Peter Yu and Gagan Chatha, Rookie Starters – Vancouver Nighthawks

A healthy team features multiple generations of players. This year’s version of Major League Ultimate’s Vancouver Nighthawks looks very healthy, with a roster ranging all the way from 40-year-old Kirk Savage and 39-year-old Marc Seraglia down to players barely half their age.

Having stepped up and established themselves as starters, two young rookies have belied their lack of experience. Though just 21 years old and much less seasoned than the greybeards, Peter Yu and Gagan Chatha have managed to carve out important roles for themselves on the Nighthawks’ D-line and O-line, respectively. If the eligibility criteria for the MLU Rookie of the Year Award took into account playing experience outside MLU, they would be joint favourites to win it.

“Although I only started playing at the elite level last year,” said Peter Yu. “I’ve always known that handler defense is my forte. The only thing I think about when I’m playing is what I can do to best put my team in a position to succeed. I don’t put much thought into securing my role on the team or trying to earn playing time, as those factors are out of my control. The ultimate goal is winning; I do what my team needs me to do.”

Yu may be the MLU’s best defender on opposing handlers. His tenacious bids, wheels and smart positioning allow him to make dumps and swings between the handlers very difficult. The stats, in his case seven D’s for the season, do not reflect the havoc this Team Canada alumnus causes for opposing handlers; his moments of brilliance often lead to D’s by his teammates.

“I can’t even begin to list off the countless number of times he shut down the other team’s main handler, but the one play that sticks out in my mind is the layout D against the Rainmakers’ Adam Simon in Seattle,” said Chatha.

After Yu switched to covering him after a savvy poach during the Week 8 match-up in Seattle, Simon was able to turn Yu’s hips and appeared to get ahead of him on an up-field cut, but Yu’s speed prevailed when he cut across Simon’s line and outbid him to get a D on what should have been an easy handler up-line. Note the tight score and that the game was in overtime. A play like this is a huge confidence booster for a team, so it’s no surprise the Nighthawks quickly scored after the turnover and then held the Rainmakers scoreless the rest of the game on the way to a 29-24 win.

During the Nighthawks’ final game of the regular season against the San Francisco Dogfish, Yu made another huge play that showcases the offensive skills that make him a double threat….

via Peter Yu and Gagan Chatha, Rookie Starters – Vancouver Nighthawks.