Krawk Island Takes First In the Altador Cup IV!

Lost Desert was defeated by Krawk Island in the first round of the finals, pitting them against Kreludor for bronze. Shenkuu beat first seeded Kreludor to face the Krawks for gold. But, unfortunately for the ninjas, the pirates discovered gold in the form of a first place trophy. Shenkuu, Lost Desert, and Kreludor had each an excellent season and should be proud of their placing. Next year could be their year!

Now that Yooyuball veteran and captain “Dasher” Soley has a championship first place trophy to show, is it still rumored that he’s going to retire? He declined to comment on that question, but had this to say:

“After the finals last year, my teammates and I collaborated on the plan for next year. We practiced during the offseason to sharpen our skills as well as deciding to focus on each and every game. It worked to our advantage throughout the season and we’re happy to bring home the gold trophy. However, Lost Desert and Shenkuu were worthy opponents and should not be forgotten. We certainly played with all our might. Thank you.”

Soley collected his trophy along with captain Mirsha Grelinek of Shenkuu and Leera Heggle of Lost Desert. Krawk Island, Shenkuu, Lost Desert, and Kreludor finished respectively in numerical order in the top tier. Congratulations to you all!

Though, one should not forget the amazing accomplishments of the other teams. Teams Virtupets and Tyrannia have earned much respect in the Altador Cup. Both have shown tenacity when it comes to side games. Virtupets created a name for themselves in the newest game in the tournament: Shootout Showdown. Destroying all teams at least once in their path, their undefeated streak almost lasted until the very end. Kiko Lake ended it in a Shootout Showdown duel that decided the robots’ fates. Though the record at the end was 28-0-2 in Shootout Showdown, it was still an amazing feat. Great job!

Another outstanding accomplishment goes to Tyrannia, who has remained strong in Slushie Slinger since last year. Only once had they been beaten (by the Krawks). Tyrannia had a 27-2-1 record in that side game. Make Some Noise was also a strong point for them, only missing the top team in that game to Krawk Island (with one more win over Tyrannia).

Loryche, the team captain of Tyrannia, had this to say:

“Slushies goooooood.”

Again, awesome!

The second tier teams have nothing to be ashamed of this year. All the teams have proven themselves against the powerhouses. Maraqua and Mystery Island became strong in Yooyuball to lift themselves out of the third tier and into the second. Then fate would have it that they would meet in the finals to fight for fifth, which was claimed by Maraqua. Both teams were up to par with the higher ranked teams and should be proud as well.

Darigan Citadel and Tyrannia battled for seventh, which went to Darigan. Tyrannia improved their placing from last year and have nothing to fear. Next year looks bright for them! Darigan Citadel also proved that champions can make a comeback. Though they fell short in the finals (since losing to Mystery Island), Darigan stayed at seventh instead of moving backward. Again, can the rumored ‘winner’s curse’ be broken? Can the former champions regain ground?

Two former champions, Roo Island and Haunted Woods, battled for ninth in the third tier. Haunted Woods has dropped from seventh to eighth to now tenth, as they were beaten by the Roos. Both teams have felt the ‘winner’s curse’, which was also shown by the Roos dropping into the third tier. Though the downfalls, Haunted Woods was a formidable opponent in every game. Roo Island had a better second round (I think, anyway) and did well in the finals. Great job, former champions! Hopefully next year will be the year the ‘curse’ is broken! And one thing I should mention to my fellow Haunties: AAOOO! AAOOO! AAOOO!

Meridell dropped in the rankings this year, but managed to stay strong throughout the tournament. They versed Roo Island in the first round of the finals, but lost to face the robots of Virtupets. It was another fierce duel, but eventually Meridell took the win to determine eleventh and twelfth place respectively.

Last, but not certainly least, the fourth tier. Terror Mountain, Kiko Lake, Altador, and Faerieland wrapped up the rankings. Each tried their best, but the standings didn’t show it. Terror Mountain and Kiko Lake were fairly decent in Shootout Showdown, and subsequently met in the second round of the finals. Terror Mountain took the win, determining thirteenth and fourteenth respectively. That left Altador and Faerieland to try to avoid last place, but unfortunately one had to lose. Faerieland fell to the Altadorians in a spectacular match and neither team should be ashamed. Everyone did well and tried their best! One of the most inspiring events had to go to Faerieland for winning two Yooyuball matches in the year. They seemed almost ready to give up, but no! They persevered and deserved those wins.

Catching up to Faerieland’s captain, Kakoni Worrill, she was asked to describe her team’s thoughts:

“Well, I’m proud of what we accomplished this year. Ending up with two wins in Yooyuball is fantastic for us, especially since last year was a disappointment as well. Even draws in Yooyuball and Shootout Showdown are keeping the team spirits up! Thank you to Faerieland and every other team this year! It’s been fun!”

Congratulations to you all! It also shouldn’t go without mention that Shenkuu’s captain Mirsha Grelinek topped the top goal scorers list most, if not all of the tournament. Hopefully this tournament was fun and enjoyable to everyone and I hope that you all reached your desired ranks! See you all next year!

~ Daisygirl88_5