The selectors had an easier time in deciding on the Board Three candidates and order with there not being nearly as many worthy candidates as Board Two - the main choice being the decision between first and second place. But who ended up taking it? Read on to find out!
If you are wondering what criteria was used to determine these All Stars, please refer to the first post on this subject.
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1st Team: IM Akshat Chandra (NY)
The choice for this spot was fairly close. While he and FM Rodriguez were the only really stand out candidates for the Board Three All Stars, who should get the top honor was rather unclear. For the most part, the two seemed roughly equal statistically so in the end we felt the nod should be given to Chandra as his loss to Rodriguez in the Championship Match occurred due mostly to the team situation - without which the game would most likely have been a draw which would have resulted in Chandra’s statistics being clearly better.
Overall, it was a really fantastic first season for him, winning two very critical games in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals, both of which were extremely key to the Knights making it to the Championship Match.
As with most younger talents in the USCL, the question of what will happen with them after their first season is often a tough one as very often they sport a much higher rating a year later, and Chandra is no exception to that. But it seems likely that given how strongly performed this year that we will see him again in 2014, perhaps moving up to Board Two to face even greater challenges.
Record: 5.5 / 7 (79%)
Performance Rating: 2572
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2nd Team: FM Eric Rodriguez (MIA)
As mentioned, this was a very easy choice, the only question as to whether he should be first or second. And while the close decision unfortunately wound up going against him, as one of the very few three time All Stars, he has established himself as one of the premier players in the League without question.
He and the Sharks have had incredible ups and downs the last few seasons, with both him and the team always seeming to have either a stellar or poor season - never anywhere in the middle. Fortunately for them, he chose to do the former in 2013, a huge reason why the Sharks wound up capturing their first League Championship.
What the future holds for him and the Miami Team is another interesting question. Having been a Board Three mainstay for several years, there’s no telling how long he might stay as such. And with him and GMs Becerra and Gonzalez likely to all return in 2014 boasting a similar lineup structure, with three returning All Stars, Miami will no doubt defend their title with great tenacity.
Record: 6.5 / 9 (72%)
Performance Rating: 2611
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3rd Team: NM Vadim Martirosov (BOS)
Having been a very solid contributor for Boston in basically all nine seasons of the League, it’s not a surprise that another very solid season of his wound up giving him his first All Star honors.
While his performance was quite good, the perennial power Boston, who was one of the most dominant teams in the USCL for many seasons have unfortunately gone astray, now having missed the postseason two years in a row. But given their team’s devotion and experience, it seems like only a matter of time before they turn it around and return to prominence, particularly with him always available to hold down Board Three with always very solid results.
Record: 4.0 / 6 (67%)
Performance Rating: 2511
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Other Candidates:
As mentioned above, Board Three did not have nearly as many strong All Star candidates with the only other candidate we really considered being NM Mika Brattain (NE) (5.0 / 9, 2426 Performance) who was very active with a very solid result, just not quite good enough to make it to the All Star Team.
Stay tuned as we wrap up the 2013 All Stars in the next couple days!
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