May 7, 2024
By Jacob Baumer

Amidst a cloudy, chilling evening at a new home venue, with a new disc, for a league with a new name, the Los Angeles Aviators displayed some new (and old) faces in a 23-20 loss to the defending West Division champion, Salt Lake Shred.

It was Week 2 of the 2024 season for the Ultimate Frisbee Association, a re-branding years in the making as fans and players alike have been itching to reference the flying plastic disc by its well-known trademarked moniker. With it came the use of a new disc, the Professional Ultimate Frisbee. This new pro frisbee has a more stable flight with a little extra glide. In other words, it flies better in the wind and stays in the air a little bit longer, resulting in even more exciting plays!

Just because it is designed to fly better in the wind, doesn’t mean it automatically does that on its own, as the Aviators found out early. Multiple throws on their first couple offensive possessions got lifted out of reach of intended receivers, and the Shred were able to make some quick conversions, starting the game with five consecutive defensive break points. With those first-home-game jitters out of the way, the teams played an even 8-8 spread through the rest of the first half and Salt Lake entered halftime with a 13-8 lead.

The first goal of the Aviators’ debut in Championship Stadium at Great Park in Irvine came from a couple blasts from the past. Brent George donned the Los Angeles kit for the first time since 2018, and Bryan Nguyen saw his first playing time since 2017. The play began with Everest Shapiro sending a 50-yard huck deep to Nguyen, who read the disc better than his defender and brought it down 15 yards out of the end zone. George followed up and received the short dish pass to initiate the give-and-go from Nguyen, who immediately cut upfield into the endzone. George threw a pivot and a fake to move the impeding defender, and used a nifty inside-out forehand to hit Nguyen in the endzone. It was a poignant moment all around for L.A., both to cut the five-point streak the Shred were on, and to mark the beginning of an exciting era of players for the 2024 season.

Nguyen (2015-17) and George (2016-18) had each previously spent three years on the Aviators roster, with great success. Despite their years removed from the team, they entered the season ranked 3rd and 4th, respectively, in all-time goals scored for the franchise. George already has five goals in his two games this season, and Nguyen notched a second goal in the opener in highlight fashion. Three minutes into the second half, UFA all-time assist leader Pawel Janas received the frisbee in power position and launched a huck downfield. The intended target was Everest Shapiro, roaming the deep space where his 6’3” frame usually prefers to reside. With two defenders in tow, Shapiro raised up for the frisbee but it carried just beyond his fingertips as the defenders also stayed out of range. In a blur and starting his run from 25 yards behind Shapiro, Nguyen scurried past the fallen pile and caught the goal in stride, bringing the score to 15-10 at the time.

With the new venue in Irvine, the game was a homecoming for multiple players and a coach. Aviators rookies Kobi McCracken and Isamu Kawaguchi, the afore-mentioned Bryan Nguyen, and coach Andrew “Box” McRae are all alumni of the nearby University of California-Irvine. The home crowd showed their support repeatedly all game, particularly with 5:35 remaining in the 3rd quarter when McCracken scored his first career professional goal. The play was setup when Andrew Padula, who is Top-5 on L.A.’s all-time lists in games played and blocks, earned one of his team-leading four blocks on the season by showcasing his patented full-field sprint off the pull and carrying his momentum all the way through Salt Lake’s first throw of the possession. During the Aviator possession, the frisbee found its way back into Padula’s hands, who was fouled and able to center the frisbee on the goalline. McCracken was isolated in the endzone, and Padula snuck a backhand into a very tight window for McCracken to snag just in front of a defender. McCracken’s ensuing spike showed all the emotion one would expect for a first-career goal in front of a crowd of friends and family.

After seeing the deficit maintain at five all the way until four minutes remained in the game, 22-17, L.A. was able to grab a hold and consecutive breaks to bring the score to 22-20 with just under two minutes left. The last time the margin had been that close was when Salt Lake was up 2-0 just two minutes into the game. Alas, the Shred were able to take a minute off the clock with a hold of their offensive possession, and an ensuing forced quick huck by L.A. was incomplete, allowing Salt Lake to run out the clock.

Los Angeles opened their season with a 20-17 road loss in Oakland during Week 1, and will look to use their Week 3 bye week to prepare to achieve their first win of the season against the Portland Nitro, another home tilt at Championship Stadium at 6 pm on Saturday, May 18.

Game Notes:

• Everest Shapiro and James Franklin led the way with three goals apiece
• Sean McDougall and Pawel Janas each had three assists. McDougall also tacked on three hockey assists.
• Garrett Santi and Mitchell Steiner had two blocks apiece.
• Janas led with 445 throwing yards, while Brandon VanDeusen set the pace with 51 completions.
• Shapiro led with 355 receiving yards, followed up by Bryan Nguyen’s 286.