NYC Finale Dominated by Lapeña

by Bill Rosenberger

A small but talented field gathered at Spin City Billiards in Woodside, NY, for the NYC Billiard Tour's finale.  Of the 30 players in the bracket, many were easily recognizable either in the Northeast or around the country, but lesser-known Filipino Al Lapeña dominated the April 2-3 event to take home an undefeated victory.

When play started o­n Saturday, fans could take their pick of potential winners, with players like Joe DiPietro, Robb Saez, Joey Korsiak, Frankie Hernandez, and Jarrod Clowery roaming the poolroom.  But early o­n, Lapeña made his mark, breezing through the first day to reach the hot seat match o­n Sunday.  His opponent was Eddie Vasquez, who had just edged out "Bristol" Bob.  Lapeña and Vasquez battled it out, keeping the match tight until the very end, but Lapeña took control to earn a 9-7 win.

As Vasquez prepared for his match in the semifinals, Lenny Favata was busy winning his sixth straight match since falling to Joey Kong in the first round.  o­nce the semifinal match commenced, it was Vasquez who couldn't miss, cruising to a 9-2 win to earn a rematch with Lapeña in the finals.

Both Lapeña and Vasquez started of the final match o­n fire, but Lapeña's torch burned much brighter, as he built his lead to 10-5.  The two traded the next few games, with Lapeña reaching the hill at 12-7.  Vasquez tallied two straight wins to make it interesting, but the victory was never in doubt as Lapeña closed out the match to earn a 13-9 win.

Results:
1st Al Lapeña $1,500
2nd Eddie Vasquez $840
3rd Lenny Favata $530
4th Bristol Bob $440
5th Frankie Hernandez, Tony Ruberto $350 
7th Joey Kong, Billy Lanna $200

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