The teams have been consulted, and there are no changes from the previously published lists. A total of 35 picks will be made tonight, redistributing rookies and unwanted players to new teams for the fourth UPCL-organized season of pool, and the third such season with cricket. The first pick belongs to the Expansion Franchise and the darlings of the night...
The Terrace City Knights, who took Oreo, a veteran represented by Solid Core as their first ever player. The Knights management apparently spent a lot of time with this pick, and they didn't mess it up. While Oreo has had two down seasons, she frequently qualifies well in pool and is reliable if not spectacular in cricket. With a new team and a fresh start, the former Blade Oreo should be able to break through this season.
The second overall pick went to the Atlantic Pirates, who selected Americus, previously of the Oceanside Waves, with their compensatory selection earned by the departure of Steven. Americus is a frequently borderline player that tends to seem a lot better than she actually is. After two years by the coast in Oceanside, Americus heads to a team in full rebuilding mode, but she made end up being a bit of a bandage for the Pirates, unless a career resurgence is in order.
With the third overall pick, the Modernistic Union reclaim the enigmatic Chimpy on their compensatory pick from Kiwi's mutually terminated contract. By now, the story is well known with Chimpy, who can show flashes of brilliance and play mind games to no end, but he has recently turned into a bit of a slacker. Still, with his raw skill, it's clear the Union wanted to check out other options. With no rookie tempting them, the Union bring back the known quantity in Chimpy and can't regret that decision at all.
With the fourth overall pick, the Victoria Spurs replace Tori with Kavan, the former Freedom Cascade. Kavan has not had the opportunity to flourish, and he's been indecisive with his future in the league at times, which is why Freedom held on. The choice to return this season and his poor performance led to Freedom letting him go, and now he'll be part of a retooling Spurs team that needs solid depth to continue their high-flying pool. Improvements in cricket would also be nice, but the Spurs can't count on Kavan for that.
With the fifth overall pick, the Diamond Gems fill their only hole created from Olivia's retirement with the first rookie, Pedey. The Brute Force-backed first year should inject new life into the Diamond Gems, although he is an admittedly unknown prospect. Olivia's play remained strong over her two years with the Gems, so Pedey will be filling a big hole, but the young at heart Citrus should help ease his transition, as will fellow Brute Force member Smokey, the Gems' captain and now Pedey's mentor. It's a bold first rookie pick, but it's a good one.
The one team that doesn't need a super-high pick gets the sixth overall, and the Tysini Hummingbirds fill the void left by Allison's retirement with an excellent selection in the former Harrison Specter Leandra. A slightly-above average cricketer and a downright dominant pool player, Leandra had an off season, as did all the Specters. The Hummingbirds, meanwhile, put together a Harrison-esque year of solid effort, and now they will continue their two-year rebuild with a marquee piece. Leandra was one of a handful of controversial cuts, and she'll be out to prove herself here.
With the seventh overall pick, the Pearl Surfers take Cowzart, the other most-recent Cascade. With two years to prove himself in Freedom, Cowzart failed to inspire and should have been out after a single year except for one deep run in pool. The second year saw him slump, and he's out of town with no proof of being a legitimate threat in the league. The Surfers made a baffling choice here, and it can only be seen as a severe downgrade from V. Braun, the retired captain and star. The move does make the Surfers younger, which is the only positive.
Ending the first round, the Eastside Sharks make their compensatory pick to replace Robyn, selecting a rookie, Niki, at eighth overall. Eastside went one for two last year in rookies, scoring the second best rookie and the second worst in a weak class. This move gives the Sharks a situation where every player has been with the team a different length of time, a savvy combination of fresh, young talent and system-groomed veterans. While a non-conformist at times, Niki should work well with Taylor and Chelsea, while Graham continues to be a captain that doesn't fit in but does perform.
The second round (the shortest round) commences with the Terrace City Knights and the ninth overall pick. Again, the Knights impress, taking the ferocious Stripes to complement Oreo with another vocal leader. Considered a borderline cut for the Meteors, Stripes will look to get back at her old team frequently with the newer expansion team. Stripes brings a reckless and aggressive style that should complement the level-headed Oreo wonderfully on a team that looks like it has direction already.
Ending the second round, the final compensatory pick is the tenth overall to the Royal Crowns, who replace the retiring star Sydnee with the former Tysini Hummingbirds Clan Cup hero Marsell. After finally finding success in the Clan Cup, the Hummingbirds parted ways with Marsell for the second time, assuming they could get him back. However, Royal tends to be the home for spurned players, and Marsell reunites with former Hummingbird Nightfur on the Crowns as the team likely seeks vengeance on those who have wronged them.
Leading off the third round, the Terrace City Knights use the 11th overall pick on Kiwi. It appears as if the Knights can do no wrong in this draft, again plucking a proven player out of the draft pool. The former captain of the Modernistic Union vowed not to return to the team, citing management's lackadaisical approach to improving the team. This gave the Union a compensatory pick they used to retain Chimpy, and allowed Kiwi a new direction. Kiwi is a balance between Oreo and Stripes, a cerebral but fiery player that will show more grit than Oreo but more patience than Stripes, and it provides the Knights with a legitimate superstar in their first season.
With the 12th overall pick, the Atlantic Pirates select Dominic. The Delila Enterprises-backed Dominic returns to the Pirates after a year with the Web City Spiders. Dominic previously played with the Pirates in 2014, but did not impress them after coming from the then-Reyes Del Sur. With the selection, Dominic becomes the first player to play for the same team in non-consecutive years. Familiarity with the organization may help Dominic in this case, but it appears Atlantic is not planning well at all.
With the 13th overall pick, the Freedom Cascades select Roxy. A well-traveled player, Roxy has had trouble sticking with a team, just as much as Freedom has had trouble obtaining good players. Roxy has previously been with the Swifts, Flames, and Waves, and expectations are again low for her despite the occasional flash of potential. Freedom has shown no hesitation in cutting loose with players quickly, so a bad season will just mean five teams in five years next summer for Roxy.
With the 14th overall pick, the Oceanside Waves select Pounce. The former Lighton Prestige player felt his cut from the team was undeserved, but vowed to take the high road. Oceanside tends to stay within the Rivalry Clubs for its players, and this move reflects that desire with the Empyre-supported Pounce. Pounce is expected to provide solid numbers and will likely mark a slight upgrade over the previous Waves players, so Oceanside may finally get that little bump they need.
With the 15th overall pick, the Southern Monarchs select a rookie, Kirstin. The Monarchs had a rough season last year, with former captain Shawn leading the tank job to get them to fifth in the draft order with his poor efforts. He took the fall for the team, opening up this roster spot for the team to go young with a rookie while continuing to favor a human presence. One thing to watch will be Kirstin's compatibility with Shannon, the long-time Monarch and fellow human.
With the 16th overall pick, the Viewpoint Sound Meteors select former Westside Rocker half-bid Kelly. Since Kelly did do a split bid with her twin sister Alyssa last season, little is known about them, and they both retain rookie status this year despite the modest experience. Kelly is the more unpredictable of the two, but the Viewpoint Sound Meteors are no strangers to explosive players, having employed Stripes and still rostering captain Mr. Snowman. Remaining in the west will provide Kelly the opportunity to get back at the Rockers if she so chooses.
With the 17th overall pick, the Harrison Specters select highly-regarded rookie Sydney Sierota. Harrison tends to be a team that does not think out of the box, and all of their picks in previous drafts were established veterans, so this marks a new direction for the team. Sydney's clean-cut image and willingness to deflect praise will work well with her team-oriented teammates as well. While not dazzling as the rookie representative at the R&D camp, Sydney appears very much ready to challenge for Rookie of the Year this season.
Ending the third round, the Swordpoint Blades use the 18th overall pick on Shawn. The stories for both player and team are well-known at this point. Shawn steered the Southern Monarchs, his only team previously, into the ground, and was cut for that effort as part of their rebuild. The Swordpoint Blades, a proud team at pool, struggled with Oreo trying to replace possible Greatest of All Time Blade Emily, who retired after 2014. Shawn looks to bounce back, and a team like the Blades provides a good spot for that in a situation where he does not have to be the one. This also spices up the regional rivalry with the Capital City Sharpshooters, which roster Shawn's close friend Chris.
Leading off the fourth and final round, the Terrace City Knights use the 19th overall pick on Jennifer Livilotti. The former Whitewater Shore was along for the ride throughout much of the season last year, and struggled mightily in pool. While far from a superstar or a hotshot rookie, Jennifer provides an interesting unknown variable for the Knights, a lottery ticket in some senses. She could thrive with the team, but if she doesn't, so be it. It's hard to fault a team for taking a chance, and we'll wait and see here.
With the 20th overall pick, the Atlantic Pirates re-select Delila. Atlantic dangled Delila in this draft after two years of underwhelming efforts from their captain. Delila, since she is returning to the team, will return to her captain's role. The Pirates as a whole appear reluctant to branch out, bringing back two players they had cut in different years and adding a no-results veteran with the compensatory pick. Delila can be a good player, and she can motivate others, but this move makes little sense for a team with luck as rotten as the Pirates has been in their two previous years of existence.
With the 21st overall pick, the Freedom Cascades select Nikolai, a muscular rookie. Credit the Cascades for exploring new options, with Nikolai a potential slugging machine in cricket. Nikolai should also bring a bit of an edge to pool. While team captain Jasmine is undersized, the Cascades have a big cat in Stinky, and two big bears in Roxy and Nikolai to bring the beef and at least be intimidating. Bringing on Nikolai also helps to erase the culture of struggles on the road that have haunted the Cascades in cricket most of all.
With the 22nd overall pick, the Oceanside Waves select the other former Rocker split-bid player, Alyssa. A lot of what was said earlier about Kelly applies to Alyssa, the calmer of the twins. Alyssa couldn't find her groove with half of a bid, and the change of scenery should be good for her. Adding to the noise, the Meteors and Waves share an extensive territorial border, which should help to increase the regional rivalry significantly. Alyssa will have a long leash with the notoriously relaxed Waves.
With the 23rd overall pick, the Southern Monarchs retain the services of Nicole. Easily one of the statistically worst players in the league last season, Nicole will get another trial with the Monarchs. Nicole did show talent in her first year with the Pearl Surfers, but she's coming off of two down years, and she may just be a weaker player. She should again pair well with Shannon, but Kirstin could be a less compatible match with her than Shawn was. The Monarchs did little to freshen up a very poor team, so they'll have to hope last year was an anomaly.
With the 24th overall pick, the Viewpoint Sound Meteors select the rookie Zach. Molded in the same style as former Meteor Lydia (who has yet to be selected), Zach players a cerebral game, with good shot focus. His pedigree in pool isn't as strong as Lydia's, but he should combine well with Kelly to bring new life to the Meteors as they attempt to shake the expansion team curse. Zach is viewed as a very solid addition and potentially a steal at this late stage in the draft.
With the 25th overall pick, the Harrison Specters select Brownie. The Specters once had Brownie's sister, Dusky, but she proved to not fit with the team before her success with the Archtown Arrows. Brownie has yet to find a team she truly fits well with, and she hopes the new-look Specters could help her unlock her potential. Brownie is not all bad, as she can play very well at home and was almost retained by an admittedly awful Pirates team. A former Swift, Torpedo, and Pirate, Brownie is hoping to stick with the Specters for more than a year.
With the 26th overall pick, the Modernistic Union select Juno, a rookie. Juno may usurp Ms. Puppy as the de facto leader of the Union by season's end, with her authoritative and no-nonsense approach taking former captain Kiwi's intensity up a few notches into a relentless approach. Juno is expected to butt heads with Chimpy, who will not be getting away with the things he did while Kiwi was around. It appears Union management listened to Kiwi's complaints, but needed her out the door to do anything about them. Expect fiery matchups between the Knights and the Union because of this, as well as the geographic rivalry between the major city of Modernistic and suburb of Terrace City.
With the 27th overall pick, the Swordpoint Blades select Stealth. The Blades appear to have again pulled off a savvy pick, with Stealth constantly qualifying well at pool. He's significantly weaker at cricket, but Swordpoint rarely pays attention to cricket. Stealth, a former Specter, also benefits from playing with family, as Blades captain Snowball is his sister, and they share a similar talent that their other siblings Pounce and Stripes do not display much of in pool. With two solid bounce-back candidates, the Blades appear to have restocked effectively at the draft.
With the 28th overall pick, the Westside Rockers select Midnight. The former Tradewind muscle cat, Midnight will adjust to what appears to be a much more toxic environment in Westside. After moving from the Volcanoes last season to the Tradewinds, she couldn't regain her form. Now, the Rockers will have four players from four of the fiercest members of the Rivalry, as Midnight is backed by Brute Force, which tends to oppose captain Misty's Solid Core fiercely and obtusely with Goatee's Delila Enterprises. The hodgepodge of players will have to come together somehow if the Rockers don't want to be looking at a more extensive shopping list next season.
With the 29th overall pick, the Victoria Spurs select a rookie, Yekaterina Vasilyeva. The Russian rookie is known to be crafty, but little else is known. Vasilyeva may battle with fellow Spur and blonde B. Chapman, the team's biggest playmaker, but Yekaterina is expected to respect authority fairly well. Yekaterina could be the team's x-factor, providing them with enough to get over the hump should she be a good fit, or enough to drag them down if she struggles in her first year. The Spurs are more pool focused, so that's where the attention will be greatest for her.
With the 30th overall pick, the Commerce Tradewinds select a rookie, Lorde. Commerce is a deceptive place, appearing normal on the outside but with a serious dark side, and it reflects in a team that is well-liked but with a mysterious darkness around it. It begins with captain Tigerette and her right-hand man Lionel, and Lorde should fit the culture well in replacing Midnight. Lorde could end up being a huge steal this late in the draft for a team that badly needed a difference-maker to potentially put them over the top.
With the 31st overall pick, the Tysini Hummingbirds select the last rookie, Charli XCX. Tysini is a team on the upswing, and a rookie is a solid choice to continue their ascent out of the depths of rebuilding. Taking Charli this late is another potential steal given that she's an unknown prospect. Tysini addressed the need of a veteran with their compensatory pick, and this late-draft flyer could work out just as well. If not, the depth appears set for awhile behind breakout 2015 star Princess and reliable veteran Bright.
With the 32nd overall pick, the Southridge Defenders retain J. Garcia. A Rookie of the Year nominee last summer, Garcia fell out of favor with a bad sophomore slump in 2015. However, the other teams in the league avoided her, and the Defenders made the fourth retention pick of the draft, a record high. Garcia should average out between her two seasons of data. Southridge knows what they're getting out of Garcia, and with no new changes in personnel, should achieve a similar level of play this coming season.
With the 33rd overall pick, the Whitewater Shores select Wild Thing. The former Blade fell out of favor rapidly in Swordpoint when the shine wore off the team, and now Wild Thing is headed north to Whitewater. While possessing a big and muscular frame, Wild Thing has yet to put together any respectable numbers in the UPCL. Likewise, this particular roster spot has seen three other players try and fail in it for the Shores, so the expectation is simply to be better than Jennifer was last season. That still may be a tall ask for Wild Thing, until he can prove us wrong.
With the 34th overall pick, the Web City Spiders select Shiny. This is a similar situation as the last pick, with the former Spur failing to fit in after coming to Victoria from Westside. Shiny hasn't seen success in the last two seasons in either sport, and the Web City Spiders have had trouble maintaining this particular roster spot in much the same way the Shores have struggled. Shiny can be good, and in this environment she just needs to be serviceable with a very reliable team in front of her. If Shiny can produce like Sugar did this season for Web City, the Spiders will be happy with the move.
Finally, the 35th overall pick falls to the Lighton Prestige, and they select Lydia. A strong pool pedigree has done nothing for Lydia in Viewpoint Sound, so she'll head south to be a more minor player with the Prestige. Lydia has shown skill in cricket, which should help the Prestige to some extent, as they've frequently relied on a low offense. Lydia will get to challenge the Meteors in the West Division in cricket too, adding a bit of motivation.
That's all for the draft! Thanks for reading through this, and if you need a reference to these picks, feel free to check this post at any time. I know I will have to look back at times to remember all the new faces in new places. As for the future, I plan on solidifying the official documents for pool and cricket tomorrow, and then working on the 39 new jerseys (31 for new players, and eight more for the two teams that did extensive color redesign work). Once those tasks have completed, I will work on a Divisional breakdown of team previews, which is a bit of an extended version of what you've seen tonight that will also include the teams who made no changes. I want to start qualifiers on Tuesday, but we'll see what happens with that.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Friday, June 26, 2015
Research and Development Camp Report
On June 21st and June 26th, the UPCL held its first ever Research and Development Camp. To conduct the research, we had ten players on hand to play five games each. The first two for each player, conducted on the 21st, were 10-ball and Quidditch Rules 10-ball. On the 26th, the players were asked to compare the second and third generation racking styles for 12-ball, as well as sample the already-approved reboot of Survival entitled Accuracy. The results are below.
For the 10-ball side of things, the league is going against the data. The Quidditch Rules style did reduce shots per game by 3 and was approximately a half a shot more consistent, but the league thinks the change is too gimmicky with the 10 not even on the table until the 7 is potted. The league agrees that Quidditch Rules 10-ball is an appropriate tiebreaker in the postseason in an eight-style format such as set to be played for the foreseeable future. Regular 10-ball will remain the game of choice in league play for its unique blend of rotation shooting and called shots that loses its luster with the much more break-friendly Quidditch Rules style. The players in the camp also agreed the 10-ball rack broke much better than it did in the regular season, which was a leading cause for this style to be tested.
For 12-ball racking patterns, the league intends to also stay on the second-generation tree pattern rack that sees the top four rows filled and the second and fourth spots on the fifth row filled. This has been previously determined to be more generous on the break and more compatible with last year's wild card ball rule change. The first generation wing pattern, which saw the last two balls in the first and fifth spots on the fifth row, was abolished after the second tournament. While players did like the control they got from the third generation penguin pattern, which moves the outside balls on the fourth row to the corners of the fifth row, they felt the rack didn't scatter enough along the length of the table to justify using it.
For Accuracy, the rebranded name of the unwieldy Survival style, a few rule changes are implemented. The 8-ball has no impact on a players' performance, becoming a regular ball rather than anything special. Potted balls on the break likewise have no impact, nor does sinking multiple balls on a single shot. Scratches will count as a missed shot even if a ball is potted, which transfers over from Survival. The biggest change is that Accuracy is played to see who has the fewest misses in a single rack, whereas Survival leaned toward finding who could last the longest with a set number of allowed misses (and a number of methods to atone for those). The goal of Accuracy in place of Survival is to create a quicker game while also providing players a style of free-wheeling pool that gets more difficult as it goes. As the data shows, it is expected the total number of misses per game between two players will range from about three to about ten, making every shot count.
Tomorrow night is draft night, likely the most exciting non-game-day of the season, where we'll see which new faces will end up in new places. It's a smaller draft class than usual, but a larger rookie class, which will help inject up to ten teams with new life. Many of the rookies are highly valued, including a full-grown prospect named Juno, who is known for her fiery personality. The draft post tomorrow will also have short commentary on each player and their fit with their new team.
| Player | 10 | 10-QR | 12-2G | 12-3G | Accuracy |
| Diddley | 12 | 17 | 30 | 26 | 19 |
| Shaggy | 25 | 16 | 27 | 19 | 17 |
| Chelsea | 20 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 24 |
| Brownie | 21 | 22 | 24 | 21 | 18 |
| Stealth | 20 | 12 | 21 | 22 | 20 |
| Strawberry | 19 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 18 |
| Midnight | 21 | 16 | 23 | 35 | 24 |
| Kavan | 19 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 22 |
| Bear | 23 | 15 | 20 | 21 | 26 |
| Sydney | 22 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 26 |
| Average | 20.2 | 17 | 22.4 | 22.4 | 21.4 |
| Deviation | 3.43 | 2.87 | 3.75 | 4.95 | 3.44 |
For the 10-ball side of things, the league is going against the data. The Quidditch Rules style did reduce shots per game by 3 and was approximately a half a shot more consistent, but the league thinks the change is too gimmicky with the 10 not even on the table until the 7 is potted. The league agrees that Quidditch Rules 10-ball is an appropriate tiebreaker in the postseason in an eight-style format such as set to be played for the foreseeable future. Regular 10-ball will remain the game of choice in league play for its unique blend of rotation shooting and called shots that loses its luster with the much more break-friendly Quidditch Rules style. The players in the camp also agreed the 10-ball rack broke much better than it did in the regular season, which was a leading cause for this style to be tested.
For 12-ball racking patterns, the league intends to also stay on the second-generation tree pattern rack that sees the top four rows filled and the second and fourth spots on the fifth row filled. This has been previously determined to be more generous on the break and more compatible with last year's wild card ball rule change. The first generation wing pattern, which saw the last two balls in the first and fifth spots on the fifth row, was abolished after the second tournament. While players did like the control they got from the third generation penguin pattern, which moves the outside balls on the fourth row to the corners of the fifth row, they felt the rack didn't scatter enough along the length of the table to justify using it.
For Accuracy, the rebranded name of the unwieldy Survival style, a few rule changes are implemented. The 8-ball has no impact on a players' performance, becoming a regular ball rather than anything special. Potted balls on the break likewise have no impact, nor does sinking multiple balls on a single shot. Scratches will count as a missed shot even if a ball is potted, which transfers over from Survival. The biggest change is that Accuracy is played to see who has the fewest misses in a single rack, whereas Survival leaned toward finding who could last the longest with a set number of allowed misses (and a number of methods to atone for those). The goal of Accuracy in place of Survival is to create a quicker game while also providing players a style of free-wheeling pool that gets more difficult as it goes. As the data shows, it is expected the total number of misses per game between two players will range from about three to about ten, making every shot count.
Tomorrow night is draft night, likely the most exciting non-game-day of the season, where we'll see which new faces will end up in new places. It's a smaller draft class than usual, but a larger rookie class, which will help inject up to ten teams with new life. Many of the rookies are highly valued, including a full-grown prospect named Juno, who is known for her fiery personality. The draft post tomorrow will also have short commentary on each player and their fit with their new team.
Retained and Released Players for the 2015-2016 UPCL Expansion Draft
The teams, in accordance with end-of-season procedures, have announced the fates of the rest of their players, excluding any changes at the draft that might occur. To find a list of protected players, click here. The draft is scheduled for Saturday night at 9 PM PDT at Verizon Field Events Center in Pacific.
PHASE 2/Retained Players
Archtown Arrows: Sleepy B.
Atlantic Pirates: Amber
Boston Swifts: Puff II, Gradley
Capital City Sharpshooters: Dani, Missy, Sprinkles
Central Warriors: NONE (All players protected)
Commerce Tradewinds: Ice Cream
Diamond Gems: Cassandra
Eastside Sharks: Chelsea, Taylor Swift
Everton Eagles: Puff III, Cleo, Blizzard
Freedom Cascades: Jasmine, Stinky
Golden Pilots: A. Charlton
Harrison Specters: Slinks
Infinity Torpedoes: Shelley, Whiskers, Smudge, Gabe
Lighton Prestige: Twinkie I, Spirit
Maplewood Lumberjacks: Bryant, Diddley
Modernistic Union: Puff I, Ms. Puppy
Oceanside Waves: Bells
Pacific Volcanoes: NONE (All players protected)
Pearl Surfers: Watermelon
Pronger Tridents: Hoot, Paps
Queens Flames: Max
Royal Crowns: Nightfur
Southern Monarchs: Panda, Shannon
Southridge Defenders: Shaggy, Boots
Swordpoint Blades: Dreamy
Todavía Stills: Sparkles
Tysini Hummingbirds: Bright
Victoria Spurs: Spice
Viewpoint Sound Meteors: Mams
Web City Spiders: Sugar
Westside Rockers: Misty, Chicky Phil
Whitewater Shores: NONE (Three protected, one cut)
Now, the following list will detail the draft pool and the reasons why players departed.
Delila (cut by Pirates)
Brownie (cut by Pirates)
Midnight (cut by Tradewinds)
Cowzart (cut by Cascades)
Kavan (cut by Cascades)
Leandra (cut by Specters)
Stealth (cut by Specters)
Pounce (cut by Prestige)
Chimpy (cut by Union)
Kiwi (mutually terminated contract with Union to enter draft)
Americus (cut by Waves)
Roxy (cut by Waves)
Shawn (cut by Monarchs)
Nicole (cut by Monarchs)
J. Garcia (cut by Defenders)
Oreo (cut by Blades)
Wild Thing (cut by Blades)
Marsell (cut by Hummingbirds)
Shiny (cut by Spurs)
Lydia (cut by Meteors)
Stripes (cut by Meteors)
Dominic (cut by Spiders)
Kelly (cut by Rockers)
Alyssa (cut by Rockers)
Jennifer (cut by Shores)
Zach (rookie)
Yekaterina Vasilyeva (rookie)
Pedey (rookie)
Juno (rookie)
Nikolai (rookie)
Kirstin (rookie)
Niki (rookie)
Lorde (rookie)
Charli XCX (rookie)
Sydney Sierota (rookie)
PHASE 2/Retained Players
Archtown Arrows: Sleepy B.
Atlantic Pirates: Amber
Boston Swifts: Puff II, Gradley
Capital City Sharpshooters: Dani, Missy, Sprinkles
Central Warriors: NONE (All players protected)
Commerce Tradewinds: Ice Cream
Diamond Gems: Cassandra
Eastside Sharks: Chelsea, Taylor Swift
Everton Eagles: Puff III, Cleo, Blizzard
Freedom Cascades: Jasmine, Stinky
Golden Pilots: A. Charlton
Harrison Specters: Slinks
Infinity Torpedoes: Shelley, Whiskers, Smudge, Gabe
Lighton Prestige: Twinkie I, Spirit
Maplewood Lumberjacks: Bryant, Diddley
Modernistic Union: Puff I, Ms. Puppy
Oceanside Waves: Bells
Pacific Volcanoes: NONE (All players protected)
Pearl Surfers: Watermelon
Pronger Tridents: Hoot, Paps
Queens Flames: Max
Royal Crowns: Nightfur
Southern Monarchs: Panda, Shannon
Southridge Defenders: Shaggy, Boots
Swordpoint Blades: Dreamy
Todavía Stills: Sparkles
Tysini Hummingbirds: Bright
Victoria Spurs: Spice
Viewpoint Sound Meteors: Mams
Web City Spiders: Sugar
Westside Rockers: Misty, Chicky Phil
Whitewater Shores: NONE (Three protected, one cut)
Now, the following list will detail the draft pool and the reasons why players departed.
Delila (cut by Pirates)
Brownie (cut by Pirates)
Midnight (cut by Tradewinds)
Cowzart (cut by Cascades)
Kavan (cut by Cascades)
Leandra (cut by Specters)
Stealth (cut by Specters)
Pounce (cut by Prestige)
Chimpy (cut by Union)
Kiwi (mutually terminated contract with Union to enter draft)
Americus (cut by Waves)
Roxy (cut by Waves)
Shawn (cut by Monarchs)
Nicole (cut by Monarchs)
J. Garcia (cut by Defenders)
Oreo (cut by Blades)
Wild Thing (cut by Blades)
Marsell (cut by Hummingbirds)
Shiny (cut by Spurs)
Lydia (cut by Meteors)
Stripes (cut by Meteors)
Dominic (cut by Spiders)
Kelly (cut by Rockers)
Alyssa (cut by Rockers)
Jennifer (cut by Shores)
Zach (rookie)
Yekaterina Vasilyeva (rookie)
Pedey (rookie)
Juno (rookie)
Nikolai (rookie)
Kirstin (rookie)
Niki (rookie)
Lorde (rookie)
Charli XCX (rookie)
Sydney Sierota (rookie)
Thursday, June 25, 2015
City Cup Playoffs 2015 - Final Rounds
Today's a day much closer to resembling Tuesday in terms of game breakdown. After 68 games yesterday, we will range between 56 and 63 for the last day of actual league action. Tomorrow, if things go according to plan, will be an R&D day, with the results from that posted in the afternoon or evening, and also a list of phase 2/retained players and phase 3/released players will hit the website tomorrow. I aim to conduct the draft sometime this weekend. Now, for the games...
The #11 Pearl Surfers host the #14 Victoria Spurs in the first of the last seven series at Kraft Forum, leading off the Quarterfinals. Pearl's Neopolitan struck first by winning 7-ball in convincing form with a three-ball run to start and a two-ball run-out after Victoria's Spice couldn't cash in. The Surfers went up 2-0 in the series as Watermelon held off the Spurs' Tori, despite her late rally to make it a close game of 8-ball, but Tori fell just a bit short. Victoria's got on the board as B. Chapman pulled off a three-ball run-out in 9-ball, halting a competitive game against Pearl's Neopolitan to make it 2-1 in the series. The Spurs tied the series at 2 when Spice bested the Surfers' Neopolitan in 10-ball with a crafty three-ball run-out for the win, shooting with top-notch accuracy to pick up the equalizer. In 12-ball, Watermelon did a good job of getting set up despite not having a wild card ball like Tori did, not that it did Victoria's Tori any good as she couldn't sink the 3 in time. Pearl's Neopolitan played solid defense and executed when she needed to while giving her team a 3-2 lead with the win. The Surfers clinched at least a tiebreaker at 4-2 with a win by Wings in Rotation, taking the game 8-4 over Chapman of the Spurs as she couldn't get many clean shots. Wings, on the other hand, worked some magical makes to build up an early lead, with his carom play especially proficient. Chapman answered for Victoria in 15-ball, dragging the series back to 4-3 with a big win after a lucky bounce that set her up for a good shot on the 15 after a chaotic cut on the 13. Wings did what he was supposed to in the game, but it wasn't enough for the Pearl star to seal the series up. Watermelon played a thorough game of Survival for the Surfers, so good that Tori of the Spurs couldn't make it through a rack, allowing the Surfers to take the series 5-3 and advance to the Semifinals against the winner of the next series.
The second series of the day features the #2 Central Warriors against the #10 Diamond Gems. Diamond's Citrus got revenge on Central's Noelle in 7-ball, going up 1-0 in response for when Noelle knocked Citrus out of the main tournament en route to her 7-ball title. The Gems moved to a 2-0 lead when Cassandra won 8-ball, shooting accurately early and weathering a three-ball run from the Warriors' Twilight that ended with a narrow miss on the 9 to leave Cassandra open to cut the 8 in for the win. Controversy struck in 9-ball, as Noelle's miss on the 9 appeared to get deflected by a small piece of debris on the table that caused Diamond's Citrus to miss the ensuing cut attempt. From ball-in-hand, Central's Noelle won the game and made the series tight at 2-1, which means this bit of controversy could sour the rest of the tournament. The home fans, already displeased with Central, made their dissent with hearty noise. The Warriors' tied the series at 2 in a much more legitimate fashion, as Twilight ran out the final six balls to stun the Gems' Cassandra while picking up the equalizer. Tactics ruled in 12-ball, with both players playing strong defense. In the end, Noelle of Central took advantage of having a wild card ball and good position to end the game and put her team up 3-2, while Diamond's Cassandra just couldn't hold on long enough to set up her final ball. Gizmo earned the Warriors at least a tiebreaker game with his 8-3 win over the Gems' Olivia in Rotation, ending on a big three-ball run-out with decent shot execution in a bit of a slow game that made it 4-2 in the series. Gizmo couldn't secure the series for Central in 15-ball, just whiffing on the 15 at the top left to allow Olivia of Diamond a tap-in from ball-in-hand for the win to make it 4-3, and the series shifts to an unfavorable matchup for the hosts. True to form, the Warriors' Twilight melted in Survival against the Gems' Citrus, forcing a tiebreaker game as Citrus' win equalized the series at 4. Gizmo bailed Twilight and all of Central out to a chorus of boos, running out the final three balls in the tiebreaker to top a bold effort from Diamond's Olivia that ultimately was her last appearance in the UPCL. The Warriors will face the Surfers after this heavy scare in the Semifinals later today.
Next up, the other top seed, the #1 Queens Flames host the #9 Lighton Prestige. Spirit of Lighton played brilliantly in an even 7-ball game, getting the win of Queens' Kayla for an early 1-0 lead. The Flames tied the series at 1 in 8-ball, with Paige scoring a four-ball run-out to keep the Prestige's Pounce at bay as the series appears to be another close one. Kayla put Queens up 2-1 in 9-ball, ending the game early with a hard carom of the cue off the 4 to put the 9 in motion against Lighton's Spirit. The motion carried the 9 to glance off the 6 and glide into the top left for the go-ahead victory. The Flames' Crystal dominated in 10-ball, running four balls early and three more late, but nearly gave the game away. Crystal got lucky that the Prestige's Twinkie I couldn't handle the angle on the 10, which gave Crystal redemption when she potted it for a 3-1 series lead. Pounce nearly got burned in 12-ball, with his four-ball run leading to heavy defense applied against the Lighton player by Queens' Paige. Slowly but surely, Paige worked her way back into the game with good shooting, but after making four of her five balls remaining on the table, she missed contact on the last one, allowing Pounce to brush off the scare and win the game to make it 3-2 in the series. The Flames' Crystal made it 4-2 in the series with an 8-3 Rotation win, playing smothering defense late in the game to keep the Prestige's Twinkie I away from clean shots, and in turn gaining a lot of easy shots herself from ball-in-hand when Twinkie I couldn't make legal contact. In 15-ball, Spirit of Lighton had a four-ball run answered by Paige of Queens with a four-ball run herself in the loose game. Things tightened at the end, with the 15 being problematic until Spirit's second chance, where she put it in the top right to make it a 4-3 series and keep hope alive for the underdogs from Lighton. Pounce of the Prestige looked dead to rights in the second rack of Survival, but an epic collapse by Crystal of the Flames allowed Pounce to hold true and grab the win somehow to tie the series at 4 and force the tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Kayla looked to be in good form late, but a miss on the 9 set Twinkie I up for the heroics by taking out the 9 to the top left and drilling the 10 to the bottom right, giving Lighton a 5-4 series win over Queens, and advancement to the Semifinals against the next series winner.
Ending the Quarterfinals, the #4 Tysini Hummingbirds host the #5 Web City Spiders in the tightest match of the round. Web City's Shadow punished a juicy leave on the break from Tysini's Bright in 7-ball, caroming the cue off the 1 to take the 7 to the bottom side for a 1-0 lead. Princess got the Hummingbirds on the board, tying the series at 1 when Sugar chipped the 8 for the Spiders in 8-ball, allowing Princess to tap it in after nearly losing the game by letting it get that far. Princess took far more control in 9-ball, getting Tysini another win to go up 2-1 with a five-ball run-out coming shortly after Web City's Shadow failed to pull another carom shot off the 3 to try for the 9, which ended up short. Marsell of the Hummingbirds shocked Rainmane of the Spiders in 10-ball, playing a very strong and respectable game that saw him dominate possession. Rainmane's last ditch effort on the 9 had illegal contact, allowing Marsell to tap the 9 in and then cut the 10 from a tough angle for the win, taking the Hummingbirds to 3-1 in the series. Web City's Sugar executed her shooting strategy quicker than Tysini's Princess in 12-ball, effectively positioning herself for the shots she needed to draw Web City back into the now 3-2 series. Marsell dueled with Rainmane again in Rotation, and the Hummingbirds' Marsell again won, taking the game 8-7 over the Spiders' Rainmane to push the series to 4-2 after an impressive bank to the top left on the 15 broke the deadlock for the win. Rainmane fired back with a three-ball run-out for Web City in 15-ball, ending the game with a successful double-pot that sent the 6 to the bottom left while the carom knocked the 15 to the top left, ending her struggles against Tysini's Marsell as she made the series 4-3. The Hummingbirds' Bright did the best thing anyone can do in Survival: not miss. This strategy, simple as it sounds, worked wonders when the Spiders' Sugar failed to match Bright, slowly losing all her lives as Bright remained relentless to take the win and secure the series at 5-3. Tysini is set to face Lighton in a battle of teams with question marks around them in the Semifinals, but they will be the second series of the round, opting for rest early with the winner getting a back-to-back later on while the other team opts for rest between the last two rounds.
The first Semifinal series is the #2 Central Warriors against the #11 Pearl Surfers. Central's Noelle weathered a three-ball run by Neopolitan of Pearl to take the 7-ball game with smart shooting late for a 1-0 lead against the acting hosts. Watermelon tied the series for the Surfers with a win in 8-ball in a very lazily-conducted game against the Warriors' Twilight, who appeared to be fatigued a bit. Neopolitan won a scratch-fest of a 9-ball game for Pearl, again topping Central's Noelle after sinking the 8 and 9 without scratching from ball-in-hand from Noelle's scratch, regaining the series lead at 2-1. Twilight answered to tie the series in 10-ball with a modest two-ball run-out, making it 2-2 for the Warriors by cutting the 10 to the top left to keep it away from the Surfers' Neopolitan. In 12-ball, Central's Noelle couldn't handle surrendering a wild card ball to Pearl's Watermelon, who used it to her advantage to gain a significant edge on her opponent until she finally cashed in when Noelle illegally potted her last ball to the wrong pocket. The series of misplays for Noelle led to Watermelon giving her team a 3-2 lead. Gizmo shot straight back with an 8-4 win for the Warriors in Rotation, taking a stand in his first stanza against the Surfers' Wings to tie the series at 3 with a tense victory. Wings shot back when Gizmo's four-ball run in 15-ball ended up being too little for Central, allowing Pearl's Wings one wicked cut shot to win the game and earn at least a tiebreaker with the 4-3 series lead. Twilight played a brutally strong game of Survival for the Warriors to tie the series at 4, taking out Watermelon of the Surfers handily in a single rack to trigger the tiebreaker. Gizmo dominated possession for Central in the tiebreaker, including an early four-ball run and strong shooting late. Pearl's Wings got a bit stronger near the end, but couldn't make the 9. Gizmo got an odd bounce off sinking the 9, resulting in a scratch-likely cut on the 10, but he somehow turned the 10 into the top right while the cue stayed up in the jaws of the bottom right, giving Central a 5-4 series win in heart-stopping fashion. The Warriors are through to the Final.
In a special evening session, the #4 Tysini Hummingbirds host the #9 Lighton Prestige. Tysini's Bright got off to a dominant start with a five-ball run, and then he cashed in when Lighton's Spirit couldn't handle the 7, making it 1-0 for the hosts. The Prestige's Pounce had a five-ball run early, but he let the Hummingbirds' Princess get back in the game, where they both targeted the 8. Pounce took care of business by banking the 8 off the top rail to the bottom right for the win, tying the series at 1. Lighton went up 2-1 in the series with an impressive shot by Spirit, getting the 2 and 9 to double-kiss, with the second tap coming from the 2 to guide the 9 to the bottom right, stunning Tysini's Princess in the process. In 10-ball, the Prestige's Twinkie I elected to shoot on a bad angle at the 10, and it cost her when she missed and Marsell cut it in on the next shot for the Hummingbirds, retying the series at 2. Princess pulled Tysini to a lead in 12-ball, running out her last three balls thanks to a wild card ball that wiped out the one she gave Lighton's Pounce earlier. She also had more targets to work with, and played off of them effectively to get Tysini back to a series lead at 3-2. The Hummingbirds' Marsell pushed Twinkie I of the Prestige to the brink in Rotation, but she didn't fall over the edge, scoring the last four balls on two turns to win 8-6 in the game and tie the series at 3. Marsell gave 15-ball a frenetic start with three balls on the break, but the game slowed down later. Tysini's Marsell avoided a late collapse this time, sinking the last two balls to shut the door on Spirit of Lighton, giving Tysini the 4-3 series lead and at least a chance at a tiebreaker. The Hummingbirds' Bright gave it his all in Survival, lasting halfway through the third rack before succumbing to an equally lucky Pounce of the Prestige, which resulted in the series being tied at 4 and going to a tiebreaker. Bright translated the strong shooting to the tiebreaker, dominating late with five of the last six balls to his name, giving Tysini the 5-4 series over Twinkie I of Lighton, who just couldn't handle the frenzy ending. Onto the Final now.
To wrap up the UPCL Tournament 2015 season, we have the #2 Central Warriors, a dominant team in both sports all season against the #4 Tysini Hummingbirds, whose rebuild has dramatically outpaced expectations. Tysini's Bright stole the game of 7-ball away for a 1-0 lead when Central's Noelle scratched as she potted the 7, blowing a well-played game away. Princess stepped up for the Hummingbirds in 8-ball, besting fellow superstar Twilight of the Warriors after the latter committed her team's second straight folly late in a game, which put them down 2-0 early on. Princess gave Tysini a stranglehold lead after winning 9-ball with a strong 6-9 combination to the bottom side after Central's Noelle had a missed shot that lined the winning play up for Princess, allowing her to make it a 3-0 series. Twilight got the Warriors back in the series with a win in 10-ball that saw her execute a seven-ball run at one point and then bank the 10 off the top rail to the bottom side, smothering the Hummingbirds' Marsell defensively throughout to make it 3-1 in the series. Princess thought a wild card ball in 12-ball would just be collateral damage, but Noelle of Central made the Tysini star pay for her mistake by making her last two balls legally to take the game and push the series to 3-2. Marsell took Rotation 8-4 for the Hummingbirds against the Warriors' Gizmo, who faltered when his team needed him the most as they fell into a must-win situation for the remainder of the series with the Hummingbirds leading 4-2. Marsell wasn't spectacular, but he was efficient. Gizmo kept Central alive in 15-ball, completing a five-ball run-out to hold off Tysini's Marsell and push the series to 4-3. Bright finally sealed the deal for the Hummingbirds in Survival, taking the Warriors' Twilight to a second rack before she fully fell apart and lost the game, giving the Tysini Hummingbirds the City Cup title at 5-3 in the series.
With that now accounted for, I can lay out my plans. Tomorrow is an R&D day, hopefully just in the afternoon. Before that gets too exciting, I'll publish the retained and released players, which can be used in conjunction with the Protected Players list to determine the draft pool. It appears as if there will be thirty-four players in the draft pool, so we're looking at an average of just over one pick per team, but obviously some teams will not pick at all and one team is being built in full, so there's a lot of variance. The draft is expected to take place this Saturday night at the Verizon Field Events Center in Pacific. I'd also expected Sunday to be administrative and maintenance based, with some likely spilling into Monday before 2016's qualifiers begin in full on Tuesday.
The #11 Pearl Surfers host the #14 Victoria Spurs in the first of the last seven series at Kraft Forum, leading off the Quarterfinals. Pearl's Neopolitan struck first by winning 7-ball in convincing form with a three-ball run to start and a two-ball run-out after Victoria's Spice couldn't cash in. The Surfers went up 2-0 in the series as Watermelon held off the Spurs' Tori, despite her late rally to make it a close game of 8-ball, but Tori fell just a bit short. Victoria's got on the board as B. Chapman pulled off a three-ball run-out in 9-ball, halting a competitive game against Pearl's Neopolitan to make it 2-1 in the series. The Spurs tied the series at 2 when Spice bested the Surfers' Neopolitan in 10-ball with a crafty three-ball run-out for the win, shooting with top-notch accuracy to pick up the equalizer. In 12-ball, Watermelon did a good job of getting set up despite not having a wild card ball like Tori did, not that it did Victoria's Tori any good as she couldn't sink the 3 in time. Pearl's Neopolitan played solid defense and executed when she needed to while giving her team a 3-2 lead with the win. The Surfers clinched at least a tiebreaker at 4-2 with a win by Wings in Rotation, taking the game 8-4 over Chapman of the Spurs as she couldn't get many clean shots. Wings, on the other hand, worked some magical makes to build up an early lead, with his carom play especially proficient. Chapman answered for Victoria in 15-ball, dragging the series back to 4-3 with a big win after a lucky bounce that set her up for a good shot on the 15 after a chaotic cut on the 13. Wings did what he was supposed to in the game, but it wasn't enough for the Pearl star to seal the series up. Watermelon played a thorough game of Survival for the Surfers, so good that Tori of the Spurs couldn't make it through a rack, allowing the Surfers to take the series 5-3 and advance to the Semifinals against the winner of the next series.
The second series of the day features the #2 Central Warriors against the #10 Diamond Gems. Diamond's Citrus got revenge on Central's Noelle in 7-ball, going up 1-0 in response for when Noelle knocked Citrus out of the main tournament en route to her 7-ball title. The Gems moved to a 2-0 lead when Cassandra won 8-ball, shooting accurately early and weathering a three-ball run from the Warriors' Twilight that ended with a narrow miss on the 9 to leave Cassandra open to cut the 8 in for the win. Controversy struck in 9-ball, as Noelle's miss on the 9 appeared to get deflected by a small piece of debris on the table that caused Diamond's Citrus to miss the ensuing cut attempt. From ball-in-hand, Central's Noelle won the game and made the series tight at 2-1, which means this bit of controversy could sour the rest of the tournament. The home fans, already displeased with Central, made their dissent with hearty noise. The Warriors' tied the series at 2 in a much more legitimate fashion, as Twilight ran out the final six balls to stun the Gems' Cassandra while picking up the equalizer. Tactics ruled in 12-ball, with both players playing strong defense. In the end, Noelle of Central took advantage of having a wild card ball and good position to end the game and put her team up 3-2, while Diamond's Cassandra just couldn't hold on long enough to set up her final ball. Gizmo earned the Warriors at least a tiebreaker game with his 8-3 win over the Gems' Olivia in Rotation, ending on a big three-ball run-out with decent shot execution in a bit of a slow game that made it 4-2 in the series. Gizmo couldn't secure the series for Central in 15-ball, just whiffing on the 15 at the top left to allow Olivia of Diamond a tap-in from ball-in-hand for the win to make it 4-3, and the series shifts to an unfavorable matchup for the hosts. True to form, the Warriors' Twilight melted in Survival against the Gems' Citrus, forcing a tiebreaker game as Citrus' win equalized the series at 4. Gizmo bailed Twilight and all of Central out to a chorus of boos, running out the final three balls in the tiebreaker to top a bold effort from Diamond's Olivia that ultimately was her last appearance in the UPCL. The Warriors will face the Surfers after this heavy scare in the Semifinals later today.
Next up, the other top seed, the #1 Queens Flames host the #9 Lighton Prestige. Spirit of Lighton played brilliantly in an even 7-ball game, getting the win of Queens' Kayla for an early 1-0 lead. The Flames tied the series at 1 in 8-ball, with Paige scoring a four-ball run-out to keep the Prestige's Pounce at bay as the series appears to be another close one. Kayla put Queens up 2-1 in 9-ball, ending the game early with a hard carom of the cue off the 4 to put the 9 in motion against Lighton's Spirit. The motion carried the 9 to glance off the 6 and glide into the top left for the go-ahead victory. The Flames' Crystal dominated in 10-ball, running four balls early and three more late, but nearly gave the game away. Crystal got lucky that the Prestige's Twinkie I couldn't handle the angle on the 10, which gave Crystal redemption when she potted it for a 3-1 series lead. Pounce nearly got burned in 12-ball, with his four-ball run leading to heavy defense applied against the Lighton player by Queens' Paige. Slowly but surely, Paige worked her way back into the game with good shooting, but after making four of her five balls remaining on the table, she missed contact on the last one, allowing Pounce to brush off the scare and win the game to make it 3-2 in the series. The Flames' Crystal made it 4-2 in the series with an 8-3 Rotation win, playing smothering defense late in the game to keep the Prestige's Twinkie I away from clean shots, and in turn gaining a lot of easy shots herself from ball-in-hand when Twinkie I couldn't make legal contact. In 15-ball, Spirit of Lighton had a four-ball run answered by Paige of Queens with a four-ball run herself in the loose game. Things tightened at the end, with the 15 being problematic until Spirit's second chance, where she put it in the top right to make it a 4-3 series and keep hope alive for the underdogs from Lighton. Pounce of the Prestige looked dead to rights in the second rack of Survival, but an epic collapse by Crystal of the Flames allowed Pounce to hold true and grab the win somehow to tie the series at 4 and force the tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Kayla looked to be in good form late, but a miss on the 9 set Twinkie I up for the heroics by taking out the 9 to the top left and drilling the 10 to the bottom right, giving Lighton a 5-4 series win over Queens, and advancement to the Semifinals against the next series winner.
Ending the Quarterfinals, the #4 Tysini Hummingbirds host the #5 Web City Spiders in the tightest match of the round. Web City's Shadow punished a juicy leave on the break from Tysini's Bright in 7-ball, caroming the cue off the 1 to take the 7 to the bottom side for a 1-0 lead. Princess got the Hummingbirds on the board, tying the series at 1 when Sugar chipped the 8 for the Spiders in 8-ball, allowing Princess to tap it in after nearly losing the game by letting it get that far. Princess took far more control in 9-ball, getting Tysini another win to go up 2-1 with a five-ball run-out coming shortly after Web City's Shadow failed to pull another carom shot off the 3 to try for the 9, which ended up short. Marsell of the Hummingbirds shocked Rainmane of the Spiders in 10-ball, playing a very strong and respectable game that saw him dominate possession. Rainmane's last ditch effort on the 9 had illegal contact, allowing Marsell to tap the 9 in and then cut the 10 from a tough angle for the win, taking the Hummingbirds to 3-1 in the series. Web City's Sugar executed her shooting strategy quicker than Tysini's Princess in 12-ball, effectively positioning herself for the shots she needed to draw Web City back into the now 3-2 series. Marsell dueled with Rainmane again in Rotation, and the Hummingbirds' Marsell again won, taking the game 8-7 over the Spiders' Rainmane to push the series to 4-2 after an impressive bank to the top left on the 15 broke the deadlock for the win. Rainmane fired back with a three-ball run-out for Web City in 15-ball, ending the game with a successful double-pot that sent the 6 to the bottom left while the carom knocked the 15 to the top left, ending her struggles against Tysini's Marsell as she made the series 4-3. The Hummingbirds' Bright did the best thing anyone can do in Survival: not miss. This strategy, simple as it sounds, worked wonders when the Spiders' Sugar failed to match Bright, slowly losing all her lives as Bright remained relentless to take the win and secure the series at 5-3. Tysini is set to face Lighton in a battle of teams with question marks around them in the Semifinals, but they will be the second series of the round, opting for rest early with the winner getting a back-to-back later on while the other team opts for rest between the last two rounds.
The first Semifinal series is the #2 Central Warriors against the #11 Pearl Surfers. Central's Noelle weathered a three-ball run by Neopolitan of Pearl to take the 7-ball game with smart shooting late for a 1-0 lead against the acting hosts. Watermelon tied the series for the Surfers with a win in 8-ball in a very lazily-conducted game against the Warriors' Twilight, who appeared to be fatigued a bit. Neopolitan won a scratch-fest of a 9-ball game for Pearl, again topping Central's Noelle after sinking the 8 and 9 without scratching from ball-in-hand from Noelle's scratch, regaining the series lead at 2-1. Twilight answered to tie the series in 10-ball with a modest two-ball run-out, making it 2-2 for the Warriors by cutting the 10 to the top left to keep it away from the Surfers' Neopolitan. In 12-ball, Central's Noelle couldn't handle surrendering a wild card ball to Pearl's Watermelon, who used it to her advantage to gain a significant edge on her opponent until she finally cashed in when Noelle illegally potted her last ball to the wrong pocket. The series of misplays for Noelle led to Watermelon giving her team a 3-2 lead. Gizmo shot straight back with an 8-4 win for the Warriors in Rotation, taking a stand in his first stanza against the Surfers' Wings to tie the series at 3 with a tense victory. Wings shot back when Gizmo's four-ball run in 15-ball ended up being too little for Central, allowing Pearl's Wings one wicked cut shot to win the game and earn at least a tiebreaker with the 4-3 series lead. Twilight played a brutally strong game of Survival for the Warriors to tie the series at 4, taking out Watermelon of the Surfers handily in a single rack to trigger the tiebreaker. Gizmo dominated possession for Central in the tiebreaker, including an early four-ball run and strong shooting late. Pearl's Wings got a bit stronger near the end, but couldn't make the 9. Gizmo got an odd bounce off sinking the 9, resulting in a scratch-likely cut on the 10, but he somehow turned the 10 into the top right while the cue stayed up in the jaws of the bottom right, giving Central a 5-4 series win in heart-stopping fashion. The Warriors are through to the Final.
In a special evening session, the #4 Tysini Hummingbirds host the #9 Lighton Prestige. Tysini's Bright got off to a dominant start with a five-ball run, and then he cashed in when Lighton's Spirit couldn't handle the 7, making it 1-0 for the hosts. The Prestige's Pounce had a five-ball run early, but he let the Hummingbirds' Princess get back in the game, where they both targeted the 8. Pounce took care of business by banking the 8 off the top rail to the bottom right for the win, tying the series at 1. Lighton went up 2-1 in the series with an impressive shot by Spirit, getting the 2 and 9 to double-kiss, with the second tap coming from the 2 to guide the 9 to the bottom right, stunning Tysini's Princess in the process. In 10-ball, the Prestige's Twinkie I elected to shoot on a bad angle at the 10, and it cost her when she missed and Marsell cut it in on the next shot for the Hummingbirds, retying the series at 2. Princess pulled Tysini to a lead in 12-ball, running out her last three balls thanks to a wild card ball that wiped out the one she gave Lighton's Pounce earlier. She also had more targets to work with, and played off of them effectively to get Tysini back to a series lead at 3-2. The Hummingbirds' Marsell pushed Twinkie I of the Prestige to the brink in Rotation, but she didn't fall over the edge, scoring the last four balls on two turns to win 8-6 in the game and tie the series at 3. Marsell gave 15-ball a frenetic start with three balls on the break, but the game slowed down later. Tysini's Marsell avoided a late collapse this time, sinking the last two balls to shut the door on Spirit of Lighton, giving Tysini the 4-3 series lead and at least a chance at a tiebreaker. The Hummingbirds' Bright gave it his all in Survival, lasting halfway through the third rack before succumbing to an equally lucky Pounce of the Prestige, which resulted in the series being tied at 4 and going to a tiebreaker. Bright translated the strong shooting to the tiebreaker, dominating late with five of the last six balls to his name, giving Tysini the 5-4 series over Twinkie I of Lighton, who just couldn't handle the frenzy ending. Onto the Final now.
To wrap up the UPCL Tournament 2015 season, we have the #2 Central Warriors, a dominant team in both sports all season against the #4 Tysini Hummingbirds, whose rebuild has dramatically outpaced expectations. Tysini's Bright stole the game of 7-ball away for a 1-0 lead when Central's Noelle scratched as she potted the 7, blowing a well-played game away. Princess stepped up for the Hummingbirds in 8-ball, besting fellow superstar Twilight of the Warriors after the latter committed her team's second straight folly late in a game, which put them down 2-0 early on. Princess gave Tysini a stranglehold lead after winning 9-ball with a strong 6-9 combination to the bottom side after Central's Noelle had a missed shot that lined the winning play up for Princess, allowing her to make it a 3-0 series. Twilight got the Warriors back in the series with a win in 10-ball that saw her execute a seven-ball run at one point and then bank the 10 off the top rail to the bottom side, smothering the Hummingbirds' Marsell defensively throughout to make it 3-1 in the series. Princess thought a wild card ball in 12-ball would just be collateral damage, but Noelle of Central made the Tysini star pay for her mistake by making her last two balls legally to take the game and push the series to 3-2. Marsell took Rotation 8-4 for the Hummingbirds against the Warriors' Gizmo, who faltered when his team needed him the most as they fell into a must-win situation for the remainder of the series with the Hummingbirds leading 4-2. Marsell wasn't spectacular, but he was efficient. Gizmo kept Central alive in 15-ball, completing a five-ball run-out to hold off Tysini's Marsell and push the series to 4-3. Bright finally sealed the deal for the Hummingbirds in Survival, taking the Warriors' Twilight to a second rack before she fully fell apart and lost the game, giving the Tysini Hummingbirds the City Cup title at 5-3 in the series.
With that now accounted for, I can lay out my plans. Tomorrow is an R&D day, hopefully just in the afternoon. Before that gets too exciting, I'll publish the retained and released players, which can be used in conjunction with the Protected Players list to determine the draft pool. It appears as if there will be thirty-four players in the draft pool, so we're looking at an average of just over one pick per team, but obviously some teams will not pick at all and one team is being built in full, so there's a lot of variance. The draft is expected to take place this Saturday night at the Verizon Field Events Center in Pacific. I'd also expected Sunday to be administrative and maintenance based, with some likely spilling into Monday before 2016's qualifiers begin in full on Tuesday.
Summer Cricket League: Week 8 Part 3
Four games today as a lead into the City Cup action. We begin with...
The Melbourne Renegades hosting the Caracas Hitmen. Vitaya Grichson smacked 297 for Caracas to start the day. Charlie Thompson crushed 1078 for Melbourne, giving them a sizable lead early. Barasa Contee had 276 for the Hitmen, a reasonable effort. Theodore White slapped another 384 for the Renegades, maintaining the lead. Noppadon Gruemor fumbled his way to 33 for Caracas, squashing the comeback attempt. Sancho Ramos scored 48 for Melbourne. Trevor Watson took 227 for the Hitmen. Rana Naqvi poked 92 for the Renegades, as the hosts begin to coast to the finish. Maynard Cabagnot charged forward with 314 for Caracas, pulling them slightly closer. Sikke Eichel chipped 480 to keep Melbourne comfortably in front. Bojing Luo's 58 gave the Hitmen a 1205 final in the loss. Stanley Watts lined 152 for the Renegades, icing their with at 2234. Melbourne jumps to 12-5 while Caracas slides to 3-11.
Next up, the Prague Checkmates welcome the Seoul Crushers. Natal Badillo got going with 345 for Seoul. Pancho Barrios didn't get all of a ball on his turn, ending up with 42 for Prague. Gwandoya Makeba faltered with 8 for the Crushers. Lucila Zavala managed 192 for the Checkmates, getting some of the deficit covered. Leandro Gamboa got shut down at 188 for Seoul, unable to handle a cluttered pitch. Hyunjae Kwak took a measly 28 points for Prague, as the bowling has been far better than the batting in this game. Max Jennings lined 357 for the Crushers, adding onto their lead. Corentin Aerts knocked 416 for the Checkmates, attempting to pull them back into the game. Frank Schmidt slugged 538 for Seoul, keeping them in the lead easily. Darryl Estrada produced 456 for Prague, keeping them in striking range. Zdenko Jansky poked 202 for the Crushers to finish with 1638. Rayan Carranza failed to capitalize, hitting a meager 64 to leave the Checkmates at a loss with 1198. Seoul moves up to 6-8 while Prague drops to 7-8.
Back at home, the Seoul Crushers bring in the American Rebels. Axel Cools took a brutal spill for American, ending up with 4 points when the referee ruled he touched his second and third bowled ball before lifting one into the out zone. Natal Badillo supplied Seoul with 488. Louvel Lefevre answered with 402 for the Rebels. Gwandoya Makeba again laid an egg, faltering to 60 points for the Crushers. Sander Lambert had only 145 for American, as the game ranges from sloppy to solid seemingly without end. Leandro Gamboa failed to get separation for Seoul with a measly 64 points. Irsyad Sudjana couldn't roar ahead, taking a modest lead for the Rebels with 175. Max Jennings edged right ahead for the Crushers, with 176 points to his name in the embarrassingly pathetic game. Sabino Chacon quite literally one-upped again with 177 for American as neither team appears to actually want to make a statement. Frank Schmidt slugged 600 for Seoul against his home country's team, putting the hosts comfortably in front. The Rebels lost with 1271 after 368 from Cisco Solorio couldn't close the gap. Zdenko Jansky had 58 for the Crushers, but they won with 1446. Seoul improves to 7-8 while American continues to slide to 9-6.
Finally, the Toronto Mounties host the Manila Pacmen. Haejun Ki belted 891 to begin for Manila. Cyril Hendrickx grabbed 225 back for a troubled Toronto. Porfirio Cazares took 304 for the Pacmen, extending the lead. Curro Garza claimed 131 for the Mounties as they fall farther behind. Sander Verheyen put Manila in cruise mode with 128. Axel Maes ripped 409 for Toronto, beginning the comeback. Gerben Bovelt flopped with 192 for the Pacmen, doing little to help their lead out despite the dangerous opposing offense. Tabor Laureano posted 200 for the Mounties. Dries Renard scored just 141 for Manila, taking confidence in the lead. Jax Puente hauled in 264 for Toronto, edging slightly closer. Richard Miller's 195 gave the Pacmen a final of 1851, that they hope will hold up. Antoine Hendrickx hit 267, leaving the Mounties short at 1496. Manila goes to 6-8 while Toronto is 14-4.
Here's the standings. Pool is next with the City Cup all afternoon and into the evening.
The Melbourne Renegades hosting the Caracas Hitmen. Vitaya Grichson smacked 297 for Caracas to start the day. Charlie Thompson crushed 1078 for Melbourne, giving them a sizable lead early. Barasa Contee had 276 for the Hitmen, a reasonable effort. Theodore White slapped another 384 for the Renegades, maintaining the lead. Noppadon Gruemor fumbled his way to 33 for Caracas, squashing the comeback attempt. Sancho Ramos scored 48 for Melbourne. Trevor Watson took 227 for the Hitmen. Rana Naqvi poked 92 for the Renegades, as the hosts begin to coast to the finish. Maynard Cabagnot charged forward with 314 for Caracas, pulling them slightly closer. Sikke Eichel chipped 480 to keep Melbourne comfortably in front. Bojing Luo's 58 gave the Hitmen a 1205 final in the loss. Stanley Watts lined 152 for the Renegades, icing their with at 2234. Melbourne jumps to 12-5 while Caracas slides to 3-11.
Next up, the Prague Checkmates welcome the Seoul Crushers. Natal Badillo got going with 345 for Seoul. Pancho Barrios didn't get all of a ball on his turn, ending up with 42 for Prague. Gwandoya Makeba faltered with 8 for the Crushers. Lucila Zavala managed 192 for the Checkmates, getting some of the deficit covered. Leandro Gamboa got shut down at 188 for Seoul, unable to handle a cluttered pitch. Hyunjae Kwak took a measly 28 points for Prague, as the bowling has been far better than the batting in this game. Max Jennings lined 357 for the Crushers, adding onto their lead. Corentin Aerts knocked 416 for the Checkmates, attempting to pull them back into the game. Frank Schmidt slugged 538 for Seoul, keeping them in the lead easily. Darryl Estrada produced 456 for Prague, keeping them in striking range. Zdenko Jansky poked 202 for the Crushers to finish with 1638. Rayan Carranza failed to capitalize, hitting a meager 64 to leave the Checkmates at a loss with 1198. Seoul moves up to 6-8 while Prague drops to 7-8.
Back at home, the Seoul Crushers bring in the American Rebels. Axel Cools took a brutal spill for American, ending up with 4 points when the referee ruled he touched his second and third bowled ball before lifting one into the out zone. Natal Badillo supplied Seoul with 488. Louvel Lefevre answered with 402 for the Rebels. Gwandoya Makeba again laid an egg, faltering to 60 points for the Crushers. Sander Lambert had only 145 for American, as the game ranges from sloppy to solid seemingly without end. Leandro Gamboa failed to get separation for Seoul with a measly 64 points. Irsyad Sudjana couldn't roar ahead, taking a modest lead for the Rebels with 175. Max Jennings edged right ahead for the Crushers, with 176 points to his name in the embarrassingly pathetic game. Sabino Chacon quite literally one-upped again with 177 for American as neither team appears to actually want to make a statement. Frank Schmidt slugged 600 for Seoul against his home country's team, putting the hosts comfortably in front. The Rebels lost with 1271 after 368 from Cisco Solorio couldn't close the gap. Zdenko Jansky had 58 for the Crushers, but they won with 1446. Seoul improves to 7-8 while American continues to slide to 9-6.
Finally, the Toronto Mounties host the Manila Pacmen. Haejun Ki belted 891 to begin for Manila. Cyril Hendrickx grabbed 225 back for a troubled Toronto. Porfirio Cazares took 304 for the Pacmen, extending the lead. Curro Garza claimed 131 for the Mounties as they fall farther behind. Sander Verheyen put Manila in cruise mode with 128. Axel Maes ripped 409 for Toronto, beginning the comeback. Gerben Bovelt flopped with 192 for the Pacmen, doing little to help their lead out despite the dangerous opposing offense. Tabor Laureano posted 200 for the Mounties. Dries Renard scored just 141 for Manila, taking confidence in the lead. Jax Puente hauled in 264 for Toronto, edging slightly closer. Richard Miller's 195 gave the Pacmen a final of 1851, that they hope will hold up. Antoine Hendrickx hit 267, leaving the Mounties short at 1496. Manila goes to 6-8 while Toronto is 14-4.
Here's the standings. Pool is next with the City Cup all afternoon and into the evening.
| Team | Wins | Losses | Win % |
| Toronto Mounties | 14 | 4 | 0.778 |
| Melbourne Renegades | 12 | 5 | 0.706 |
| Bangkok Sixes | 11 | 5 | 0.688 |
| American Rebels | 9 | 6 | 0.600 |
| Guatemala Conquistadors | 8 | 6 | 0.571 |
| Madrid Toros | 10 | 8 | 0.556 |
| Johannesburg Lions | 8 | 8 | 0.500 |
| Prague Checkmates | 7 | 8 | 0.467 |
| Seoul Crushers | 7 | 8 | 0.467 |
| Manila Pacmen | 6 | 8 | 0.429 |
| Brussels Chocolatiers | 6 | 11 | 0.353 |
| Caracas Hitmen | 3 | 11 | 0.214 |
| Amsterdam Hotstove | 3 | 16 | 0.158 |
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
City Cup Playoffs 2015 - First Round
It's a busy day today for the UPCL, as the marquee postseason event, the City Cup, kicks off in the first of a two day event in Royal. As mentioned at the end of the last post, Seeds 1, 3, 5, and 7 are all at Kraft Forum, while 2, 4, 6, and 8 are at Kraft Crowns Park. We begin at the latter with...
The #8 Pacific Volcanoes against the #9 Lighton Prestige. Pacific got off to a rousing start with a three-ball run-out by Leonette in 7-ball, topping Lighton's Spirit for a 1-0 lead to kick off the day full of games. The Prestige's Pounce played strong early and held off a furious comeback attempt by the Volcanoes' Starlight in 8-ball to tie the series at 1, using strong play and patience to get win. Leonette appeared ready to regain the lead for Pacific in 9-ball, dominating possession until her scratch that also potted the 9, giving Spirit of Lighton the surprise victory that put her team up 2-1 instead. The Volcanoes' Leonette got away with a couple of errors in 10-ball, as the Prestige's Twinkie I couldn't capitalize on a late scratch, leaving Leonette to solidly make the 10 to the top side, retying the series at 2. Pounce took little time to win the 12-ball game, needing just two turns after receiving a wild card ball on the break, which helped him put Lighton back in front at 3-2. Pacific's Starlight didn't get the break she wanted, and Pounce bested her again, including a four-ball run-out at the end to seal the game. Ms. Kitty appeared to have Rotation under control for the Volcanoes, but Twinkie I took over with a four-ball run-out at the end, giving the Prestige the win 8-6 in the game and securing at least a tiebreaker by making the series 4-2 after a hesitant game. Ms. Kitty kept Pacific alive with a nail-biting finish to 15-ball, with neither player picking up momentum. The key moment was a scratch by Lighton's Spirit, which gave Ms. Kitty the free shot at the 15, which she made to push the series to 4-3 and a critical eighth game. In Survival, things were evenly matched right up to the very end, where Pounce's defense stymied Starlight, costing the Volcanoes the chance to tie and sending the Prestige through on a 5-3 series win. Lighton will face the winner of the eighth series today in the Quarterfinals.
Next up, from the Kraft Forum, the #7 Everton Eagles battle the #10 Diamond Gems. Diamond began with a 1-0 series lead when Citrus took the 7-ball game in a shaky but doable showing against Everton's Goldy. Cassandra made it a 2-0 lead for the Gems by winning 8-ball, dominating early against the Eagles' Blizzard before coasting for a bit and then piecing together a three-ball run-out to take the win. Citrus kept things rolling for Diamond with a win in 9-ball, running out three balls to answer Goldy's pair of three-ball runs earlier in the game for Everton, with the series now at 3-0 Diamond. Goldy finally made an impact for the Eagles, winning 10-ball over the Gems' Cassandra after the latter couldn't make contact on the 10, giving Goldy ball-in-hand to push the series to 3-1. Blizzard got Everton closer with a tactically sound 12-ball win, smothering Diamond's Cassandra defensively on the right side of the table until the shots aligned for her to remove the defense, resulting in the series going to 3-2. In the game of Rotation, the Eagles' Cleo unleashed her best break a game too early, potting the 15 (the middle ball) on the break in the game where it doesn't count as a win. Olivia answered the early theatrics for the Gems, going on to take the game 8-5 and push the series to 4-2, securing at least a tiebreaker. Everton's Cleo played strong late in the game of 15-ball, keeping Diamond's Olivia away from the table for many of the last shots, which worked to make it a 4-3 series. Cleo of the Eagles pushed Citrus of the Gems far enough in Survival to defend her way into the second rack, slowly draining Citrus until she collapsed early in the rack with the cue buried in the cluster, tying the series at 4. Olivia secured the series at 5-4 for Diamond with the win in the tiebreaker game, coming on a straight-in shot from ball-in-hand after Everton's Blizzard scratched to end a three-ball run late. The Gems will play the winner of the seventh series today in the Quarterfinals.
Back outside, the #6 Boston Swifts play as hosts to the #11 Pearl Surfers. Boston's Puff II didn't do much in 7-ball, making illegal contact and sinking two balls around Pearl's Neopolitan making a five-ball run, but the last ball went to Puff II for a 1-0 lead, since it was the 7. Watermelon kept it close early on for the Surfers, winning 8-ball over the Swifts' Patches with a small rally that helped her tie the series at 1. Boston returned to a 2-1 lead when Sweetheart out-played Neopolitan of Pearl in 9-ball, with a little help when Neopolitan missed contact with the 8 late in the game, allowing Sweetheart to do the rest from ball-in-hand and solid positioning. The Surfers' Neopolitan got badly outpossessed again in 10-ball, but Puff II of the Swifts couldn't convert on the 9, keeping the Surfers safe as Neopolitan scored the last two balls and retied the series at 2. Patches had all of the positioning in 12-ball for Boston, but Pearl's Watermelon walked right around it while jockeying at the top side for her last shot, eventually shoving the defense aside and drawing a 3-2 lead for her team with the gutsy win. Puff II tied the series again for the Swifts, winning Rotation 8-6 over Wings of the Surfers, who held his own right until the end when a bad angle on the 13 led to a scratch at the worst possible time. Sweetheart gave Boston the upper-hand late in the series, winning a very stagnant 15-ball game with a single shot on the 15 after Wings blew his chance at the 15 for Pearl, making it 4-3 Boston heading into the last regulation game. Patches couldn't get going for the Swifts in Survival, falling within half a rack to Watermelon for the third time this series, allowing the Surfers to force a tiebreaker game with the series deadlocked at 4-4. Wings redeemed himself for Pearl, capitalizing on Sweetheart missing the 10 to pot it in the top side and knock Boston from the City Cup on a 5-4 series win. The Surfers will face the sixth series winner today in the Quarterfinals tomorrow.
Returning to the Forum, the #5 Web City Spiders host the #12 Commerce Tradewinds in a day that's been bad for the better-ranked teams, but has also yet to see a truly elite team play, something only the top 5 teams in the league are. The player/game distribution for this series is identical, so there will be less team designating since players are essentially head-to-head with one other player. Commerce went up 1-0 in the series when Tigerette sandwiched two, two-ball runs around Shadow of Web City's three-ball run in 7-ball. The Spiders tied the series at 1 when Sugar won a game of 8-ball over Ice Cream of the Tradewinds. Sugar actually had a strategic scratch, sinking the cue while Ice Cream had all of her balls behind the line, which resulted in illegal contact on the 8 and set Sugar up for the last two shots to win the game. Shadow pulled Web City into a 2-1 series lead when Tigerette's failed 3-9 combination led Shadow to a double-carom off the 3 and 4 to get the cue to tap the 9 into the bottom left for the 9-ball win. Rainmane made it 3-1 for the Spiders, topping the Tradewinds' Lionel with an authoritative four-ball run-out in 10-ball, securing a win to put the favored team on top. Ice Cream pulled Commerce back to 3-2 by winning 12-ball on a four-ball run-out, aided by the presence of a wild card ball that Sugar surrendered on the break. Ice Cream got extremely fortunate positions on her last four balls, but she still executed them cautiously with a precise but soft touch that kept things simple in the win. Lionel made the highlight reel with his double-pot in Rotation, glancing off the top rail to get the 7 to the top right, and then having the perfect spin on the ball to cut the 12 to the bottom right, producing a huge lead for the Tradewinds. Potting the 9 to the top side on his next turn made it 8-3 over Rainmane, which tied the series at 3 for the Tradewinds. Those two players went at it again in 15-ball, with Lionel drawing up a four-ball run late in the game only for Rainmane to take the last three balls and win the game with a distance shot on the 15 to the bottom right to give Web City the 4-3 series lead. Sugar dominated in Survival, taking Ice Cream down in a single rack to give the Spiders the series win at 5-3, postponing their tough personnel decisions. Web City faces the next series winner in tomorrow's Quarterfinals round.
Back at the Park, the #4 Tysini Hummingbirds take on the host role against the #13 Infinity City Torpedoes. Tysini's Bright struck big in 7-ball, running out four balls from the break with an ending shot of the 3-7 combination from an awkward angle to the bottom right, taking a 1-0 lead and prevent Infinity City's Smudge from getting to the table. The Torpedoes' Shelley matched the Hummingbirds' Princess step for step in 8-ball, and pulled out with a sharp shot to the top side to get the 8 and tie the series at 1, while Princess continues to search for her MVP form that vanished in the league's Semifinals round. In 9-ball, Tysini's Princess came back with a vengeance, dominating possession with a seven-ball run from the break, and she refused to let Smudge of Infinity City get two shots at the 9, burying it from range to give Tysini a 2-1 series lead. The Hummingbirds' Marsell barely kept the cue on the table when he cut the 10 into the bottom right, but it bounced off the bottom left pocket's jaws, allowing Marsell to reap the reward of vanquishing Whiskers of the Torpedoes, with the Hummingbirds now leading 3-1. Princess of Tysini got revenge on Shelley of Infinity City with their meeting in 12-ball, as Princess cleverly set up her shots while leaving Shelley with nothing, waiting for Shelley's mistakes to add up before wiping the table clean in the win that pushed Tysini to a 4-1 series lead, assuring a minimum of a tiebreaker for them. Marsell secured the series at 5-1 for the Hummingbirds with an 8-5 win in Rotation, keeping Whiskers sufficiently at bay to put an end to the Torpedoes' season. Marsell beat Infinity City's Whiskers again in 15-ball, and like most of his wins, it wasn't pretty but it worked well enough to make it a 6-1 series for Tysini. In Survival, Bright appeared to be trending downward, but bottomed out quick enough to turn the tables on the Torpedoes' Shelley, getting revenge on the team that cut him last season with a dramatic finishing win to cap a 7-1 series win. The Hummingbirds are set to play host to the Web City Spiders tomorrow in the Quarterfinals.
Ending the afternoon session at Kraft Forum, the #3 Maplewood Lumberjacks host the #14 Victoria Spurs. Maplewood's Fluffina got off to a great start, giving her team a 1-0 lead in the series with a five-ball run-out in 7-ball, stunning Victoria's Spice. The Spurs' Tori evened the series with a remarkable six-ball run-out in 8-ball, shutting down the attack from the Lumberjacks' Cubby after his unfortunate scratch that acted as a catalyst to the run. Victoria went up 2-1 when B. Chapman nailed a 6-9 combination in 9-ball to the top left from ball-in-hand stemming from her successful defense that snookered Maplewood's Fluffina effectively, good enough to gain the series lead with a smart sequence. Spice grabbed a 3-1 lead in the series for the Spurs, making the 6-10 combination to the bottom left in 10-ball, while Fluffina again could do nothing but watch as the Lumberjacks got beat on another hope-draining sequence. In 12-ball, Maplewood's Cubby narrowly held on for the win to get the series to 3-2, as Tori played a strong game and just couldn't finish it off for Victoria in the end. The Lumberjacks' Bryant came out in full attack for Rotation, running four balls from the break and coasting into an 8-3 win over the Spurs' Chapman, who didn't get many clear shots throughout the game. The series went to 3-3 at this point. In 15-ball, Maplewood's Bryant topped Victoria's Chapman again, chasing down the 15 most effectively after a very tightly contested game up to that point, making it 4-3 for Maplewood. They now have the upper-hand, with Victoria hoping to draw into a tiebreaker. The Spurs' Tori battled Cubby of the Lumberjacks deep into the second rack in Survival before finally downing him to tie the series at 4 and force a tiebreaker game. As an aside, Cubby v. Tori is the best player versus player battle we've seen today, and likely all postseason. Bryant looked brilliant for Maplewood in the tiebreaker, shooting a five-ball run, but he lost his mojo late in the game, and Spice converted a classic finish to the new twist on 10-ball with a bank off the bottom rail to score the 10 into the top side, clinching the series at 5-4 for Victoria. The Spurs oppose the Pearl Surfers tomorrow in the Quarterfinals.
For the night series, the #2 Central Warriors "host" the #15 Royal Crowns outside at Kraft Crowns Park under the lights. Central's Noelle dominated in 7-ball, topping her former teammate and current Royal star Jake to take a 1-0 lead. The Crowns' Sydnee took too long to corral the 8 in the 8-ball game, and when she did, she potted it illegally, giving the Warriors' Twilight a win she did not really earn to put the favored team up 2-0 in the series. Central moved to 3-0 as Noelle again bested Royal's Jake, cashing in on him missing the 8 late in the 9-ball game before making the last two balls for the win. Things stayed pretty even in 10-ball, but Jake had the slight edge for the Crowns late in the game, driving possession slightly and getting the Warriors' Twilight to miss contact on the 10 so he could tap it in for the easy win that made it 3-1 in the series. Noelle jumped out to a four-ball run in 12-ball for Central, starting at the break, but Sydnee's logic-defying five-ball run and solid leave made the game very quick and favorable for Royal, as she needed only two turns to claim the win and push the series to 3-2. Gizmo secured at least a tiebreaker game for the Warriors in winning Rotation 8-6 over Nightfur of the Crowns, who went toe-to-toe for much of the game before a late fade allowed Gizmo to pull away. Gizmo made it 5-2 for Central with surprisingly accurate shooting, again beating Royal's Nightfur in 15-ball to send Central through to the Quarterfinals as a chorus of boos rained down on Gizmo for eliminating the home team in their own building. Between this series and Jake's transfer from last season, this may be a top non-traditional rivalry for the next few years. In Survival, Twilight went from seven lives to one in less than a rack's time, but the Warriors' captain still took the win over the Crowns' Nightfur, who couldn't quite hold on in the end, making it 6-2 for Central. The Warriors will face the Diamond Gems tomorrow in the Quarterfinals.
Finally, the first round ends with #1 Queens Flames playing against #16 Todavía Stills, with the Flames playing in their biggest rivals' home venue, Kraft Forum. Todavía's Easter made the crowd happy in 7-ball, winning that game over Queens' Kayla for the early 1-0 lead. The Flames bounced back to tie the series at 1 with a win in 8-ball, eliciting groans in the stadium when Paige completed the three-ball run-out to hold off the Stills' Sierra, who had played fairly well up to that point. Kayla put Queens in front, dominating 9-ball with a five-ball run early on and solid play late, cashing in on Easter leaving the 9 short and blowing the game for Todavía. Crystal made it a 3-1 series lead for the Flames after winning 10-ball with a soft carom off the 8 to sink the 10 in the top left after the Stills' Sparkles couldn't convert on the 8-10 combination she attempted. The 12-ball game quickly reached the set-up stages, and Sierra of Todavía did most impressively with both set-up and defense, keeping Queens' Paige at bay long enough to work the rest of her balls down before removing the defense and grabbing the win for a 3-2 series deficit at this point. Sparkles bounced back for the Stills in Rotation, shooting a four-ball run-out for an 8-4 win, including a glancing kick off the top rail to take the 8-14 combination that left the 8 in line for the winning shot, leaving Crystal high and dry after a brilliant start for the Flames, and tying the series at 3 in the process. Todavía went up 4-3 in the series when Easter went into attack mode in 15-ball, keeping Paige on her back foot late in the game until Easter buried the Queens star with a kick-carom off the 9 to take the 15 in the bottom left for the go-ahead game. Crystal came up clutch for the Flames in Survival, making numerous shots perfectly when she needed to, burying Sierra of the Stills early in the second rack to tie the series at 4 and force the tiebreaker. Kayla put Queens through in a cautious tiebreaker, winning in the classical style by banking the 10 to the top left to make it 5-4, sending Todavía's Sparkles into shock with the stunning winner that may have spelt the end of Sparkles' career with the Stills. Queens will play the Lighton Prestige tomorrow in the Quarterfinals.
Tomorrow is the last day of league play for the season. Over the course of the weekend, the remainder of the administrative work will be conducted. I anticipate the draft going either Friday or Saturday night, and the early parts of next week will include cricket and previews for the upcoming season after the draft is done.
The #8 Pacific Volcanoes against the #9 Lighton Prestige. Pacific got off to a rousing start with a three-ball run-out by Leonette in 7-ball, topping Lighton's Spirit for a 1-0 lead to kick off the day full of games. The Prestige's Pounce played strong early and held off a furious comeback attempt by the Volcanoes' Starlight in 8-ball to tie the series at 1, using strong play and patience to get win. Leonette appeared ready to regain the lead for Pacific in 9-ball, dominating possession until her scratch that also potted the 9, giving Spirit of Lighton the surprise victory that put her team up 2-1 instead. The Volcanoes' Leonette got away with a couple of errors in 10-ball, as the Prestige's Twinkie I couldn't capitalize on a late scratch, leaving Leonette to solidly make the 10 to the top side, retying the series at 2. Pounce took little time to win the 12-ball game, needing just two turns after receiving a wild card ball on the break, which helped him put Lighton back in front at 3-2. Pacific's Starlight didn't get the break she wanted, and Pounce bested her again, including a four-ball run-out at the end to seal the game. Ms. Kitty appeared to have Rotation under control for the Volcanoes, but Twinkie I took over with a four-ball run-out at the end, giving the Prestige the win 8-6 in the game and securing at least a tiebreaker by making the series 4-2 after a hesitant game. Ms. Kitty kept Pacific alive with a nail-biting finish to 15-ball, with neither player picking up momentum. The key moment was a scratch by Lighton's Spirit, which gave Ms. Kitty the free shot at the 15, which she made to push the series to 4-3 and a critical eighth game. In Survival, things were evenly matched right up to the very end, where Pounce's defense stymied Starlight, costing the Volcanoes the chance to tie and sending the Prestige through on a 5-3 series win. Lighton will face the winner of the eighth series today in the Quarterfinals.
Next up, from the Kraft Forum, the #7 Everton Eagles battle the #10 Diamond Gems. Diamond began with a 1-0 series lead when Citrus took the 7-ball game in a shaky but doable showing against Everton's Goldy. Cassandra made it a 2-0 lead for the Gems by winning 8-ball, dominating early against the Eagles' Blizzard before coasting for a bit and then piecing together a three-ball run-out to take the win. Citrus kept things rolling for Diamond with a win in 9-ball, running out three balls to answer Goldy's pair of three-ball runs earlier in the game for Everton, with the series now at 3-0 Diamond. Goldy finally made an impact for the Eagles, winning 10-ball over the Gems' Cassandra after the latter couldn't make contact on the 10, giving Goldy ball-in-hand to push the series to 3-1. Blizzard got Everton closer with a tactically sound 12-ball win, smothering Diamond's Cassandra defensively on the right side of the table until the shots aligned for her to remove the defense, resulting in the series going to 3-2. In the game of Rotation, the Eagles' Cleo unleashed her best break a game too early, potting the 15 (the middle ball) on the break in the game where it doesn't count as a win. Olivia answered the early theatrics for the Gems, going on to take the game 8-5 and push the series to 4-2, securing at least a tiebreaker. Everton's Cleo played strong late in the game of 15-ball, keeping Diamond's Olivia away from the table for many of the last shots, which worked to make it a 4-3 series. Cleo of the Eagles pushed Citrus of the Gems far enough in Survival to defend her way into the second rack, slowly draining Citrus until she collapsed early in the rack with the cue buried in the cluster, tying the series at 4. Olivia secured the series at 5-4 for Diamond with the win in the tiebreaker game, coming on a straight-in shot from ball-in-hand after Everton's Blizzard scratched to end a three-ball run late. The Gems will play the winner of the seventh series today in the Quarterfinals.
Back outside, the #6 Boston Swifts play as hosts to the #11 Pearl Surfers. Boston's Puff II didn't do much in 7-ball, making illegal contact and sinking two balls around Pearl's Neopolitan making a five-ball run, but the last ball went to Puff II for a 1-0 lead, since it was the 7. Watermelon kept it close early on for the Surfers, winning 8-ball over the Swifts' Patches with a small rally that helped her tie the series at 1. Boston returned to a 2-1 lead when Sweetheart out-played Neopolitan of Pearl in 9-ball, with a little help when Neopolitan missed contact with the 8 late in the game, allowing Sweetheart to do the rest from ball-in-hand and solid positioning. The Surfers' Neopolitan got badly outpossessed again in 10-ball, but Puff II of the Swifts couldn't convert on the 9, keeping the Surfers safe as Neopolitan scored the last two balls and retied the series at 2. Patches had all of the positioning in 12-ball for Boston, but Pearl's Watermelon walked right around it while jockeying at the top side for her last shot, eventually shoving the defense aside and drawing a 3-2 lead for her team with the gutsy win. Puff II tied the series again for the Swifts, winning Rotation 8-6 over Wings of the Surfers, who held his own right until the end when a bad angle on the 13 led to a scratch at the worst possible time. Sweetheart gave Boston the upper-hand late in the series, winning a very stagnant 15-ball game with a single shot on the 15 after Wings blew his chance at the 15 for Pearl, making it 4-3 Boston heading into the last regulation game. Patches couldn't get going for the Swifts in Survival, falling within half a rack to Watermelon for the third time this series, allowing the Surfers to force a tiebreaker game with the series deadlocked at 4-4. Wings redeemed himself for Pearl, capitalizing on Sweetheart missing the 10 to pot it in the top side and knock Boston from the City Cup on a 5-4 series win. The Surfers will face the sixth series winner today in the Quarterfinals tomorrow.
Returning to the Forum, the #5 Web City Spiders host the #12 Commerce Tradewinds in a day that's been bad for the better-ranked teams, but has also yet to see a truly elite team play, something only the top 5 teams in the league are. The player/game distribution for this series is identical, so there will be less team designating since players are essentially head-to-head with one other player. Commerce went up 1-0 in the series when Tigerette sandwiched two, two-ball runs around Shadow of Web City's three-ball run in 7-ball. The Spiders tied the series at 1 when Sugar won a game of 8-ball over Ice Cream of the Tradewinds. Sugar actually had a strategic scratch, sinking the cue while Ice Cream had all of her balls behind the line, which resulted in illegal contact on the 8 and set Sugar up for the last two shots to win the game. Shadow pulled Web City into a 2-1 series lead when Tigerette's failed 3-9 combination led Shadow to a double-carom off the 3 and 4 to get the cue to tap the 9 into the bottom left for the 9-ball win. Rainmane made it 3-1 for the Spiders, topping the Tradewinds' Lionel with an authoritative four-ball run-out in 10-ball, securing a win to put the favored team on top. Ice Cream pulled Commerce back to 3-2 by winning 12-ball on a four-ball run-out, aided by the presence of a wild card ball that Sugar surrendered on the break. Ice Cream got extremely fortunate positions on her last four balls, but she still executed them cautiously with a precise but soft touch that kept things simple in the win. Lionel made the highlight reel with his double-pot in Rotation, glancing off the top rail to get the 7 to the top right, and then having the perfect spin on the ball to cut the 12 to the bottom right, producing a huge lead for the Tradewinds. Potting the 9 to the top side on his next turn made it 8-3 over Rainmane, which tied the series at 3 for the Tradewinds. Those two players went at it again in 15-ball, with Lionel drawing up a four-ball run late in the game only for Rainmane to take the last three balls and win the game with a distance shot on the 15 to the bottom right to give Web City the 4-3 series lead. Sugar dominated in Survival, taking Ice Cream down in a single rack to give the Spiders the series win at 5-3, postponing their tough personnel decisions. Web City faces the next series winner in tomorrow's Quarterfinals round.
Back at the Park, the #4 Tysini Hummingbirds take on the host role against the #13 Infinity City Torpedoes. Tysini's Bright struck big in 7-ball, running out four balls from the break with an ending shot of the 3-7 combination from an awkward angle to the bottom right, taking a 1-0 lead and prevent Infinity City's Smudge from getting to the table. The Torpedoes' Shelley matched the Hummingbirds' Princess step for step in 8-ball, and pulled out with a sharp shot to the top side to get the 8 and tie the series at 1, while Princess continues to search for her MVP form that vanished in the league's Semifinals round. In 9-ball, Tysini's Princess came back with a vengeance, dominating possession with a seven-ball run from the break, and she refused to let Smudge of Infinity City get two shots at the 9, burying it from range to give Tysini a 2-1 series lead. The Hummingbirds' Marsell barely kept the cue on the table when he cut the 10 into the bottom right, but it bounced off the bottom left pocket's jaws, allowing Marsell to reap the reward of vanquishing Whiskers of the Torpedoes, with the Hummingbirds now leading 3-1. Princess of Tysini got revenge on Shelley of Infinity City with their meeting in 12-ball, as Princess cleverly set up her shots while leaving Shelley with nothing, waiting for Shelley's mistakes to add up before wiping the table clean in the win that pushed Tysini to a 4-1 series lead, assuring a minimum of a tiebreaker for them. Marsell secured the series at 5-1 for the Hummingbirds with an 8-5 win in Rotation, keeping Whiskers sufficiently at bay to put an end to the Torpedoes' season. Marsell beat Infinity City's Whiskers again in 15-ball, and like most of his wins, it wasn't pretty but it worked well enough to make it a 6-1 series for Tysini. In Survival, Bright appeared to be trending downward, but bottomed out quick enough to turn the tables on the Torpedoes' Shelley, getting revenge on the team that cut him last season with a dramatic finishing win to cap a 7-1 series win. The Hummingbirds are set to play host to the Web City Spiders tomorrow in the Quarterfinals.
Ending the afternoon session at Kraft Forum, the #3 Maplewood Lumberjacks host the #14 Victoria Spurs. Maplewood's Fluffina got off to a great start, giving her team a 1-0 lead in the series with a five-ball run-out in 7-ball, stunning Victoria's Spice. The Spurs' Tori evened the series with a remarkable six-ball run-out in 8-ball, shutting down the attack from the Lumberjacks' Cubby after his unfortunate scratch that acted as a catalyst to the run. Victoria went up 2-1 when B. Chapman nailed a 6-9 combination in 9-ball to the top left from ball-in-hand stemming from her successful defense that snookered Maplewood's Fluffina effectively, good enough to gain the series lead with a smart sequence. Spice grabbed a 3-1 lead in the series for the Spurs, making the 6-10 combination to the bottom left in 10-ball, while Fluffina again could do nothing but watch as the Lumberjacks got beat on another hope-draining sequence. In 12-ball, Maplewood's Cubby narrowly held on for the win to get the series to 3-2, as Tori played a strong game and just couldn't finish it off for Victoria in the end. The Lumberjacks' Bryant came out in full attack for Rotation, running four balls from the break and coasting into an 8-3 win over the Spurs' Chapman, who didn't get many clear shots throughout the game. The series went to 3-3 at this point. In 15-ball, Maplewood's Bryant topped Victoria's Chapman again, chasing down the 15 most effectively after a very tightly contested game up to that point, making it 4-3 for Maplewood. They now have the upper-hand, with Victoria hoping to draw into a tiebreaker. The Spurs' Tori battled Cubby of the Lumberjacks deep into the second rack in Survival before finally downing him to tie the series at 4 and force a tiebreaker game. As an aside, Cubby v. Tori is the best player versus player battle we've seen today, and likely all postseason. Bryant looked brilliant for Maplewood in the tiebreaker, shooting a five-ball run, but he lost his mojo late in the game, and Spice converted a classic finish to the new twist on 10-ball with a bank off the bottom rail to score the 10 into the top side, clinching the series at 5-4 for Victoria. The Spurs oppose the Pearl Surfers tomorrow in the Quarterfinals.
For the night series, the #2 Central Warriors "host" the #15 Royal Crowns outside at Kraft Crowns Park under the lights. Central's Noelle dominated in 7-ball, topping her former teammate and current Royal star Jake to take a 1-0 lead. The Crowns' Sydnee took too long to corral the 8 in the 8-ball game, and when she did, she potted it illegally, giving the Warriors' Twilight a win she did not really earn to put the favored team up 2-0 in the series. Central moved to 3-0 as Noelle again bested Royal's Jake, cashing in on him missing the 8 late in the 9-ball game before making the last two balls for the win. Things stayed pretty even in 10-ball, but Jake had the slight edge for the Crowns late in the game, driving possession slightly and getting the Warriors' Twilight to miss contact on the 10 so he could tap it in for the easy win that made it 3-1 in the series. Noelle jumped out to a four-ball run in 12-ball for Central, starting at the break, but Sydnee's logic-defying five-ball run and solid leave made the game very quick and favorable for Royal, as she needed only two turns to claim the win and push the series to 3-2. Gizmo secured at least a tiebreaker game for the Warriors in winning Rotation 8-6 over Nightfur of the Crowns, who went toe-to-toe for much of the game before a late fade allowed Gizmo to pull away. Gizmo made it 5-2 for Central with surprisingly accurate shooting, again beating Royal's Nightfur in 15-ball to send Central through to the Quarterfinals as a chorus of boos rained down on Gizmo for eliminating the home team in their own building. Between this series and Jake's transfer from last season, this may be a top non-traditional rivalry for the next few years. In Survival, Twilight went from seven lives to one in less than a rack's time, but the Warriors' captain still took the win over the Crowns' Nightfur, who couldn't quite hold on in the end, making it 6-2 for Central. The Warriors will face the Diamond Gems tomorrow in the Quarterfinals.
Finally, the first round ends with #1 Queens Flames playing against #16 Todavía Stills, with the Flames playing in their biggest rivals' home venue, Kraft Forum. Todavía's Easter made the crowd happy in 7-ball, winning that game over Queens' Kayla for the early 1-0 lead. The Flames bounced back to tie the series at 1 with a win in 8-ball, eliciting groans in the stadium when Paige completed the three-ball run-out to hold off the Stills' Sierra, who had played fairly well up to that point. Kayla put Queens in front, dominating 9-ball with a five-ball run early on and solid play late, cashing in on Easter leaving the 9 short and blowing the game for Todavía. Crystal made it a 3-1 series lead for the Flames after winning 10-ball with a soft carom off the 8 to sink the 10 in the top left after the Stills' Sparkles couldn't convert on the 8-10 combination she attempted. The 12-ball game quickly reached the set-up stages, and Sierra of Todavía did most impressively with both set-up and defense, keeping Queens' Paige at bay long enough to work the rest of her balls down before removing the defense and grabbing the win for a 3-2 series deficit at this point. Sparkles bounced back for the Stills in Rotation, shooting a four-ball run-out for an 8-4 win, including a glancing kick off the top rail to take the 8-14 combination that left the 8 in line for the winning shot, leaving Crystal high and dry after a brilliant start for the Flames, and tying the series at 3 in the process. Todavía went up 4-3 in the series when Easter went into attack mode in 15-ball, keeping Paige on her back foot late in the game until Easter buried the Queens star with a kick-carom off the 9 to take the 15 in the bottom left for the go-ahead game. Crystal came up clutch for the Flames in Survival, making numerous shots perfectly when she needed to, burying Sierra of the Stills early in the second rack to tie the series at 4 and force the tiebreaker. Kayla put Queens through in a cautious tiebreaker, winning in the classical style by banking the 10 to the top left to make it 5-4, sending Todavía's Sparkles into shock with the stunning winner that may have spelt the end of Sparkles' career with the Stills. Queens will play the Lighton Prestige tomorrow in the Quarterfinals.
Tomorrow is the last day of league play for the season. Over the course of the weekend, the remainder of the administrative work will be conducted. I anticipate the draft going either Friday or Saturday night, and the early parts of next week will include cricket and previews for the upcoming season after the draft is done.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Clan Cup Playoffs 2015
After the last of the individual efforts yesterday, we now turn our attention to the Clubs. All series today are at Nestle's Warriors Hall in Central as the league-designated site of the Clan Cup. The format is an eight-game series involving each style of pool. The five-player teams have three players designated to play two styles each, and two other players to play one style and be available as a tiebreaker option. If a tiebreaker is necessary, the teams may choose which player they call upon to participate in a game of Quidditch-rules 10-ball to split the tie. This results in a minimum of 56 games and a maximum of 63 games for the entire day. We begin with a morning series between...
Empyre and Solid Core, the #4 and #5 ranked clubs. In game 1, Solid Core's Misty out-dueled Empyre's Graham in 7-ball pretty effectively, dominating possession while taking a 1-0 lead with her sharp-shooting routine. Slinks tied the series at 1-1 for Empyre, weathering a run by Solid Core's Acorn late in the game of 8-ball, but Slinks' hot start served well to pull her club back into the series. Misty again got the best of Empyre's Graham, although not as thoroughly. Misty took a confident win in 9-ball to restore the Solid Core lead at 2-1 in the series. Solid Core's Dreamy paired a four-ball run with a four-ball run-out in a thorough smackdown against her Swordpoint Blades teammate and Empyre star Snowball in 10-ball, giving Solid Core a big lead at 3-1 in the series halfway through. In 12-ball, a series of follies tainted a smartly played game late, with Empyre's Dusky most guilty for not scoring four- and three-ball runs when everything was set up for her. This doesn't excuse Solid Core's Acorn for being meticulous with his last ball toward the bottom side, as he made the game more dramatic than it needed to be, although he did get Solid Core to 4-1, clinching at least a tiebreaker. Empyre's Dustin kept his club alive, winning the game of Rotation by 8-5 over Solid Core's Chicky Phil, making it a 4-2 series. Chicky Phil bounced back in 15-ball, getting revenge on a much stronger Dustin with a three-ball run-out capped by a 14-15 combination to the bottom right, securing the series for Solid Core at 5-2. Empyre's Snowball made quick work of Solid Core's Sleepy B. in the second rack of the Survival game, saving some face for Empyre as the final favored Solid Core 5-3. The #5 ranked Club advances to the Clan Cup Semifinals against the fourth series winner of the day, to be determined later.
The next series kicks off the afternoon, as #3 Youth Movement gets the breaking duties against #6 Humanity West. There was quite a bit of scratching in 7-ball, but Youth Movement's Sprinkles struck in with the last two balls to take a 1-0 lead over Dani and Humanity West. Youth Movement went up 2-0 as Twinkie III used a five-ball run to pace her attack and hold off Chris of Humanity West, who had troubles with accuracy in the game of 8-ball. Youth Movement made it 3-0 when Sprinkles took the 9 on her second shot at it, coming after Humanity West's Jasmine left it short at the bottom right, putting the visiting Club in a bit of danger after 9-ball. Allison of Humanity West halted the free-fall, scoring a pair of three-ball runs in 10-ball, including a kick-combination 9-10 to the top right to win the game over Puff III of Youth Movement, making it a 3-1 series. Chris surrendered a wild card ball in his 12-ball effort, and Twinkie III played defense the rest of the way while working herself even into the game, before kicking off the left rail into the 7, which caromed off the 9 and into the bottom side for a win for Youth Movement, putting them up 4-1 on Humanity West, securing at least the tiebreaker. Humanity West's Allison got off to a strong start in Rotation, but Youth Movement's Kiwi would not be denied, showing off great form in an 8-6 win that sent Youth Movement through at 5-1. Kiwi again flashed former MVP skills in 15-ball, making quick work of the game with a double-pot that saw the 3 go to the top left while the carom took the cue to the 15, which fell in the bottom left, stunning Humanity West's Dani as the series went to 6-1 for Youth Movement. Valencia couldn't hold on to grab the extra life in Survival's second rack, costing Youth Movement the final game as Humanity West's Amber got away with a narrow win that made it a 6-2 final. Youth Movement will advance to play the winner of the next series in Semifinals.
For the third Quarterfinals series, Delila Enterprises plays the host to Humanity Universe. In 7-ball, Gabe of Humanity Universe was a lot more accurate than Snuggle of Delila Enterprises, and it showed when he made five of the seven balls to take a 1-0 series lead. Humanity Universe went up 2-0 in the series as Debby Ryan scored a four-ball run in 8-ball for them to put a severe dent in Max's game plan for Delila Enterprises, a run Max failed to recover from as errors late sealed a loss. Delila Enterprises had the better player in 9-ball, but Precious made a lot of late mistakes, including rattling the 9 into a position where Humanity Universe's Shawn could pot it cleanly for a 3-0 series lead. Humanity Universe took a position of ultimate strength, as Shawn again topped Precious in their 10-ball meeting. Shawn answered a four-ball run by Precious with an odd shot on the 9 that looked to squander position, but ultimately served a bank of the 10 to the top side for the classically-inspired finish to the stanza. Max couldn't do any thing for Delila Enterprises in 12-ball, bending even as Shannon of Humanity Universe had to surrender a wild card ball to get set up. Shannon's big and aggressive win secured the series at 5-0. Delila Enterprises avoided complete embarrassment when Ruby showed up in Rotation, using a four-ball run to pace an 8-3 win over Debby of Humanity Universe, which made it a 5-1 series. Ruby couldn't double-down for Delila Enterprises, as Humanity Universe's Taylor Swift answered with a 15-ball win to make it 6-1. The game itself was pretty sloppy, with both players lacking authority on their shots that helped to extend the game much longer than it needed to be with nothing but pride on the line. Avoiding an extended Survival game, Taylor folded in a single rack for Humanity Universe, allowing the series to end 6-2 when Delila Enterprises got a win from Americus. Humanity Universe proves to be the better of the Humanity franchises, and they will try to avenge West's fall by facing their tormentors, Youth Movement, in the Semifinals.
The last series of the Quarterfinals has Club Reality hosting Oriental United. Reality got off to a solid start with a three-ball run-out in 7-ball by Puff I, answering a luck-fueled three-ball run from Oriental United's Mams to make it 1-0 in the series early on. Reality went up 2-0 in the series on the back of an 8-ball win by Missy, who used a seven-ball run-out a handful of turns in to shut Oriental United and Chimpy down completely after the show of accuracy. Puff I had a four-ball run for Reality in 9-ball, and dominated up until the end, where she left the 9 short for Mams to tap it in the top left and get Oriental United on the board at 2-1. Reality answered after Stinky successfully chased down the 10 in 10-ball, while Oriental United's Paps could not corral the rascally 10 quickly enough, as Stinky's win made it 3-1 for Reality in the series. The game of 12-ball went wild at the start, with both players getting four-ball runs early before settling into gridlock with a defensive battle late. Twinkie II overcame for Reality, sneaking her 3 around Panda's 13, and then depositing it in the bottom right for win, pushing Reality to a tiebreaker-clinching 4-1 lead over Oriental United. Shiny got another game back for Oriental United, using a three-ball run-out to lay claim to Rotation with an 8-4 win. The final shot appeared a failure, with the 13 not falling off the carom from the cue off the 11, but the 11 had enough juice to go three rails into the top side for the shot toppled Reality's Dusty and made it a 4-2 series. Chimpy made things interesting, saving his best for a five-ball run-out for Oriental United in 15-ball, which gave them the win as Dusty of Reality failed again at securing the series, making it 4-3 in the series. Panda avenged his own loss in 12-ball with a bold performance in Survival that was rewarded with a win over Twinkie II, tying the series at 4 and resulting in the first tiebreaker of the Clan Cup playoffs. Oriental United calls on Shiny for the tiebreaker, while Missy gets the cue and the break shot for Reality. The tiebreaker saw a lot of patience and nerves, with neither player letting loose much. Shiny did try to get bold late, and she scratched while potting the 9, giving Missy ball-in-hand on the 10, an easy shot Missy buried to get Reality through 5-4. Reality faces Solid Core in the Semifinals.
Opening the Semifinals, #3 Youth Movement hosts #7 Humanity Universe, with a trip to the Final on the line. Humanity Universe took a 1-0 lead, with Gabe playing patiently as Sprinkles of Youth Movement wore herself out before striking late with a three-ball run-out to win the game of 7-ball. Humanity Universe went up 2-0 as Debby Ryan played a strong start in 8-ball, pacing herself to a more casual finish as Youth Movement's Twinkie III couldn't catch up in time, setting the tone for the series early. Humanity Universe extended the lead when Shawn won 9-ball, somehow managing a victory despite a much stronger effort put forth by Youth Movement's Sprinkles, with her only true flaw being a forgivable miss on the 9, although the leave proved juicy enough to make it 3-0 for Humanity Universe. Shawn did everything but win for Humanity Universe in 10-ball, running four balls twice as he dominated possession, but a scratch on the 8 set Puff III of Youth Movement up to make it 3-1 as she tapped in the 10 for the win. Twinkie III of Youth Movement nearly overcame giving up a wild card ball at the break, using an early four-ball run, but Shannon of Humanity Universe wouldn't stand for it, using her advantage wisely to claim the win and make it 4-1, sending her Club into a frenzy at the potential of moving to the Final. In Rotation, Youth Movement's Kiwi used a four-ball run-out to take an 8-4 win that made it a 4-2 series, topping Debby of Humanity Universe. Kiwi's highlight play was a displacement of the 13 after she made her sixth ball, setting up a straight in shot on the 9 that she stopped dead to line up the 10 for the bottom right, a fabulous sequence of shots. Kiwi continued to keep Youth Movement alive, going toe-to-toe with Taylor Swift of Humanity Universe until the end, where Kiwi broke out with a three-ball run-out, including a tough cut on the 15 to seal the game of 15-ball and make it a 4-3 series. Taylor melted in Survival, falling very quickly for Humanity Universe under a relentless Valencia, who refused to see Youth Movement bow out quite yet. The series became tied at 4, sending it to the tiebreaker of Quidditch-rules 10-ball. Gabe will draw in for Humanity Universe, going against the tying hero Valencia for Youth Movement. Valencia rewarded her Club for their faith in her, as she won it for Youth Movement on a long-range tap-in of the 10 to the top left that Humanity Universe's Gabe left after he couldn't convert the bank attempt, giving Youth Movement a ticket to the Final on their 5-4 win.
In the other Semifinals series, Club Reality battles Solid Core. Misty dominated possession in 7-ball for Solid Core, with Reality's Puff I making only one shot in the game, as well as a scratch that allowed Misty an easy finish for a 1-0 series lead. Reality tied it at 1 when Missy breezed past a tired-looking and ineffective Acorn of Solid Core in 8-ball, winning with significant confidence. Misty of Solid Core made Puff I of Reality pay for leaving the 9 at the top left from the break, working a 3-9 combination to give Solid Core a 2-1 series lead with the cherry-picking shot. Dreamy of Solid Core had a lazy breakup shot when she couldn't possibly make legal contact, and Reality's Stinky pounced on the opportunity for a 2-10 combination to the top left, making it to tie the series again at 2 after Dreamy's poor shot planning in 10-ball. Twinkie II cashed in on her extensive set-up work with a four-ball run-out in 12-ball, giving Reality a 3-2 series lead while stunning Solid Core's Acorn, who had shot well in the game but struggled to get his remaining balls in position. Dusty put Reality in a position of strength with her 8-3 win in Rotation, never really letting Solid Core's Chicky Phil get close in the game that gave Reality a tiebreaker at the minimum. Dusty again played hero in 15-ball, sealing the series in favor of Reality with a four-ball run-out ending on a bold bank with the 15 going from left rail to top right for the win, stunning Solid Core and Chicky Phil as their season ends. Not that the Clan Cup determines much for the futures of players, but Chicky Phil did not make his case to stick with the Westside Rockers in going 1-3. The series stands at 5-2. Sleepy B. of Solid Core thought she had things under control in Survival, but before the second rack was halfway over, she found herself out of lives thanks to the never-say-die attitude of Twinkie II for Reality, who made it a 6-2 final in the series. With the win, Reality moves onto the Final.
Finally, after a few hours rest, Reality hosts Youth Movement for the Clan Cup in the Final. Puff I imposed her will for Reality in 7-ball, working around a reliable but not good enough effort from Sprinkles of Youth Movement for a 1-0 lead capped by a modest run-out. Reality went up 2-0 after a terrible excuse of an 8-ball game, ending when Youth Movement's Twinkie III potted the 8 early on an ill-fated shot that made Missy's life a lot easier after her poorly-timed scratch. Puff I kept Reality cruising, doing all the work on a nine-ball run-out in her second turn of 9-ball, absolutely smothering any hope for Youth Movement as Sprinkles was held away from the table while the series went to 3-0. Youth Movement stayed alive with a win in 10-ball, coming from a five-ball run-out by Puff III that re-energized the #3 ranked Club, while Stinky of Reality looked a little overmatched in the game. Reality bounced back to earn at least a tiebreaker game, with their Twinkie II brilliantly running four balls at the end after careful shot planning and set-up work, blasting past Twinkie III of Youth Movement, who just couldn't get the 15 around the 2 at the top side, which made it 4-1 in the series. Kiwi nearly kept Youth Movement afloat in Rotation, but her scratch on a bank attempt at the 15 sealed their fate. Dusty drove the 15 straight in for the 8-7 win in the game and the clinching victory in the series, making it 5-1. Kiwi fired back with the win in 15-ball over Dusty, making it a 5-2 series with one more game to go. Valencia made a compelling case in Survival for Youth Movement, but lazy shooting late gave away the game to Reality's Twinkie II, winning the Clan Cup 6-2.
That's all for today's 58-game slate. Tomorrow, we face between 64 and 72 games in the first round of the City Cup, which will come live from the two venues in Royal, Kraft Forum (for better seeds having odd numbers) and Kraft Crowns Park under the gazebo (for better seeds with even numbers). The City Cup lasts two days, and at the conclusion of the City Cup Final, a full list of determinations on unprotected players, as in who will be cut and who will be retained, will be published, likely on Friday.
Empyre and Solid Core, the #4 and #5 ranked clubs. In game 1, Solid Core's Misty out-dueled Empyre's Graham in 7-ball pretty effectively, dominating possession while taking a 1-0 lead with her sharp-shooting routine. Slinks tied the series at 1-1 for Empyre, weathering a run by Solid Core's Acorn late in the game of 8-ball, but Slinks' hot start served well to pull her club back into the series. Misty again got the best of Empyre's Graham, although not as thoroughly. Misty took a confident win in 9-ball to restore the Solid Core lead at 2-1 in the series. Solid Core's Dreamy paired a four-ball run with a four-ball run-out in a thorough smackdown against her Swordpoint Blades teammate and Empyre star Snowball in 10-ball, giving Solid Core a big lead at 3-1 in the series halfway through. In 12-ball, a series of follies tainted a smartly played game late, with Empyre's Dusky most guilty for not scoring four- and three-ball runs when everything was set up for her. This doesn't excuse Solid Core's Acorn for being meticulous with his last ball toward the bottom side, as he made the game more dramatic than it needed to be, although he did get Solid Core to 4-1, clinching at least a tiebreaker. Empyre's Dustin kept his club alive, winning the game of Rotation by 8-5 over Solid Core's Chicky Phil, making it a 4-2 series. Chicky Phil bounced back in 15-ball, getting revenge on a much stronger Dustin with a three-ball run-out capped by a 14-15 combination to the bottom right, securing the series for Solid Core at 5-2. Empyre's Snowball made quick work of Solid Core's Sleepy B. in the second rack of the Survival game, saving some face for Empyre as the final favored Solid Core 5-3. The #5 ranked Club advances to the Clan Cup Semifinals against the fourth series winner of the day, to be determined later.
The next series kicks off the afternoon, as #3 Youth Movement gets the breaking duties against #6 Humanity West. There was quite a bit of scratching in 7-ball, but Youth Movement's Sprinkles struck in with the last two balls to take a 1-0 lead over Dani and Humanity West. Youth Movement went up 2-0 as Twinkie III used a five-ball run to pace her attack and hold off Chris of Humanity West, who had troubles with accuracy in the game of 8-ball. Youth Movement made it 3-0 when Sprinkles took the 9 on her second shot at it, coming after Humanity West's Jasmine left it short at the bottom right, putting the visiting Club in a bit of danger after 9-ball. Allison of Humanity West halted the free-fall, scoring a pair of three-ball runs in 10-ball, including a kick-combination 9-10 to the top right to win the game over Puff III of Youth Movement, making it a 3-1 series. Chris surrendered a wild card ball in his 12-ball effort, and Twinkie III played defense the rest of the way while working herself even into the game, before kicking off the left rail into the 7, which caromed off the 9 and into the bottom side for a win for Youth Movement, putting them up 4-1 on Humanity West, securing at least the tiebreaker. Humanity West's Allison got off to a strong start in Rotation, but Youth Movement's Kiwi would not be denied, showing off great form in an 8-6 win that sent Youth Movement through at 5-1. Kiwi again flashed former MVP skills in 15-ball, making quick work of the game with a double-pot that saw the 3 go to the top left while the carom took the cue to the 15, which fell in the bottom left, stunning Humanity West's Dani as the series went to 6-1 for Youth Movement. Valencia couldn't hold on to grab the extra life in Survival's second rack, costing Youth Movement the final game as Humanity West's Amber got away with a narrow win that made it a 6-2 final. Youth Movement will advance to play the winner of the next series in Semifinals.
For the third Quarterfinals series, Delila Enterprises plays the host to Humanity Universe. In 7-ball, Gabe of Humanity Universe was a lot more accurate than Snuggle of Delila Enterprises, and it showed when he made five of the seven balls to take a 1-0 series lead. Humanity Universe went up 2-0 in the series as Debby Ryan scored a four-ball run in 8-ball for them to put a severe dent in Max's game plan for Delila Enterprises, a run Max failed to recover from as errors late sealed a loss. Delila Enterprises had the better player in 9-ball, but Precious made a lot of late mistakes, including rattling the 9 into a position where Humanity Universe's Shawn could pot it cleanly for a 3-0 series lead. Humanity Universe took a position of ultimate strength, as Shawn again topped Precious in their 10-ball meeting. Shawn answered a four-ball run by Precious with an odd shot on the 9 that looked to squander position, but ultimately served a bank of the 10 to the top side for the classically-inspired finish to the stanza. Max couldn't do any thing for Delila Enterprises in 12-ball, bending even as Shannon of Humanity Universe had to surrender a wild card ball to get set up. Shannon's big and aggressive win secured the series at 5-0. Delila Enterprises avoided complete embarrassment when Ruby showed up in Rotation, using a four-ball run to pace an 8-3 win over Debby of Humanity Universe, which made it a 5-1 series. Ruby couldn't double-down for Delila Enterprises, as Humanity Universe's Taylor Swift answered with a 15-ball win to make it 6-1. The game itself was pretty sloppy, with both players lacking authority on their shots that helped to extend the game much longer than it needed to be with nothing but pride on the line. Avoiding an extended Survival game, Taylor folded in a single rack for Humanity Universe, allowing the series to end 6-2 when Delila Enterprises got a win from Americus. Humanity Universe proves to be the better of the Humanity franchises, and they will try to avenge West's fall by facing their tormentors, Youth Movement, in the Semifinals.
The last series of the Quarterfinals has Club Reality hosting Oriental United. Reality got off to a solid start with a three-ball run-out in 7-ball by Puff I, answering a luck-fueled three-ball run from Oriental United's Mams to make it 1-0 in the series early on. Reality went up 2-0 in the series on the back of an 8-ball win by Missy, who used a seven-ball run-out a handful of turns in to shut Oriental United and Chimpy down completely after the show of accuracy. Puff I had a four-ball run for Reality in 9-ball, and dominated up until the end, where she left the 9 short for Mams to tap it in the top left and get Oriental United on the board at 2-1. Reality answered after Stinky successfully chased down the 10 in 10-ball, while Oriental United's Paps could not corral the rascally 10 quickly enough, as Stinky's win made it 3-1 for Reality in the series. The game of 12-ball went wild at the start, with both players getting four-ball runs early before settling into gridlock with a defensive battle late. Twinkie II overcame for Reality, sneaking her 3 around Panda's 13, and then depositing it in the bottom right for win, pushing Reality to a tiebreaker-clinching 4-1 lead over Oriental United. Shiny got another game back for Oriental United, using a three-ball run-out to lay claim to Rotation with an 8-4 win. The final shot appeared a failure, with the 13 not falling off the carom from the cue off the 11, but the 11 had enough juice to go three rails into the top side for the shot toppled Reality's Dusty and made it a 4-2 series. Chimpy made things interesting, saving his best for a five-ball run-out for Oriental United in 15-ball, which gave them the win as Dusty of Reality failed again at securing the series, making it 4-3 in the series. Panda avenged his own loss in 12-ball with a bold performance in Survival that was rewarded with a win over Twinkie II, tying the series at 4 and resulting in the first tiebreaker of the Clan Cup playoffs. Oriental United calls on Shiny for the tiebreaker, while Missy gets the cue and the break shot for Reality. The tiebreaker saw a lot of patience and nerves, with neither player letting loose much. Shiny did try to get bold late, and she scratched while potting the 9, giving Missy ball-in-hand on the 10, an easy shot Missy buried to get Reality through 5-4. Reality faces Solid Core in the Semifinals.
Opening the Semifinals, #3 Youth Movement hosts #7 Humanity Universe, with a trip to the Final on the line. Humanity Universe took a 1-0 lead, with Gabe playing patiently as Sprinkles of Youth Movement wore herself out before striking late with a three-ball run-out to win the game of 7-ball. Humanity Universe went up 2-0 as Debby Ryan played a strong start in 8-ball, pacing herself to a more casual finish as Youth Movement's Twinkie III couldn't catch up in time, setting the tone for the series early. Humanity Universe extended the lead when Shawn won 9-ball, somehow managing a victory despite a much stronger effort put forth by Youth Movement's Sprinkles, with her only true flaw being a forgivable miss on the 9, although the leave proved juicy enough to make it 3-0 for Humanity Universe. Shawn did everything but win for Humanity Universe in 10-ball, running four balls twice as he dominated possession, but a scratch on the 8 set Puff III of Youth Movement up to make it 3-1 as she tapped in the 10 for the win. Twinkie III of Youth Movement nearly overcame giving up a wild card ball at the break, using an early four-ball run, but Shannon of Humanity Universe wouldn't stand for it, using her advantage wisely to claim the win and make it 4-1, sending her Club into a frenzy at the potential of moving to the Final. In Rotation, Youth Movement's Kiwi used a four-ball run-out to take an 8-4 win that made it a 4-2 series, topping Debby of Humanity Universe. Kiwi's highlight play was a displacement of the 13 after she made her sixth ball, setting up a straight in shot on the 9 that she stopped dead to line up the 10 for the bottom right, a fabulous sequence of shots. Kiwi continued to keep Youth Movement alive, going toe-to-toe with Taylor Swift of Humanity Universe until the end, where Kiwi broke out with a three-ball run-out, including a tough cut on the 15 to seal the game of 15-ball and make it a 4-3 series. Taylor melted in Survival, falling very quickly for Humanity Universe under a relentless Valencia, who refused to see Youth Movement bow out quite yet. The series became tied at 4, sending it to the tiebreaker of Quidditch-rules 10-ball. Gabe will draw in for Humanity Universe, going against the tying hero Valencia for Youth Movement. Valencia rewarded her Club for their faith in her, as she won it for Youth Movement on a long-range tap-in of the 10 to the top left that Humanity Universe's Gabe left after he couldn't convert the bank attempt, giving Youth Movement a ticket to the Final on their 5-4 win.
In the other Semifinals series, Club Reality battles Solid Core. Misty dominated possession in 7-ball for Solid Core, with Reality's Puff I making only one shot in the game, as well as a scratch that allowed Misty an easy finish for a 1-0 series lead. Reality tied it at 1 when Missy breezed past a tired-looking and ineffective Acorn of Solid Core in 8-ball, winning with significant confidence. Misty of Solid Core made Puff I of Reality pay for leaving the 9 at the top left from the break, working a 3-9 combination to give Solid Core a 2-1 series lead with the cherry-picking shot. Dreamy of Solid Core had a lazy breakup shot when she couldn't possibly make legal contact, and Reality's Stinky pounced on the opportunity for a 2-10 combination to the top left, making it to tie the series again at 2 after Dreamy's poor shot planning in 10-ball. Twinkie II cashed in on her extensive set-up work with a four-ball run-out in 12-ball, giving Reality a 3-2 series lead while stunning Solid Core's Acorn, who had shot well in the game but struggled to get his remaining balls in position. Dusty put Reality in a position of strength with her 8-3 win in Rotation, never really letting Solid Core's Chicky Phil get close in the game that gave Reality a tiebreaker at the minimum. Dusty again played hero in 15-ball, sealing the series in favor of Reality with a four-ball run-out ending on a bold bank with the 15 going from left rail to top right for the win, stunning Solid Core and Chicky Phil as their season ends. Not that the Clan Cup determines much for the futures of players, but Chicky Phil did not make his case to stick with the Westside Rockers in going 1-3. The series stands at 5-2. Sleepy B. of Solid Core thought she had things under control in Survival, but before the second rack was halfway over, she found herself out of lives thanks to the never-say-die attitude of Twinkie II for Reality, who made it a 6-2 final in the series. With the win, Reality moves onto the Final.
Finally, after a few hours rest, Reality hosts Youth Movement for the Clan Cup in the Final. Puff I imposed her will for Reality in 7-ball, working around a reliable but not good enough effort from Sprinkles of Youth Movement for a 1-0 lead capped by a modest run-out. Reality went up 2-0 after a terrible excuse of an 8-ball game, ending when Youth Movement's Twinkie III potted the 8 early on an ill-fated shot that made Missy's life a lot easier after her poorly-timed scratch. Puff I kept Reality cruising, doing all the work on a nine-ball run-out in her second turn of 9-ball, absolutely smothering any hope for Youth Movement as Sprinkles was held away from the table while the series went to 3-0. Youth Movement stayed alive with a win in 10-ball, coming from a five-ball run-out by Puff III that re-energized the #3 ranked Club, while Stinky of Reality looked a little overmatched in the game. Reality bounced back to earn at least a tiebreaker game, with their Twinkie II brilliantly running four balls at the end after careful shot planning and set-up work, blasting past Twinkie III of Youth Movement, who just couldn't get the 15 around the 2 at the top side, which made it 4-1 in the series. Kiwi nearly kept Youth Movement afloat in Rotation, but her scratch on a bank attempt at the 15 sealed their fate. Dusty drove the 15 straight in for the 8-7 win in the game and the clinching victory in the series, making it 5-1. Kiwi fired back with the win in 15-ball over Dusty, making it a 5-2 series with one more game to go. Valencia made a compelling case in Survival for Youth Movement, but lazy shooting late gave away the game to Reality's Twinkie II, winning the Clan Cup 6-2.
That's all for today's 58-game slate. Tomorrow, we face between 64 and 72 games in the first round of the City Cup, which will come live from the two venues in Royal, Kraft Forum (for better seeds having odd numbers) and Kraft Crowns Park under the gazebo (for better seeds with even numbers). The City Cup lasts two days, and at the conclusion of the City Cup Final, a full list of determinations on unprotected players, as in who will be cut and who will be retained, will be published, likely on Friday.
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