The Professional Xball Division- Thursday
The prelims for the Pro Division at Cup were split over three days this year to accommodate the 24 teams in the division , and multiple other events taking place on the Pro Field . Breaking up the match sets certainly added to the anticipation .
As the play started , one thing became exceptionally clear out of the gate on Thursday morning : there is more parity in this league than ever before , and this weekend could literally belong to anyone .
With the resurgence of Chicago Aftershock , an all-star studded squad of veterans , expectations were high coming into the event . After layout practices early in the week , that was further bolstered as the word was they dominated this socalled “ traditional paintball ” layout .
ac Diesel would quickly dispel any hopes of a Cinderella story for ‘ Shock , however , taking them down 7-1 to start off their weekend . While this may have been a … for Aftershock , credit has to be given to Diesel for their strong start here at ‘ Cup . This team has a strong roster , but they have struggled for the past two seasons to everyone ’ s dismay . After this match , rumblings started that this could be the event where Diesel finds its stride .
On the other side of the coin , Impact got off to a slower start . With their name waving on a majority of the championship banners that lined the field in Kissimmee , Edmonton Impact goes into every event with high expectations . They started this weekend by taking a narrow-margin , overtime win over the ML Kings that probably had them reviewing some film on Thursday night .
Further underscoring the parity across the division , the Pro powerhouse San Diego Dynasty hasn ’ t seen a prelim match in three years due to their blue wave domination over the Pro Division from 2021 through 2023 seasons . This year , however , they have missed Sunday twice , and now find themselves fighting amongst the rest of the field for a chance to defend their World Cup title once more .
And then , of course , there was the upstart PaintballFit , a team showing incredible prowess in their first season in the Pro Division . Fit made quick business of ASG Aftermath with a 5-2 win , and then issued a 6-0 mercy the young Spider Fusion to set themselves up in a strong spot for the weekend ahead .
Two teams who were expected to do well , who were caught off guard first thing on Thursday : New York Xtreme and New Orleans Hurricanes .
New York Xtreme had a tough showing on Thursday , losing their first match to the Ironmen , and then dropping a spicy matchup against the ML Kings that went to overtime . Despite Jesse Caro ’ s heroic move out of the snake where he would
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