Per annual tradition, Chandra Classic V was UCLA's second tournament of the Fall season. Playing against our Western rivals, UCLA placed second to Norcal's UC Berkeley, going 3-1 in the whole tournament and beating ASU, NAU, and Utah.
Coming into the tournament, UCLA knew that Cal was the team to beat. With more tournaments under their belts, Cal demonstrated quick offense and took advantage of their developed team. UCLA managed a tough defense, with powerful tackles by Justin Van Ligten and strategic beats by Arjun Malhotra. After donning a yellow headband, Seeker Liam Drago pulled off some great lunges and dives, resulting in a lot of near flag pulls. Although sadly UCLA lost with a score of 145-60, they fought hard and provided a spirited match that was one to watch.
Ending the day, ASU proved a formidable opponent, with both teams tired yet eager to win. ASU had a driving force on their offensive plays, testing our defensive formation with their powerful, unstoppable dunks. UCLA managed to lead the scoreboard with a mixture of fast-paced plays with our newest keeper and chaser duo, Aidan Perez and Tim Dull, proving to be rising stars. Returner Sean King swapped his Chaser headband for a Seeker one, trading his stellar offensive positioning and slick gameplay for some quick feet and hands to catch the winning Flag, ending the game 115-60.
After playing against all the college teams in the region at Chandra, UCLA got a good preview of the teams they will be competing against later in the season. They are looking forward to seeing these teams again at HVI in January, and regionals in February!
Team photo after tournament
