Raleigh Pro Ultimate Podcast

As we look to cheer on the Raleigh Radiance this weekend at the PUL Championship Series, today is a double interview with two players on the Radiance! Beans (Amanda), Soo and I talk about moments they're looking forward to, players to watch on the Radiance, score predictions for the East Tournament and ideas for the league as a whole. Make sure to watch the games on the PUL's Youtube channel!!

Ashley Powell has played for the Raleigh Radiance since the team's inception, including the 2018 Exhibition season, the 2019 PUL season and of course this year's squad. Before playing pro, Ashley started playing in high school at Chapel Hill High, as well as competing in Youth Club Championships with the Triangle Warhawks. In College, Ashley played NC State Jaga, including leading them to college nationals in 2018. On the club scene, Ashley has also played for Raleigh Phoenix, and made the U24 USA Mixed National Team in 2018. We talk about the upcoming PUL East tournament, her evolution as a player and other teams around the PUL.

In another special double interview to prepare for this weekend's Saturday match-up, we talk to long-time North Carolina native Jack Williams (now of the New York Empire) and our own Grayson Sanner, both graduates of UNC-Wilmington. We talk about players to watch out for in the game, hot takes for the season, college memories, attempt to make a few player trades (this got SPICY), and ultimately predict the score of the game. Make sure you follow the Flyers' games on Friday/Saturday night this weekend against Boston and New York!

Matt Gouchoe-Hanas (pronounced Goo-show - Han(d)iss) started playing in high school at Carolina Friends School (notably with Sol and Henry, although after them). Matt played YCC with Triforce for two seasons, winning YCC in 2014 and were runners up in 2015. For college, Matt went to UNC Chapel Hill (2015-19), and played for their mens team "Darkside" all 5 years, captaining the last three. During his time at UNC they won the college national championships in 2015 and 2018. Due to his play at UNC, Matt was named Ultiworld College player of the year in 2018, and won the Callahan award in 2019. Internationally, Matt played for the Team USA U-24 mixed team in winter of 2018, and the summer of 2019, winning gold at both of those events. Within Club Ultimate, Matt made Ring of Fire in 2016, and has played every year since then, including as a a captain of Ring during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Having now graduated college, we are excited to welcome Matt on his first year with the Raleigh Flyers!

Our first interview with a player from the Raleigh Radiance! Jessi played her college career for North Carolina State University from 2008-2012. Jessi was one of the original members of Raleigh Phoenix, our local elite club women's teams. On the professional side, Jessi was the first female player to be rostered on an AUDL team (for the Flyers in 2015), as well as being a founding member of the Raleigh Radiance for it's entire existence (2018-Present). Jessi and I talk about her incredible ultimate career so far, her excitement for the Radiance going into the upcoming PUL Championship series, and, of course, our dogs.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Noah started playing in the Mercer County Ultimate Disc League before going to Pennsbury High School. After high school, Noah played with the University of North Carolina Darkside from 2008-2011, was a part of the inaugural NexGen Tour in 2011, and has played for Ring of Fire from 2010 to the present. On the Professional side, Noah played with the New York Empire in 2014 and of course with the Raleigh Flyers from their inaugural season in 2015 to the Present, including as a captain for the past few seasons. We talk about his huge array of experiences with ultimate, what he most wants from the team this year, and much more. 

Josh Hartzog first played competitively in college at Elon University in 2007. Josh has been part of the Flyers roster since the inaugural season in 2015 and has played every year since, including being a captain in 2019 as well as the current 2021 roster. Along with playing, Josh has coached High School Open and Girls for nine years, as well as U-16 Boys YCC for 4 years. We talk about the upcoming season, his love for woodworking, and advertising the Mike DeNardis/Evan Leplar spectacle.

In a new format, we do a double interview, having both Jakeem Polk, currently of the Atlanta Hustle, and Justin Allen of the Raleigh Flyers on to breakdown our Week 1 match-up in Atlanta, compare players and just maybe talk a little trash.

Jakeem Polk has played for the Charlotte Express, the Jacksonville (now Tampa Bay) Cannons, the Raleigh Flyers (for the 2018 and 2019 Seasons) and now the Atlanta Hustle. Known as a deep threat, "Jak" has spent the last several years developing explosive throws to go with his elite athleticism. 

Justin Allen has played for the Raleigh Flyers since the team's inception, as well as the New York Empire in 2014. Most known for his gigantic flick pulls, Justin has played major roles on both the O and D-Lines over the Flyers history.

Mike DeNardis has been a part-owner and head coach of the Raleigh Flyers since the team's inception in 2015. We discuss how he came to Ultimate Frisbee, his coaching career, along with his expectations and hopes for the upcoming season - particularly his thoughts on the season schedule (Starting at 6:19). 

Ahead of the interview, I walk through the 2021 Flyers Game Schedule (1:26) as well as share some notes about the schedule's quirks (4:13) as we face-off against a slew of teams the Flyers have never played before. 

The last of the "Carleton Crew", Eric Taylor grew up in the Columbus, Ohio area, before attending Carleton College, winning a College Championship with the team in 2017. A hub handler for the Flyers in his rookie year (2019), we talk about Eric's unreal eating habits, why he owns a set of swords, his mindset when he's going to get a lot of touches, goals for the team in his second season, and much more.