Team History

The 1990s

Throughout the 90's there was a growing rivalry between Black & Gold (Pittsburgh) and Havoc (New Jersey). It was not a rivalry of animosity, rather a rivalry of symmetry, camaraderie and spirited competition. Members of both teams were looking towards progressing to the next level, but, invariably, each team fell short of these aspirations.

At Mid-Atlantic Regionals in 1999, Black & Gold (seeded fourth) expended most of their energy to eliminate Havoc (seeded fifth), by the score of 15-14. The Pittsburgh crew then proceeded to lose their next game to the WUFF Warriors. This left a number of players from both Havoc and Black & Gold to seek a new solution for their old problem.

2000 - No Mas is born

The solution came in the form of No Mas (Northern Mid-Atlantic Stars). They played at first, on a trial basis, at Terminus. The two teams proved to be compatible both on and off the field, and decided to combine for the 2000 season. The top half of each team combined to form highly talented, albeit geographically impaired, team. No Mas was, essentially, a tournament only team. The team had some success, but, as expected with a non-practicing team, they never achieved their full potential. No Mas placed 5th at Mid-Atlantic Regionals by virtue of losing a 3 ½ hour struggle against Philly Rage, 17-15.

2001 - Pike gains steam

One year later, the team demographic shifted. The team was now comprised of 70% NJ-area players while retaining a smaller group from the 'Burgh. After the spring of 2001, the growing NJ portion of the team was clamoring for more practices. It was clear that the team was evolving into a group who wanted MORE. To this end, the team was renamed to signify that they were a different entity than before. This new team performed consistently through the club season, capped off by a solid fourth-place Regionals finish, losing to C-BASS (Er… Electric Pig. Er… Potomac) and the WUFF Warriors.

2002 - The first trip to Sarasota

Not content, Pike continued to push forward. Retaining the vast majority of the team from 2001, Pike was improved by the addition of some new faces, as well as some of Philly's finest. With increased dedication and commitment, Pike trained hard through the Spring, Summer, and Fall of 2002. Their diligence paid dividends, as they avenged the previous year's loss to the WUFF Warriors and finished 3rd at Mid-Atlantic Regionals to earn their first berth to Nationals. For an overwhelming majority of Pike's players, the trip to Sarasota represented their first Nationals experience.

Seeded 15th at the start of the weekend, Pike quickly showed that they were not to be taken lightly. After impressive showings against DoG (2nd Seed) and Johnny Bravo (7th Seed), Pike notched their first Nationals victory by besting the 10th seed, PBR Streetgang. Over the next two days, Pike maintained their strong start with victories over Chicago Machine and regional rival Electric Pig.

2003 - The legend grows

With national success, Pike began to gain internal confidence and external recognition. Talented players from across the section and region flocked to central New Jersey to join the Pike campaign. Veterans and rookies came together as a cohesive unit with tournament victories at both Henlopen and Choptank. Pike was determined not to rest on the previous year's success as they pushed towards the fall series.

Despite a brief slip resulting in a second-place finish at Sectionals, Pike improved upon their 2002 Regional finish with a 2nd place victory over D.C.'s Electric Pig to earn their second trip to UPA Club Championships in Sarasota, FL. Unfortunately, only disappointment awaited the team in Florida as the combination of harsh winds and injuries resulted in Pike struggling to garner only two wins over three days.

While the 2003 season brought a second straight trip to Sarasota for Pike, the team was no longer "just happy to be there." There was still work to be done, and Pike looked forward to the 2004 season as they sought to raise their game towards winning a National Championship.

2004 - Rising to the top

2004 marked the rise of Pike to National prominence. Another influx of high-caliber players and a successful series of spring tournaments, including the annual Pike-hosted NJ Invite, imparted enough confidence to the team to head west. In early September, Pike traveled to the Labor Day tournament in Santa Cruz to test themselves against the best in the world. A strong 3rd place showing at Santa Cruz gave Pike the boost they needed as they headed into the fall series back on the East Coast.

A one-point loss to perennial Regional champion Ring of Fire and a convincing win over eventual 3rd seed Electric Pig again propelled Pike to the Nationals. Pike entered the tournament as the 9th seed and found themselves facing top seeded Seattle Sockeye in the first-round on the first day. Expected by many to be a walk in the park for Sockeye, Pike had other plans and pushed ahead for a 15-12 victory. This victory would prove to be extraordinarily valuable to Pike over the remainder of the tournament, eventually helping Pike earn a spot in the Quarterfinals on Saturday.

On Saturday morning, Pike faced the storied Santa Barbara Condors. Having already beaten the Condors at Labor Day, Pike was poised and ready for the challenge. Pike eventually prevailed with a 1-point victory to place a New Jersey team in the Semifinals for the first time since The Knights of Nee in 1981. The Semifinals matchup turned out to be a rematch with Sockeye. Both teams were fired up, as Pike wanted to prove that they were a part of the ultimate elite, and Sockeye wanted to prove that the loss on Thursday was merely a bump on their road to championship.

The ensuing game was an intense battle from beginning to end. It was hard-fought game on both sides with very few turnovers and a seemingly infinite highlight reel of spectacular plays. In the end, Sockeye earned a 2-point victory and went on to claim their first National Championship. Meanwhile, Pike went home to mull over the loss and plan their 2005 campaign.

2005

Pike returned almost their entire roster in 2005, and from the very beginning the team had its sights set on only one goal: Winning the UPA Championship.

After another successful Spring Season the team added two new faces and welcomed the return of one former teammate, Pike worked through the long hot summer to refine their game. As the fall series approached, Pike challenged themselves with two tournaments: The new Chesapeake Open in Maryland, and the long-standing Emerald City Classic in Seattle. Both tournaments proved to be chock full of tough competition. At both events, Pike finished tied for third place.

At Mid-Atlantic Regionals, Pike blinked against Potomac, who were more than happy to hand Pike a 15-13 loss in the semifinals. On Sunday, Pike earned a rematch against Potomac in the game for second place. Though it was a new year, the result was the same: Pike claimed the #2 spot from their region to earn their fourth consecutive Nationals appearance.

At the start of Nationals, Pike was seeded 7th. The opening day proved to be a letdown as the team finished 3rd in their pool and was relegated to one of the lower pools. Pike rallied through this pool to earn a game against the young team from Cambridge, Twisted Metal, with a spot in the Quarterfinals on the line. The experience of Pike's team proved to be too much for Metal to handle as Pike secured a second consecutive berth in the Quarterfinals. Saturday found Pike taking the field against Jam for the second time in three days. Since Jam's 15-9 pool play win on Thursday, both teams had gone undefeated. This looked like it would be a tight game, but it seemed that Jam had done their scouting homework as they had an answer for everything in Pike's offensive arsenal. Once Jam started rolling, Pike was unable to stop the bleeding en route to a 15-4 drubbing.

While there were consolation games left to play, this loss marked a turning point in Pike's history. With 16 players, including both captains, departing at season's end, Pike would be a new team in 2006. The returning team members took the off-season to revamp team strategies and recruit the next batch of elite-level players for the new season.

2006

As the 2006 season commences, Pike is looking forward to meeting the challenges of another run at the National Championship. On the fields, one resounding cry unites Pike in their pursuit of team excellence over individual accolades:

"Team First!"