Coaches' Poll: Northwest 10/9

One coach, captain, or designee from each USQ official team was asked to rank the top ten teams in their region. Points were allocated in the following manner: 10 points for a first place vote, nine points for a second place vote, eight points for a third place vote, etc. The votes have been tabulated and listed below in order of total votes. The number in parentheses indicates how many first place votes a team received.

Voters were given fewer than three days to vote; some came in after the deadline and were thus not counted. Further, during the voting period, voters from each team were still being identified. Thus while this poll provides a good basis for how each region views its teams, the lack of information available to voters and flaws with the design these results should be taken with a grain of salt. We will continue to run coaches’ polls throughout the season to reflect how each region views its own teams.

Photo Credit: Sofia de la Vega Photography

Rank	Team	Points
1	Boise State Abraxans (BSA) (8)	80
2	University of British Columbia Quidditch (UBC)	69
3	Rain City Raptors (RCR)	54
4	British Columbia Quidditch Club	52
5	Western Washington Wyverns (WWU)	51
6	Boise State Thestrals (BST)	39
7	Moscow Manticores at the University of Idaho	31
8-Tied	Emerald City Admirals	25
8-Tied	Portland Augureys	25
10	Big Sky Flyers Quidditch	10

Others Receiving Votes: Seattle Salamanders (2)

Notes: Nine votes were cast; however one was rejected based on lack of knowledge.

Voters Explain Their Decisions:

Voter 1

Western Washington took a big hit to its players this year with the split off of RCR, which I really think is going to hurt the team. That and the fact that WWU doesn’t practice nearly as much as the other big hitters could really set it back.

The Emerald City Admirals have a number of players who are returning to quidditch from other regions who will give it an advantage over the new teams. If the Big Sky Flyers are able to make it to the regional championship, they should do well. They are attending three different events in the fall, providing them with a lot of top-notch experience to prepare for the regional championship, giving them the edge over Augureys, who continue to have attendance issues.

Voter 2

While the Northwest suddenly has 11 teams, only five of them really have tested, experienced players. The region is still in its infancy, not only with its team development, but with its inexperience in inter-region play. The top teams in this region will dominate handily, but be lackluster on a national stage.

BSA still has Stew Driflot. While he can carry a team himself, he has the support of strong teammates and mindful beaters. UBC will rise to greater heights this year, thanks to its work ethic and experience. Many eyes will be on the Rain City Raptors with their talent pull of Ross Schram von Haupt and Nicole Jackson, but the lack of bench depth and teamwork displayed will really hurt them.

WWU’s days may be behind it, thanks to its loss of Rain City talent and a once-a-week scrimmage practice regimen. The threat for a top five spot will come from either the Admirals with their experienced coach, or the Thestrals and their talent-by-osmosis method.