. Look for him to be involved in most of the other team's turnovers.

Toby Johnson #77, speedy with great timing, has won three straight UPA championships with Trigger Hippy and Donner Party and is known for registering blocks at key moments.

Team Colors:
Red, White and Blue

Roster:
26 players

Captain:
Scotty Conway