Recap

Rollers Get Back on Winning Track with Solid Win over Wolverines

Rollers Women Thump Wolverines

After a bit of a lackluster four-game sweep at the hands of the Montreal Lions, the 2-1 Northern Rollers were looking to get back on the victory train. And steering the locomotive to start were veterans Jessica Kawamoto and Casey Rodgers, who made short work of West Coast Wolverines opponents Sabrina Lam and Natalie Araya, winning 21-11.

Kawamoto, who had a bit of a miserable start in her last game against the aforementioned Lions, got her mojo back in this tilt and would eventually be Player of the Match. She and Rodgers complemented each other well and before anyone knew it, the Rollers were ahead 7-0 and the Wolverines were taking a time out.

Araya and Lam rallied to snag some points, even getting as close as 10-5, but the onslaught from Kawamoto and partner Rodgers was too much to handle. Kawamoto saved her best shots for last, firing two overhand winners and a forehand cross that eluded both Lam and Araya. Things ended quietly as Araya went long on a return at 20-11 freeze.

Wolverines Climb Back in By Squeaking Past Rollers

If one were to point at the quintessential CNPL game, this one would qualify. In a barnburner, the Wolverines Joel Pelletier and Haddow Thul had to come back from a 9-3 deficit to outlast the Rollers Corey Osborne and Ryan Torresin. And it took five holds at 20-20 freeze for the Wolverines to finally win it.

Osborne and Torresin came out gunning, both firing elusive shots to take that 9-3 lead and force a timeout. The rest did the Wolverines well, as they strung together four in a row to narrow the gap, only to have Osborne smash a nice backhand cross and Torresin nicely drop one for a point. The Rollers, though, had to take a time out up only 11-10 and not long after that found themselves down 17-14 when Pelletier and Thul rallied and shot their way to the lead.

The Rollers took a timeout at that point, but after a 3-3 swing and some excellent play by both teams, it looked like the jig was up. But wait, Osborne smacked an awesome ATP and Torresin and overhand to get within one, followed by a Thul unforced error to make it 20-20. As mentioned, the two sides stayed at freeze for five straight plays before the Wolverines finally won out.

Rollers Take Command of Match with Stirring Mixed Doubles Victory

The score, 21-11 in favor of the Rollers, may have seemed flattering, but this match was anything but a blowout. In what was a see-saw affair well past the mid-point, Player of the Match Jessica Kawamoto and teammate Ryan Torresin needed every shot they had in their repertoire to take down the Wolverines Haddow Thul and Sabrina Lam.

The Wolverines took command from the opening volley, with both Thul and Lam making great shots to go up 6-4. That lead, however, was short-lived when the Rollers fought back, eventually taking a 10-7 lead when Kawamoto blasted a scintillating backhand winner. The play that would characterize this amazing tilt happened with the Rollers ahead 10-8. Both squads went toe-to-toe in an extended rally with the Wolverines looking like they would come out ahead, only to have the Rollers score the point.

That cemented the Rollers dominance, as they would go on to fire shot after great shot and play staunch defense against a very game Wolverines side. Both Torresin and Kawamoto struck fatal blows that were unreturnable for the final three points and the win.

Rollers Shock Wolverines with Epic Comeback

This one should have been a slam dunk for the West Coast Wolverines to force a singles tiebreaker. From the outset, the mixed doubles pair of Joel Pelletier and Natalie Araya were in command, making mincemeat out of Rollers duo Corey Osborne and Casey Rodgers. But — and this is a big but — patience paid off as the Rollers erased an eight-point deficit to win the game and match, 21-19.

Pelletier and Araya were a force right away, both countering anything the Rollers had with even better stuff, on the way to a 14-6 lead. Then Osborne made a shot that may have stemmed the tide. He smacked a backhand that caught Araya flush and for which he apologized. However, it was a point and it rattled the Wolverines.

Slowly, the Rollers picked away, either scoring on excellent shot making or benefiting from Wolverines unforced errors. It did still look all but over with the Wolverines up 19-16, but again their unforced errors and dogged play by the Rollers sealed the game and match win.