~Thanks to [Sleepo] for these encouraging words ~ And a spectators view on things we need to work on~
Well, IWPL event 2 is done and over with, and like always, there was plenty of controversy, plenty of hard-hitting action, and plenty ofintense points.
The first match-up of the day saw Semper Fi taking on Codrington Chaos. Both teams showed a huge improvement since the first event, with their greater level of experience in the Xball format definitely showing as these teams played a hard fought game, with each point coming right down to the wire. Codrington pushed hard and were definitely the aggressor this time around, as they fought for dominance down the snake side each point, and usually were the first team in. However, Semper Fi's experience playing together once again prevailed, and their more patient, controlled style of play paid off once again as they waited for Codrington to run into their guns. Semper Fi has some of the most disciplined, focused players in this series. Point after point, they would lock down the field and draw Codrington into gunfights. Semper Fi's stronger skills allowed them to dominate as soon as this happened. However, that is not to take away anything from Codrington. They came out of the gate hard, and held it to a tie-game all the way to the half. It wasn't until the 2nd half that Semper Fi really started to pull away on the scoreboard. I predict next event we'll see a real battle between Codrington Chaos and Fury. With more practice, and more work on being patient and making smarter moves, these Chaos guys will rule over the CX4 division this year.
The second game of the day matched up Infinite Adrenaline against Oshawa Fury - a team that definitely came out with something to prove after their trouncing at the hands of Joyceville in event 1. Oshawa came out fast and dished out a few quick beatings to Adrenaline right off the bat. I said last event that Oshawa was probably the fastest team I've seen in a while, and they seemed to step it up even further this time. Point after point they would break the snake, push down the doritos hard, and would gain control of a ton of real estate. As long as they keep working on improving their gun skills, and continue to build their team dynamic, Fury will be a contender in this series and will hold their own in MXL. Strong coaching on the snake side from Dan S. of Toronto Rage paid off for Fury. With consistent coaching throughout the season, we'll be seeing Fury grow into a fast and "furious" team as the season goes along - mark my words. Adrenaline showed in this game that they have what it takes to compete against MXL-calibre teams, and have defeinitely gained a lot from spending an extended period of time playing together. Their hard work and constant practice showed, as they came out and fought hard against Fury's speed by locking down the field and playing a slower, more defensive game. This works well for the Adrenaline crew, and with continued experience in the Xball format, I can see these guys stepping up into the RXL division and being a top contender. They have a great mix of experienced players and young, eager guys who are hungry for each kill. Keeping Fury to just a 4-point spread shows just how far Adrenaline has come since they first came together as a team.
A note of clarification about the final result of this game: the final score at the end of regulation was 10-6 for Oshawa Fury. However, Adrenaline brought to the Ultimate Referee's attention that Fury actually had an illegally rostered CXBL player on their squad, thus causing Oshawa to automatically forfeit the game. Adrenaline was awarded the 4-point score differential, and given the win because of this.
The final match of the day saw the Joyceville Juveniles continue their run of dominating wins as they took on Codrington Chaos. Joyceville soundly beat Codrington point after point, using their greater experience together to capitalize on Codrington's small mistakes. Codrington faced the matchup of their lives with this game, and fought hard to keep the Joyceville bulldozer from running them over each point, but Joyceville's experience and talent was just too much for them. Codrington started to show their frustration late in the 2nd half, which only helped the Joyceville steamroller. The Chaos guys just need to stay focused, and keep fighting hard, especially against a stronger team. They need to stay calm, and stick to their game plan, and make adjustments where necessary. Like I've said before, with more experience in the format, Codrington will be a force to be reckoned with. Codrington would make gains on each point, and used their speed to gain good field positioning, but the Joyceville players would wait them out, draw them into gunfights, and pick them off one at a time. Joyceville is really beginning to come into their own, and will definitely be a top contender in the RXL division this year. It wouldn't surprise me to see these guys taking it all, and being successful in MXL the year after that.
Thanks again to all the teams for coming out and giving us a great day of play. Special thanks to the Nemesis reffing crew for their hard work, and to the staff at Infinite Paintball for hosting the IWPL. Get ready for the 3rd event on March 14th, as the teams play their final preliminary games to determine the seeding going into the IWPL Finals!
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Steve
