Friday Night All-Stars Week 15

Trevor (62-49-1) : Tyson (62-49-1)

WEEK 15

Match #1 – STEVENSON vs RODYCH

Team Stevenson had a solid night all through their lineup with all four players taking their totals. With her win over Jennifer Duncan (769), Alley Bourcier (809) extended her winning streak to five straight, going 4—1 and capping the night off with an exhilarating 154-142 win. The win pushed Team Stevenson into 8th place, a single point ahead of Team D. Gelardi. This means it was an extra important night for Michael Linsenmeier (1011) to come out with the win over David Wastle (968) which ended up being a back and forth battle all night. Team Rodych also found themselves in a lot of close matches, but with the high total on the team being 823, not even playing the league’s 16th ranked Team Howarth was enough to save them. Matt Roych (821) came the closest to a win, losing to Craig Enns (822) by one pin. Not far behind him was Gillian LaMonica (725) who lost to former teammate Mark Prystupa (738) with the match also coming down to the last frame. Stevenson needs this win to keep themselves floating in the top half, while Team Rodych is just looking to lift their spirits before Christmas.

Over/Under: Michael Young strikes (16.5)

Tyson’s Pick: Team Stevenson

Trevor’s Pick: Team Stevenson

Match #2 – S. GELARDI vs LEYTE

One of the feature matches of the night as Team Leyte sits 9 points back of top spot in the half. Last week was a must-win for them and they did indeed do that, taking down the red-hot Team May. The charge was led by Alycia Mann (1134) who may have the best leadoff performance we have seen yet this season, and sweeping Callum Young (695) by 439 pins in the process. The sweep gives her three-straight, meaning the last time she lost a point was November 10th, also the last day she missed a right-corner spare, coincidence or correlation, we will find out tonight. Their opponents, Team S. Gelardi, squeaked out a win last week over Team Lourenco winning grand total by 30 pins, and winning game four 996-920 to complete the comeback. The team owes a lot to Carole Bilyk (1012) who absolutely trounced Quinton Crockett (818), and taking the match 4-1. A big part of this match will fall to Ralph Gelardi (744) who is coming off one of his lowest weeks this season, and now is facing yet another top-3 leadoff in Alycia. This is also a set not loved by Sam Gelardi (1051) so we will have to see if he can turn his distain for the lane into some Team Leyte pain.

Over/Under: Alycia Mann middle hits (29.5)

Tyson’s Pick: Team Leyte

Trevor’s Pick: Team Leyte

Match #3 – D. GELARDI vs. MEURRENS

Team Meurrens is at the bottom of the group of seven at the top of the standings, 16.5 points up on Team D. Gelardi who sits in the 3-team pack holding down spots 8-10. Team D. Gelardi had a decent night from their top three, with all being 900+, the Judas of the team was Dwayne Gelardi (808) with a nearly season low total, and lowest double of his season at 347. Dwayne has now had back-to-back weeks under 70% hit, this doubles the total that he had for all of last season, his team will hopefully be gifting him a line to the middle. Cordell Galbecka (920) and Roland Flaig (934) kept the team afloat now on six and five week win streaks respectively. Team Meurrens was on a mission last week and gave Team Armstrong a beating, with three players winning by 160 or more pins. The biggest of these was Jessica Meurrens (972) steamrolling Karen Armstrong (695) by 277 pins, for her second straight sweep. The team used Jesse Gagnon (757) as the surficial lamb against Holly Chaikowski (951), but he gets the small consolation prize of now having the lowest winning score of the season, with his 147-137 barn burner.

Over/Under: Cordell Galbecka headpins (6.5)

Tyson’s Pick: Team Meurrens

Trevor’s Pick: Team Meurrens

Match #4 – NELSON vs. COSTELLO

Originally a main event bout but due to an over average spare scandal, Team Costello saw 13 points stripped away, now sitting them 24 points back of Team Nelson, meaning they need a 28-3 win tonight and some help from a few other teams to win the half. The team had a fairly average night last week with close matchups in both leadoff and third. Russel Knight (913) won 4-1 over Corey Chaikowski (910) but could have easily been 3-2 for Corey if not for the 245-238 win in game four that saw Russ take the game and total. I’m not sure who ended up having to sleep on the couch after the leadoff matchup, as Garry Bell (849) technically took the win, but Char Hurd (862) took the total, probably the most even-split outcome of any couples match we’ve seen. Team Nelson is hanging onto their first-place status by a thread, it also might be the same thread they are currently choking themselves on. After winning the first 11 weeks, they have now lost three in a row and a win tonight would clinch the half.  Geoff Born (999) remains one of the only players to have totals in the 700s and 1100s without have a week in the 1000s after a last ball full rack deuce held him to 999, but luckily had plenty of room to spare against Natalie Young (856). The real knife to the heart was Tracy Jubinville (1062) going to town on Ray Bartel (773) leaving a 289-pin gap that the team could not makeup.

Over/Under: Kyle Costello left corner spares missed (0.5)

Tyson’s Pick: Team Costello

Trevor’s Pick: Team Nelson

Match #5 – STEEVES vs. HOWARTH

Honestly, these two teams are 14th and 16th in the standings, it’s the last week of the half and the week before Christmas, I fully expect we could see tabs higher than some of the scores in this match. Team Howarth also comes in on a high note as they laid the boot to Team Rodych. The biggest comeback came from Mike Devenney (850) who took a 3-2 win over Cindy Cousins (805), gaining 114 pins in the last two games, and picking up his first back-to-back win this season. Craig Enns (822) may want to fire his baker as he provided some shit bread for sandwiching his two good games in the middle, as he started and finished the night with sub-175 games, luckily still holding on by a single pin to beat Matt Rodych (821). It might not be a cold winter, but Team Steeves is ice-cold. With last week’s losses the Duncans are now winless since Week 10. This will be a night for the team to just enjoy, and hit the ground running next week with a new half.

Over/Under: Dave Duncan corners (8.5)

Tyson’s Pick: Team Steeves

Trevor’s Pick: Team

Match #6 – COOK vs. YOUZWA

With this matchup of the 13th and 15th place teams, much like the previous match, this one will be all for pride and likely just to have a fun night. Team Youzwa did pull off the upset last week as they took down top-seeded Team Nelson. The team might need to build a shrine to Tracy Jubinville (1062) after her god-like performance, even starting the night with the front 7, and burying Ray Bartel (773) so bad he’s going to be starring in the sequel to Lovely Bones. The win snaps her three-week losing streak and saw a season high strike total (20). Team Cook did not have such an exciting night. Trevor Cook (990) did manage to snap his own losing streak, beating Kyle Costello (950) but that was as far as the wins went for Team Cook. Char Hurd (862) did beat Garry Bell (8490 for total, but Garry proved who wears the pants taking the win, 3-2. Corey Chaikowski (910) is going to be kicking himself after last week, losing total by 3 pins, the last game by 7 pins and converting on 0% (0/6) of C/L/R spares. Definitely a week the whole team can bounce back from.

Over/Under: Trevor Cook corner spares (3.5)

Tyson’s Pick: Team Cook

Trevor’s Pick: Team Cook

Match #7 – MAY vs. LOURENCO

If a had to pick a third match to keep an eye on it would be this one. Team Lourenco has a small but not 0% chance at the half, but need to gain 19 points on Team Nelson which means they need a win tonight regardless. The team was once again led by captain, Belle Lourenco (1040) who is on a four-week heater averaging 255 over that span, and her latest victim being Brett Hendrickson (898). Despite his 4-1 win, the team still blames Derek Sabourin’s (797) inability to break 200 for their 30-pin loss on grand total, ultimately costing them the win. Quinton Crockett’s (818) 194-pin loss to Carole Bilyk (1012) also may have contributed to that as well. Team May similarly shot themselves in the foot with a loss last week to Team Leyte. Despite taking, three out of four totals, the team managed only 11 points. The team came out guns blazing in game one, taking five points but dwindled heavily after that. The biggest positive for the team though was Calvin Cline’s (1017) season high, and done in consistent fashion as his low game was 237. The team isn’t pointing fingers but the 439-pin loss at leadoff by Callum Young (695) to Alycia Mann (1134) might have had something to do with it.

Over/Under: Jayson May head pins (5.5)

Tyson’s Pick: Team May

Trevor’s Pick: Team Lourenco

Match #8 – LAMONICA vs. ARMSTRONG

Team LaMonica continues to climb the leaderboard and last week was no exception taking down Team D. Gelardi. The charge was led by Chris Dewar (1038) who now has back-to-back 1000+ nights, and this week doing it after starting down 105 pins to Robbie Hendrickson (900), almost making it all back the very next game with his 313-210 win. The other absolute ass-kicking was Andrew LaMonica (975) just beating on what can only be assumed to be the already dead body of Dwayne Gelardi (808). Team Armstrong pulled a reverse Team Meurrens with Holly Chaikowski (951) saving her team from what could have been a very low night, but instead had one glowing ember of hope. This was a season high for Holly, with almost double her season average on strikes (18) and beating Jesse Gagnon (757) to give herself her first back-to-back win this season. On the other end Karen Armstrong (695) and Kevin Boyko (865) went to open their Christmas presents early but instead looks like someone crapped in their stocking and wrapped up season lows for both of them. We will see if tonight’s presents are any better.

Over/Under: Chris Dewar middle hits (29.5)

Tyson’s Pick: Team LaMonica

Trevor’s Pick: Team LaMonica