East Plains' Mastro Reps On the World Scene

For those of you new to Ultimate....welcome to the excitement. For those of you not so new, this will provide an update on one of the best players in the Great Lakes Region, at least in recent years.

Matt Mastrantuono (Mastro) is a recent graduate of Miami U, and the former captain and big gun for the Miami Boogiemen, a top caliber program. Revolving around the dedication and effort of Mastro, the Boogiemen followed this All-Region player to multiple outstanding finishes in the GL Region.

Well ladies and gents, this former rival (and good friend of many a Ghetto Forcer) has taken some risks and managed to reach an all new level. Mastro, graduating in May '08, packed up his bags and on a prayer and a whim, moved out West in search of new beginnings, and a shot at the best Ultimate in the world.

For those of you still a bit naive, the North West region of the US is made up of many of the world's strongest Club Ultimate teams, including reigning champion Seattle Sockeye, followed closely by perennial powers Jam (San Francisco), Voodoo (Seattle), Revolver (Bay Area), psuedo World Champions Furious George (Vancouver), Invictus (Alberta), and 2007 National Champion qualifier, Rhino, out of Portland, Oregon.

So, lets get to the point here. Mastro graduates, wraps up Regionals with a great run in the GL with the Boogiemen, and with basically nothing but determination, packs up and moves to Portland. Without a place to stay and no job lined up, Matt works his magic and begins moving and shaking....and along the way, tries out and makes Rhino, a premier, elite Ultimate squad - nothing shy of outstanding!

Well ladies and gents, it didn't take this young'n too long to settle in. Within his first tournaments he was nearly flawless from the handler position, and was utilizing his enhanced conditioning routine (trust me, it's jaw dropping) to elevate his play on both sides of the disc.

So, where is this going? Well, the little Miami captain that could has gone from ripping flicks against Ohio schools at Fall Brawl, to ripping flicks against, and eventually hugging, the German National Team (not to mention every other premier team in the U.S.)! It's a pretty awesome story!

Also, if you haven't seen this footage yet, you need to check it out. Also, if you're a young gun, unfamiliar with Mastro, check the footage out as well, as it showcases some utterly outstanding play! Enjoy!

PS. Mastro isn't rocking the leggings that allow him to wick to the 5th dimension....but you can spot him in the #2 gear. Also, he's the first person to take the score down against Furious George in the Sockeye Invite vid, and in the Disco Calientes tape, check the 3:25 point where Matt rocks an "amateur" backhand high release fake, and it's totally eaten up by the marker......like poetry in motion baby!

SockeyeInvite 2008 - Rhino from luke johnson on Vimeo.


Disco Calientes 2008 - Rhino from luke johnson on Vimeo.