Recap

Smash Clip Lions in Five-Game Sizzler

Lions Women Battle Back to Narrowly Beat Smash

In a prelude to a hard-fought five-game match, the Montreal Lions women’s doubles team of Kim Layton and Grace Thomas mounted a laudable comeback to narrowly beat East Toronto Smash’s duo Jordann Vigna and Leigh Bradwell, 15-14.

The 6’0” Layton asserted herself right away, using her long reach to score the first point on a cross and later give her squad a 3-2 cushion with another forehand. On the Smash side, Bradwell cranked up the temperature with an overhand missile to put her team ahead 5-4. The teams would trade points until the Lions took a 9-7 lead on a good rally.

However, Vigna would get her side back in with two solid overhands, eventually leading to a commanding 14-12 cushion after Bradwell smacked an overhand. The Lions, though, pushed back hard, winning in a comeback when a Layton return hit net cord to elude the Smash.

Smash Men Even Things Up with Come-From-Behind Victory

It took a whole lot of patience and fighting every urge to needlessly accelerate things for the Smash pair of Connor Weeks and Brent Jackson. It worked as they trimmed Lions Eric Gagnon and Cam Rich by a count of 15-13 to even the match.

Early on, the Lions dominated due to great shooting on Rich’s part, combined with several unforced errors on the Smash’s part. Things were looking grim for the Smash midway through when Rich gave the Lions a 9-6 lead on a sizzling flick. He would later add a highlight reel forehand to keep the Lions up 10-8.

Weeks and Jackson never said die, forcing the Lions into untimely net and side out returns, with Weeks launching an overhand to give them their first lead at 11-10. Weeks would make another to get the score to 13-12, followed later by Jackson smoking a great cross to win it.

Smash Mixed Doubles Trump Lions to Take First Match Lead

It wasn’t always pretty, but in the end the Smash’s Brent Jackson and Leigh Bradwell held back a determined Lions bid to emerge victorious at 15-13. The Lions pair of Grace Thomas and Eric Gagnon did take an early lead on some good defense and shooting, but soon found themselves a little over-matched in the loss.

With the score tied 4-4, Jackson and Bradwell forced a Lions timeout with three straight great shots, one of which hit Gagnon right in the foot. The Lions then called a timeout, and it worked, as they rallied to tie proceedings up at 7-7. That would be short-lived as the Smash mounted an attack that saw them take control at 13-9.

Undaunted, the Lions forced a Smash timeout with good rallies and the score 13-12. The Smash would get to freeze at 14-12, but Gagnon smoked an overhand to keep things tight. However, the Lions were tapped out, losing on a Jackson flick that neither Thomas nor Gagnon could hit back.

Lions Outlast Smash to Knot Up Match

This one could easily have been a laugher in the Lions favor. But, after taking what looked like an overwhelming 10-1 lead, the Lions mixed doubles team of Cam Rich and Kim Layton had to stave off a determined Smash duo of Jordann Vigna and Connor Weeks to win 15-11 and send the match to a singles tiebreaker.

Rich and Layton were entirely dominant from the get-go, upping the frustration level of the Smash with winning overhands, crossed and forehands to go up 7-0. After a few more Smash gaffes, that lead climbed to 10-2, and then the Smash woke up so to speak. The Lions did push the advantage to 12-3, but Vigna and Weeks didn’t lose heart, even at 14-4 freeze.

The two then nearly staged the rally of the Western Split, scoring seven straight to put the Lions on their heels. All for nought, though, as the Lions finally scored the game point after four holds.

Smash Scratch Out Thrilling 15-14 Win in Singles Tiebreaker

Some things are just meant to be. After four very close games featuring many comebacks, it was fitting that the Smash would win this singles tiebreaker 15-14.

If there was a player of the game, it would have to have gone to Connor Weeks, who outscored the Lions Eric Gagnon 3-0 early to flip the lead, then 2-1 later to keep a lead and finally winning it against Gagnon with a huge cross.

In between, there were no real “owns”, with Layton setting tone for the Lions with massive and athletic crosses for two big points in a losing effort. Overall, both squads put on quite a show.