The Northeast Quidditch Regionals, held in Rochester on November 16 and 17, ended with a spot for the Marauders in the Seventh World Cup.
“I think we did a great job. We competed really hard even when we were challenged and the game wasn’t going our way,” said Chaser Cesar Andrade. “We picked ourselves up when we were down and continued to fight until we reached our ultimate goal, which was to make it to World Cup.”
The first day of regionals started with pool play; the Marauders were in the second pool with Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), the New York Badassilisks, Clark University, and the University of Rhode Island. The Marauders won their first two games against Clark University and the Badassilisks, but were defeated by RIT after its team caught the snitch.
“It was a tough loss,” said Captain Shenuque Tissera, “but we still were able to regroup after and secure a World Cup berth.”
On the second day of regionals, teams competed to fill the twelve available World Cup spots. First there was the Round of 16, the winners of which would be earn spots in the World Cup. The losers then played in a separate double-elimination bracket for the last four spots.
In the Round of 16, Macaulay played against Syracuse University. Macaulay’s chances looked grim when the game started with a 0-30 score and a snitch on the pitch. However, an amazing snitch catch from Macaulay’s Andrew Zagelbaum ended the game in a tie and put the teams into an overtime round. In this round, Syracuse scored again—bringing the score to 30-40—but Zagelbaum managed to grab the snitch a second time. This victory ensured Macaulay’s place in the World Cup, though they hadn’t even scored a goal.
“The feeling was unreal. I knew what the team needed, and I made sure it happened. I put everything I had into that game,” said Seeker Andrew Zagelbaum. “I knew the team was given a second chance, and the game was going to come down to whoever caught the snitch in overtime. Syracuse had a reputation of fantastic seeking, so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. After the 30-second seeker floor, I left everything I had on that pitch. I improvised on the spot, and blindly wrapped my hand around the snitch’s back to pull the tail.”
Although the Marauders are a new team, they have proven to be a force to be reckoned with by qualifying for World Cup two years in a row.
“I started the team in October of 2011 after going to a 2010 World Cup with a few CSI friends,” said Beater and Founder Jenna Jankowski. “As a senior, I’m excited to be going to World Cup and to spend a fantastic weekend with my team before I graduate. I definitely expect us to make it to day two, something we didn’t accomplish last year.”
Joining the Marauders in Myrtle Beach in April will be Tufts University, NYU, University of Rochester, Boston University, Emerson College, The Massacre, RIT, Hofstra, Harvard, UMass, and RPI.
“We need to continue to work hard to ensure that we continue to improve in a very competitive Northeast Region,” said Captain Shenuque Tissera. “Despite being around for three years this team is still very long and we have a lot to learn before we can hold that Northeast Regional Championship.”
In the interest of full disclosure, Ziva Rubinstein is a member of the Macaulay Marauders Quidditch team.
