Friday, April 7, 2017

New Website: QuidditchPost.com

From our first article, to our most popular, our Blogspot domain has been home for us at the Quidditch Post. A simple, usable website, Blogger supported our humble beginnings. We are now excited to be moving forward to a website that is much more our own: Two years in development, www.quidditchpost.com is our new home!

Thanks for reading,
The Quidditch Post Team

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

US Quidditch Cup 10 Preview: The Tenth Day of Kissimmee

On the tenth day of Kissimmee, we have an all-college team edition with five programs that have reached great heights over the years and are fighting to make sure they don’t slip from their past dominance.

University of Rochester Thestrals
By Mike Pascutoi

The University of Rochester Thestrals surprised many during the fall season by exploding out of the gate with a 10-5 record, not including a 3-1 record during its participation as an unofficial team at the King In The North tournament in Toledo, Ohio. As a team famous for being chronic underachievers except when it matters, the Thestrals outperformed many expectations in a series of snitch-range losses to RPI Quidditch (90*-60), Maryland Quidditch (150*-90), District of Columbia Quidditch Club (110*-100), and an unofficial loss to the Ball State Cardinals (120*-80). Fall captain Perry Wang revamped the Thestrals’ roster by shifting exclusively into the use of the double-male beater set to take advantage of its five-deep male beater line and talented non-male chasers. Emphasizing ball control on offense and scrappy defense, Rochester succeeded in going 3-0 in pool play at the Northeast Regional Championship (NERC), solidifying its ascent from last season’s 8-17 finish.

US Quidditch Cup 10 Preview: The Ninth Day of Kissimmee

On the ninth day of Kissimmee we have a community team looking to outplay its pot five status, a college team making its last hurrah before graduation, two first year community teams, and an established community team looking for a deep run.

Miami University (OH) Quidditch
By Nick Stackhouse
Editor’s Note: The author is the President of Miami University Quidditch

This season was a rebuilding year for Miami University Quidditch after losing 15 players to graduation, 12 of whom attended US Quidditch Cup 9. Its struggle to fill those players’ shoes is apparent in its 11-11 season record, but its losses were important opportunities for its newest members to grow. Even so, Miami has not yet rebuilt its depth from last year, so more of its experienced players have had to shoulder the burden.

Monday, April 3, 2017

US Quidditch Cup 10 Preview: The Eighth Day of Kissimmee


Baylor University
By Carrie Soukup

In a region defined by hitting hard and carrying momentum from tournament to tournament, Baylor has had a rocky start this year. Its slow start was not aided by the negation of Wolfpack as an official tournament, and overall the Baylor name has not been on the forefront of the Southwest region this year. Arguably one of the teams that benefitted the most with Texas Tech’s disqualification, it fought back at the Southwest Regional Championship to qualify for US Quidditch Cup 10 in the secondary bracket. Led by captains Mark Williard and Reed Marchman, experience is on Baylor’s side in leadership as the team heads to Kissimmee, Florida.

Sunday, April 2, 2017

US Quidditch Cup 10 Preview: The Seventh Day of Kissimmee


On the seventh day of Kissimmee we have the defending champions on a more than year long winning streak, the last team to beat them, that team’s intra-city community and collegiate rivals, and a mid-tier Southwest team looking to make a name for itself.

Quidditch Club Boston
By Mike Pascutoi

Where do you start with Quidditch Club Boston (QCB), a team that has proven time and time again to be the best in the sport? You can reasonably start with Lulu Xu, one of the best beaters in the game who was arguably the biggest snub from 2016’s Team USA squad. There’s also the 6’3” behemoth Stew Driflot, one year removed from leading the Boise State Abraxans to the quarterfinals  at US Quidditch Cup 9, the unmatchable chaser defense of Kara Levis, and arguably the most underrated beater in the country in Jesse Knowlton. Those four alone with QCB’s deceptively deep supporting cast would make QCB a national title contender, and that does not even count the three players who have changed the face of quidditch in Boston forever.

Saturday, April 1, 2017

US Quidditch Cup 10 Preview: The Sixth Day of Kissimmee

On the sixth day of Kissimmee we have a pair of community teams looking to take the next step - be it a title or a deep bracket run and three pot five teams looking to prove that they belong among the country's best.

Rochester United
By Mike Pascutoi

Entering this season with high expectations, Rochester United (RU) performed basically as expected throughout the season, losing two games to regional rival Quidditch Club Boston and a tight affair with Bowling Green State University while without star keeper Shane Hurlbert. Touting an experienced though often shorthanded roster, RU is a well-oiled machine of on-pitch efficiency at best and a slow, predictable opponent at worst. Even when the team falls back on its standard strategy of hero-balling behind keepers Hurlbert and Jon Jackson, the talent of its roster cannot be matched by most opponents. Defensively, a rotation of solid point defenders dictate the pace of the defense, allowing one of the deepest beater corps in the country to help limit opponents to under 100 quaffle points in all but one game this season.

IQA to Raise Referee Payments

The IQA has announced exclusively to the Quidditch Post that it will require all member leagues to pay increased and standardized wages to referees and snitch runners.

Beginning on July 1, 2017, the IQA will require all head referees to be paid the local equivalent of 50 Euros per game, with all assistant referees required to make 20 Euros per game and snitch referees and snitch runners being paid the local equivalent of 10 Euros per game. These regulations will only be enforced for NGB-run events, such as regional or national championships, however adoption will be strongly encouraged for all events.