Drew Larson - Ice Bocce Champion 2009

Drew Larson proved you don't have to be from ice country to be a champion in Ice Bocce. Larson, who hails from Salina, Kansas, staged a most improbable championship run, knocking out previously un-defeated and #1 ranked Casey Ward 7-2, 1-7, 7-5 and then #3 ranked Jim Finch 8-6, 7-5.

Larson, who finished the regular season 2-2 and ranked 13th, was un-flappable in the playoffs. In fact, after an initial hiccup which saw him sitting at 1-2, Larson was downright dominant. He won on the last chance qualifier night and then took out the #4 seed Natalie Ward and #7 Mike Trecker back to back. His run to the championship continued in glorious fashion on Tuesday night. Taking on the #1 ranked Casey Ward, Larson seemed to relish under the pressure while Ward succumbed for the first time. Larson took the opener 7-2, signaling to the large group of spectators that there would indeed be a challenge ahead. Ward then answered the call taking the second game 7-1, the third would decide semi number one.

Battling point for point, the two titans of the ice rolled and measured for over half an hour to tie it up 5-5. Rolling on the River Court which has some technical breaks, Ward left a small opening for Larson to score two points and close it out. Missing on the first attempt, Larson nailed the second and sent Casey to the 3rd place game. It has been an incredible run for Ward who has won the big tournament 2 out of 3 times and had never lost a match until last night.

Meanwhile, Jim (The Iceman) Finch took on the notorious Agustin Goba the #3 and #6 respectively. Finch set the tone early with his steady, rally from behind style while Goba's lucky hat proved quite the opposite, Finch 7-2 in the first. Goba then rallied just as Ward had done on the River court, taking the second 7-3. Agustin had his chances in the decisive game but once again small mistakes combined with Finch's knack for capitalizing meant no final for Goba, Finch won 7-5 to advance to the championship game and face Larson.

Goba changed hats for the 3rd place game but his luck went further down and down some more, as Casey Ward closed him out in around 20 minutes 7-0, 7-0. Just as the consolation match was finishing it's second game on the House court, the championship final was just warming up, Larson led Finch 2-1 in the first!! What a difference a championship final versus a consolation match means to the pressure and speed of the game.

Hammer and Tong, Finch and Larson exchanged blows one point at a time to a 6-6 tie in the first. There have been some great matches this season but this championship game absolutely lived up to the hype. Larson then took advantage of the moment and closed out the first with a 2 point score to take it 8-6. Finch looked to extend to match to a third game taking a small lead in the second but it was Larson who battled this time to a 5-5 tie and then again scored twice in the last inning to win the championship 8-6, 7-5.

What a season it has been! We started before Christmas and had a total of 33 players participate in league play. We had over 20 players reach the league minimum of 4 matches played and 16 then advanced to the tournament playoffs. Championship Night saw a major party and many spectators come out to cheer or jeer, and they were rewarded with an incredible night of Bocce Fever. Thanks to everyone who made this experience a reality, it was a blast. We hope to do it again next year, but in the meantime, get ready for the summer season, I know Agustin will be priming his game early this spring, so get your lawn skills together. See ya next time.

The Commish
Mike Trecker

Championship Night scores:

Semi #1: Drew Larson d. Casey Ward 7-2, 1-7, 7-5
Semi #2: Jim Finch d. Agustin Goba 7-2, 3-7, 7-5

3rd Place: Casey Ward d. Agustin Goba 7-0, 7-0

Championship: Drew Larson d. Jim Finch 8-6, 7-5