The fan poll seemed to indicate that a slight majority favored Philadelphia’s chances in this final showdown, but Seattle had other ideas in mind.

L to R: Manager Eddie Chang, FM Marcel Milat, GM Varuzhan Akobian, IM Georgi Orlov, NM Roland Feng, Michael Omori, NM Joshua Sinanan

After a fairly uneventful draw on Board One, Seattle’s phenom, NM Roland Feng, struck first, defeating veteran IM Richard Costigan and putting the Sluggers just a win away from the title. With Philadelphia seeming to have the better of an ending on Board Two, and Seattle likewise having the same on Board Three, the result was still anything but clear though. After a tenacious defense by the Sluggers’ IM Georgi Orlov, holding a tough draw, NM Joshua Sinanan came through in a big way, handing Philadelphia’s star, FM Dov Gorman, his first loss of the season and leading Seattle to winning the Championship by an impressive 3-1 score.

This marks the first time a fourth seed has taken the title, a stellar accomplishment overall, having to overcome draw odds twice in the postseason before defeating the formidable Philadelphia team who had blazed through the last part of the season, including both of their two playoff matches. Overcoming such long odds makes Seattle a very deserving Championship Team. Congratulations once again to the 2012 USCL Champion Seattle Sluggers!