Recap

United Wins Third Match of Western Split over Brewers

United Mixed Doubles Team Rallies Late to Beat Brewers

No Matt Kawamoto, no problem. With the Toronto United star player on the shelf with a victory, undrafted 49-year-old Dave Clarke stepped up admirably, with fellow undrafted player Carolina Hack. Together they stunned the Brewers duo of Jeff Elwood and Susan Pound, erasing a three-point deficit late to emerge triumphant with a 15-13 win.

Clarke made his presence felt right away, drilling a backhand winner for the game’s first point. One play later he smacked a deep return that the Brewers shorted and after Pound went long on a return United lead 3-1. The Brewers, who won their previous match against the Pronghorns, turned the tide, and eventually went ahead 5-3, only to see United tie it up on a Clarke overhand winner.

For a while after, the two squads traded unforced errors, with Pound astutely setting up Clarke for a net return to make the score 9-9. Two plays and two Clarke unforced errors later, United called a much-needed timeout trailing 11-9. The rest seemed to benefit the Brewers more, as they combined to transition well from defense to offense and force United into net and side out shots to push the score to 13-10.

However, it was all United from there, with Clarke and Hack combining to stun the Brewers duo with electric shots and offensive acumen. Hack started the comeback with a great set up shot, Clarke then contributed a couple of bombs and then they both closed the door on the victory later, combining to have the Brewers return one side out.

United Rallies to Take Second Game from Brewers in Mixed Doubles

This contest, which the Brewers sorely needed to get back into the match, was a tale of two games. United’s Mark Gottfried and Hannah Blatt had to battle hard to keep the game close with the Brewers Mark Cleminson and Christina Chin in the first half but blew by them in the second half to cruise to a 15-8 victory.

Both Cleminson and Chin made their presence felt in the early going, each smoking overhand winners to lead 3-1. Two plays later, Chin drove a beautiful ATP for a point, but was answered when Blatt dinged her with an Erne to make the score 4-3 Brewers. The two teams then traded unforced errors and some sly set-ups, until the Brewers called a timeout trailing just 9-6.

Now rested, Gottfried got the Dura ball rolling again, hitting a masterful flick to push the lead to 10-6. But, Cleminson had an answer, drifting an overhand that eluded United. Undaunted, Gottfried fired a forehand winner and two plays later Blatt fired a great backhand cross to give her team a 12-8 lead. Cleminson then fueled the United win by sending two straight returns into the Selkirk net, followed by another Gottfried overhand winner to seal the win.

United Battles to Beat Brewers, Win Match in Women’s Doubles

The Brewers sorely needed to win this game and Susan Pound and Christina Chin certainly gave it everything they had. Unfortunately for them, United’s Hannah Blatt and Carolina Hack gave just a little more in a match-securing 15-13 triumph.

Pound and Chin got off to a hot start, playing great team defense to take a 3-1 lead. Hack and Blatt, though, never let the Brewers get too far ahead, with Hack hitting a superb cross to make the score 6-5 later and then the two combining on staunch defense to tie it up when Chin hit the net on return. Hack then gave United its first lead, smacking a backhand that eluded the Brewers.

The Brewers shook that off and retook the lead, with Chin firing a nice shot down the middle for a point, prior to the Brewers gaining a point on a Blatt-Hack miscommunication on return. Chin then put the Brewers up 9-7 with an overhand winner. United again answered the bell, with Blatt driving a crossing shot for a point and then combining with Hack on a good defensive play to tie it up.

The two squads exchanged points again and then United took over. Hack sent a set-up shot that Chin returned into the net for an 11-10 United lead, followed by two unforced Brewers errors. Chin and Pound combined on a defensive rally to trim United’s lead to 13-11, but Pound again found net to send the game to 14-11 freeze. However, Blatt and Hack made two unforced errors for double freeze, which lasted six entertaining rallies before Chin surrendered the match-winning point on a long return.

Brewers Avoid Sweep with Men’s Doubles Victory

While it’s not the optimal position to be in – playing a near meaningless game – the Brewers team of Mark Cleminson and Jeff Elwood played well and gained their team a win to stave off a sweep and have momentum. The two got out to an early lead and never let it go, beating United’s Dave Clarke and Mark Gottfried 15-12.

Cleminson got things going in style, whacking a flick that neither Clarke nor Gottfried could handle. Gottfried answered right back, though, splitting the Brewers defense with an overhand smash. And that was the last time the two squads would be tied. Cleminson ripped a forehand winner two points later for a 3-1 lead and for the next seven plays, the Brewers surrendered just two points, while playing great defense and forcing United into several unforced errors to take an 8-3 lead.

Though it was a bit lopsided, score-wise, United didn’t throw in the towel – especially since they’d already won the match. Clarke and Gottfried fought hard but couldn’t quite reel in a determined Brewers onslaught. Eventually the Brewers were able to get to 14-8 freeze, courtesy of two previous blasts off Cleminson’s paddle.

Again, United failed to succumb to the Brewers’ pressure, scoring four straight points to put that pressure squarely back on Cleminson and Elwood’s shoulders. But, perhaps fatigued, United was beaten by an Elwood overhand missile.