Recap

Rush Sweep Rollers for Third Match Win of Western Split

Rush Women Easily Handle Rollers in First Game

On paper, this first game between the Vancouver Rush and Northern Rollers, looked like it was going to be a barnburner. On the Rush side, no. 8 and no. 9 draft picks Alex Walker and Casey Rodgers, respectively, would do battle with the dynamic Rollers duo of Jessica Kawamoto (11^th overall) and Emma Li (22^nd overall). However, the Rush won in a relative walk, making quick work of their opponents in a 15-8 victory.

Coming off their first match victory of either the Eastern and Western Splits, the Rollers came out gunning early, pushing the Rush into unforced errors and taking a 4-3 lead on a Li backhand smash. The Rollers would then dink superbly to tie it up 5-5, but that would be as close as they could get to Rodgers and Walker.

Rodgers, the eventual player of the match, scorched a forehand to put the Rush up 7-5, followed later by a Walker overhand that forced a Rollers timeout. After the break, Li asserted herself enough to keep the game within reach, smacking a nice forehand and then a set-up to make it 11-8. Rodgers, though, was too much for the Rollers, clicking on two winners to seal the win.

Rollers Men Squander Late Lead in Tough Loss to Rush

In big need of a victory to keep their hopes of a second match victory alive, the Rollers men’s doubles team of Jonas Dahler and Rob Krizmanich came out gunning but couldn’t sustain the momentum before losing to the Rush’s Nathan Choi and Brett Forsythe 15-13.

The game didn’t hold much drama through the first five points as the Rollers lead 3-2, however, quickly accelerated when Choi flicked the Dura ball nicely to tie it, but countered by a Krizmanich cross that neither Rush could handle. Dahler and Krizmanich kept up the pressure from there, pushing the lead to 8-6 and a Rush timeout.

After the Rollers took a 9-6 lead, unforced errors and balls finding the Selkirk net were the order of the game, seeing the Rush tie it 10-10. Choi then ripped a forehand that hit Krizmanich for a point but then sailed one long to allow the Rollers to tie it. From then on it was about more unforced errors by both sides, with a long shot by Krizmanich sealing the Rollers’ fate.

Rush Mixed Doubles Seal Rollers Fate with Late Rally

A game that saw some decent rallies and great shots, was also punctuated with far too many unforced errors, which didn’t bode well for the Rollers Mixed Doubles team of Jonas Dahler and Jessica Kawamoto. They had a brief lead in the middle over the Rush’s Brett Forsythe and Alex Walker, but long and short shots were their undoing in a match-clinching 15-12 Rush triumph.

The tone of the game was set early when Walker smacked a wicked shot that ticked off Dahler’s paddle for a point. After the teams traded several points, Forsythe got going with a wicked cross to put the Rush ahead 5-4. Dahler then returned a serve into the net to extend the Rush lead. He would redeem himself two points later, smashing a cross to tie it 6-6.

The back-and-forth trading of points on unforced errors continued unabated, punctuated on occasion by great winning shots from Forsythe and Dahler. The turning point happened at 11-11, when Dahler missed long on his serve (Kawamoto had hit the net earlier). Walker then put the dagger in, sailing a cross that eluded the Rollers and the rest was history, the match won on a nice Rush rally.

Rush Sweep Rollers with Comeback Win

With nothing really on the line – other than pride – the Rollers mixed doubles duo of Rob Krizmanich and Emma Li gave it everything they had. Unfortunately, the Rush pair of Nathan Choi and Casey Rodgers had just a little more game, allowing their team to sweep with a 15-10 victory.

An auspicious start – Li hit the net on first serve – was closely followed by a wicked cross by Krizmanich that tied it up early. That pattern would be repeated in the early going, with Rodgers sending a seeing-eye cross for a point, followed by a rally with Choi to see the game tied at 4-4. Li and Krizmanich then played well enough to take a 7-6 lead and looked poised to win one.

Yet, Choi and Rodgers took over proceedings, the highlight being a Choi lob shot that the Rollers couldn’t return for an 11-8 cushion. Unforced errors were the Rollers undoing from there as the Rush completed the sweep.