App-5 Season Recap

Author: Colin Bourn

Editor: Keegan Remy-Miller

The Appalachian 5 (App-5) became the newest major conference in USQ this spring, featuring the most competitive college quidditch teams from the Appalachian region. The conference held two events this semester: a round robin at Cavalier Cup in February and Backyard Brawl, a featured matchup followed by a fantasy tournament in April. Despite complications in scheduling, the inaugural App-5 season found plenty of success and helped establish a competitive environment for all of its teams. All of the App-5 teams (Pittsburgh, Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia) proved all year to be tough, hard-working programs, winning meaningful games, even on the national stage. Four out of the five teams advanced to the D1 bracket of US Quidditch Cup 2022. Despite losing their D1 bracket spot to West Virginia (WVU) in a hard fought elimination game, Pittsburgh (Pitt) did have an impressive run in the D2 bracket, making it all the way to the semifinals and was the only App-5 team to win a game on Sunday. The App-5 put on a great showing at US Quidditch Cup this year and each program has much potential to make it even further in 2023.

The App-5 kicked off its inaugural season with several games played at Cavalier Cup in February. Virginia had a dominant performance on their home turf and ended the day undefeated. West Virginia also went undefeated on the day, but it wasn’t as pretty, as they beat Virginia Tech (Tech) by a snitch catch and Pitt in a next goal wins scenario. Tech and Pitt had the final game of the day which was neck and neck until snitch on pitch when Tech pulled away and got a much needed win. Later in the semester, Virginia and Penn State played each other at Knight's Cup in New Jersey. Virginia came out with a commanding early lead in that game. Penn State (PSU) improved and adjusted as the game went on, but couldn’t overcome the deficit and it ended as a big win for Virginia. The final App-5 event of the year was a featured rivalry matchup between Pitt and WVU in a Backyard Brawl rematch from their golden goal game at Cavalier Cup. WVU emerged victorious again, clinching an undefeated regular season conference record for their spring semester. 

Here’s a look at  the App-5 standings from the spring semester (excluding games from US Quidditch Cup):

Here are the standings based on all games played between the App-5 teams from the 2021-22 season (including games from US Quidditch Cup)

By the end of the season, Virginia looked like the top dog of the conference. The Wahoos had multiple wins over top 10 teams nationwide this spring and received a well deserved top 10 in the Eighthman/Fastbreak Poll themselves. However, their campaign wasn’t always dominant throughout the year. West Virginia and Virginia Tech were both a thorn in the side of UVA and proved to be challengers at the top of the conference. In fact, both teams beat UVA at Mid Atlantic Regionals. While Penn State didn’t get much opportunity to play other conference teams, they proved to be tough and won bragging rights over their in-state rivals QC Pittsburgh with a win against them in the fall. Pitt also proved all season that they can hang with everyone in the App-5, as nobody had an easy go against them.

Team Profiles

QC Pittsburgh Panthers (0-8)

Even though Pitt couldn’t pull off any wins against another App-5 school this year, they had some fantastic performances and proved that they belong in the thick of the competition in this conference. They played a lot of close games and showed that they are a team nobody should sleep on. In fact, all four of Pitt’s games against West Virginia would have had the result flipped if the snitch catch had gone Pitt’s way. 

In USQ events, Pitt thrived as a dark horse contender. Last fall, Pitt came into Great Lakes Regionals (GLRC) with one of the lowest seeds in the tournament. Despite that, Captains Ben Raymond and Marie Jones led their team on an impressive run to finish in the top 4 out of 15 teams at GLRC and secure a bid to nationals. At US Quidditch Cup, the Panthers lost yet another close game to WVU, but a win over Northern Colorado secured a spot for them in the D2 bracket. Pitt brought the heat on Sunday and made it to the semifinals of the D2 bracket, a run that surely was a valuable experience for the players returning in the fall.

Pitt is one of the few teams in the Mid Atlantic that primarily run a mark defense as opposed to a 2-2 zone. This let them press higher on defense than most teams and tended to make a lot of their opponents uncomfortable, forcing them to adjust their offense. On offense, Pitt loved to create fast breaks with their big keepers Drew White and Zach Smith. Smith was one of the biggest bright spots for the Panthers’ quaffle lines. His physicality and ability to finish was very valuable all spring. Other wing chasers like Alex Hill, Mellissa Gemma, and Stefan Bordeianu stepped up in big ways for Pitt this year, especially after losing Wes Lombardo in the spring and star keeper Spencer Reisig being limited by an injury. Pitt had two of the most athletic beaters in the conference. Kevin Tang and Ben Raymond played very aggressively and could outpace any opponent to a loose bludger. Marie Jones and Bethany Wilson also put in solid performances at beater this year and complemented Tang and Raymond’s aggressive styles very well.

One of the most admirable things about Pitt’s roster this year was its depth. Raymond and Jones did a fantastic job with recruitment and retention this year. Pitt also rotated many more players in their regular lines than most teams and probably had the least amount of drop off in talent from their first and second lines in the conference. Pitt’s large roster still has plenty of talent that any other team would love to have going into next semester.

Penn State Nittany Lions (1-1)

While the Appalachian 5 didn’t get to see much of Penn State throughout the season, Penn State did manage to make plenty of noise elsewhere. In the fall, Penn State grabbed people's attention with several close games against Great Lakes giant Michigan, including a nailbiter at GLRC in which Penn State outscored the regional runner-ups in quaffle points. PSU continued to fight hard at regionals and squeezed out several impressive victories, and secured an automatic bid to US Quidditch Cup with a win over Marquette. The Nittany Lions weren’t able to make the trip to Cavalier Cup, and had a nearly five month break in competitive games before playing at Knight’s Cup in March. Penn State played a bit rusty from their break in action and were only able to snag a win against Dark Snare that day. They worked hard to improve in the weeks leading to their trip to Utah, and it definitely showed. At US Quidditch Cup Penn State made a fantastic run into the Round of 16 by pulling off a massive upset over Mizzou, taking care of business against Arizona State, and coming very close to beating Rutgers. In bracket play they were knocked out by Blue Jay Quidditch, but played much better than their previous matchup with the Creighton B team at GLRC.

Penn State had some of the best depth among female players in the conference. Erika and Emily Lenhart were physical defenders and talented off ball chasers who managed to score plenty of important goals. Maddie Throne did a fantastic job seeking for Penn State and her snitch catch was the deciding factor in their win against Mizzou. Luci Jensen and Olivia Estright were strong in the beating game and played with good chemistry alongside their captain Joey Imperial. Imperial was the motor that charged Penn State’s run to the Sweet 16. His beating was clutch on defense and cleared the space needed on offense for their top scorer TJ Gallman to work his magic.

Penn State has been a consistently good program for many years. This great run at US Quidditch Cup could be a stepping stone to take them to the next level. More experience against the other highly competitive teams in the App-5 next year will only help them improve.

University of Virginia Wahoos (6-2)

Virginia rebounded from a year off of competitive quidditch as well as any team in the country. Captain Hannah Rollins inherited a team that was one of the best in the East before the Covid-19 pandemic, and did a fantastic job leading them to maintain that reputation.

UVA had some early season struggles in the fall. They lost on their home turf to Maryland and underperformed as one of the favorites at Mid Atlantic Regionals (MARC) losing to both West Virginia and Virginia Tech. However, in the spring, UVA took big steps forward and transformed themselves into a top 10 team in the nation. They put together some impressive performances in the early spring, handing Mid Atlantic rivals Maryland their first loss of the season, and splitting a pair of games with a very good Rutgers team. UVA also finished the spring semester undefeated against their conference opponents. The Wahoos came into US Quidditch Cup with plenty of momentum and it showed in their performance. UVA took care of business in dominant pool play wins versus Vermont and North Carolina. They played neck and neck with the number 3 team coming into the tournament, UTSA, and gave the eventual champions Texas their closest game all tournament. Even though they only made it to the round of 16, UVA looked like a team that deserved to make an even deeper run and cement their spot as one of the best teams in the country. 

UVA’s squad this year was very well balanced and had an abundance of talent at both beater and chaser. At beater, Alex Weidenman and Hannah Rollins were both excellent and had a knack for finding creative ways to win bludger control off of opponents and became arguably the best double female beater set in the country. UVA’s quaffle game had a lot of depth this season led by player-coach Byron Bleuze, who was fantastic at stopping opponents in front of the hoops. Emma Rollins and Andrew Bowman both developed into great weapons for their quaffle line and were key to UVA’s success. Freshman Zan Siddiqui had a breakout season, and was the motor that drove the UVA offense. His chemistry with star chaser/keeper Chet Kleppin made for a very dangerous combo. One of the biggest reasons for Virginia’s improvements in the spring was the addition of Alex Cruz. Cruz was the missing piece UVA needed in the spring. His clutch seeking really boosted UVA in close games and his physicality made an already dangerous quaffle line even better.

Virginia’s team grew up a lot over the course of the season. They became much more consistent and confident against high level opponents. They finished the semester as the clear top dog of the App-5. Their leadership continued to add to a winning culture that will surely carry into next season.

Virginia Tech Hokies (3-3)

Virginia Tech didn’t get to play in as many official events as their conference opponents this season, but the tournaments they did play in were impressive showings by the Hokies. Mid Atlantic Regionals was Tech’s first official tournament of the season, and they put on a fantastic performance. They picked up quality wins against UVA, WVU, and UNC en route to finishing as the MARC runner-up. At Cavalier Cup they hung tough with UVA, lost a nailbiter to WVU, and got a great win over Pitt, all with only 12 players. Tech also came into US Quidditch Cup with a small roster and played some of their best quidditch all year. They beat two former national champions on Saturday (Middlebury and University of Rochester) and played a close game against Cal. On Sunday they led against a historically great Kansas team before losing by just two goals.

Captain Justin Kraemer was the heart and soul of this team, and his leadership on the field always made a big impact on the game. Kraemer played like an MVP candidate at Mid Atlantic Regionals and continued to be a threat in the spring, finishing as one of the top scorers in the conference. Keeper Shane McConaghie showed great chemistry with Kraemer assisting many of the captain’s goals and grew into one of the best young players in the conference. Claire Lawson also showed lots of improvement over the course of the season as an off ball chaser. Sean Maloney was seemingly unstoppable at times whether he was making hits and leading fast breaks as a chaser, or bringing a physical presence at beater. Tech’s beating core was headlined by Kevin Florimon who has a cannon of an arm and is never afraid to be physical. Florimon really stepped up into an even bigger role after losing star beater Tori Nutt in the spring and he still managed to thrive. Virginia Tech struggled to find any success in the snitch game at MARC, but in the spring Tech found the answer in their seeking problems in Drew Hopkins who finished the season with many crucial catches for the team.

Kraemer, Maloney and Florimon were fantastic all year, and unfortunately for Tech all three are graduating. But the keys will be handed over to some eager young talent to lead the way for Tech. McConaghie will be leading the charge for the Hokies next season, and he should have enough weapons and resources around him to continue Tech’s winning ways.

West Virginia Summit (7-3)

It was quite the roller coaster of a year for West Virginia.The lows of their season included a winless performance at the Business Bowl, missing out on a US Quidditch Cup auto-bid at Mid Atlantic Regionals in heartbreaking fashion, and retention and injury struggles leaving them with a roster of only 13 in the spring. However, the highs of their season were amazing. WVU got off to a hot 4-0 start at MARC by beating UVA and Tech, and then later gave Maryland their biggest scare of the tournament. The Summit also rewrote their program history books by finishing their season undefeated against their closest rival, Pitt, for the first time. To end their season, WVU won games over Pitt and Florida State to reach the D1 bracket on Sunday at US Quidditch Cup, another feat that WVU had never accomplished. Captains Megan Alisauckas and Colin Bourn dealt with many struggles this season, but managed to overcome those obstacles and put together the best season West Virginia has ever had.

Gage Elza was a breakout star for the Summit at Return of the Battle of the Mon and at MARC. His leaving the team (along with other key players) in the spring left a lot of questions about how WVU would fare. But the Summit took on the “next person up” mentality and managed to keep winning. Veteran players like Ahna Kotula and Megan Alisauckas stepped up in big ways this spring by scoring goals and forcing turnovers. First year players Blake Johnson and Sean Mihalik were also big contributors at the tournaments leading up to nationals. WVU’s beating trio of Colin Bourn, Daiva Daulys, and Logan Handwork turned lots of heads at MARC. Their ability to hold bludger control and limit mistakes made them one of the top beating corps in the conference. The most impressive part of WVU’s season though, was their dominance at seeker. Jack Melnick and Logan Handwork were possibly the best 1-2 punch at seeker in the country and finished with a 15-3-1 snitch catch record. Melnick had the performance of his career at US Quidditch Cup by going 4 for 4 on snitch catches and all of his Saturday catches occurring in 30 seconds or less. On top of this,he also led the team in goals scored. 

WVU will go into next season with few returning players. But if US Quidditch Cup proved anything it’s that this team can still win big with small numbers. Seven of the Summit’s nine players from US Quidditch Cup will be returning. Melnick and Daulys are back for one last ride in the fall, rookies Tom Prince and Vincenzo Conforti will look to build on their great nationals performances, and Cameron Speaker has shown he can be a very capable replacement for Colin Bourn as a beater and a captain. WVU has a long road ahead of them for recruitment, but they have key pieces needed to still find success.

All-Conference Teams

These teams were selected by votes for the most impressive players in the conference this season. Votes were collected from captains of the teams as well as quidditch community members who have been active in supporting the Appalachian 5 Conference. (Special thanks to those people: Ben Mertens, Brandon Borges, David Littleton, and Naresh Edala).

First Team

Keeper: Emma Rollins (UVA)

Chaser: Justin Kraemer (Tech)

Chaser: Chet Kleppin (UVA)

Chaser: Ahna Kotula (WVU)

Beater: Alex Weidenman (UVA)

Beater: Colin Bourn (WVU)

Seeker: Jack Melnick (WVU)

Second Team

Keeper: Spencer Reisig (PITT)

Chaser: Megan Alisauckas (WVU)

Chaser: Erika Lenhart (PSU)

Chaser: Alex Hill (PITT)

Beater: Hannah Rollins (UVA)

Beater: Kevin Florimon (Tech)

Seeker: Alex Cruz (UVA)