UNC Darkside reclaimed their spot atop the division with back-to-back universe wins to take down the Smoky Mountain Invite crown
March 3, 2025 by Theresa Diffendal in News
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#4 UNC Darkside took down a stacked Smoky Mountain Invite field full of presumptive Nationals attendees, showing that despite an early season stumble, the road to a national championship still runs through Chapel Hill. More than dominance, however, the story of Darkside’s weekend was gritty comebacks. UNC’s 13-10 victory over #1 Oregon Ego to claim Pool B required a second-half rally, capitalizing on building wind and Ego’s struggles putting the disc in the end zone to outscore Oregon 6-2 after halftime. Again in semis, #8 Colorado took half, only for UNC to slowly reclaim the breaks and cap the game with a clean hold on universe.
Deciding not to fix what ain’t broke, the final started out all #5 UMass, with Zoodisc leading 8-6 at the break. Darkside seemed ready to put the game to bed when action resumed, quickly regaining the advantage, only for play to devolve into a back-and-forth as goals climbed into double digits. Universe point was a messy affair; a few inches difference on some throws and this is a very different recap – in Massachusetts’ favor. But someone had to win, and UNC mustered one final full-field march, with Josh Singleton hitting the dirt to secure the tournament-winning goal.
UNC’s win boosts them to the top of the recently updated frisbee-rankings.com, with just Easterns left to play on Darkside’s regular season schedule.
Stay tuned to Ultiworld for a detailed tournament recap, and check out our event page below to rewatch all the weekend’s action.
