NXL Mid-Atlantic Open - Dover with Shock
This event was different from Tampa Bay because this time I was only playing with Shock since there was no WNXL event alongside it. I flew out on Wednesday the 22nd at 5 a.m. and landed around 1 p.m. after a short layover in Panama. As soon as the layout dropped, we went straight to the field in Tampa to walk it and start shooting off the break. Right away I could tell this layout was going to reward discipline and communication more than anything else.
The next few days were pure grind. We practiced against Panda and Blackout all the way through Sunday, getting reps nonstop and trying to clean up every small mistake we could. Every layout weekend with these guys feels intense because everybody is trying to improve every point, every breakout, every communication detail. By the end of Sunday, even though we were exhausted, I felt way more confident on the field than I did when we first saw the layout.
Monday ended up being one of the coolest off days I’ve had during a tournament trip. Hoski, Marky, Jim, Mason, and I went fishing, which was my first time ever doing it. I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but I had so much fun. We caught fish, saw dolphins swimming near the boat, and watched huge planes taking off nearby the whole time.
After fishing, we went back to eat the fresh fish we caught, then headed back out on the boat to look for sharks. Somehow, we actually found some. It turned into one of those random days you don’t really plan for, but ends up becoming one of your favorite memories from the trip. We finished the day with ice cream and trying to hunt down Pokémon cards.
On Tuesday night, I flew into Baltimore instead of directly to Dover because it was cheaper. Spirit somehow managed to steal my JT Triad hopper, which was already annoying enough, and then not long after that they declared bankruptcy and shut down. So… thank you Spirit.
My HEROINES teammate Katie picked me up late that night, and Wednesday ended up being one of the best days ever. We started the morning hiking, then went back and I had breakfast she made for me. After that we hit the gym, got in the sauna, tried a massage bed, grabbed some açaí drinks, and somehow less than an hour later we were already drinking boba too.
At some point we drove down into Washington for a bit, and I got to see the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial before traffic got insane and we headed back toward Baltimore. We ended the day in Little Italy eating some of the best pasta I’ve ever had, then drove back to the airport where the Shock guys were waiting for me so we could all head to Dover together.
We got to the house late at night and had to leave again at 6 a.m. for Pro 3v3 the next morning.
Thursday – Pro 3v3
Our first 3v3 match was against Collision. It was a high-scoring game, but we couldn’t quite finish the comeback in time and lost 4–5.
Next we played Infamous. On the very first point, I got left in a 1v2. I shot the first player, but while trying to stop the second guy from hitting the buzzer, I completely missed him. Just like that, we started down a point. We fought the entire match, but again time worked against us and we lost 3–4.
Even though we didn’t get the results we wanted, the experience itself was still amazing. After the games we grabbed Cane’s, rested for a bit, then went back out around 5 p.m. to practice more points against Collision and the Aftershock guys. We walked the field one more time before heading back to the hotel to get ready for the real event.
Friday – Every Match Becomes a Final
Friday was the start of the main tournament, and right away things got stressful.
Our first match was against WildDogs. We won the opening point, and during the second one I was already walking toward the buzzer after they picked up a penalty when suddenly I heard someone yell “Base!”
For people that don’t know paintball terms, they dead man walked us. Basically, a player pretends he’s eliminated and keeps walking either to hit the buzzer or shoot players in the back. In this case, the player hit the buzzer and tied the game instead.
That changed everything.
We dropped another point, tied it back up, and eventually went into overtime after the clock expired. We lost players off the break in overtime and ended up losing 2–3.
At that point, every game left in prelims became a must-win.
Next up was Miami Effect, and we responded well. We controlled most of the match, went up 4–1, and while trying to slow things down near the end we gave one point back. Final score: 4–2.
Saturday – Win or Go Home
Saturday started against Blackout for the second time this season. They’re one of the strongest teams in the bracket, and even though we battled, we couldn’t pull it out.
That meant our final prelim game against KC Allstars was officially win or go home.
KC had finished fourth at the last event, so we already knew it was going to be a grinder. Every point felt heavy, but we managed to stay ahead and closed it out 3–2. With that win, we secured a Sunday spot with a 2–2 record. Definitely not as clean as Tampa, but honestly, we came into Sunday hungrier than ever.
Sunday Club
Our first Sunday match was against TPP Crew, former Semi Pro champions. The game was chaotic, but our teamwork stayed controlled the entire time and we managed to win 4–3. That victory already pushed us past our previous best result, and for a moment you could really feel how close we were getting to the bigger goal.
Quarterfinals were against Rejects, which made things even more interesting because that’s Nana’s team. They had finished third at the last event and their ability to hold leads is honestly scary. We started the match down a point, and against a team like Rejects that’s a dangerous place to be.
The guys fought hard the entire game trying to claw it back, but we came up just short and lost 2–3.
We finished the event 8th overall, one spot better than Tampa, and right now Shock is sitting 5th in the season rankings. The fight for the Pro spot is far from over, but every event we keep improving and learning more about what this team can become.
This was the biggest Semi Pro event in NXL history, and even though we didn’t get the finish we wanted, I’m proud of how we responded when things got difficult.
Now it’s time for CNP Bogota and MXL Monterrey before heading back to double duty with Shock and HEROINES in Ohio.
