"Once they did turn it over, we just flew down the field and couldn't be stopped," Ian Engler '12 said.
The Big Green women came in fourth place behind Tufts, Northeastern University and Middlebury College.
"I'm definitely a little disappointed, but it takes bravery to set big goals and even though we didn't achieve it, seeing the men do it is inspiring and gives us something to look forward to for next year," Sophia Schwartz '13 said.
In the women's semifinals, Middlebury took a four-point lead from the start, which they were able to sustain with a strong defense on the dump.
"Their defense came really strong and prevented easy throws," Emily Eisner '14 said. "They also got turnovers right near their end zone, so they were able to score easily."
The women did make a comeback in the second half, but ended up losing the game 15-14.
"I'm really proud of how hard our team played to make that comeback, but ultimately it wasn't enough," Eisner said. "I'm really disappointed that it happened to our team, but upsets don't happen a lot in women's ultimate and I give Middlebury credit for their hard work."
The loss last weekend ended the women's season.
"This team means so much and I get so much out of playing and practices that I feel honored no matter the outcome," Schwartz said.
The men's team will travel to Madison, Wis., the weekend of May 24 for the three-day national tournament, where they will compete against the top 20 teams, including Harvard University. The men have lost the national bid to Tufts for the last two years.
"It would have been awesome to beat Harvard, but I feel like it was always going come down to us versus Tufts," Thomas Balch '12 said. "It's when you beat the big one that makes it really worth it. And as competitive as we are with Tufts, there is definitely some respect there. I wouldn't rather our rival be any other team."
To prepare for nationals, the men will strengthen their current game strategy and view videos of competing teams in action.
"I really have no idea what to expect," Balch said. "No team is really that far out of any team's reach. There are a lot of upsets in ultimate and it really depends on the situation."
Engler said the men can feel confident going into nationals because of their high level of play this season.
"We have nothing to lose, we only have everything to gain," Balch said. "Just the fact that we get to go to nationals, that's the real privilege."
In anticipation of high-level defense from other teams, the men will tighten their decision making on the field.
"It's really just going to be about bringing the fire in each game," Engler said. "Every team will bring it because it's nationals, we're just going to have to bring it more. We'll work our butts off no matter who is on the other side of the field."
Competing at nationals has fulfilled the dreams of many team members.
"It is so gratifying to share this experience with my teammates, some of my best friends in the world," Engler said. "It's just something I probably won't find again."
