Who will come out on top in the tightest division in Oostende?
September 27, 2024 by Benjamin Rees in Preview with 0 comments
With the World Ultimate Championships now firmly in the rear-view mirror, attention returns to home shores for the climax of the European club season – EUCF. Before the drama Down Under interrupted the continental calendar, 16 teams in each division qualified for the main event in the first year under the new EUF qualification system, with qualifiers decided by a ranking algorithm (plus the wildcard tournament winners). How will it all shake out on the fields of Oostende? We won’t find out until after the weekend, but there’s no harm in taking a closer look in advance to make some more educated guesses – given how stacked the women’s division is this year, with the bracket looking more open than ever, it deserves a deep dive.
Tournament Profile
- Location: Oostende, Belgium
- Dates: September 27-29
- Weather: Cloudy and windy and a chance of showers all weekend. Highs of 16C/60F
- Watch: Four games are broadcast each round on SolidSport, two with Ulti.TV production and two via the AI Veo cameras, with pool play on Friday, crossovers, quarter-finals, and semi-finals on Saturday, with the bronze medal games and the finals on Sunday.
- Schedule: Games between 8:00 and 19:30 on Friday, 09:00 to 21:00 on Saturday and 09:00 to 16:00 on Sunday
Pool A
YAKA (Noisy-le-Sec), one of Europe’s powerhouse programs, finished the regular season in the number one ranking spot, with a 9-2 record. France’s finest look cleaner offensively this year than in campaigns past, converting their opportunities more ruthlessly. Swann Lacoste-Lefevre makes the game look so easy, Maria Castillo is an absolute firestarter, and Amane Babikian, last season’s breakout player of the year, can always be relied upon to pull a rabbit out of a hat when required. Many of the squad were out in Australia for WUC, so there will be questions about wear and tear, and with YAKA not having played an EUCS game since the end of June it remains to be seen whether they can pick up where they left off. They notched good wins at Elite Invite and London Invite, but lost both matchups against Jinx Midnight, and the two would face off in the semi-finals if seedings hold. The ceiling for YAKA is clear, and it’s a gold medal finish, though it’ll be tough to end their championship drought given the strength of the field.
Mooncup (Brussels) qualified in seventh spot, with a 7-5 record at the end of the regular season. Last year was the first outing for the Belgians on the continental stage, and it was an impressive debut, finishing in fifth while beating semi-finalists Troubles in pool play, where they also lost to YAKA on universe point. Another team we’ve not really had a look at since the early season, they were able to play the division’s best close without claiming victory, the exception being a rollicking 15-8 win over East Block at the Elite Invite. The satellite talent needs no introduction, with both Bornot sisters returning, and a tantalizing addition in Carmen La Gala, while homegrown stars like Maïwenn Le Duc continue to come to prominence. If the squad can help share the burden from their star players and help keep them fresh, Mooncup can absolutely win this pool, and maybe even the whole tournament.
Catchup (Graz) finished the regular season ranked tenth, with a 6-4 record. Like their pool mates, they come into the weekend as somewhat of an unknown quality, perhaps even so more than the others, with their two tournaments coming all the way back in April. When we saw them in action, they picked up good wins over box and Troubles, split with Jetset LUV, while falling to FABulous, 3SB, and GRUT. Sophie Felgitsch can be a real workhorse, Sophie Bretschko has immense quality, and Swedish standout Alva Angergård is a very handy addition. A title tilt may be beyond them, but Catchup can absolutely play spoiler to other teams’ hopes if they come in unprepared.
Jetset LUV (Leuven) round out Pool A, having finished the season ranked sixteenth with a 10-11 record drawing results from five different tournaments. The regular season had ended in heartbreak, with compatriots wuf. claiming the wildcard from Summer Tour Chambéry and finishing in seventeenth to rob them of a place, only for a late reprieve when SMOG elected not to take their berth, putting Jetset LUV back in as the first lucky loser. As expected with such a large number of games under their belt, there’s a mix of good and bad results that can make them difficult to gauge, but it is notable that they split two games against Catchup and only lost to Mooncup at Elite Invite on universe point. Esther Vanwijk, having played with YAKA over the past few campaigns, will lead from the front, ably supported by seasoned campaigners like Silke Delafortrie. They can certainly notch some wins this weekend, but a bracket run seems unlikely at this stage.
Pool B
The two-time defending champions, BFD Shout (Bologna), finished the season in second place with a 10-2 record. It was the sort of season you’d expect from a team of this caliber, aiming for the fabled threepeat this year. They went undefeated in winning the Grenoble Spring Invite, with only GRUT applying any real pressure to them there, before a solid weekend at Elite Invite, where they did drop games to both Jinx Midnight and East Block. The Italians have added Ava Mueller and Sinead Dunne this year to bolster their ranks, with many familiar faces like Elena Benghi, although the loss of both Irene Scazzieri and Charlotte Schall will be keenly felt. There’s a reason so few teams are able to win three on the bounce – it’s tricky to win the big, tight games consistently without losing your edge – and while Shout has an excellent shot, it’ll be hard going in a very crowded field. Victory here might be their best yet.
Iceni (London) ended in eighth position, on the back of a 7-5 record. It’s been a few years since the Londoners dined at the continent’s top table, and while they’ve hung close against the big hitters they lack a big signature win this season to really set out their stall on. The talent on the team shouldn’t be overlooked – Ellie Taylor is nigh-on impossible to stop in full flow, Bailey Melvin-Teng never disappoints, and it’s wonderful to see Amelia Kenneth back playing at the top level. In previous cycles Iceni had an aura around them, a swagger that unnerved opponents. If they can get that mojo back, they’ll be a real threat on Saturday, and a podium finish would silence both internal and external doubts.
Third spot in Pool B is occupied by LMU (London), who finished the regular season in twelfth place with a 7-4 record. While LMU have qualified before, this is the first time they’ll be making the trip to EUCF as a team, although they’ve racked up numerous appearances as individuals throughout their playing careers. It’s testament to their quality that they qualified comfortably despite the team all being masters eligible. Jo Hamer can use her wily lefty arsenal to attack in unexpected windows, with Chesca Weddell scheming up some devious defenses. They are lacking numbers compared to other teams in attendance this weekend, and that might hold them back from deep progression, but in the ugly conditions forecast for Friday their nous and experience could be crucial in springing some surprise results.
box (Vienna) round off the cast in Pool B, qualifying in fourteenth with a 5-10 record. Losing twice as many games as you win is never ideal preparation, but playing high quality opposition at Elite Invite should stand them in good stead for the weekend ahead. Veronika Paschinger and Melanie Brandl impressed against the continent’s best in Leuven, and will need big performances again if box are to repeat the heroics of last year where they beat BFD Shout in their first game of the weekend. Given their results this campaign, it might be a tough weekend at EUCF, but if they can channel their performance from last year’s edition they could swing an upset or two.
Pool C
3SB (České Budějovicích), somewhat appropriately, are the three seed, having posted a 9-1 regular season record, as well as claiming the wildcard from Summer Tour Trnava. When the Czechs debuted at two in the rankings after Vienna Spring break, there were questions about how long they could maintain such a lofty position, but they backed it up in their Summer Tour victory where they avenged a pool play loss to East Block, their only defeat on the season, in claiming the crown. It’s an impressive comeback from a team that only had a minimal presence last season. Tereza Mrázová was very impressive in Trnava, and Ráchel and Sarah Tošnerova will be heavily influential as always. The Friday forecast is bleak, which suits 3SB’s stifling zone defenses down to the ground, with their throwers not intimidated by such conditions, and they have shown incredible understanding of how to win when games get messy. Whether they can maintain that against the big guns remains to be seen – East Block is the only other top eight team they’ve played so far, so most potential bracket opponents will be fresh matchups.
GRUT (Amsterdam) finished the regular season ranked sixth after a 9-3 finish. Anyone wondering how smooth the transition from Mixed would be needn’t have worried, as they look right at home amongst the division’s elite. Those three losses on the season are a pair of games against Shout at Spring Invite Grenoble, and a universe point loss to Jinx Midnight in the Windmill final. In an ideal world they’d have faced more of those top teams during the season, but they beat everyone they played, often fairly handily too. The performances of their stars like Lola Dam, Anne Minnaard, and Floor Keulartz have been no surprise. What has really caught the eye is some of the international talent that’s come into the fold – Fiona Mernagh, Sarah Eklund, and Aurora Lešnik are some mighty fine players to add. It’s not often you see the sixth seed picked to win it all, but GRUT have their fair share of believers, and they have the potential to repay that faith.
Bristol Ultimate (Bristol) qualified in ninth spot, on the back of an 8-5 regular season record. All thirteen of those games were played on home soil, with only four against international opponents, and it’s fair to wonder how well they can translate their play on the continent. Even when Bristol have won UKU Nationals in the past, as they did this season, it hasn’t necessarily guaranteed EUCF success. A breakthrough bronze medal in 2022 indicated they might have found the formula, but last year’s finish was underwhelming as they ended tenth. Molly Wedge will be a big presence wherever she’s positioned, and the backfield duo of Lisa Hocking and Carla Link is an absolutely rock-solid foundation for an offense. If they can channel their performance of two years ago a bracket run is on the cards, but with competition tougher than ever it’s a tall task.
FABulous (Bern) are the bottom seed in Pool C, finishing thirteenth in the rankings with a 10-11 record. With so many games under their belt there’s a lot of data points to analyze, and the picture they paint is of a team that was able to beat most opponents around the cut-off point, but struggled against higher level competition. The former European champions bring a smaller roster than most this weekend, but in Friday’s inclement weather the experience and throwing prowess of Olivia Hauser and Laura Niederhauser is tough to overcome. They might not be fancied to come out of a tough pool, but don’t be surprised if they notch some signature wins.
Pool D
Jinx Midnight (Berlin) head up Pool D with a fourth place regular season finish, a 9-2 record, and the wildcard from victory at the Elite Invite. The Germans put the division on notice with their triumph at the early season showcase, where they looked in imperious form. The two defeats were a shortened game in horrible conditions at Windmill, where they lost to GRUT 5-4, and a one-off game against Troubles where they fell 15-10, which is a big reason why the Berliners are not ranked even higher. The offensive core of Anna Gerner, Levke Walczak, and Nici Prien could well be the division’s best, but the play of their less-heralded players is also outstanding. It feels like Jinx Midnight are overdue an EUCF crown. With two of the continent’s biggest tournaments under their belts already this campaign, it feels like this could finally be their time.
East Block (East Bohemia) finished the season ranked fifth, with a 9-3 record. Last year felt like a coming out party, only for the celebrations to be shut down by a surprise universe point loss to Troubles in the quarter-finals. The most notable change this season might be the addition of coach Valerio Iani, whose motion style seems to mesh perfectly with the quick disc movement favored by Kristýna Tlustá and Dominika Hadová. They registered a huge statement victory over Shout at Elite Invite, only to suffer blowout losses to YAKA and Mooncup that same weekend. They also bested rivals 3SB in pool play, although they lost the rematch in the final. All of which is to say, if everything clicks in Oostende, the East Block stock I’ve been holding for years will come good, but the inconsistency is definitely an obstacle to overcome.
Troubles (Warsaw) finished up in eleventh after a 6-5 regular season, but they could not have been placed in a better pool for storyline purposes. The 15-10 win over Jinx Midnight feels like an outlier, but it may give them a mental edge in their matchup this weekend. Likewise the heart-pounding win that knocked East Block out of last year’s tournament might have left some scars, although the Czechs won handily when the two faced earlier this year. Grażyna Chlebicka will run the show on offense, and Monika Zaczkowska could have her own highlight reel after every tournament. While the narratives will be spicy, Jinx Midnight and East Block will certainly be favored, but Troubles finished third in their group last year, and we all know how that finished.
wuf. (Bruges) finished the season ranked outside the qualification places in seventeenth, but claimed a wildcard berth by winning Summer Tour Chambéry. As such the pressure will be off this weekend, and that could well play into their favor. Axelle Vandevelde and Pita Dhespeel both notched 19 assists that weekend, and how well their game holds up in Friday’s worrisome weather will have a huge effect on whether they can make it out of a tough group. The ability to win close games they showed in Chambéry could well serve them well here.
