 Stacie Bourbeau, Candie Rego, and Caroline Pao |
The McDermott Cue New England Women's Tour held a WPBA qualifier Sunday, August 26, 2007 at the Silver Cue Billiard Club in Woburn, Massachusetts. It was an exciting event featuring some very strong players.
In the first round WPBA pro Candi Rego played Liz Bernier, a frequent high place finisher on the tour. Bernier took an early lead in the match and looked poised to win on the hill but Rego never gave up and came back to win the match 7-6.
Rego went on to face Stacie Bourbeau, who recently won the BCA 8-Ball Women's Masters Singles tournament. Bourbeau convincingly sent Rego to the one-loss side. Bourbeau eventually played in the hotseat match against Caroline Pao, who is currently ranked 48 in the WPBA. Initially Pao took a 4-1 lead in the match, but Bourbeau fought back and the match went hill-hill. The two women traded safeties back and forth in the last game until Pao came with an impressive cross-corner bank on the six ball and ran out the rack to finish out the winner's side of the tournament.
The one loss side saw a rematch of Rego and Bernier in the quarterfinal, which Rego again won with a score of 7-3. Rego would have another rematch in the semifinal, this time against Bourbeau. Rego still could not best Bourbeau who would move on to the finals with a score of 7-4 while Rego went home with a third place finish.
Bourbeau moved back to the winner's side to play in the finals against Pao. Bourbeau, who had looked certain to win the last qualifier after winning the hotseat match but in a surprising upset lost to Erica Testa, went into Juggernaut mode and defeated Pao 7-2. Because the tournament format is a true double elimination the women would have to play another race to 7. Both of these players have strong breaks and pool games which made it quite enjoyable to watch them play. The spectators were on the edge of their seats for this hill-hill thriller. With all the suspense the last game seemed to take an eternity to play. As Pao was pocketing the four ball the cue ball hit into another object ball and got hooked behind the seven. Pao attempted to jump over the seven but fouled. Bourbeau got ball in hand but was unable to run out and had to play a safety on the seven ball. The crowd gasped as the cue ball rolled toward the corner pocket, at the last second stopping in its jaws. Pao attempted to bank the seven but could not. Bourbeau made the seven but not the eight ball. Both women took several turns trying to bank the eight but it was Pao who eventually succeeded. The outcome of the entire tournament hung on the last nine ball, and the shot was not easy. The railbirds held their breath as Pao got down to shoot. Unfortunately for her she missed the shot and the nine came to rest near the pocket. Bourbeau was out of her seat in no time to seize a 7-6 victory.
Stacie Bourbeau will be playing in the WPBA Carolina Women's Billiard Classic to be held in early 2008. Play well Stacie!
