The city’s professional ultimate Frisbee team racked up another victory last Saturday when the New York Empire overthrew the Montreal Royal at Coney Island’s MCU Park.
The 24–16 victory was the Empire’s seventh-straight win, playing to a crowd of about 500 fans who turned out for the team’s third game played at the home of the Brooklyn Cyclones. It was the last game the Randall’s Island -based team will play this season at MUC Park — unless it makes the American Ultimate Disc League playoffs — but the Empire sees its future is in Coney Island and hopes to play a full season here next year.
The team owners think the sport is well-placed to build a fan base at the People’s Playground.
“Ultimate is great to watch because you have constant action similar to soccer,” said Jessie Stein, one of the Empire’s four managing partner. “Where the ball’s always moving in soccer, the disc is always moving. Plus you have the highlight-type plays that you see in football, such as the 40-yard bomb. You have 10, 20 of those in every game.”
The Frisbee soared all over a football-sized field set up on at MCU Park last Saturday. Scoring passes regularly zoomed 50 yards or more as seven players per side performed astonishing acrobatic feats to make catches.
A back-and-forth first half saw the Empire (7–1) and the Royals take different approaches. New York methodically worked the disc down field, its players making quick bursts to open space as Brendan Awerbuch, the Empire’s main thrower, fought off Montreal defenders to deliver crisp passes for scores. The speedy Royals repeatedly broke scoring plays of 40 yards or more and Montreal scored three unanswered goals, including the tie breaker with 10 seconds left to take a 10–9 lead into halftime.
The second half was all New York, as the Empire outscored the Royals 15–6 over the game’s final 24 minutes, including 9–2 in the fourth quarter.
Beating Montreal for the third time straight is important, but the Empire has set its sights on the undefeated defending champion Toronto Rush, which boasts a 26-match winning streak, after falling to the Rush 22–20 earlier this season. That match-up will be an away game on June 21.
The Empire’s next home date is June 29 against the DC Breeze at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 5.
Admission will be free for that game, and Stein hopes this — plus the game’s fast-paced action — will appeal to the youth demo.
“We want as many kids to come out to the games as possible,” Stein said. “We want to get them involved—not only in our games, but the sport in general.”
Ultimate Frisbee is known mainly for its popularity on American university campuses, but the sport flourishes post-grad in a national network of clubs. The American Ultimate Disk League started the professional league in 2012 and has quickly grown to embrace 17 cities across the U.S. and Canada. Tom Gibbon, the Empire’s head coach, is typical of how one gets paid to throw a frisbee.
“I went to college [at Amherst], played baseball for two years, was hurt and started playing ultimate in college,” said Gibbon, in his first year leading New York. “Played club for 10 or so years and ended up being New York’s head coach.”
As the league has taken off, competition has gotten more fierce and the professional teams are evolving beyond the local club scene to recruit talent nationwide. This season, the Empire brought in four new players all the way from North Carolina.
“At the beginning, it was just local guys,” Gibbon said. “It’s become a bit of an arms race, so you’ve got to bring in better players.”
