NARCh Pro - Day 1

NARCh Pro Day 1 Recap

By: Raine Hernandez

It was quite a whirlwind of events during the first day of the 2019 East Coast NARCh Finals in Taylor Michigan, as countless teams from across the country (and even the globe), rolling into the State of Michigan to compete for a NARCh Title. Caught right into the middle of it all was none other than the Pro Division getting underway on the first day of the event.

A total of 10 teams began their quest to compete for roller hockey supremacy, the NARCh Pro Title and $15,000.

There were a lot of crazy moments throughout the first day of round robin in the pro division, however, one thing that did remain consistent (and not a shocker at all), was the performances of the defending champions, the Mission Labeda Snipers.

Although the Snipers were missing some of their core players such as PJ Kavaya, Brandon Hawkins, Matt White, Greg Thompson, even head coach Tim McManus was absent at the rink, yet, the Snipers, defeating the Bardown Excitement by a score of 5-2, and defeating the Alkali Revel 4-1, somewhat avenging their loss from the 2017 championship game.

Leading the charge for the Snipers would be the other half of the core, such as Travis Turnbull, Shane Fox, and Kyle Kraemer, combined for 11 points in 2 games. Meanwhile, Jon Waring fit into the Snipers roster perfectly, providing necessary two-way play.

While the Snipers remained on top, the other presumed favorites, the Mission Black Ice, find themselves with a 1-1 record following being upset by the Pama Labeda Golden Knights. Junior Cadiz’s hat-trick and game-winner was the difference, as Pama joins the Snipers as the only teams with a 2-0 record after the first day of play.

If you have not watched this team at other events, you may have been surprised to see the Mission Bauer Bordercats near the top of the table. A team mixed with young talent and grizzled veterans, the Bordercats defeated the Alkali Revel and tied Rink Rat and seem primed for a deep playoff run.

On the other hand, Rink Rat finds themselves with 2 draws, following a 0-0 tie with the Tour Roadrunners, and tying the Bordercats 3-3, after Itan Chavira tied it up with 30 seconds remaining.

With the second day of round robin now upon us, it will be interesting to see if there will be teams that can bounce back after a rough showing from the day before, or if other teams can continue their strong outings.