The Predator Tour traveled to Connecticut on the weekend of March 22-23, drawing 33 entrants to a $500-added Amateur event, and a very short field of seven entrants to a $500-added Open tournament. Jeremy Sossei came from the loss side to defeat Tony Robles in the finals of the Open event, while Josh Thiele went undefeated to claim the Amateur title.
With a seven-entrant field, a first win by Sossei (over Bart Rivezzi, owner of the Corner Pocket Cafe, in Orange, CT, which hosted the event) put him among the winners' side final four. He was joined by Mike Dechaine (who'd defeated Kevin Guimond), Phil Davis (who got by Mike Jackson), and tournament director Tony Robles, who'd drawn a random bye. Dechaine hooked up with Sossei, as Robles faced Davis. Dechaine and Robles sent Sossei and Davis to the loss side by the same 7-3 score and faced each other for possession of the hot seat. Robles claimed it 7-5 and waited on what turned out to be the return of Sossei.
Over on the loss side, Guimond eliminated Rivezzi 7-4, to pick up Davis. Jackson picked up a loss-side bye to draw Sossei. Guimond defeated Davis 7-2, and in the quarterfinals, faced Sossei, who'd finished Jackson's day 7-3. Sossei got by Guimond 7-5 and then denied Dechaine a second shot at Robles with a 7-3 win in the semifinals. Sossei completed his loss-side run with an 11-5 finals win over Robles to claim the Open title.
Josh Thiele's victory in the Amateur event was almost overshadowed by a nine-match, loss-side winning streak by Brooke Meyer, who'd been defeated in the opening round of play and fought back to meet Thiele in the finals. Thiele met Jack Smith in one winners' side semifinal, while Joe Wilson Torres met up with Chickie Romero in the other one. Thiele survived a double hill match versus Smith, and in the hot seat match, faced Romero, who'd defeatEd Torres 7-4. Thiele claimed the hot seat with an 8-6 win and waited on Meyer.
Just a little shy of halfway through his loss-side winning streak (four down, five to go), Meyer defeated Dave Shlemperis 7-2, and then, Billy Santiago 7-6 to pick up Smith. Torres drew Mike Esposito, who'd survived two straight double hill matches, versus Barry Lawson, Jr., and Tony Ignomirello, to reach him. Meyer eliminated Smith 7-5, and in the quarterfinals, met Torres, who'd eliminated Esposito 7-3.
Meyer defeated Torres 7-3 and then, almost had his loss-side winning streak ended, when Romero fought him to double hill in the semifinals. Meyer prevailed, though, living to fight a final match. Thiele completed his undefeated run with a 7-2 win over Meyer and claimed the Amateur title.
