Recap

Prairie Pronghorns Exact Revenge on East Toronto Smash in Huge Match Victory

Smash Women Bounce Back to Beat Pronghorns in First Game

In their first meeting during the Eastern Split, the East Toronto Smash turned a first game loss into a four-game match win over the Pronghorns. So, looking for a little payback, the Pronghorns duo of Kim Brent and Pam Clarke looked ready to send a message to the Smash’s Jordann Vigna and Leigh Bradwell. It started out quite well, but the Smash stood fast and eventually won 15-14.

Veteran Clarke got the Dura ball rolling, spiking an overhand winner and playing amazing defense as the Pronghorns took an early 3-1 lead. However, after Brent put them ahead 4-1 with a beautiful flick, they both made unforced errors to allow the Smash to tie it. The teams then rallied hard, with Bradwell and Vigna adding slippery set-up shots and Brent, in turn, sending a nice volley for a point to tie the tilt up at 7-7.

The Pronghorns then made a couple unforced errors to go down 10-8 but Bradwell, a 10^th overall pick and former high level tennis player, hit two shots into the Selkirk net to have the score knotted again. A little bit later, Clarke smashed a laser of a cross to put the Pronghorns up 12-11, before Vigna tied with another good set-up. The lead then flip-flopped until double freeze, when Bradwell atoned for her unforced errors by pounding two consecutive shots to seal the Smash victory.

Pronghorns Clip Smash in Battle of Men’s Doubles Replacements

Let’s call this one the battle of the newbies. With only Matty Stodola of the Pronghorns having had experience at the Eastern Split, this game featured some CNPL greenhorns. Partnering with Stodola for a big 15-13 victory was Brad Chapman, a 5^th overall draft pick who stood in admirably for Ravi Prakash. Acquitting themselves well on the Smash side were undrafted Brent Jackson and Connor Weeks, who replaced the formidable Dalbir Bhandal and Chris Alain in this Western Split.

The Smash duo looked all right early on, with Jackson flicking a great shot to give them a 2-1 lead, but jitters had to play as Weeks hit his serve long to tie it 2-2. On the other side, Chapman made his presence felt with a huge overhand to put the Pronghorns on top 4-3 and for the rest of this tight contest the Pronghorns never gave up the lead. After Chapman and Stodola staged an offensive rally for a point and Chapman smoked a vicious cross for a 9-6 cushion, the Smash had to take a timeout.

The rest seemed to help the Smash pair, as they maintained enough composure to get the score to 11-11, utilizing some veteran-like defense. Weeks then went side out and turned that around for a vicious cross to put the score at 12-12. But the momentum still favored the Pronghorns, who rallied like the high-ranking players they are to cement the win and tie the match.

Pronghorns In Driver’s Seat After Mixed Doubles Win

With the relative drama of the first two games over, this one between Pronghorns Kim Brent and Brad Chapman and the Smash’s Jordann Vigna and Connor Weeks was workmanlike and over quite quickly. Brent and Chapman, who are seasoned vets, made short work of the younger Vigna and Weeks, by a count of 15-7.

The contest started out with an intense air to it, as the Pronghorns transitioned seamlessly between offense and defense, while the Smash also held their own dinking and making decent shots for an early 3-3 draw. The inexperience of Weeks and Vigna began to show, though, when several of their returns turned into unforced errors, alternating between hitting the net or going side out to hand the Pronghorns a 10-5 lead and force a time out.

The reset didn’t favor the Smash, while the Pronghorns stayed focused and sharp, scoring a point on excellent dinking and defense, and then adding three consecutive points – one on a Chapman overhand – to get to freeze. The Smash did hold off the final point for a bit, forcing both Chapman and Brent to hit net on return, however, the Pronghorns got serve back after Chapman blazed another overhand winner. The Pronghorns won after a brief rally, where Vigna returned the winning point into the net.

Pronghorns Finish Off Smash in Thrilling Mixed Doubles Contest

As this entertaining match started, so did it finish. With two out of the first three games being barnburners, it was fitting that the fourth and deciding tilt had the combatants duking it out from start to finish. The Pronghorns Matty Stodola and Pam Clarke prevailed, narrowly beating the Smash duo of Leigh Bradwell and Brent Jackson by a 15-13 count.

The Smash, needed a victory to force a singles tiebreaker, came out firing, forcing the usually steady Stodola to hit a return into the net and then an unforced long shot, taking a 3-1 lead. However, on the Smash side, the normally unflappable veteran Bradwell also made to unforced errors to have the game knotted at 3-3. Stodola then fired a great backhand during a rally for a point, followed by Jackson plunking Clarke with an Erne to tie it again.

The Pronghorns forged ahead to take a 7-4 lead, only to see that evaporate as Bradwell and Jackson got in sync, displaying great set-up shot making to even the score at 7-7. The Pronghorns would then take an 8-7 lead on a determined offensive rally, only to see the Smash tie it. This happened five more times, alternating a Pronghorns lead with a Smash rally to tie it. Stodola got the Pronghorns to freeze with a mighty overhand, and later had to get the serve back with a brilliant crossing shot. The game and match ended when the Pronghorns combined well to set up the Smash for another unforced error.