The weather has turned, the first snow has fallen, and the intramural soccer players have all been herded into El Pomar to trade their soccer balls for futsal balls. Yes, the futsal season is upon us, and it has been kicked off by the pre-holiday tournament, which began this past Monday.
Most teams competing in the double elimination tournament should sound familiar to any knowledgeable IM soccer fan: Multiple Scoregasms, The Halestorms, The Papi Chulos, the Dance Floor Finger Blasters (DFFB), and, of course, the back-to-back IM outdoor soccer champs and last year’s pre-holiday tournament victors, Title 69.
Long time 69er Alicia Terry was very confident when asked if her team was capable of winning their second shirt in two blocks. Many have described Title 69 as a team that “cleverly combines groundbreaking legislation for gender equality with a fun activity that promotes another type of equality,” according to Terry. Director of Intramural Sports Chris Starr is among those who have tabbed the 69ers as favorites in the league.
Justin Nguyen, student supervisor for both the pre-holiday tournament and 2016 futsal league, also believes Title 69 to be one of the best teams. The competition will be stiff for the 69ers, seeing as almost every team is eager to conclude the 69ers’ long and dominant reign. In particular, the Halestorms and Ya Beauty pose the most viable threats.
The Halestorms, named in memory of Sam Hale, is composed almost entirely of players from last year’s Odds Are, winners of the 2015 futsal league. Team captain Gavin Cobb acknowledged that while many key players have opted out of the tournament in order to “study abroad,” they have acquired new weapons like Phil Engh and Eli Bresler, and the team has held on to veterans, including Benjamin Tweedy. Luckily for the Halestorms, the tournament is double elimination, and the squad will have to compete in the loser’s bracket after losing a heartbreaking match to Multiple Scoregasms.
Ya Beauty, led by James Rajasingh, boasts some great talent, including, but not limited to, Connor Haney and Oliver Skelly. Haney, a quick, smart, and handsome men’s lacrosse player who has won several IM shirts in his storied career (including with Odds Are and Title 69), is described by his teammates as a “savage.” Meanwhile, Skelly is described by Starr as one of the finest and most exciting futsal players. These two players are supported by former Calm Out the Back players, like Rajasingh and Will Hollo, who recently opposed Title 69 in the outdoor league championship game. Maddie Pillari has also joined the ranks of Ya Beauty, and Captain Rajasingh describes her as an indispensable component of the team.
Other teams that will pose a serious challenge to Title 69 include Multiple Scoregasms, Omar Comin’, captained by former 69er, Nick Roman, Lake Titicaca Thunder—who lasted until the semis in the outdoor league—and Dyslexia Untied, led by the Catalyst’s own David Andrews.
The 69ers’ Terry is not particularly worried about her team’s competition, though she did acknowledge the fickle nature of the tournament. “The tourney is kind of a free-for-all, though,” she said. “There’s no room for mistakes.”
John Borah