Jane Im, Emily Duddy, Ashley Benoit, Stacey Tonkin, Donna Switzer, Briana Miller, Sandy Cheng and Mindy Maialetti
In a way of figuring out how to say, yet another time, that Briana Miller won a stop on the J. Pechauer Northeast Women’s Tour (JPNEWT), we searched for the Numerology significance of her latest victory – #17, earned over the past three years. She picked up that 17th win this past weekend (April 6-7), going undefeated at a $1,000-added event that drew 38 entrants to Buster’s Billiards in Somersworth, NH.
Turns out, according to the Affinity Numerology Web site that 17 is a “business number, specifically an independent business. People with that number in a major position on their numerology chart tend to be focused on building things intended to last for many generations, either material or social, and doing the building in their self-determined way.”
Sounds about right, as Miller, in her second full year as JPNEWT’s tour director, has arguably done as much in that position as she’s done at the tables for all 17 of her wins; the tour being in New Hampshire over the weekend being one of many ways that she’s impacted the ‘business’ of the JPNEWT, while simultaneously ‘building’ on her own skills at the table.
Miller was challenged twice in the event by WPBA compatriot, Emily Duddy. Miller opened with victories over Mindy Maialetti 7-2, Amanda Connolly 7-1 and Erica Testa 7-4 to draw Duddy in the first of their two in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Ashley Benoit, in the meantime, got by Hannah Leedberg and Emily Smith, both 7-3 and then, defeated Amanda Laverriere 7-5 to pick up Stacey Tonkin in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Miller defeated Duddy the first time 7-3, as Benoit advanced to join her in the hot seat match with a 7-1 victory over Tonkin. Miller and Benoit battled to double hill before Miller closed it out to claim the seat.
On the loss side, Duddy opened up against Donna Switzer, who came into the match with four loss-side wins that included the recent elimination of Laverriere 7-4 and Jane Im 7-3. Tonkin drew Sandy Cheng, who’d lost her opening match to Laverriere and was at the tail end of a six-match, loss-side streak that had recently eliminated Erica Testa 7-4 and Mindy Maialetti 7-3.
Duddy and Tonkin ended both loss-side streaks. Cheng put up a double-hill fight versus Tonkin, but it was Tonkin who advanced to the quarterfinal. Duddy downed Switzer 7-2 to join her.
Duddy won the next two matches 7-5, defeating Tonkin in the quarterfinals and Benoit in the semifinals for a second shot at Miller, waiting for her in the hot seat. Miller concluded her ‘business-like’ undefeated run with a second victory over Duddy 7-2.
In her role as TD, Miller thanked the ownership and staff at Buster’s along with title sponsor J. Pechauer Custom Cues, Fort Worth Billiards Superstore, InTheBox Sportswear, PA Pro-Am Pool (livestream), Mezz Cues and George Hammerbacher (Advanced Pool Instructor). The JPNEWT will be back in New England for its next stop. Scheduled for the weekend of May 18-19, the $1,000-added event will be hosted by Yale Billiards in Wallingford, CT.
Jonas Souto, Lukas Fracasso-Verner and Jared Demalia
Lukas Fracasso-Verner’s victory at the 34th Annual Ocean State 9-Ball Championships, held under the auspices of the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour at Snooker’s in Providence, RI this past weekend (Nov. 12-13), put him over the top, making 2022 his best earnings year since his recorded earnings began seven years ago. Though he didn’t have to face the event’s defending champion and winner of the previous stop (#8) on the Joss Tour, Bucky Souvanthong, he did have to contend with Spain’s Jonas Souto, who was defeated by Souvanthong in a winners’ side quarterfinal and came back to challenge Fracasso-Verner in the finals. Souto was looking for his first reported (to us) win, anywhere, even though entering the tournament, he’d already earned (primarily in Europe) over three times the amount that Fracasso-Verner has earned in 2022. The $5,000-added event ($500 to a Second Chance Tournament) drew a full field of 128 entrants to Snooker’s.
Fracasso-Verner’s seven-match trip to the winners’ circle got him by Ashley Benoit, Derek Cunningham, Ray McNamara (double hill), Barry Hetherington and Mhet Vergara, before coming up against Bob Forchilli in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Jared Demalia, in the meantime, defeated Mike Zhu, Mike Crema, Chad Bazinet, Moritz Neuhausen and Matt Jarrell to arrive at his winners’ side semifinal versus defending champ, Souvanthong, who had just sent the eventual runner-up, Souto, to the loss side 7-4.
Fracasso-Verner gave up just one rack to Forchilli in advancing to the hot seat match. Demalia gave up four to Souvanthong and joined him. In the first of two straight double hill matches that he faced to claim the title, Fracasso-Verner first claimed the hot seat over Demalia.
On the loss side, Souvanthong ran into Germany’s Neuhausen, who, earlier in the month, had finished 9th in both the American 14:1 Straight Pool Championships and the following week’s International Open, before packing his bags and heading north to New England. Neuhausen had followed his loss to Demalia with victories over four opponents by an aggregate score of 20-4; Beau Powers (5-2), Frank Hernandez (1), Mhet Vergara (1) and Suad Kantarevic (1).
Jonas Souto had followed his loss to Souvanthong with victories over Jaydev Zaveri (1) and Tom Zippler (2) to pick up Forchilli. He downed Forchilli 5-1 to draw Neuhausen, who’d battled Souvanthong to double hill before spoiling the potential Souto/Souvanthong rematch. .
There was a bit of an exclamation point to the two matches that eventually put Souto into the finals against Fracasso-Verner. He arrived at the final match having not given up a single rack to either of his previous two opponents, shutting out Neuhausen in the quarterfinals and Jared Demalia in the semifinals.
He battled to double hill in the finals but Fracasso-Verner dropped the last 9-ball and claimed the event title, his second of the Joss NE Tour’s 2022 season.
Tour director Mike Zuglan thanked Regina and Steve Goulding, along with their Snooker’s staff for their hospitality, ongoing support of the tour and the live stream that was provided for this event. He also noted the continuing support of title sponsor Joss Cues, Turning Stone Resort Casino, Simonis Cloth, Poolonthenet.com, AZBilliards, Aramith, Billiards Press, and World Class Cue Care.
The 34th Annual Ocean State 9-Ball Championships were the last 2022 event of the ‘22/’23 season. The next stop on the tour, scheduled for the weekend of January 5-8, 2023 will be Turning Stone Classic XXXVI, as always, hosted by the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, NY. The field for this event is full, but Mike Zuglan is taking names on the waiting list, for players interested in competing in this Matchroom Pool Nineball Ranking event. Zuglan can be reached at 518-356-7163.
Linda Haywood-Shea, Caroline Pao, Briana Miller and Kia Burwell
In a J. Pechauer Northeast Women’s Tour (JPNEWT) stop in Pennsylvania, affected by a variety of factors, including other events, gas/lodging prices and distance, Kia Burwell chalked up her first 2022 tour win this past weekend (Oct. 8-9), downing both the tour-rankings leader, Briana Miller and the top American competitor on the WPBA rankings list, Caroline Pao in the process. She also won five of her seven total matches on the loss side to be in the event finals. While the $750-added event drew a short field of 12 entrants to Eagle Billiards in Dickson City, PA, it was not without its impactful matches among the tour’s top competitors; six of the tour’s top 10 were on-hand to jockey for tour-ranking position in the 8th of 10 stops on the 2022 tour.
Following a first-round bye, Burwell (#2) lost her opening match to Carol V. Clark (#6 on the tour) 7-5. Clark advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Miller (#1). Pao (#4), in the meantime, followed an opening round bye with a 7-3 win over tour director Linda Shea (#3) to pick up Rachel Walters in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Miller shut Clark out and in the hot seat match, faced Pao, who’d defeated Walters 7-3. Miller claimed the hot seat 7-3 over Pao and waited for Burwell to complete her loss-side run.
Two matches into her loss-side run, with victories over Shelah Joner 7-4 and Melissa Jenkins 7-2, Burwell drew Walters. Clark picked up Shea, who’d defeated Linda Cheung, double hill and Ashley Benoit 7-4 to reach her.
Burwell did her part to bring about a rematch against Clark in the quarterfinals, downing Walters 7-4, but Shea spoiled the ‘party’ by eliminating Clark 7-2. In a quite familiar scene, Shea and Burwell battled in those quarterfinals, Burwell coming out on top 7-3.
Either way, the semifinals were going to yield a finals opponent for Miller that would not be enviable; Pao or Burwell. As it turned out, Burwell had to win two straight double hill battles to complete her run.
No problem. She battled Pao to the hill before advancing to the extended-race-to-9 finals. There, she chalked up seven racks first to extend the race to 9 games and then, with Miller nipping at her double-hill heels, she finished up to claim the event title.
Co-Tour Directors Linda Shea and Briana Miller thanked the ownership and staff at Eagle Billiards for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor J. Pechauer Custom Cues and stream commentator George Hammerbacher (Advanced Pool Instructor, Baltimore, MD). The next stop on the JPNEWT, scheduled for the weekend of November 5-6, will be hosted by On Cue Sports Bar & Grill in Front Royal, VA.
