The 2010 version of TFDA's "Semi-Occasional-Sometimes-Annual Corporate Tourney"went off without a hitch this past Sunday, April 11, at Cedar Fork District Park, with last year's winner, Employees of the State of NC, reprising their 2009 victory with an 11-8 finals performance against IBM team #1, led by Andy Ivory.

Teams participating in this year's event, in initial seed order, were the following:

1. State of NC - Jerry Rosenberg
2. SAS - Mel Proctor
3. UNC Employees - Brian Sherry
4. IBM #1 - Andy Ivory
5. IBM #2 - Kristen Dunne and Tom Munoz
6. Federal Gov't - Andrew Weiner
7. Carolina Outreach - Tom Reid

The unfortunate number of teams required either some creative scheduling or a simple, though unsatisfying round-robin format. The latter was eschewed in favor of a format that permitted pool play and elimination play. Two pools were formed, one of three teams and the other of four. The pools were these:

Pool A	Pool B
State Employees	SAS
UNC Employees	IBM#1
IBM#2	Federal Gov't
	Carolina Outreach

Play began at 9am, with the expected conclusion to the day being 5pm. Any participation beyond these working hours was not going to be compensated with overtime, hence everyone stayed on schedule. The day dawned with a crisp 40 degree temperature and clear skies, but by 9am the temperature was already well over 60 degrees and climbing, reaching the high 70s by mid-afternoon. There were some slight, variable breezes that wafted through at different times, but none sufficient to produce any concerted effort to use zone defenses as a primary strategy.

While all rounds were 1:20, Pool A attempted to play games to 15, while Pool B played theirs to 11. Results of pool play were these:

Pool A	Pool B
State 2-0	IBM#1 3-0
UNC 1-1	SAS 2-1
IBM#2 0-2	Carolina Outreach 1-2
	Federal Gov't 0-3

The top finisher in Pool B got a bye into quarters while all the other teams crossed over for the quarters round of elimination play. Quarters matchups and results were these:

State over Feds 10-7
UNC over Carolina Outreach 11-5
SAS over IBM#2 11-8
IBM#1 bye

The semis matchups and results were these:

State over SAS 10-7
IBM#1 over UNC 11-7

...which set up a finals match between the State Employees and Big Blue's #1.

Rosters for each of these teams:

State	IBM#1
Victor Maneilly	Andy Ivory
Jeff Faulkner	Steve Ridgill
Rocky Payne	Jesse Overby
Dave Snoke	Christopher Hardee
Sion Stone	Kevin Himberger
Tom Schopler	Lee Surprenant
Daniel Schopler	Chrystian Plachco
Alton Boshoff	Nick Poore
Brian Lowther	Dave Sims
Joe Wolhar	Mike Moore (ringer)
Grant Gardner	Missy Overby
Pete Wentz	Laura Levandoski
Matt Flynn (ringer)	Ana Placho
Jerry Rosenberg	Lauren Gardner (ringer)
Jenny Rogers
Anne Buroughs
Mary Frazer
Amanda Carter-Finley
Debbie Lowther

It should be noted that Dave Snoke and Alton Boshoff of the State Team had already departed by the time the finals had rolled around, so IBM#1 faced a somewhat less daunting team. It should also be noted that the State team eschewed even recruiting a ringer woman, while the IBM#1 was solidly fortified with a male and female ringer (Mike Moore and Lauren Gardner).

IBM pulled to State, and the score was quickly ushered in with a handful of passes, first blood going to State, 1-0. IBM answered, then followed with a break to go up 2-1. In the next point, after IBM had regained the disc then lost it at the goal line, a re-set pass was intercepted by IBM's Kevin Himberger for a Callahan score, giving IBM a cushy 3-1 lead. State battled back over the course of the next three points, with both teams getting multiple possessions during the fray, but the result was three straight for State, and a 4-3 lead. IBM was able to answer with its fourth goal to tie the game at 4s. In another hard-fought pair of points, State was able to go up by two and to take half, 6-4.

Sion Stone of the State team was getting open and delivering lethal shots throughout the entire game, though his production might have been higher had he not been covered so intently by IBM's Mike Moore. IBM's Jesse Overby sent a number of long flick shots to the endzone, but they could not find their mark due to good pressure on intended receiver Steve Ridgill. IBM's Nick Poore and Chrystian Plachco were key playmakers during the second half for IBM, but strong defensive pressure kept them from connecting with Laura Levandoski in the endzone (she seemed to score at least 4 goals in every previous game!).

The second half began on serve, with an IBM score, but after State got its serve point, they broke in the next point, going up 8-5. IBM took its only timeout of the game at this juncture, knowing that State needed only three more goals to end the game. IBM came out with the score they sought, but they could not get a break, and the score incremented for each to 9-6, still State's advantage. Behind steady, workman-like performances from the State cutters (Jeff Faulkner, Victor Maneilly, and Rocky Payne), each IBM goal was answered in kind, till finally, State's youngster Daniel Schopler snagged their final goal, putting them at 11-8, and gaining for the team another year of bureaucratic braggadocio. It's up to the rest of us to ensure that such a victory is not filled out in triplicate in 2011...

Line score for the Finals:

State:|| 1..........2..3..4...5..6...7..8...9...10...11
IBM : || ..1..2..3.........4........5......6....7....8