Recap

Montreal Lions Blank Northern Rollers for First Match Loss in Eastern Split

Lions Women Make Late Comeback to Beat Rollers

It may have been too early to call this a “Clash of Titans” but the Montreal Lions at 2-1 versus the Northern Rollers at 2-0 sort of qualified. As befitting two very good teams at the Eastern Split, the Lions pair of Player of the Match Anne-Sophie Courteau and Jade Cassandra Laporte escaped with a 21-17 victory over the Rollers’ Jessica Kawamoto and Casey Rodgers.

Rodgers and Kawamoto held the upper hand early, forcing the Lions to make some key mistakes. As things pressed on, Kawamoto slapped a net cord shot that Montreal couldn’t return and after which the Lions called a crucial timeout down 12-8. That seemed to be the tonic, with Courteau and Laporte using effective defensive to offensive transition to force Rollers errors and get the score to 14-14.

In quick time the Lions, using a variety of shots and some stout defense, pushed the score in their favor to 20-14 and a timeout call by the Rollers. The Rollers, then, put up three points to make things interesting, but would lose after one hold.

Lions Men Mimic Women’s Victory with Come-From-Behind Triumph

Just like their female teammates, the Lions duo of Ernesto Fajardo and Louis-Charles Amyot had to erase a few deficits to narrowly beat the Rollers Matt Stodola and Ryan Torresin, 21-20. The Rollers came out swinging, literally, as Stodola and Torresin hammered a couple of returns to take a 4-1 lead.

Fajardo and Amyot were up to the task, though, toughing it out for each point and smacking some good shots of their own to tie it at 12-12 and force a Rollers timeout. Stodola and Torresin would grab another break down 16-13 and would use that breather to tie it and eventually go ahead 17-16.

The Lions showed their defensive acumen to tie it again, but some costly mistakes saw the Rollers take a 20-18 lead and hold serve. Fajardo, who was dynamic in this contest, would rip an Erne that plunked Torresin to get within one, and on the next rally crush a forehand cross to go to double freeze. That held for two more rallies, until Amyot sent a sneaky set-up that Stodola hit the net with for a Lions win.

Lions Cruise to Match Win in First Mixed Doubles Tilt

Let’s just call this one the “Fajardo Show.” Playing partner Anne-Sophie Courteau may have been named Player of the Match, but Ernesto Fajardo was the story in this key game. While he did make several unforced blunders that cost Montreal points, he was all over the court and responsible for seven of his team’s points in the 21-16 triumph.

On the other side, Jessica Kawamoto was not her usual steady nor dynamic self, making 11 unforced errors, alongside partner Ryan Torresin. She did redeem herself on a couple of occasions, firing two ATPs for points, including one that kept the Rollers in the game at 20-15 freeze for the Lions.

Kawamoto and Torresin did take an early lead in this contest, at one time up 6-3 and looking energized. A bit later, with the score tied 9-9, and things pivoting Montreal’s way, Kawamoto sent a string of shots either into the net or side out as the Lions built a 14-9 cushion. While it wasn’t all downhill at that point, Fajardo found new energy, firing backhands, blazing crossing shots and drops for winners to help his team get to freeze and the eventual win.

Lions Complete Sweep in Tight Defeat of Rollers

While the Rollers had hoped that this game might mean something, they put up a good fight in what was a very solidly played loss to the Lions in mixed doubles. Louis-Charles Amyot and Jade Cassandra Laporte were just that little bit better than the Rollers Matt Stodola and Casey Rodgers, winning 21-19. What was surprising about the ending was that it took five holds at 20-19 for the Lions to win.

Amyot and Laporte, both CNPL newbies, took it to the Rollers from the outset and built a 10-5 lead, which forced a Rollers timeout. Stodola and Rodgers found some energy after that, but still found themselves down15-8 at one point. However, a succession of set-ups, well-timed shots and nice rallying allowed the Rollers to climb back in, leading to an improbable 19-19 tie. But there was no holding off the Lions, who finally won it late on an Amyot backhand.