Carleton CUT return to the final after a universe point victory over Colorado Mamabird
May 27, 2026 by Alex Rubin in Recap
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ROCKFORD, IL — #2 Carleton CUT advanced to their second straight final, taking down #1 Colorado Mamabird in a thrilling semifinal on double game point. This was the third meeting between these two teams during the regular season,1 and all previous matchups this school year were universe point Mamabird wins. In front of a raucous crowd under the lights at Wedgbury Stadium, Carleton flipped the script.
The pressure of the moment appeared to get to both teams throughout the first half. Carleton’s Axel Olson placed his OIIO throw too far for Fin Fuhrman and Colorado quickly took advantage with a Tobias Brooks huck to Zeke Thoreson to score the first break of the game. The sound that emanated from the Mamabird fan section might have been the loudest sound ever heard at an ultimate game – the stands were full and the crowd felt as alive as the opening of a Taylor Swift concert.
“We got so much support from our parents and family that came out,” Zeke Thoreson said. “And from our team too, the support and love that I’ve found on this team is unmatched and I haven’t found anywhere else in my life. I truly feel that this is such a special team with the amount of support and love and trust that we have for each other.”
On the very next point, Mamabird’s Rami Rifaat looked like he ran through Nate De Morgan’s cut for a block. De Morgan called a foul, and the observers sent it back as a contested foul, preserving the possession for CUT. Nobody will know what this game would have looked like if CUT got broken on their first two points because De Morgan soon after bent a backhand into the end zone (one of his three assists to go with five goals) to tie the score at one apiece.
RIFAAT BLOCK / DE MORGAN FOUL CLIP
Just a few moments into the game it was clear that this was going to be a back and forth slugfest between two heavyweights. Breaks came in waves as both teams took turns pushing in front. “What was cool about this game is both teams got some licks in, in the first half,” CUT coach Timothy Schoch said. “I feel like a lot of them have been very one-sided affairs where only one team breaks in the first half, but both teams were punching.”
Simon Logan’s huck to Rifaat gave Colorado their break back. Carleton’s Sarek Mallareddy led Declan Miller around two defenders for a deep goal. Brooks dropped a hammer assist to Finn McKenzie. Olson clinically diced up the Mamabird defense with precise inside flick darts. Like a tennis point hammering baseline drives back and forth and back and forth, these two teams kept relentlessly attacking each other. After all of the volleys and rallies, the teams took their halftime break with CUT up 8-7 on serve.
The speed of play was notable in the first half. Those first fifteen points were completed in just over half an hour of real time. With players buzzing around the turf on the showcase field, and the disc zipping between open spaces, the pace was notable as both teams emptied their proverbial gas tank. Compared to their previous matchups, which all happened on grass fields, this one felt less like a marathon and more like an IndyCar speed race. “This time we were on turf and it felt a lot faster,” Schoch said, comparing the semifinal the previous matchups this season. “They looked really fucking fast. They looked fast on grass, and they looked really fucking fast on turf.”
What was most impressive about the speed and pace of the game was the minutes that star players were asked to play. De Morgan was called to the line for the first nine points of the game. He, Miller, Olson, and Shope regularly crossed over and played spectacularly both ways. While Mamabird was more selective with their crossover moments, Zeke Thoreson, Brooks, Nanda Min-Fink, and Tucker Kalmus also saw a lot of run beyond their standard line assignments.
As the sun set and the literal lights got brighter, the pressure mounted for both teams as the reality that one of their seasons would end set in. On the first point of the second half, Thoreson and De Morgan both excitedly launched throws that sailed over their target and out of the end zone. Shortly thereafter, Colorado’s Elliot Hawkins did the same. With everyone so amped up to make a big play in the primetime showcase game, even the slightest miscue could turn into a game changing mistake.
All told, Mamabird made a few more execution errors than CUT in the second half and found themselves trailing 14-11. After a trying hold – rookie Aage Bonnell cleanly blocked a huck for Brooks before throwing a huck turnover himself – Mamabird needed to break the rest of the way.
With their backs against the wall, Colorado sent out their best set of defenders: two-time defending Defensive Player of the Year Zeke Thoreson, Ezra Thoreson, Sam Kilgore, Min-Fink, Kalmus, Brooks, and Axel Hartzog for one point, then Rifaat for the next.
Ezra Thoreson had one of the highlight moments of the game for Colorado, chasing down Miller and skying him for a block. With that highlight in the docket, the younger Thoreson can bank the clip for his own future Callahan Award video. This year, it was his older brother, Zeke, who won the sport’s most prestigious individual award. After the game, Zeke reflected on his accomplishment and deflected his joy back on to his younger brother. “It’s fucking sick and I’m super happy about [winning the Callahan Award],” the elder Thoreson said, “but I felt better watching my brother get a sky on Declan Miller in that back corner…it’s an awesome thing and feels really good, but there are so many more things that I feel proud and happy about.”
As Mamabird left everything they could on the field, there was lots to be proud about all around. When Colorado got their chance, they were ready to convert. Fuhrman led his cutter a bit too far and a leading upline pass hit the turf. Brooks found Hartzog for the score. On the next point, Fuhrman’s initiating pass to Ellis Newhouse tipped off of the receiver’s hands. Brooks hammered to Rifaat for his tenth assist of the game, which tied the score at 14-14. “They really pushed us at the end,” Schoch said. “They’re a really great team.”
Brooks was Mamabird’s most consistent player of the game, controlling the offense from the backfield and elevating his play to meet the moment. Putting together a ten-assist game in the semifinals at Nationals is a legacy-defining moment, no matter the outcome of the game.
TOBIAS BROOKS ASSIST PACKAGE CLIP
After three previous matchups ended on double game point, it was only fitting that this one did too. After a helter-skelter game in which both teams rode huge emotional swells and competed to the absolute very best of their abilities, the last point was fairly calm. Min-Fink’s pull fell short of the end zone and dropped sharply, allowing CUT to set up their offense and get the disc moving before the defense could cover the play. Carleton pinged the disc around cutters breaking across the open lane quickly, getting the disc to midfield before Mamabird’s defenders could truly process the movement on the field. In the red zone, looks that had been denied earlier were suddenly free. Olson’s around backhand sprung Miller into the middle of the field as the pivot, and De Morgan saw an opening on the break side to complete a textbook endzone set. Mamabird did not have any help defense nearby and could really only watch as Carleton held on for what turned out to be one of their easier possessions of the game despite the intense mental pressure of needing to hold on for a score after giving up three straight.
With the win, CUT advanced to face #7 Massachusetts Zoodisc in Monday’s final. That matchup will be a rematch of last season’s semifinal, which CUT of course won. Just as they did last season, CUT appears to be peaking at the right time. They faced their biggest challenge of the season so far on Sunday night and managed to come out on top. If they do so again on Monday, they will have built the beginnings of the next men’s division dynasty. “This win means one more day together,” Schoch said. “That’s all we’re fighting for in this tournament.”
Colorado will surely be ruminating this result and the missed opportunities over the course of the game. “I wish I would have changed my mindset a little bit,” Zeke Thoreson said. “This is the first game I’ve ever played where I didn’t feel in control of the moment and in control over how I was thinking about stuff…Generally when I’m playing I feel very confident and in control, but for some reason this game felt out of my control.”
The what ifs abound: what would this game have looked like if De Morgan’s foul call on the second point was overturned and Mamabird went up 2-0? What if Min-Fink’s pull on the last point of the game had more hang time and allowed the defense to set up before Carleton could start their offensive motion? What if Thoreson, again the two-time defending Defensive Player of the Year, had a shot at guarding Miller rather than leave Kilgore on that matchup the entire game? There are thousands of small decisions that coaches and players need to make over the course of a game, and under such a magnified spotlight it is easy to second guess every single one. It would be a herculean task to get every single one correct, but in a game with such thin margins between two teams at the peak of their powers, every little choice mattered.
Mamabird had the belief in themselves that they had the skill and strategy to eek out the tight win. “It goes back to the trust, trust that it’s going to be there,” Zeke Thoreson said after the game. “I say that now and we didn’t even win, so is trust really enough? I’m really thinking back to it. I don’t know what to change but I’m going to be watching this game back…Is trusting that it’s all going to work out enough to make the difference? I used to think that, but I’m not so sure.”
While there is nothing that Colorado can do to change the result of Sunday’s game, they can take lessons from the loss into the future. “This game felt different for some reason,” Zeke Thoreson added. “I don’t know what it was. It was so taxing and so frustrating. It’s just another point of growth and something to keep moving forward with.”
Though an important senior class graduates, Colorado still return Brooks. With him on the field, Hawkins returning, Ezra Thoreson to lead the defense, and a promising crop of incoming rookies, Mamabird will certainly have a great chance to continue their winning ways and perhaps find themselves deep in the bracket once again next year.
“We’re people who love to work hard with each other,” Zeke Thoreson said. “We were saying before the game, throughout the tournament, how much we love playing together and being around each other…We’re all really behind the goal of winning, but beyond that, it’s being with this group.” With the foundation of a solid, legacy program and plenty of talented players returning to the team, there is no doubt that Mamabird will be back in big moments like this one soon.
they also played a universe point game in the fall at Classic City Classic ↩
