May 2024 - National Squash League

The Southern Division got turned on its head last weekend at Montgomery Bell Academy as the Nashville Crushers steamrolled the undefeated Atlanta Tornados 4-0, becoming the new front runners for a spot in the NSL Championship. Nashville opted for a younger lineup to kick off their season, notably starting Colombian phenom Ronald “El Parcero” Palomino over veteran Juan Vargas for the home opener. Atlanta employed a fresh lineup as well, opting for the South American duo of Andres “El Bandido” Herrera and Matias Lacroix to combine with Kiwi star Lwamba “The Grandmaster” Chileshe at the top of their lineup.

Any question marks that lingered about the unproven Nashville squad were quickly diminished after the first period, in which the Crushers held the lead from start to finish. Crushers #1 Timothy Brownell handed the reigns to his teammate Palomino after just 6 minutes of play, leading 8-7 against Chileshe. Palomino stifled the Tornados offensive, nullifying the fast paced game of Lacroix in the mid stages and holding the lead for offensive weapon Simon Herbert to finish the job- which he did, firing the ball around with his British nonchalance to seal the period 24-18.

The second period saw an explosion of offensive play from Nashville, who racked up an astounding 38 points over 20 minutes of play. Nashville coach Dylan Cunningham opted to start the period with his engine player Ronald Palomino, and Tornados coach Celia Pashley countered with offensive talent “El Muchacho” Lacroix in an attempt to get ahead early. The plan blew up, as Palomino put up a devastating 14-2 bomba of Colombian wizardry to put the Tornados into desperation mode. Coach Pashley subbed on Herrera and called their 2 minute powerplay to try to get back in the match, but Nashville #1 Brownell was there to stymie the attack and even extend the lead, eventually subbing off with a 25-6 team lead for Herbert to again come in as the garbage man, cleaning up the last few minutes.

In period 3 it was do or die for the Tornados, and to their credit they fought tooth and nail, keeping the score level all the way towards the end stages. Palomino subbed off for Herbert with a narrow 16-15 lead after battling El Bandido Herrera for several minutes, and fireworks ensued as some chippy play between Herbert and Lacroix saw the score at 24-25, Lacroix scoring several on power play and throwing some massive fist pumps to the crowd. The match was nip and tuck until a pivotal moment occurred between the #1s with 4 minutes left on the clock: Atlanta missed the window to call their remaining power play. This was due to a lengthy rally between Brownell and Chileshe which put the clock past the 4 minute barrier, after which no power plays can be called. Atlanta coach Celia Pashley was shouting furiously for Chileshe to hit the tin and end the rally before the cutoff, but a rare blunder from The Grand Master left his team without its most valuable weapon and down 3 points with a few minutes to go. Brownell would hold the lead for Nashville, and the home crowd erupted as the Crushers moved to 1-0 and have their sights set on Derby City on May 17th, needing only to win one period in order to advance to the finals.

On May 3rd the Newport Dragons took on the Chicago Grizzlies at home at St. Georges School in Newport, RI.

The Dragons packed the house for this regular season clash between the two North Division team- with every seat filled, last minute ticket holders were forced to use standing room. The Grizzlies (#4) were one spot above the Dragons (#5) in both the Jackson Bragman & Sean Choi pre-season power rankings; however, it became clear from the get go that the Dragons were committed to flipping the rankings on their head.

Period 1 began with Dragon’s star Ramit Tandon taking on the Grizzlies’ Andrew Douglas, both of whom were first round draft picks for their teams. Tandon was able to edge out a 13-9 lead before the first substitution, which saw Spencer Lovejoy tap in for the Dragons and Todd Harrity for the Grizzlies. Harrity showed his experience during this shift, pulling ahead in the scoreline. Despite signs of a comeback, Grizzlies 3rd player, Mark Broekman, held off Sanjay Jeeva in the final moments to finish off the period 20 – 17 and put the Grizzlies up 1 – 0.

In the second period, Newport stuck to their strategy of starting out guns blazing by sending out Tandon, their #1 player. The Grizzlies elected to play Broekman to start the second, creating a mismatch for Newport to take advantage of. Tandon rocketed off to an 8-0 lead, playing some outrageous winners after grueling rallies that pumped even more energy into the already raucous crowd and sucked the energy out of the deflated Broekman. The tides were turning in this second period and everyone could feel it. After a long and successful shift from Tandon, he had built a comfortable lead that Lovejoy and Jeeva were able to hang on to for the rest of the period, the Dragons winning it 28 – 21.

With the score tied at 1 – 1, it all came down to the final period (worth 2 points). Momentum was in the Dragon’s favor, but Chicago was anything but defeated. Both teams opted again to start with their #1s, with Tandon taking on Douglas. The scoreline was neck-and-neck throughout the shift, with Douglas hanging in, but looking slightly fatigued towards the end. The first sub saw Lovejoy replace Tandon, but Douglas remain on court. It was clear that the work Tandon had put into the legs of Douglas paid dividends, as Lovejoy was able to start to build a small lead. The real turning point of the match happened next, as Harrity replaced Douglas but ran into the Lovejoy buzzsaw, with the American catching fire and rattling off countless winners to ultimately leave the court with a 10 point lead. After this shift, it was all about lead preservation, and Newport’s Sanjay Jeeva did just that in crunch time. With 5 minutes remaining, #1 Tandon came back on to put the icing on the cake. There was a slight scare for the home team as time expired when Tandon’s calf began to cramp, but luckily the Dragons had built enough of a lead to stay in control and win the period 43 – 38 and the overall match 3 – 1.

This victory puts the Dragons at 1 – 0 and at the top of the North Division table. They will travel to NYC on June 8th to take on the Knights. The Grizzlies will take on the Knights at home in Chicago on May 18th to avoid elimination.

Nashville downs the Tornados to take over the South

Newport Dragons Defeat Chicago Grizzlies in Front of Rowdy Home Crowd