Abraham Wins His First Joss Billiards Stop

Posted by admin as Joss Northeast 9 Ball Tour

Abraham Wins His First Joss Billiards Stop
Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / West Hempstead, NY

by Skip Maloney

Eddie Abraham scored his first Joss Northeast Tour stop title at Raxx Pool Room in West Hempstead, NY.

Eddie Abraham picked up his first win on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour the weekend of December 6-7. He bested George Rodriguez in the finals to take first place in the $2,000-added event that drew 43 entrants to Raxx Pool Room in West Hempstead, NY.

From among the winners’ side final four, Abraham defeated George “Ginky” Sansouci 9-5 as Bobbie Blackmore sent Rodriguez west 9-2. Abraham sent Blackmore over with a 9-3 win that left him in the hot seat.

On the one-loss side, Shaun Wilkie got past Bob Lewis and tour director Mike Zuglan to take on Rodriguez, as Joey Korsiak advanced past Matt Krah and Ivaylo Petrov for the right to meet Sansouci. Rodriguez defeated Wilkie 9-5, while Sansouci allowed Korsiak only a single rack on his way to a 9-1 victory. Rodriguez then dropped Sansouci into fourth place 9-6 before meeting and defeating Blackmore in the semifinals 9-5.

Rodriguez carried some momentum into the finals that followed by taking a 3-0 lead. Abraham began to battle back, one game at a time, eventually knotting it at 6-6 and then surging ahead to win it 9-6.

Results:
1st Eddie Abraham $1,440
2nd George Rodriguez $1,000
3rd Bobbie Blackmore $800
4th George Sansouci
5th Shawn Wilkie $400
Joey Korsiak
7th Mike Zuglan $200
Ivaylo Petrov
9th Bob Lewis $100
Tony Robles
Matt Krah
Bruce Carroll

Hatch Owns Joss Tour for Third Time in a Row

Posted by admin as Joss Northeast 9 Ball Tour

Hatch Owns Joss Tour for Third Time in a Row
Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / Providence, RI

by Skip Maloney

Hatch outlasted Sansouci at the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour event in Providence, RI.

Dennis “The Hatchetman” Hatch survived a double-elimination battle in the finals versus George Sansouci to win his third straight stop on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour the weekend of November 22-23, becoming the twentieth Ocean State 9-Ball Champion whose name will be added to a banner on display at the host location, Snooker’s Pool Lounge in Providence, RI. The $5,000-added event, with a total purse of $13,000, drew 80 entrants to the lounge.

It was the fourth time on the tour, dating back to early October, that Hatch had to withstand a strong challenge from the one-loss side—twice by David Grau, once by Jeremy Sossei, and this time out from Sansouci. Early Sunday, Hatch sent Kevin Guimond to the one-loss side 9-2, as Mike Dechaine battled to hill-hill with Sansouci before sending him to the left side. Hatch prevailed over Dechaine 9-7 to gain the hot seat.

With visions of another crack at Hatch, Grau was once again battling back through the one-loss side, defeating Joe Tucker and Ray McNamara by identical 9-6 scores to meet Guimond. Mike Badstuebner, in the meantime, advanced to meet Sansouci. Badstuebner dropped into the tie for fifth place on the heels of a 9-5 Sansouci win, as Grau ousted Guimond 9-7. Grau’s bid ended in the quarterfinals as Sansouci moved into the semifinals with a 9-7 victory. In the easiest of the three battles he fought to get back to the finals, Sansouci defeated Dechaine 9-2.

For the first time in his last three victories on the tour, Hatch had to play a second set. Sansouci won the opener 9-5 but fell 9-4 in the second set, giving Hatch the victory and title of 2008 Ocean State 9-Ball Champion.

Results:
1st Dennis Hatch $2,500
2nd George Sansouci $1,800
3rd Mike Dechaine $1,300
4th Dave Grau $1,000
5th Mike Badstuebner $800
Kevin Guimond
7th Ray McNamara $600
Adam Kielar
9th Jamie Forcier $400
Joe Tucker
Tony Masi
Shaun Wilkie

Hatch Scores Second Straight Joss Win

Posted by admin as Joss Northeast 9 Ball Tour

Hatch Scores Second Straight Joss Win
Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / Albany, NY

by Skip Maloney

Hatch claimed his second straight Joss billiards event.

Over the weekend of November 15-16, Dennis Hatch won his second straight Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour. It was his fourth overall, his third in just over a month, and the first in that month that he wasn’t facing Dave Grau in the finals. This time it was Jeremy Sossei, who mounted a strong challenge from the one-loss side to face him in the finals. The $2,000-added event, with a total prize package of $6,240, drew 53 entrants to Golden Cue Billiards in Albany, NY.

Working from among the final four on the winners’ side, Hatch did get to face Grau, sending him west with a 9-7 victory, as Dan Hewitt defeated Kevin Ketz 9-3 to join him in the hot seat match. Hatch sent Hewitt to the semifinals and presumably expected Grau to be back for another try at defeating him in the finals. It was not to be.

On the one-loss side, Sossei was working from among the final eight over there to meet Bruce Carroll for the right to take on Ketz. It was Shane Winters, following victories over Terry Federico and Jason Michas, who was waiting for Grau. Sossei and Grau advanced to the quarterfinals on the heels of 9-3, 9-2 victories, respectively. Sossei ended Grau’s third straight bid to get back to Hatch with a 9-7 win and moved on to Hewitt in the semifinals. He dropped Hewitt into third place with a commanding shut-out win and moved into the double-elimination finals against Hatch.

Hatch wasted no time. He took an early 6-1 lead and went on to a 9-4 victory that closed out his third straight undefeated weekend on the Joss Tour.

Results:
1st Dennis Hatch $1,700
2nd Jeremy Sossei $1,240
3rd Dan Hewitt $900
4th Dave Grau $700
5th Shane Winters $450
Kevin Ketz
7th Jason Michas $200
Bruce Carroll
9th Mike Zuglan $100
Chance Chin
Jose Mendez
Terry Federico

Hatch Takes Second Joss Billiards Stop

Posted by admin as Joss Northeast 9 Ball Tour

Hatch Takes Second Joss Billiards Stop

Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / Utica, NY

by Skip Maloney

Hatch took down first place at the Joss Tour stop at Hippo's House of Billiards in Utica, NY.

For the second time in just over a month, Dennis Hatch withstood a strong, one-loss-side challenge by Dave Grau to win his second Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour stop the weekend of November 8-9. A total of 36 entrants were on hand at Hippo’s House of Billiards for the $1,500-added event that, according to tour director Mike Zuglan will, in the future, be known as the Al Conte Memorial. Conte, respected throughout the industry as a table installer for over 30 years, died October 20 at the age of 79. His son, Victor Conte, one of his eight children, is the owner of Hippo’s House of Billiards.

Hatch, Jose Mendez, Bucky Souvanthong, and Greg Antonakos made up the final four on the winners’ side of this event. Hatch defeated Mendez 9-5 to move into the hot seat match versus Antonakos, who’d defeated Souvanthong 9-4. Antonakos took an early lead in the hot seat match that followed, but Hatch caught him, battling to hill-hill before Hatch prevailed.

Grau and Gary Empey were embarked on a west side campaign that eventually pitted them against each other in the quarterfinals. Grau and Empey dropped Souvanthong and Mendez, respectively, into a tie for fifth place before struggling back and forth to a 9-7 victory for Grau. He then duplicated that score in the semifinal match against Antonakos and advanced to take on the undefeated Hatch.

An early battle that saw the two tied through the first few racks saw Hatch eventually pull away. He eliminated the need for a second set in the double-elimination format by defeating Grau 9-3 and taking home the top prize.

Results:
1st Dennis Hatch $1,250
2nd Dave Grau $880
3rd Greg Antonakos $650
4th Gary Empey
5th Jose Mendez $350
Bucky Souvanthong
7th Carlos Vieira $200
Tim Parisian
9th Dick Cappotto
Mike Renshaw
Terry Federico
Mike Zuglan

Parica Takes Two to Win Joss Billiard Stop

Posted by admin as Joss Northeast 9 Ball Tour

Parica Takes Two to Win Joss Billiard Stop

Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / Parsippany, NJ

by Skip Maloney

Parica defeated Adam Kielar twice to claim first-place honors at the Joss Tour stop at Comet Billiards in Parsippany, NJ.

Jose Parica won his first Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour stop the weekend of November 1-2. He defeated Adam Kielar twice to capture first-place honors in the $2,000-added event, which drew 45 entrants to Comet Billiards in Parsippany, NJ.

Parica and Kielar met first among the winners’ side final four, with Parica advancing to the hot seat match with a 9-3 win. Tour director Mike Zuglan, in the meantime, sent Jeremy Sossei west by the same score. In the hot seat match that followed, Parica sent Zuglan to the semifinals with a 9-6 victory.

On the one-loss side, Dave Grau and Joey Kong, having defeated Allen Hopkins and Joey Korsiak, respectively, were there waiting for Kielar and Sossei. Grau and Kong were dropped into a tie for fifth as Kielar and Sossei squared off in the quarterfinals. Kielar dominated that match 9-2 and turned to face Zuglan. He defeated Zuglan 9-5 for a second crack at Parica.

Parica, however, was not to be denied. He duplicated his earlier 9-3 victory over Kielar to capture the first place prize.

Results:
1st Jose Parica $1,500
2nd Adam Kielar $1,100
3rd Mike Zuglan $800
4th Jeremy Sossei $600
5/6th Dave Grau $400
5/6th Joey Kong
7/8th Allen Hopkins $200
7/8th Joey Korsiak
9/12th Bob Blackmore $100
9/12th Len Favata
9/12th Carmen Lombardo
9/12th Marc Vidal

Hatch Defends Against All Comers

Posted by admin as Joss Northeast 9 Ball Tour

Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / Clifton Park, NY

by Skip Maloney, Inside POOL Magazine

Dennis "The Hatchetman" Hatch chopped down Dave Grau at the Joss Northeast 9-Ball event at Trick Shot Billiards and Sports Pub in Clifton Park, NY.

Dennis Hatch, in the hot seat at the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour stop on the weekend of October 4-5, watched as his soon-to-be opponent, Dave Grau, dismantled Mike Zuglan 9-0 in the semifinals. However sobering that spectacle must have been, Hatch didn’t let it bother him, as he went on to defeat Grau in the finals of the $2,000-added event, which had drawn 36 players to Trick Shot Billiards and Sports Pub in Clifton Park, NY.

Earlier in the day, Hatch and Zuglan had met in the hot seat match. Hatch had earlier sent Paul Rozonewski west with a 9-5 win, as Zuglan sent Chance Chin over 9-7. Hatch defeated Zuglan 9-5 and likely expected him back.

Dave Grau, in the meantime, working from the one-loss side, had defeated Jason Michas 9-4 and squared off against Chin. It was Charlie Fowler who took on Rozonewski. Chin and Fowler ended up in a tie for fifth place, as Grau and Rozonewski squared off in the quarterfinals. Grau dropped Rozonewski into fourth place before finishing Zuglan’s tournament in the 9-0 semifinal battle.

The feat was not duplicated. Hatch held off Grau’s bid to take it all, defeating him 9-4 and completing an undefeated weekend.

Results:
1st Dennis Hatch $1,400
2nd Dave Grau $950
3rd Mike Zuglan $750
4th Paul Rozonewski $580
5/6th Charlie Fowler $400
5/6th Chance Chin
7/8th Dave Fernandez $200
7/8th Jason Michas

Saez Goes Undefeated at Joss Billiards Stop

Posted by admin as Joss Northeast 9 Ball Tour

Saez Goes Undefeated at Joss Billiards Stop
Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / Waterville, ME

by Skip Maloney, Inside POOL Magazine

Saez outlasted Marc Vidal to take down the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour stop at TJ's Billiards in Waterville, ME.

Robb Saez withstood a double challenge from Marc Vidal and took home the first-place prize on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour stop September 27-28. The $2,000-added event drew 28 entrants to TJ’s Classic Billiards in Waterville, ME.

Among the winners’ side final four, Saez and Billy “the Kid” Lanna sent Vidal and Ivaylo Petrov, respectively, to the one-loss side of the bracket with identical 9-6 victories. Saez then grabbed the hot seat, sending Lanna over with a 9-7 win.

On the one-loss side, Ray McNamara and Tom McGonagle dropped Chris Leal and David Hall into a tie for seventh before meeting up with Vidal and Petrov. The latter two dropped McNamara and McGonagle into a tie for fifth place and squared off to face each other in the quarterfinals. Vidal and Petrov battled to a 9-7 win for Vidal, who went on to defeat Lanna in the semifinals 9-6.

In what turned out to be only the third match among the tournament’s final ten to conclude with a score differential higher than four racks, Saez concluded his first journey of the year to first place with a commanding 9-3 victory over Vidal.

Results:
1st Robb Saez
2nd Marc Vidal
3rd Billy Lanna
4th Ivaylo Petrov
5/6th Ray McNamara
5/6th Tom McGonagle
7/8th Chris Leal
7/8th David Hall

Corr Wins Her Fifth Joss Billiard Tour Event

Posted by admin as Joss Northeast 9 Ball Tour

Corr Wins Her Fifth Joss Billiard Tour Event

Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / Providence, RI
by Skip Maloney
Women’s Professional Billiards Association (WPBA) player Karen Corr is still the only woman billiard player to have ever won an event on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, and on the weekend of May 3-4, she worked her way through a field of 60 entrants undefeated to become the only woman to win five of them. Corr defeated Ivaylo Petrov twice, once for the hot seat and again in the finals of the $2000-added event at Snookers Café and Billiards in Providence, RI.
Earlier on Sunday, the four finalists on the winners’ side battled to identical 9-5 scores to put Corr in the hot seat. Petrov defeated Bob Madenjian, while Corr moved past Randy Labonte. Petrov battled, but Corr prevailed in the hot seat match.
By Sunday, there were only four left on the one-loss side of the bracket, and the early matches there were close. Dave Fernandez and Ray McNamara battled back and forth through advances and ties, neither player moving further than a single game ahead of the other. Both had opportunities to close it out in the subsequent hill-hill game to win it, but it was McNamara who advanced. Bucky Souvanthong jumped out to a 5-0 lead in his battle versus Tom McGonagle, but McGonagle fought back to tie and kept it close, before falling just shy of bringing the match to hill-hill.
Madenjian, over from the winners’ side, took on McNamara, defeating him 9-5, as Souvanthong took on Labonte, defeating him handily 9-3. Souvanthong then held on to best Madenjian 9-6 to move into the semifinals against Petrov. Petrov jumped out to an early 3-0 lead before Souvanthong responded to tie it. The match wavered back and forth to hill-hill, where, just as in the earlier match-up between Fernandez and McNamara, both players had an opportunity to win the final game but passed until Petrov prevailed.
Corr lost no time establishing her rhythm in the final against Petrov. She jumped out to an early lead that she never relinquished and closed out her undefeated weekend with a commanding 9-4 victory.
The 2007-2008 Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour will conclude on the weekend of August 14-17 with a $25,000-added tour finale at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY. According to tour director Mike Zugman, the entry list will be capped at 128 competitors, about half of whom have already signed up. The only way to enter this tournament is to contact Zugman directly at 518-356-7163.
Results:
1st Karen Corr
2nd Ivaylo Petrov
3rd Bucky Souvanthong
4th Bob Madenjian
5th Ray McNamara
Randy Labonte
7th Dave Fernandez
Tom McGonagle
9th Trystan Speedwell
Jason Michas
Pete Ziemak
Dennis Levesque
13th Damon Sobers
Joe Tucker
Chris Leal
Chris Uhlman

Heidrich Hangs on to Win

Posted by admin as Joss Northeast 9 Ball Tour

Heidrich Hangs on to Win

Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / Parsippany, NJ
by Skip Maloney
In a true double-elimination final match on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour in Parsippany, NJ, Dan Heidrich withstood a strong attack that put him on the brink of defeat. He rallied in the second match to defeat Adam Kielar and capture the first place prize in the $2,000-added event. The tour stop drew 29 entrants to Comet Billiards on the weekend of April 26-27.
Earlier in the day, Heidrich knocked Jesse Ramirez to the one-loss side of the bracket as Kielar was doing the same to Jonathan Smith. The last two winners then squared off in the hot seat match, battling back and forth to a 9-7 win for Heidrich.
On the one-loss side, Bucky Souvanthong dropped Jason Michas into the seventh-place slot, as Carmen Lombardo, in a 9-7, three-hour marathon, did the same to Bobby Blackmore. In a series of tightly contested games and matches leading up to the quarterfinals, Smith, fresh from the winners’ side, defeated Souvanthong, and Carmen Lombardo got by Jesse Ramirez. Smith then knocked Lombardo into fourth place with a 9-6 win.
With visions of the 9-7, back-and-forth struggle that had knocked him onto the west side in his mind, Kielar wasted little time dispatching Smith into third place. He jumped out to a 7-0 lead before trading a couple of games and closing it out 9-2.
At the beginning of the true double-elimination match-up versus Heidrich, it looked as though Kielar was going to build on the momentum he’d established in his semifinal match against Smith. He won that first set handily 9-3 and stood poised to avenge his earlier defeat in the hot seat match. But Heidrich turned the tables rapidly, capitalizing on a few mistakes, running five racks in the middle of the contest and closing it out at 9-4 for the victory.
Results:
1st Dan Heidrich
2nd Adam Kielar
3rd Jonathan Smith
4th Carmen Lombardo
5th Bucky Souvanthong
Jesse Ramirez
7th Jason Michas
Bobby Blackmore

Hatch Hangs on for Win

Posted by admin as Joss Northeast 9 Ball Tour

Hatch Hangs on for Win
Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / Albany, NY

by Skip Maloney
In front of a capacity crowd, Dennis “The Hatchet Man” Hatch struggled a bit in a winners’-side final match against Mike Zuglan but hung on to win and then went on to defeat Dan Heidrich in the $3,000-added Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour stop on the weekend of April 19-20. The event drew 49 players, who played around on-going reconstruction work at the 50-year-old Golden Cue Billiards facility in Albany, NY.
On the one-loss side of the bracket Sunday, Heidrich, having been defeated by Zuglan on the winners’ side, went on to oust Ed Abraham 9-4 in the quarterfinal match. In the hot seat match, Hatch jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Zuglan responded, eventually knotting the score at 6 and again at 7. Zuglan failed to make a ball on the subsequent break and Hatch capitalized, winning the final two racks.
Heidrich had no trouble eliminating an admittedly tired Zugman in the semifinals 9-1 and moved on to the finals against the undefeated Hatch. The final match was an early, back-and-forth struggle that lasted until Hatch moved ahead 5-4. He allowed Heidrich only one other game victory before taking home the first-place prize.
Results:
1st Dennis Hatch
2nd Dan Heidrich
3rd Mike Zugman
4th Ed Abraham
5th Bucky Souvanthong
Tom D’Alfonso
7th Karen Corr
Frank Bess
9th Kevin Ketz
Damon Sobers
Tim Parisian
Greg Antonakos