Welcome To The Show

Ladies and Gents.
Young and Old.

Welcome, to the biggest weekend of the year! Oh yes, it's that time again. When Spring is always warm, when grass is green, and the Ultimate....oh the Ultimate!

The 2008 Regional Championships are upon us, and as it is every year, the most magical weekend is sure to produce excitement!

With 16 of the Midwest's finest converging on Harland, Michigan. From teams in the Top 10 of the nation, to teams making their first Regional appearance, to teams looking for vengeance...Regionals got just a little bit of everything. Think I'm exaggerating? Think again.....have a sneak peak at a couple of the scripts unfolding this year at the 2008 Great Lakes Regional Championships:

1. Michigan - ranked number one in the Region...they may have the most impacting and important win of the entire season, across the nation...they broke Wisconsin's perfect record, and are looking to have a go with them again at Nationals.

2. Illinois - just a couple questions arose after Illinois won the Sectional Championship....on double game point...at 17-16...after being down 13-9...yea, there are just a few questions floating about one of the strongest teams in the nation.

3. Notre Dame - with only 5 losses, those in the know are still claiming Notre Dame is underrated...however, they showed signs of being susceptible to defeat when North Park took them down in the Central Plains Semifinals...the 3rd seed has just a chip on their shoulder coming into the tournament.

4. Ohio State - Nationals last year. Check. Nationals this year. Most don't seem to think so...however, Pb's got as much talent as anyone in the Region, and they always look primed for success after Sectionals...can they make it two in a row?

6. North Park - Nearly winning the Sectional Championship made a lot of noise. They've got a wealth of veterans looking to go out with a bang...can they wear the Cinderella slipper?

8. Miami of Ohio - Two top-tier collegiate and club players, Josh Findley and Matt Mastrantuono are wrapping up their college careers this year...they're surrounded by youthful excitement and plenty of speed...can they make a final push? Many think they could be a dark horse.

10. Indiana - Um, yea. National Championships last year...this year, they about didn't make it out of Sectionals. Yet this Central Plain 6th place finisher has a lot to prove...especially since they're ranked in front of 6 other Regional teams. Has Indiana dropped off? Or is Indiana back for more?

There's so much to be looked at and analyzed, but when it comes down to it, everyone in the Region is going to have to bring it. No matter how much people debate Series formats, the bottom line is teams have to win. If you want to make it through, you've got to beat teams. This year's GL is primed to be exciting, and no matter how things pan out, everyone is hungry....

For all your Regional needs, check out this site:

The 2008 Great Lakes Open Regionals Site