Boston Invitational 2006: Top 3 Stories

Boston in late June. The Boston Invitational kicks us off into summer with 60+ teams sharing the fields at Devens, MA. Many of the teams are getting final looks at their tryouts and are preparing to make decisions about what their roster will look like for the UPA Champ Series. While there will be lots of shuffling around after this weekend as recently cut players will seek other avenues, for this weekend, at least, there is still the promise and hope of carving out a spot on the number one option.

The new season comes to us with the promise of goals to achieve, but with that also comes uncertainty in the face of changing rosters and leadership. This uncertainty is of interest to us observers as it signals a change in the landscape. A change to the understood order. This weekend will be the first time we get to see the results of what occurred over the winter and spring, and we will try, probably unrealistically, to get a sense of how these changes will play out come the fall.

So, going into this tournament, my top three points of interest are:

1) The New Boston Team-Brute Squad fallout

We all saw it on RSD. I put it on this blog. Leaders of Brute Squad were going to merge with the ashes of Lady Godiva and form a New Boston Team. Well, it didn't happen. The core group leading the change ended up going back to Brute. I have heard rumors that the New Boston Team is very young, with many recent college graduate tryouts, and that many of the Godiva vets have jumped ship to play on other teams including Brute and West Coast options. Sounds like there will be no clear and direct heir to the Godiva pedigree this season. Sitting here, it seems that Brute has the momentum right now, but I am going to be very curious about what this New Boston Team looks like.

2) Mixed: Phase 2

The Mixed Division benefits from getting an additional tournament in Mixed Easterns, so it will be interesting to see the teams after their initial cuts and recruiting efforts. Slow White and 6TM have had very different springs. Slow White had a robust recruiting year, and it seems like their big guns like Teddy and Jaspar have declined other options in an effort to build upon the 05 love. They brought two squads to Mixed Easterns, and I must say that the 20 or so players that may have been cut between then and now would make for a pretty good team. 6TM is facing a rebuilding year. There will be lots of turnover this year: Keri Dorko, Joggles, and Lauren Casey have all graduated from college and have moved on. LJ and Mary Hunt Martin have also moved on. Jay Clyne and Hunt won't be around this weekend. Holly and Olen have moved to the mid-west. Adam Goff is healing from surgery. Both these teams face pressure and expectations, so it will be interesting to see how they handle it.

3) Clapham

I am very interested in seeing the Brits play and they do bring some interest to the somewhat same old-same old Open Elite div. This is not to say that I won't be hanging out watching this div, it is just that other than Clapham it is the usual suspects: Pike, Dog, Metal, Goat, Sub, etc. One of my big goals for the weekend is to actually introduce myself to Timmy.

So does Clapham have a shot at semis? I have no clue. I just know that I would want to be playing them around 11am on Sunday morning...assuming that England wins Pool B. My prediction? Fire is thrown in the "Go ahead, mate, take the PT, I will back at the hotel watching the round of 16" rosham.