St. Louis Shock Stun New Jersey 5s: The St. Louis Shock beat the New Jersey 5s 3-1 on Saturday in the Edward Jones MLP Mid-Season Tournament at Belknap Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. With this win, the Shock reached the final, where they will face the undefeated Dallas Flash.
Shock Take Early Control
In women’s doubles, Anna Bright and Kate Fahey helped St. Louis take the lead with a 12-10 win over Anna Leigh Waters and Mari Humberg. The New Jersey team had game point at 10-9, but Bright and Fahey fought back for the win. Fahey praised the mental strength of her teammates later in the match.
“To go in up 2-1 and to have it be 8-8 and 9-8 is so mentally strong from Hayden and Anna. It’s unbelievable to close that out. I thought I was gonna pass out on the sideline.”(Kate Fahey )
St. Louis then extended their lead to 2-0 when Hayden Patriquin and Gabriel Tardio won the men’s doubles match 11-7 against Will Howells and Zane Navratil. This repeated their strong performance against the same pair in Orlando earlier this season.
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New Jersey Changes Lineup
New Jersey made a bold change by starting Mari Humberg instead of Meghan Dizon. Humberg was previously traded to the Challenger level before being brought back last month. This was her first appearance of the season in the Premier lineup. She partnered with Anna Leigh Waters but could not stop St. Louis in their close women’s doubles match.
New Jersey’s only win came in mixed doubles when Anna Leigh Waters and Will Howells beat Kate Fahey and Gabriel Tardio 11-3. However, the Shock clinched the win when Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin defeated Zane Navratil and Mari Humberg 11-8.
| Event | St. Louis Shock | New Jersey 5s | Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women’s Doubles | Anna Bright / Kate Fahey | Anna Leigh Waters / Mari Humberg | 12-10 | St. Louis Shock |
| Men’s Doubles | Hayden Patriquin / Gabriel Tardio | Zane Navratil / Will Howells | 11–7 | St. Louis Shock |
| Mixed Doubles 1 | Kate Fahey / Gabriel Tardio | Anna Leigh Waters / Will Howells | 3–11 | New Jersey 5s |
| Mixed Doubles 2 | Anna Bright / Hayden Patriquin | Zane Navratil / Mari Humberg | 11–8 | St. Louis Shock |
| Dreambreaker | Not Played | Not Played | — | — |
Looking Ahead to the Final
This semifinal win sends the St. Louis Shock into a championship match against the Dallas Flash, a team that hasn’t lost all season.
“They’re an incredible team. We haven’t played them yet, but we’re obviously expecting their best. I think in the finals it just comes down to who wants it more. Both teams are extremely talented—they’re amazing and haven’t lost a match—and so we’re just gonna go out there swinging.”(Kate Fahey )
This final is set to be the most anticipated match of the MLP season.
News in Brief: St. Louis Shock Stun New Jersey 5s
St. Louis Shock beat New Jersey 5s 3-1 at Belknap Park in Grand Rapids to move into the Edward Jones MLP Mid-Season Tournament final. With strong play from Anna Bright, Kate Fahey, Hayden Patriquin, and Gabriel Tardio, they’ll now face the unbeaten Dallas Flash in the championship showdown.
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