Match Day 5 - Chautauqua Armada vs Buffalo Mafia
Armada Survive Mafia’s Historic Push in an NSL Classic
The sun was merciless over Chautauqua, the air a heavy 89 degrees with no wind to speak of, but the heat on the field came from something more than just the weather. For three years, no team in the NSL had solved the Chautauqua Armada puzzle. Their streak of perfection had become a league-wide obsession, and if there was ever a team built to finally topple them, it was the Buffalo Mafia. The two sides know each other like family — partly because in some cases, they are family — and that history makes every throw personal. Buffalo came in with a quiet confidence, knowing the key would be to strike early, take away Chautauqua’s comfort in the 4v4s, and put the Armada on their heels for once.
The plan started well enough — for about five minutes.
2v2s – Chautauqua’s Perfect Start, Buffalo’s Response
The opener was Bryce Deering and Matthew Brewster for Chautauqua against Buffalo’s Chance and Alex “Mills” Milliner. This was supposed to be Chance’s bounce-back moment after a hot 3-0 start to the season dissolved into three straight losses. Instead, the Armada pounced. By the end of the second stretch, it was 7-1 Armada, capped by Brewster making a brilliant pin on Landing 2 that locked out any hope of a Buffalo knockout. Bryce was clinical, racking up four knockouts and adding a kiss, while Buffalo’s pair bled points with 10 OOBs and a water ball. The Mafia never quite recovered, and Chautauqua took it 16-13. CHQ 2-0, an ominous opening for Buffalo.
Game two featured Lake Sivak and Patrick Kelly — long-time partners — against Erik Johnson and Matt Johnson. The chemistry was instant, Lake throwing darts and Patrick cleaning up points with steady, surgical play. They cruised through the first four stretches until frustration set in on a missed knockout, Patrick second-guessing Lake mid-game got to lake which led to a quick snap at his partner, even in a winning game. Regardless of the tension, Lake’s precision was undeniable — at least one ball within six inches of the mark every round. Buffalo’s Erik tried to drag them back with three knockouts, but a couple of costly team errors made any comeback impossible. Chautauqua rolled, 19-8. CHQ 4-0. The Mafia, staring at a slow start, watched their captain walk off with the look of a man wondering if fate was against him.
Then came a spark. Jake Ferrari and Jeff Breen — a duo with history — stepped up against Jason Sivak and Danielle Devine. Breen, fresh off an MVP performance, was everywhere, leading the game with nine points and controlling the middle stretches with a kiss and two knockouts. Jake and Jeff’s six on Landing 2 broke Chautauqua’s momentum, and for once, Jason was on the wrong side of the scoreline. Buffalo took it 14-5, trimming the lead to 4-2 and getting a big mental win for Jake, who had turned down a preseason trade to the Armada just to have the chance to beat Jason in these moments.
The 2v2s ended with a high-stakes pairing: Peyton Sivak and rookie Ulysse against Chase Stevenson and Thomas Rhodes. Ulysse, playing his first NSL match, was gifted perhaps the most awkward debut possible — lining up against Peyton’s former world-championship partner, Chase. Peyton played inspired, stacking eight points, a knockout, and two kisses, but Ulysse’s raw skill was offset by nine OOBs and a water ball. Buffalo’s composure paid off late, with Chase and Thomas combining for four knockouts and a timely mid-game six. The game swung on a single throw in the fifth stretch — Chautauqua down four, staring at a possible six — but Ulysse, feeling the weight, sent his ball wide. Buffalo stole it, 18-14. The opening round of play ended knotted at 4-4, two hours gone and a long, draining day still ahead.
1v1s – The Day Tilts Back and Forth
With the 2v2s split right down the middle, the singles carried a new weight. The sun was high, the heat now sitting heavy on everyone’s shoulders, and every player stepping to the mark knew that the smallest mistake could swing the entire day.
It began with Peyton Sivak squaring up against his old partner-turned-opponent, Chase Stevenson. Chase came out with quiet fire, dropping an early three, then another, to steal momentum before Peyton could even find rhythm. The Armada bench shifted uneasily as the scoreboard read 6–1, but Peyton dug in, pulling four knockouts and five assists from a combination of precise releases and well-timed attacks. The two traded blows until the fifth stretch, where Peyton had the throw to take six and turn the game. The release looked clean — until the last foot, when the ball drifted wide. Chase didn’t gloat; he simply took the points left to him, sealing a 12–11 win that pushed Buffalo ahead for the first time all day.
If the Mafia expected to build from there, they didn’t account for the rookie. Ulysse, the quiet Frenchman making just his first NSL appearance, was pegged as an easy win for Chance. But Jason’s coaching from the sideline turned Ulysse into something sharper. He matched Chance throw for throw through the opening rounds, leaning on instinct to find the mark and punishing every OOB Buffalo gave him. A pair of kisses and a six broke the game open. Chance, already carrying the weight of four straight losses, bled nine OOBs and two water balls, and the rookie closed it out 20–11, tying the match at 5–5.
Then came a shocker that silenced even the Armada fans. Matthew Brewster, steady but not flashy, was matched against Thomas Rhodes — and Thomas played a near-perfect game. He didn’t need knockout fireworks; he just kept stacking points, one precise placement after another, while Matthew’s throws found the water three times. The scoreboard’s final 14–1 was a gut punch, and Buffalo surged ahead 6–5.
Matt Johnson followed with the kind of game the Mafia had been waiting for. Up against Danielle Devine, who’d built one of the highest winning percentages in NSL, Matt found a comfort zone on the long-throw setup that completely cut off Danielle’s angles. He bolted to an 8–0 lead before she could adjust, closing it out 14–4. Buffalo’s bench erupted — they were now 7–5, just two points shy of the magic nine that would put Chautauqua in sudden danger.
But the Armada doesn’t scare easily. Bryce Deering, still first event of the year, took the mark against Jeff Breen, who’d been brilliant in the 2v2s. This time, Breen was sharp but not sharp enough. Bryce played like a man refusing to see the streak end on his watch: four knockouts, three kisses, and fourteen points born from ruthless efficiency. He took the win 14–8, and Chautauqua closed the gap to 7–6.
Patrick Kelly was next, winless in singles before this day, facing Buffalo captain Jake Ferrari in a matchup Buffalo thought they’d feast on. Instead, it was Pat who did the eating. An early six gifted from a Buffalo misplay put him up 10–0 in a blink. Jake rallied, clawing back to 10–7, but another Pat six was the nail in the coffin. The 21–12 win tied the match at 7–7 and left Buffalo staring down their two least-favored matchups.
Then came Lake Sivak vs. Erik Johnson — a matchup that’s become almost folklore in the NSL for its one-sidedness. Erik had never beaten Lake, but this was the moment to change that.. Lake, though, was ice. His opening throws weren’t just accurate — they were soul-crushing, each one forcing Erik into angles he didn’t want to take. By the second stretch, Lake had built a 5–1 lead without even showing his knockout game. Erik tried to adapt, switching to more aggressive power plays, and did manage five knockouts on the day, but every time he made ground, Lake calmly took it back with smart positioning of his establishments. The throws got longer and longer as both players tested the other’s range, but Lake’s consistency never wavered. Even when Erik scraped four late points on X, it was too little, too late. The 16–5 scoreline told the truth — Lake still owned this rivalry, and Chautauqua now led 8–7.
The final singles pitted Alex Milliner against his former captain, Jason Sivak. For Alex, this wasn’t just a game — it was a chance to prove a point. He’d been open about believing he was a cornerstone of Armada’s past success, and he wanted nothing more than to take down Jason head-to-head. But from the first throw, it was clear Jason had no interest in making this a storybook ending for his former teammate. On the very first stretch, Jason dropped a six, the kind of early dagger that shifts body language. From there, he went into full control mode — not chasing knockouts, just strangling every scoring lane Alex tried to open. Millz kept swinging, but the frustration mounted; the OOBs piled up to 17, with two water balls cutting down any momentum he could build. Every miss was met with Jason calmly placing another ball in scoring position. By the time it ended 17–5, Jason had made his point too: this was still his house, and with that, Chautauqua was up 9–7, one win away from finishing the day.
4v4s – Buffalo’s Last Push, Armada’s Final Word
Both teams had lost a player to the grind of the day, so the captains agreed to a 3v3 followed by a 4v4 to finish. For Buffalo, the math was simple: win both, and they’d become the first team in NSL history to take down Chautauqua. Anything less, and the streak would live another day.
Game one saw Alex Milliner, Jeff Breen, and Thomas Rhodes take the field for Buffalo against Jason Sivak, Matthew Brewster, and Ulysse for Chautauqua. The Mafia didn’t waste a second — their opening stretches were like a thunderclap. They jumped to a 10–0 lead before the Armada could even register their first real scoring chance. Alex, still carrying the fire from his earlier singles loss to Jason, played like a man trying to rewrite the day in one game. Breen’s accuracy kept the middle stretches under lock and key, and Thomas’s steady hands turned small opportunities into steady points.
The Armada did fight back. A few clean throws from Jason and a pair of well-timed placements by Ulysse cut it to 10–7, a flicker of the comeback magic Chautauqua is known for. But this was Alex’s game to finish. He slammed the door with two kisses and a knockout in the final stretch, cutting off every angle the Armada could create. The final score, 18–7, wasn’t just a win — it was a statement. Buffalo now trailed only 11–9, with one game left to play.
The final 4v4 was the matchup everyone wanted: brothers Peyton and Lake alongside Pat Kelly and Bryce Deering for Chautauqua, against Jake Ferrari, Erik Johnson, Chance, and Matt Johnson for Buffalo. It was captains versus captains, family against friends, history on every throw. Chautauqua struck first, using long throws to set up a 4–1 lead. Peyton was deadly on knockouts, but the surprise star was Bryce again, pulling in key points and adding kisses to keep Buffalo under pressure.
Jake was Buffalo’s steadying force, making solid establishments to keep the game within reach, but Erik’s knockout touch deserted him, leaving Jake as the team leader with just two KOs. By the fourth stretch, it was 8–7, the tension thick enough to feel. Then came the break: a short-throw six for Chautauqua off a Buffalo error. The Mafia bench sagged, the energy gone in an instant. From there, the Armada rolled downhill, closing the game 15–9 and the match 13–11.
The perfect record survived. The Mafia had come close again but in the end, Chautauqua was still Chautauqua — ruthless, relentless, and unbeaten.
Final Score CHQ 13 - BUFF 11
Chautauqua Armada — Event Totals
| Player | Fantasy | Points | KOs | Kisses | Sixes | Assists | OOB | Errors | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHQ Bryce Deering | 58.75 | 28 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 1 |
| CHQ Lake Sivak | 59.75 | 30 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| CHQ Peyton Sivak | 54.5 | 22 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| CHQ Jason Sivak | 36.25 | 20 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| CHQ Ulysse | 32.25 | 27 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 3 |
| CHQ Matthew Brewster | 8 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 1 | 3 |
| CHQ Danielle Devine | 13.5 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| CHQ Patrick Kelly | 41.5 | 32 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 2 |
Buffalo Mafia — Event Totals
| Player | Fantasy | Points | KOs | Kisses | Sixes | Assists | OOB | Errors | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUFF Erik Johnson | 22.75 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| BUFF Jake Ferrari | 37.5 | 22 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 18 | 2 | 2 |
| BUFF Alex Milliner | 19.5 | 19 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 23 | 0 | 3 |
| BUFF Chance | 13.5 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 1 | 2 |
| BUFF Thomas Rhodes | 31 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 3 |
| BUFF Matt Johnson | 19.5 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 2 |
| BUFF Jeff Breen | 43.25 | 21 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| BUFF Chase Stevenson | 27.75 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 |