Middlebury College Leaves Quidditch World Spellbound

Randall Island, NYC — For a moment it looked as though the mighty had fallen, and then, like magic, order was restored at the 5th annual Quidditch World Cup.

On a cold and windy November weekend, 94 teams competed in pursuit of the International Quidditch League's ultimate title: World Cup champions. With representation from the United States, Canada, Finland, Iceland and New Zealand, the tournament boasted some of the highest-quality matches seen since the sport's creation seven years ago. Surely, then, it seemed certain that someone would topple the dominant reign of 4-time World Cup champions, Middlebury College.

But in quidditch, certainty does not exist.

For two full days, the Randall Island sports complex in New York City became home to nine fields of quaffle-throwing, bludger-beating, snitch-catching chaos. Thousands of spectators flooded into the facilities to witness what soon became the largest quidditch tournament ever held. Saturday's action included round robin matches between pre-selected pools of five teams. Once each team had faced each of the others in its group, seeds were generated for Sunday's knock-out style bracket and those who did not make the top 32 were sent packing.

[For a full list of Quidditch rules and regulation, check the IQA Official Rulebook]

When Middlebury College was upset by no-name newcomer, University of Michigan, in their second round-robin match, buzz about the team's apparent vulnerability ripped across the tournament grounds like wildfire. It was clear that Middlebury could no longer earn a top seed going into Sunday's matches, and powerhouse squads began vying for the number one spot, seeking high point differentials to set them apart.

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Entering the second day of competition, the desire for a newly crowned World Cup champion generated some of the most physical, fast-paced and high-emotion matches the tournament could have ever expected. Regional tournament winners such as Kansas University (Mid-West champions) and University of Miami (Southern champions) looked like strong candidates, clean sweeping their opponents by large margins.

Northeast regional champions, Boston University, appeared threatening as well, finishing their first five matches with a +500 point differential, including a 110-0 shutout against world no.16, Chestnut Hill. The Terrier's success was bitter-sweet, however, as their no.4 seed set up a round-of-sixteeen clash against Middlebury—a match dubbed "an early-round championship" by tournament officials.

BU players look on as they trounce Lafayette 120-10.

As BU and Middlebury took to the pitch, a sea of spectators rushed to witness what looked to be an upset in the making. BU's superb beating and hard tackling kept the Middlebury chasers at bay, while their speed and long range shooting earned them an early 40-10 lead. The Panthers were not to be out-shined, however, beginning to connect on set plays and fighting back to a 40-30 deficit. It was the snitch, however, that decided the game. The moment the snitch returned to the field, Middlebury quickly launched for the game-ending catch, stunning the Terriers who had re-established field dominance and looked to be in control of the match. The final score was a 60-40 victory for Middlebury—a victory which would foreshadow the rest of the tournament's outcome.

Despite valiant efforts from UCLA and Texas A&M in the quarter and semifinals (both of whom had leads against Middlebury at some point in their matches), the Panthers proved that a close game in quidditch will always come down to the snitch catch, moving on to the championship game for the fifth straight year.

(Photo via InternationalQuidditch.Org)

The final match was held in Icahn Stadium—a 5,000 seat venue where Usain Bolt broke the 200m sprinting world record in 2009. Beneath a starless night sky and the brilliance of Icahn's lights, Middlebury had only one more obstacle to overcome: the University of Florida. Just as in their three previous matches, Middlebury faced fierce competition on the field. UF's chasers and beaters matched Middlebury on every level, scoring and beating with finely-tuned skill, but, like before, it was Middlebury who excelled in seeking. Just as UF took a 20 point lead, the Panthers' seeker caught the snitch and ended the game 80-70.

Once again, Middlebury College has hoisted the World Cup trophy. Once again, they will remain the top ranked team. But for once, the path was not so easy.

With a year to train, teams around the globe will dream of their next chance at glory—their next chance to make history. Middlebury finally lost a game, after-all, so who's to say they can't lose the title?

Go behind the scenes and see why these young athletes love to play quidditch: