Kerry McAuliffe, Scott Reynolds, Stacie Bourbeau, Josh Geoffroy, Mark Morgan, and Dan Simoneau
The last time Stacie Bourbeau and Mark Morgan competed as partners on the New England 9-Ball Series (April 11 at Snooker’s in Providence, RI), they were playing 9-ball with a combined Fargo rate of 600 and finished in the tie for 5th place. They returned as partners on Sunday (May 16, Stop #12), switched games to 8-ball with a reduced Fargo rate of 598 and ended up going undefeated to claim the event title. The $500-added event drew 32 teams to House of Billiards in Hampton Falls, NH.
Playing as one of the three top-rated teams in the tournament and working at the beginning in an upper bracket of half the field, Bourbeau and Morgan got by two opponents to reach a winners’ side semifinal against Derek Cunningham and Tony Ruzzano (600). From the lower bracket, Josh Geoffroy & Dan Simoneau (547) advanced to meet Kyle King & Jason Seavey (500).
Bourbeau/Morgan downed Cunningham/Ruzzano 4-1 and in the hot seat match, squared off against Geoffroy/Simoneau, who’d shut out team King/Seavey. Bourbeau/Morgan claimed the hot seat 4-1 over Geoffroy/Simoneau and awaited their return.
On the loss side, Cunningham/Ruzzano picked up one of the remaining higher-rated teams left – Kerry McAuliffe and Scott Reynolds (598), who’d lost their opening round match and then embarked on an eight match, loss-side winning streak that would take them all the way to the semifinals. They’d recently eliminated Chad Bazinet & Lindsey Monto 4-1 and then survived a double hill challenge versus Josh Rupard & Elliot Coates (591) to draw Cunningham/Ruzzano.
King/Seavey drew Josh Grzasko & Steve Matthieu, who’d arrived on the heels of three straight double hill wins, that included the elimination of Francis Buelvas & Raul Medina and Heidi and Matt Rezendes.
The battle for advancement to the quarterfinals saw the two teams that did so give up only a single rack, in total. McAuliffe/Reynolds gave up the one to Cunningham/Ruzzano. Grzasko/Matthieu didn’t give up any to King/Seavey. McAuliffe/Reynolds gave up just another single rack in the quarterfinals against Grzasko/Matthieu.
In both the semifinals and finals that followed, the Geoffroy/Simoneau Fargo rate of 547 gave them less than a 1-in-3 chance (31.4%) of winning either of the two matches versus ‘598’ opponents. They battled to double hill and won the first, downing McAuliffe/Reynolds in the semifinals. They came within a game of double hill in the finals, but couldn’t stop Bourbeau & Morgan from completing their undefeated run.
Tour director Marc Dionne thanked the ownership and staff at House of Billiards for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Predator, Poison, Arcos II, BCAPL, USAPL New England, Fargo Rate, AzBilliards, Professor Q-ball’s National Pool and 3 Cushion News, MJS Construction, Master Billiards, OTLVISE, Piku Tips and Just The Tip Cue Repair and Custom Accessories. The NE 9-Ball Series will return to the House of Billiards for its Las Vegas Trip tournament (Stop #13), scheduled for Saturday, June 12.
Lazar (father) and Alex (teenage son) Gurevich split the two sets of a double elimination final, taking the all-important last match against Ryan Hemingway and Matt Rezendes, to win the December 10 stop (#9; a partners event) on the New England 9-Ball Series. The event drew 66 entrants (33 teams of two) to Crow’s Nest in Plaistow, NH.
The father/son Gurevich team faced separate opponents in the hot seat and finals. They’d defeated Dan Simoneau and Ricky Bergevin 4-3 (Simoneau/Bergevin racing to 6) in one winners’ side semifinal, while John Collier and Paul Coorey shut out their eventual finals’ opponents, Hemingway and Rezendes. The Gureviches claimed the hot seat with a 6-3 win over Collier and Coorey.
On the loss side, Hemingway and Rezendes picked up Josh Grzasko and Peter Copland, who’d gotten by Amanda McDonald/Tyler Campbell 5-2, and George Morgan/Bill Phillips 4-3 (Morgan/Phillips, racing to 5). Simoneau/Bergevin drew “Fireball” Mike Dechaine and Matt Rezendes’ wife, Heidi, who’d defeated Dave Ty/Jeff Felix 7-3, and Jay (father) and Justin (son) Cunningham 7-2.
Both teams that were playing their first loss-side match downed the two teams that weren’t; Hemingway/Rezendes defeating Grzasko/Copland and Simoneau/Bergevin eliminating Dechaine and Heidi Rezendes, both 5-2.
In the quarterfinal match that followed, with Simoneau/Bergevin racing to 8, Hemingway and Rezendes defeated them 4-2. In the straight-up race to 5 in the semifinals against Collier and Coorey that followed that, Hemingway/Rezendes advanced again 5-1.
The intangible ‘momentum’ factor worked for Hemingway and Rezendes in the opening set of the true double elimination final, which they won over hot seat occupants Lazar and Alex Gurevich 4-2 (the Gurevich team racing to 6). In the second set, the Gurevich family gave up only a single rack, winning it 6-1 to claim the partners event title.
Tour director Marc Dionne thanked the ownership and staff at Crow’s Nest for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Molinari, Bert Kinister, AZBilliards, Inside English, Professor Q-ball’s National Pool and 3-Cushion News, Delta 13 Racks, MJS Construction, Bob Campbell, Championship Cloth, and OTLVISE Billiard Mechanics of America.
The next stop (#10) on the 2017-2018 NE 9-Ball Series will be the Randy Marcotte Memorial. Scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 16, the $500-added event will be hosted by Buster’s Billiards in Somersworth, NH.
Call it the pitter-patter of little feet; well, smaller anyway. Sitting in the hot seat on the June 24 stop on the Lucasi Hybrid New England 9-Ball Tour, Stan Rupard watched as Terry McDermott completed a five-match, loss-side winning streak to face him in the finals. With a D+ handicap, she had gotten by an A player (Choneyi Tenzin), a C player (Eli Davenport), an Open player (Nick Conner), a B+ player (Josh Rupard), and another A player (Dan Simoneau) to reach him. Rupard, though, held McDermott to a single rack of the three she needed for a first victory in the true double elimination finals and completed his undefeated day. The event drew 22 entrants to Legends Billiards in Portsmouth, NH.
From among the winners’ side final four, Rupard began his three-match march to the event title by sending his son, Josh to the loss side 6-3. In the hot seat match that followed, he faced Dan Simoneau, who’d sent Conner west 6-6. Rupard got into the hot seat with a 6-4 victory over Simoneau and watched as those ‘little feet’ made their way in his direction.
McDermott, who’d been sent west by Josh Rupard from among the winners’ side final eight, began her return voyage to the finals with the victory over Tenzin 3-5. She followed it with the win over Davenport 4-3, which put Conner in her path. Josh Rupard met up with Sina Brown, who’d survived two straight double hill matches against Joe Meuse and Will McDonald to reach him. McDermott ended Conner’s day in a double hill win and in the quarterfinals, got a re-match against Josh Rupard, who’d shut out Brown.
McDermott wreaked her vengeance and came out on top in the quarterfinal match against Josh Rupard, 3-1, and then, in the semifinals, with Simoneau racing to 10, she completed her loss-side streak with a 3-8 victory. She’d vanquished the son, but Dad, Stan Rupard, allowed her only a single rack in an 8-1 victory that secured the event title.
Ernest Porell fell victim to a low handicap in a battle among the winners’ side final four and missed a chance to face Corey Tapley for the hot seat. He chalked up three on the loss side and faced him in a true double elimination final, winning the opening set. Tapley, though, came back to win the second set and won the Sunday, May 6 stop on the Lucasi Hybrid New England 9-Ball Tour, which had drawn 21 entrants to Buster’s Billiards in Somersworth, NH.
As Tapley was busy sending Steve Therrien west 6-2 in the winners’ side semifinals, Porell was wrapped up in a handicap battle versus Sina Brown, who needed to win only three games to his eight. Brown got the three necessary, advancing to the hot seat match. Tapley, needing eight games, as well, defeated Brown, double hill (8-2) and sat in the hot seat, waiting for Porell.
Porell moved over to pick up Dan Simoneau, who’d defeated Stan Rupard 7-5 and Laddie Mills, double hill, to reach him. Therrien drew Terry McDermott, who, with a handicap advantage, had gotten by Gary Columbie and Gil Stadig in two, identical 3-5, double hill victories. Porell advanced to the quarterfinals 6-2 over Simoneau, while McDermott chalked up his third straight double hill win – 3-7 over Therrien – and joined him.
The quarterfinal proved to be McDermott’s fourth straight (and last) double hill battle. Porell prevailed 8-2 and turned to his re-match against Brown in the semifinals. He allowed Brown only a single rack in those semifinals for a chance against Tapley.
In the straight-up, race-to-7, double elimination final, Porell took the opening set 7-3. They battled to double hill in the second set, before Tapley prevailed to claim the event title.
Dan Simoneau, winner of two stops on the 2011 Lucasi New England 9-Ball Series, went undefeated to pick up his first 2012 tour win on Sunday, March 4. The $255-added event drew 19 entrants to Buster’s Billiards in Somersworth, NH.
Simoneau had to get by Garry Columbie twice to capture the event title. He did it first among the winners’ side final four with a 7-2 victory. Gil Stadig, in the meantime, defeated Steve Therrian 4-2. Simoneau moved into the hot seat with a 7-4 victory over Stadig, and awaited Columbie’s return.
First up for Columbie on the loss side was Fred White, who’d survived two straight double hill matches, against Mike Nacolloro and Roger Morrison, to reach him. Therrian drew Will McDonald, who’d gotten by Derrick Lapenne 4-4 (Lapenne going to 6) and Stan Rupard, double hill. White didn’t survive his third straight double hill match, and it was Columbie moving into the quarterfinals. He was joined by Therrian, who’d eliminated McDonald 7-2.
Columbie and Therrian locked up in a double hill battle in those quarterfinals that eventually advanced Columbie to the semifinals against Stadig. Columbie chalked up his third straight on the loss side with a 5-3 victory over Stadig, which gave him a second crack at Simoneau. Simoneau, though, proved to be stronger the second time around. He gave up two less racks in the finals than he’d given up in his first match against Columbie among the winners’ side final four, completing his undefeated day with a 7-2 victory that secured the event title.
In an Open 8-Ball stop on the Lucasi Hybrid New England 9-Ball Tour, which featured short races to 3, half of the event’s final 14 matches were decided by a final game, including the second set of a true double elimination final, which was won by Dan Simoneau, forced to play that second set after an opening set shutout by Mike Barbagallo. The event drew 25 entrants to Legends Billiards in Portsmouth, NH on Sunday, November 6.
Simoneau and Barbagallo were both among the winners’ side final four, but facing different opponents. Simoneau squared off against Jeff Palmquist as Barbagallo took on Paul Eno. Simoneau survived the first of his own three double hill battles, defeating Palmquist, while Eno downed Barbagallo 3-1. Simoneau then chalked up another double hill win, this time over Eno, and sat in the hot seat awaiting Barbagallo’s return.
On the loss-side, Palmquist picked up Mike Nicaloro, who’d gotten by Scott Contrell and Ben Lablanc, both 3-1. Barbagallo drew Gill Stadig, who’d defeated Andrew Vigue 3-1 and chalked up one of the double hill wins in a battle versus Mark Small. Barbagallo and Stadig locked up in a double hill contest that eventually sent Barbagallo to the quarterfinals. He was joined by Nicaloro, who’d defeated Palmquist 3-1.
Barbagallo then got locked up in his second straight double hill match, and persevered to defeat Nicaloro, and earn a re-match against Eno. Barbagallo gave up only a single rack in the semifinals against Eno, and then completely shut out Simoneau in the opening set of the finals. Simoneau fought back in the second set to assist in recording the seventh double hill match among the final 12 players, and hung on to win it.
