Recap

United Caps Brilliant Western Split with Sixth Match Win over Pronghorns

United Mixed Doubles Survive Late Rally to Beat Pronghorns

Credit must go to the Pronghorns Matty Stodola and Pam Clarke, as they nearly caused the United’s Carolina Hack and Mark Gottfried to cough up a 14-7 lead. But it was United’s good fortune to escape with a narrow 15-13 win.

This game was barely two minutes old when the Pronghorns needed to take a timeout, down 4-0 after a wicked cross by Hack that eluded them both. The rest helped for a bit, however Hack and Gottfried upped the lead to 7-2 with marvelous defensive play. Hack was full value a little later, smacking a cross that landed in play between Clarke’s feet and then duplicating that feat by hitting Stodola to make it 9-3.

Clarke and Stodola hung on by their fingertips, but still found themselves down 14-7 after a huge Gottfried overhand. A timeout was needed, and it worked. Clarke and Stodola forced Gottfried and Hack onto their heels, prolonging this match with some fine shooting and defense. However, with the game at double freeze, United took a timeout and then won with Stodola sent a return long.

United Staves Off Another Comeback Attempt by Pronghorns

In what was a pattern in this match, United’s Mixed Doubles shot out to an early lead then had to rally to ensure no comeback was made by the Pronghorns. Player of the Match Matt Kawamoto and partner Hannah Blatt prevailed by a score of 15-13 over Brad Chapman and Kim Brent.

Once again, United came out swinging, with Kawamoto and Blatt playing excellent defense and making unreturnable shots to force a Pronghorns timeout up 7-2. Brent and Chapman, refreshed, went on a tear countering a couple of big hits by Kawamoto with astute defense of their own and seeing eye shots to knot things up at 9-9.

Kawamoto and Blatt again picked up the pace on the Pronghorns, who were forced to take timeouts when Brent injured a finger. After Kawamoto fired yet another laser to make the score 13-10 United, the Pronghorns bounced back with three unanswered points of their own, with both Brent and Chapman hitting winning crosses. Blatt and Kawamoto didn’t fold, though, using defensive to offensive transition to take the final two points.

Pronghorns Stay Alive with Furious Comeback

As this women’s doubles game proved, no lead is too safe in the Canadian National Pickleball League. The Pronghorns Kim Brent and Pam Clarke had to mount an offensive after United’s Carolina Hack and Hannah Blatt built an early lead, bouncing back to win 15-13 and keep their team’s match hopes alive.

Blatt was on a mission from the get-go, smacking all manner of shots – including an impressive unreturnable serve — to put United ahead 7-3 and force a beleaguered Pronghorns side to take a timeout. The break worked in the Pronghorns’ favor, with Brent and Clarke finding their footing and forcing United into several unforced errors and a timeout with the score tied at 10-10.

It was a fiery tilt, with Brent and Blatt trading blazing shots in a sequence that saw the teams score another three points each to push the count to 13-13. Immediately after that, Brent sent a scorching flick United’s way, paving the way for a rally that saw Hack send a return just wide of the line for a Pronghorns win.

United Men Prevail in Heavyweight Contest with Pronghorns

Blow for blow these two teams went and, in the end, United’s Matt Kawamoto and Mark Gottfried got the better of the Pronghorns Matty Stodola and Brad Chapman, by a score of 15-13. As usual, United sprang out to an early and nearly insurmountable lead, only to have to fight tooth and nail at the end to seal the game and match victory.

United forged ahead 4-0, with Kawamoto making two resounding shots and Gottfried contributing a sneaky set-up, forcing a Pronghorns’ timeout. The tenor of this tilt didn’t change much after the break, United making the lion’s share of the good shots to force another Pronghorns’ timeout with the score 12-5.

Stodola and Chapman, seemingly refreshed, went on a mini run, recording four straight points, courtesy of a scorching Stodola forehand winner and three unforced errors by Gottfried. With the momentum going their way, Chapman hit a return long to make it 13-9, but he redeemed himself later with a flick to make it 13-11. United got to freeze at 14-11, but the Pronghorns stormed back, with Stodola setting up Kawamoto for a Selkirk net return to make it 14-13. However, Gottfried got back into the good books by smoking an overhand winner for the game and match.