All Star and Divisional coverage by Cheryl Ellis.
NXL All-Star Game
Inspired by the NASCAR All-Star Race that was held the weekend after the Mid-Atlantic Open, it was decided in the weeks leading up to the Dover event that it would be fun to host an All-Star game of our own. Encouraging fan engagement, the teams were decided by a ranked-choice voting system, and then players were given the option to opt in.
It would be a crime to name selected players only, so rather than writing a list of players who participated, it might make sense to mention instead the placements that caused some headscratching and mild criticism.
Debate circulated about the selection of certain players for their respective lines. A direct quote overheard by one at the event went like this:
“ Why is Tyler Harmon from Edmonton Impact on the West team, when Impact is considered Eastern conference for the 3v3 series. Wait, no. Edmonton is in the West- both geographically and in the scorebooks. But Axel Gaudin in the West makes absolutely no sense.”
Regardless of the squawking, the match proved to be educational and fun. The crowd thoroughly enjoyed the match, and possibly the sideline coaching that was allowed with it. The tiered seating of the Dover main stage gave fans a great vantage point from which to call out shots and positions, and its proximity to the bar contributed to the fun. Cheers and jeers could be heard from the main road.
The game ended with the East triumphant in a highly contentious 7-4 win. In fact, as the game wrapped up, the scoreboard actually reflected that the match score to be 6-5. But no matter, the result was still the same.
For an event that hasn’ t been hosted in 20 years, it was a fan favorite. In fact, the last recorded All- Star game was held at the PSP Northeast Open in September of 2006. With this win, Konstantin Fedorov became the first and only player in history with two All Star East wins on his resume.
038 paintball. media magazine