At the 2012 Division III New England Open Regionals, Tron-Brandeis' men's ultimate team-seemed destined to advance to its first ever Division III College Championship tournament. The squad just needed to secure a win against Bowdoin College.

Yet, Bowdoin's Stoned Clowns played the role of spoiler, securing the final bid to the big tournament with a win over Brandeis.

This year, after a 14-9 loss to Middlebury College on Sunday morning, Tron landed in the same predicament-Bowdoin once again stood as that last remaining obstacle to tackle.
This time, Tron did not disappoint, winning 15-6 to earn their first ever Nationals appearance.

"We didn't want to go into it expecting to win," said captain Gabe Colton '13. "Our goal was to play happy and have fun, but yet, we also really tried to crush them to show everybody how good we felt we were playing."

Tron certainly looked the part during the regional tournament this weekend at Amherst College. After a win by forfeit against the Berklee College of Music on Saturday, Tron moved on to secure two comfortable victories against Bowdoin and Merrimack College. From there, Tron fought admirably against local foe Amherst College before suffering their first loss by a 15-8 margin. From there, Tron earned the essential victory against Bowdoin to earn a bid to Nationals.

The path to success began in late February following the fateful arrival of Winter Storm Nemo. The club, preparing for a vital competition in California, was forced to remain in Boston, and from there, the outlook on their season changed.

As Tron often remained unable to play outside on the turf, Colton said their team goals shifted.

"In order to be ready, during practices, in addition to sprints and runs to get in shape, we tried to develop the chemistry on the team," he said. "So, when we were in that outdoor setting, we could learn to play in a system."

After initially stumbling to a 0-4 start, those winter practices paid their dividends. Tron earned a 5-2 record at the Woodside Invitational, besting top Division I foes such as Johns Hopkins University and the College of William and Mary.

The turning point came on April 13-14 at the Metro Boston Division III College Open. Tron rolled to a 6-0 record, culminating its run with an upset victory over the No. 1 Bentley University.

As the squad prepares to compete in Nationals on May 18 in Milwaukee, Wis., Colton-who along with several of his fellow seniors will miss graduation-stressed that consistent commitment and practice are crucial.

"We've known of teams that make Nationals and didn't practice until the actual tournament," he said. "We're hoping to maintain a regular practice schedule throughout senior week so we can stay fresh and in shape for Nationals."