Two matches, two heartbreakers: Breakers bow out in Grand Rapids
The Bay Area Breakers headed to Belknap Park for the Edward Jones MLP Mid-Season Tournament, the one event of the season that brings every team in the league under the same roof. Played alongside the Beer City Open, the format was double-elimination, with bonus standings points and prize money waiting for the teams that survived. For the Breakers, the week ended far sooner than they wanted, and both losses came by the thinnest of margins.
Down to a Dreambreaker against Florida
The Breakers opened against the Florida Smash and could not have come any closer. The match went the distance and was settled in a Dreambreaker, where Florida found just enough to advance. Losing that way stings, because a Dreambreaker is decided on a handful of points that could fall either way on any given day. This time they did not fall for the Bay.
Utah, and a 10-10 finish
Sent into the back draw, the Breakers ran into the Utah Black Diamonds in another match that came down to the wire. It reached 10-10 in game four, one swing from going the Breakers' way, and it did not. Two matches, two razor-thin finishes, and a week in Grand Rapids that was over before it really got going.
The Breakers competed. They just could not close. That has been the story of stretches of this season, and it is exactly the gap this group has to bridge.
Congratulations to the St. Louis Shock
Hats off to the St. Louis Shock, who ran through the field and captured the Mid-Season Tournament title, sweeping the New Jersey 5's 3-0 in Sunday's final. It is the first Mid-Season crown in franchise history, and they earned every bit of it, losing only a single game across the entire week. The Shock have been the standard in this league for weeks now, and Grand Rapids left no doubt.
Up next: San Diego
Now it all comes down to one weekend. The Breakers head to San Diego for the final regular-season event with their postseason hopes riding on it. The margins in Grand Rapids were tiny. Flip a Dreambreaker, win a 10-10 game, and the week looks completely different. That is the belief the Breakers carry to San Diego: they are right there, and one strong weekend can still change everything.
Thank you to our sponsors
None of this is possible without the partners who power the Breakers. Huge thanks to:
Ride the Tide.
See San Diego schedule →