Thursday, October 7, 2083
PANTHERS POUNCE ON HELLCATS IN ROUND 1, #2 HARTSDALE CALLS IT A SEASON
Only one of the highest-rated teams in the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup playoffs failed to advance to the second round. #2-ranked Hartsdale was knocked off in a spirited 6-game skirmish by the #4 team, the East Point Panthers. The other three favored clubs, top-rated Rolling Hills, #3 Belair Beach and #7 Volusia won as expected. The Racers blitzed the #5 Colchester Elites in a quick 5-game set, the Sunbirds struggled mightily with #6 Wynnamac, finally eliminated the Macs in 7 games and the Vigilantes swept past #8 Far Mountain in 4 games to advance to the second round.
Belair Beach will host red-hot Volusia in the best-of-seven Ruthlandian Union Title Series, while Rolling Hills will meet East Point at home for the Tycobbian Union Title. The victors of the two series will meet for the 2083 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Trophy. The Racers will be pursuing their 11th Pro Cup Trophy. It will be only the second IPA title for the Sunbirds and Vigilantes. Belair Beach won it in 2071. Volusia captured their only Pro Cup in the very first edition of the much-coveted award. That was way back in 2001. Poor East Point has never been blessed as yet. However twice the Panthers reached the Pro Cup Finals. Elnora defeated them in 7 games in 2033 and Middlefield topped them in 6 games in 2052. The rest of the times East Point lost in the first rounds.
2083 Tycobbian Union First-Round Series
