Dodgeball: Cap looks to defend crown

Is your team looking for that extra edge? The Daily Princetonian asked some of the tournament’s past champions for their advice.

“Show no mercy,” counseled Adam Berry, a senior representing the football team. “We took as many headshots as possible and will continue to do so this year. Don’t step on the court if you don’t want a bloody nose.”

Back by popular demand, the costume contest, which rewards the winners with a $100 prize, will occur at 10 p.m. Look for a surprise victory in this year’s contest.

“The smaller teams may actually have a better chance in the costume contest,” explained senior Mark Stefanski, who organized this year’s tournament alongside co-directors senior Steve Slovenski and freshman Dave Slovenski. “Though it’s worth pointing out that Triangle, a bigger organization, won last year,” Steve Slovenski added.

Last year’s winners, the members of Cap & Gown, are looking forward to a chance to repeat as campus champs.

“We have had mandatory calisthenics before breakfast,” said one Cap junior who was found doing bicep curls in the basement of Stephens Fitness Center. “After lunch, target practice at passing Charter members has been another key component of our training regime,” he added.

The tournament is divided into four divisions: small (fewer than 20 participants), medium (20-50), large (50-100) and huge (residential colleges and eating clubs).

The small division

The small division, featuring a full complement of 32 teams, will likely feature many of the tournament’s biggest upsets. Traditionally the breeding ground for Cinderella stories, this year’s small division is full of contenders. Historically, many of the small division outcomes have resulted from efficient last-minute recruiting. Don’t be surprised if a blue-chip recruit joins a small division squad and dominates.

One key first-round matchup will feature the men’s water polo team vs. Ed on Campus. Men’s water polo has been a historical contender in the small division, but Ed on Campus made waves in the 2008 edition of the tournament and will look to knock off the favored varsity squad.

Looking ahead, a potential third-round game between men’s club lacrosse and sprint football has the potential to be an all-out war.

On the other side of the small division bracket, look for men’s water polo to face Army ROTC in the division semifinals. Army ROTC will have to be on upset alert when it faces its likely second-round opponent, club baseball.

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Many of the first-round games have the potential to swing either way. Will the Religious Life Council be up to the challenge posed by Shere Khan? Can the Tigertones hold off the Hawaii Club?

The Muggle Quidditch Team will be this division’s Cinderella. A tightly knit bunch, the Muggle Quidditch Team received a great draw, facing the Persian Society before women’s club lacrosse.

Men’s water polo, men’s club lacrosse and Army ROTC all seem like sure bets to reach this division’s Final Four. In perhaps the cushiest draw of the tournament, look for the DEATHSQUAD, also known as the USG Projects Board, to sneak by women’s club lacrosse.

Men’s club lacrosse should have no trouble dispatching women’s club lacrosse, but the ROTC vs. water polo match is a tough one to call. Ultimately, look for a committed Army ROTC squad to take the small division crown.

The medium division

Boasting another complete draw of 32 teams, the medium-team draw is unquestionably the redheaded stepchild of the Dodgeball Tournament. Boasting the likes of Mock Trial, frisbee, the ski team and the Figure Drawing Club, the medium draw will likely be featured on this weekend’s “SportsCenter” Not Top 10. The big question in the medium draw will be whether club hockey will show up. If it does, watch out: We could see some broken fingers.

Whig-Clio and Triangle Club should be an entertaining match. Two teams that have historically been well-represented at the tournament were unfortunately pitted against each other in the first round. It should be a true contest of athletic ability.

Perhaps the most anticipated first-round match features the Figure Drawing Club and the Princeton Operations Research Society (PORS). Many students weren’t aware of the existence of either club, but the 5:40 p.m. match should draw a large crowd on Court 2.

Look for lightweight crew to sneak past club ice hockey in that potential third-round matchup. The men’s hockey squad should be powerful, but lightweight crew plays its second-round match at 10:20 p.m. and should have full attendance, while club hockey will be coming off a one-hour, 20-minute layoff and may not retain all of its players.

The Center for Jewish Life, known for showing up en masse, has a serious shot at taking out the Asian American Students Association and then moving on to face the women’s rugby team.

In a division where sustained attendance might matter more than the famous five D’s of Dodgeball, look for Triangle, the USG and the mighty College Democrats to take advantage of a weak draw and earn Final Four berths. The fourth spot will go to club hockey, unless it fails to show, in which case lightweight crew will make a final four appearance.

Surprising everyone, club ice hockey will show up to the final-four game against the College Democrats and come away with a win.

On the bottom half, the USG and Triangle will duke it out, with the USG coming away with a win before both teams move a court over to join together for Tower Club.

Ultimately, club ice hockey, motivated by senior co-captains Will Harvey and Austin Chow, will turn out and take the $500 prize.

The large division

In the large division — the only grouping ever to produce an ultimate champion that was not an eating club — many teams have high expectations. Boasting perennial favorites basketball, volleyball and football, the large division will likely feature the highest-caliber games in the tournament.

Be prepared for some extremely one-sided first-round games as basketball takes on fencing, and swimming battles the Princeton Evangelical Fellowship.

One key match features two of the top teams in the nation as varsity squash (the women’s team is No. 1 and the men’s team is No. 2) faces off against men’s track and field (ranked second in the Ivy League Heptagonal). Look for the squash team, coming off a disappointing loss last year, to come out strong.

The Princeton University Band received one of the best draws in the entire tournament, facing the Nassau Weekly and then club soccer. There is real potential for PUB to make some noise.

A potential second-round match between men’s swimming and the Black Men’s Awareness Group should be a battle. We’re not sure who is favored, but either team has real potential.

The Student Volunteers Council (SVC) could be a major surprise this year. Taking advantage of the Gospel Ensemble and then Princeton Faith in Action, SVC might make it all the way to round three.

Football, basketball and volleyball should have little trouble advancing to the division’s Final Four. The remaining berth is really up for grabs. Look for a highly motivated squash team, if it can get by men’s track, to roll through the Korean American Students Association and SVC on its way to the Final Four.

On the bottom half of the draw, the squash team will struggle against a larger football squad that boasts more recruiting spots per season than the squash team has players. On top, basketball should continue its march to the division finals, ousting a volleyball team that may struggle for numbers.

Look for football, the tournament champion from two years ago, to take the large division. Upon being asked about his team’s chances, senior Matt Koch remarked, “I’ll answer this with a Rasheed Wallace quote: ‘Yeah, I guarantee we are going to win. And I’m like three for four on guarantees, so there is about a 75 percent chance we are going to win.’ ”

The huge division

All the analysts agree: The huge division will produce the eventual champion. The eating clubs and residential colleges have a great advantage, even when it comes down to 20-on-20 play.

In one of the most rigged draws, Tiger Inn will face Cottage Club in the first round. As last year’s runner-up in the division, Cottage seems to be the odds-on favorite. Look for TI, however, to take this bout between heavyweights in overtime.

In a potential second-round match, look for Wilson College, who made the Final Four last season, to oust a struggling Charter squad. Wilson was accused of taking advantage of hired hands last year and may recover some of 2008’s magic.

Discounted by many on the general assumption that most of the membership will not stick around, look for TI, if it can get past Cottage, to go all the way to the division finals.

Cap & Gown should defend last year’s crown and should receive a favorable Final Four matchup against Colonial. On the other side, the winner of TI vs. Cottage will probably draw Charter.

By 12:40 a.m., we expect only Cap to retain full numbers. It will oust a depleted TI in the huge division finals.

So, with Cap, football, club ice hockey and Army ROTC left, the final four should be one for the ages.

The Final Four

At this point in the night, we expect club ice hockey to struggle for numbers, which will allow a devoted Army ROTC squad to capitalize and advance to the finals.

In a clash of the titans, the game expected to produce the ultimate winner will pit Cap against football. In an overtime battle, Cap will prove too committed for football, earning a chance to defend its title.

In the end, Cap will outmuscle Army ROTC, the Michigan State of this year’s Dodgeball Tournament. Cap repeats as tournament champion.