As always, I’ll begin my rambling by offering my gratitude to the CXBL
and BuyPBL crew who always do an amazing job preparing for and running the
Canadian events. If it weren’t for all of you, many players would be lacking in
the opportunities necessary to grow and develop in the world of speedball.
While xball remains a mystery to the majority of society, for the many players
and spectators, this game is life and thus you fine people provide the needed
nourishment for their paint-war hungry souls.
Thanks also to the
Commando Paintball owners and staff who welcomed us all to their fine facility.
It is easy to see that you put your best into maintaining the fields and
keeping the grounds tidy and that certainly makes an event more enjoyable for
all.
You may have noticed that
I didn’t write any predictions for NAX. This was for good reason. After event 3
I felt that there had been so many upsets and surprises that this championship
could truly belong to anyone. That being said, with the exception of the MXL
division, the majority of the competitors in the finals came as no surprise to
me.
Elite
Division
Most
exciting game to watch – Let’s not play around, the final match between Tremblant Cowboys and
Vancouver Thunder was easily the most exciting match.
Vancouver's Nate Schroeder and Tremblant's Bryan McKenna
Photo Credit: Sheldon Carless
I’d be surprised if anyone didn’t
believe that it would be these two teams fighting for the title this year. Both
teams are filled to the brim with professional talent: Tremblant with their
line-up of Houston Heat players (PSP) and Vancouver built mainly of self-made
Vancouver Vendetta players (NPPL). One could only expect some fancy
paint-battles with these two powerhouses on the field.
Cowboys' Nick Slowiak and Thunder's Mason Hwu
Photo Credit: Sheldon Carless
I’m going to go out on a limb here and
be completely honest. I wanted Vancouver to win this match. These guys play
some of the smoothest paintball that I have ever seen. They typically play very
strategic, basic paintball. When I say basic, I am referring to their
well-planned reliance on the fundamentals of xball. This team hits their
bunkers off the breakout, fills key bunkers immediately when a player is
compromised, and typically makes educated bumps at the appropriate times. At
past events, they have been known to play on smarts not on emotion. And, they
have done all of this while being short on players and with very little pit and
sideline support.
With all that said, Tremblant is also
a very strong, smart team who know when it pays to be aggressive. When these
players decide to move, they MOVE! Whether it is Chad George in the snake, John
Woodley at the X, or Bryan McKenna or Chad Bouchez moving down the Dorito side
of the field, they move with intention and they don’t stop until they have
achieved what they set out to do. On top of their essential skills on the
field, this team has an incredible support and coaching staff who help them to
be as successful as possible.
Thunder
Photo Credit: BuyPBL
Cowboys
Photo Credit: Sheldon Carless
As one might expect, the first half of
this match was built of some slow points as these two well-matched teams worked
to figure out one another’s tendencies. Vancouver came out on top with a score of 4-1
as the teams switched ends and headed into the second half. Although Vancouver
made many bold plays throughout the second half, with Mason Hwu flying down the
centre of the field to the X nearly every point, they also suffered a handful
of minor penalties which proved costly. Cowboys’ aggressive moves allowed them
to bring in a whopping 7 points throughout the second half of the match. Thunder
fought back with all they had, seeking to get in a couple of quick points but
got into more penalty trouble as time ran down on the clock. Between the two
teams, there were 3 points scored in the last minute of the match with two of
them going to Vancouver. This left Cowboys with an 8-7 win over team Thunder.
Most surprising game – Undecided
I have replayed all of the matches
in my head a thousand times and I still can’t decide which one was the most
surprising. I truly expected Medonte and Raiders to be more successful and once
again Drummondville showed strength that seemed to be lacking in the beginning
of the 2012 season. Also, while I expected Vancouver Thunder to enjoy a victory
over Windsor Lockdown, I was surprised by the significant point spread in that
match.
Medonte's Brandon Arnold, Tom Guest, and Grayden Guy
Photo Credit: Sheldon Carless
Raider's Ed Evans
Photo Credit: Sheldon Carless
Lockdown's Billy Bernacchia
Photo Credit: The Catshack Reports
Drummondville's Sacha Dupont-Hebert
I
truly believe that the NAX championships this year were host to the best
paintball teams in CXBL history. The weekend proved a feast for my
paintball-loving eyes. I also enjoy the spectator involvement that becomes
common place at NAX each year. When you feel the shared emotion and excitement
with your fellow spectators on the sidelines, the frequent overshooting and
occasional temper tantrums on the field become so much more entertaining.
My
congratulations to all NAX competitors! You can’t all win rings but if I had
gold stars, there would be one for each of you!
Signing off,
The
Paintball Wife
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