Apex Falls to Salt Lake Shred in Back-and-Forth Battle: “This Young Team Needs Time”

(Thornton = Won Jeong) Colorado’s men’s and women’s ultimate frisbee teams hosted a doubleheader Saturday at Pinnacle Athletic Complex.

On May 9 local time, the UFA’s Colorado Apex and the WUL’s Colorado Alpenglow each faced Utah-based opponents on their home field.

It marked the first home game of the season for Apex. The match, which began earlier than usual at 1:30 p.m., opened with Salt Lake Shred striking first.

Apex started on offense, but Shred’s aggressive defensive pressure forced an early turnover, leading directly to the game’s opening score.

From there, the contest quickly turned into a back-and-forth battle. Whenever Apex took a one-point lead, Shred responded by scoring twice to regain momentum. Apex answered again, creating a tightly contested rhythm through much of the first half.

That pattern continued until midway through the second quarter. However, Shred gradually began to pull away in the third quarter before dominating the fourth, outscoring Apex 8-3 in the final period to secure a 26-16 victory.

The statistics also reflected Shred’s control of the game.

While pass completion percentages were relatively close — Apex at 86% and Shred at 92% — Shred held major advantages in key categories such as huck completion percentage, hold percentage, and O-line conversion rate, with gaps ranging from 20% to more than 50%.

Apex fielded a large number of young and inexperienced players during the game, while windy conditions also played a significant factor. The combination contributed to Apex finishing with a hold percentage of just 50%, which became one of the major reasons behind the loss.

Most of Apex’s scores came through short-pass sequences near the opposing end zone. The team recorded only three scoring possessions generated through hucks.

Throughout the game, D-line coach TK remained highly vocal on the sideline, constantly directing and motivating players. In addition, former founding player Matt Jackson contributed to the coaching staff as the team’s D-line matching coach.

Joe, who joined the team this season as O-line coach, emphasized patience regarding the team’s development.

“With so many rookies joining the team, it’s going to take time for everyone to build chemistry,” Joe said. “They’re young players, and once the teamwork comes together, I think we’ll see significant improvement in speed.”

His comments suggested a strong focus on increasing the pace of the offense moving forward.

TK also expressed strong confidence in Joe’s impact on the team.

“We’ve coached many club teams together, so I know Joe very well,” TK said. “Bringing him onto this team was a huge blessing.”

“He’s going to show his true value more and more as time goes on,” he added.

Apex will travel to face the DC Breeze on May 15.