10/26/2025
LA DEFENDS THE CUP 11-4 IN SAN DIEGO, TRINH LU IS MVP //
Last weekend was our second annual Mezz SoCal Cup - a Mosconi-style championship between Los Angeles & San Diego that promises to bring plenty of rivalry & action to SoCal, as players fight for spots on both teams annually. The event was a big success, and the host room and crowd were classy and welcoming despite the final score! Although it wasn't the final score line we all hoped for, the experience for the players was next level and they will all benefit from this tougher-than-usual event.
An event that players on both teams were nervously excited about, it was the visiting team that brought the heat to Pockets Billiards & Brew! Coming off an 11-5 win last year at their home room Good Times Billiards, Team LA had great chemistry all weekend and produced consistent wins despite some incredible play from SD, taking the Cup 11-4.
One of the biggest draws this year was the return of ex-pro player Louis Ulrich (760) to competitive pool on Team SD after being away for many years. One of the best in California at one point, Louis struggled to get in stroke on day 1, losing both his doubles matches, but gave LA's top shooter David Nichols the 5-0 donut as he put on a clinic to end Day 1!
But it wasn't Louis that put in the most wins over the weekend - it was LA's Trinh Lu (553) who produced wins in ALL 5 of her matches, including one teams match, one singles match, and 3 doubles matches! This is 2 for 2 on MVP for Trinh - a strong performance and a stat Trinh is very proud of!
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Day 1 Matches:
Matches started out shaky and slowly on Day 1, with players on both teams struggling to run more than 3-4 balls as they adjusted to the new cloth, tight 4.25" pockets and the pressure to win. Playing on two 9' Gold Crowns and Centennial balls, the teams were excited to get in the box for an action-packed weekend.
Match 1: LA (5) v SD (4)
https://www.youtube.com/live/POHmi4Oyqhw?si=jkBKNDjq7ZUvYGYC
This first one HAD to go hill-hill of course! San Diego reached the hill first, and with Louis at the table and 2 shots from victory, he miscued and Rhino picked up the win. Now hill-hill, Nayan had a simple but not straight-in 9, and unfortunately hung it for Juan to collect, giving Team LA its first point on the board!
David Nichols v John Pasquarella (W)
Jose G Centeno (W) v Liza Gazmen
Rhino Lay v Louis Ulrich (W)
Juan Cajina (W) v Nayan Tamrakar
Trinh Lu v Paul Langley (W)
David Nichols v John Pasquarella (W)
Jose G Centeno (W) v Liza Gazmen
Rhino Lay (W) v Louis Ulrich
Juan Cajina (W) v Nayan Tamrakar
Match 2: Jose/Juan (4) v John/Paul (5)
https://www.youtube.com/live/POHmi4Oyqhw?si=hhSWklYqopYPzqOq&t=4114
At hill-hill, Paul Langley absolutely nailed a tough bank on the 9 after a failed positional shot from Jose. There were several technical issues with the video during this match that were resolved by the next round.
Match 3: Rhino Lay (2) v Nayan Tamrakar (5)
https://www.youtube.com/live/POHmi4Oyqhw?si=Wstk1PXgsjGJxVOW&t=7801
Many errors and innings for both players. Rhino scratched on the 9 in rack 1, and missed a straight-in 9 in rack 2. A hung 9 ball from Nayan at 4-0 got Rhino on the board, but at 4-2 Nayan got in stroke to close it 5-2.
Match 4: Trinh/David (5) v Liza/Louis (1)
https://www.youtube.com/live/POHmi4Oyqhw?si=EfEF1iodqyOZF0F1&t=8441
The pairing of Trinh & David proved to be a good one against Liza & Louis, as both teammates handled the match smoothly, communicated well, and closed the match 5-1 in just 17 minutes.
🔥Match 5: Jose G Centeno (5) v John Pasquarella (3)
https://www.youtube.com/live/POHmi4Oyqhw?si=qsF9a1-xgxeztsdz&t=11235
Jose started this match with a break & run and picked up another at 3-3, and although John was able to capitalize on multiple opportunities from Jose, several critical errors opened the door and Jose took it 5-3.
🔥Match 6: Trinh Lu (5) v Liza Gazmen (3)
https://www.youtube.com/live/POHmi4Oyqhw?si=LCVxOVX-8RFAPA4P&t=11294
Both players stumbled in the first 2 racks, with Liza picking up the Ws and getting lots of love from the SD crowd! But at 3-2 down, Trinh broke & ran, followed it up with a table run, and then decided to close it out with one last break & run!
Match 7: Rhino/David (5) v Liza/Nayan (1)
https://www.youtube.com/live/POHmi4Oyqhw?si=wxKZ5W8fq-gsOIg6&t=16336
Although this pairing struggled to keep each other in line, Rhino & David were able to keep heavy pressure on Liza & Nayan. At 3-0, Liza gave the doubles pair their only rack win, but it wasn't quite enough, and LA took another 5-1 win.
Match 8: Juan Cajina (5) v Paul Langley (1)
https://www.youtube.com/live/POHmi4Oyqhw?si=wxKZ5W8fq-gsOIg6&t=16336
Paul had a few good runs on the table with opportunities to put up wins, but would lose a bit of focus on the last few balls. Juan on the other hand, was in good stroke and moved quickly through his racks, taking another decisive 5-1 win for LA.
Match 9: Jose/Trinh (5) v John/Louis (4)
https://www.youtube.com/live/POHmi4Oyqhw?si=967Nybwti4u5FfMx&t=18657
Down 6-2 overall, Team SD started out hot and may have gone up 2-0 but John missed a critical 7 ball. They got it back with a break & run, and after several safety battles, the score was tied 3-3, then hill-hill where Team LA rallied several good shots to win it 5-4.
🔥Match 10: David Nichols (0) v Louis Ulrich (5)
https://www.youtube.com/live/POHmi4Oyqhw?si=RZLjYN-et0pfy8sS&t=22387
This one started out great for David, but a missed break & run let Louis in, who banked his way into the first win, and followed it up with a break & run of his own. Great play paired with several good rolls on Louis' part, and this one ended quick at 5-0 to close out Day 1!
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Day 2 Matches:
San Diego came into Day 2 on an incredible win for Louis Ulrich, and their energy certainly carried over into their game. However, Team LA was on a high of their own, and were able to hold out all but one match. It all came to a close in Match 15 as David Nichols redeemed himself after taking a donut to Louis in Match 10!
🔥Match 11: Rhino/Juan (1) v Paul/Louis (5)
https://www.youtube.com/live/wGMa-2QuZxE?si=N0U5rFz9K5mgzd-B&t=1159
This one started out scrappy for both teams as players still had the jitters and nerves. Louis had better communication with his partner Paul, Rhino struggled to put balls down, and the SD pair was able to easily overcome their opponents to start Day 2 with a win.
Match 12: Jose G Centeno (5) v Nayan Tamrakar (3)
https://www.youtube.com/live/wGMa-2QuZxE?si=MhqBBKadNEAUezRy&t=1468
Jose started this match committing several blunders and stumbled with many routine outs. Nayan was able to pull back a few racks and made some critical shots to stay above water, but Jose never gave up and closed the match to get LA to 8-4 up.
Match 13: Rhino/Trinh (5) v John/Liza (2)
https://www.youtube.com/live/wGMa-2QuZxE?si=Hocv1y1jNSmxwiD2&t=4365
Rhino underperformed in his previous doubles match with Juan, but it was MVP Trinh Lu that was able to balance the energy at the table and keep Rhino focused. At 3-1, Trinh played a great positional shot on the 9 to get to the hill - one of her better shots all weekend! The duo further capitalized on some uncharacteristic errors from John & Liza to win 5-2.
🔥Match 14: David Nichols (5) v Louis Ulrich (1)
https://www.youtube.com/live/wGMa-2QuZxE?si=Hocv1y1jNSmxwiD2&t=4365
Eager to avenge the Day 1 donut from Louis, David came into this match with a positive outlook. In rack 2 with a 1 rack lead, Louis miscued on the 6, which was the turning point in the match. A missed routine 9 from Louis in rack 3 gave David the opening to break & run the next, followed by a table run after a second scratch on the break from Louis. On the hill, David got ball in hand after a poor positional shot from Louis and closed the match 5-1.
Match 15: Juan/David (5) v John/Nayan (3)
https://www.youtube.com/live/wGMa-2QuZxE?si=FnuAClSO8s6jNrVV&t=7254
On the hill now, Juan & David could see the finish line! John & Nayan started out strong, taking the first rack. Team LA was playing good AND getting the better of the rolls, and despite a good rally from Team SD in the last few racks, it was Juan & David that got LA over the finish line to defend the Cup!
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Thank you to all the sponsors that made the 2025 Mezz SoCal Cup bigger and better than before! We could not have done this without your support:
Mezz Cues (mezzcue.com)
Pockets Billiards & Brew
Good Times Billiards
Mezz LA 9 Ball Series (mezzLA9ballseries.com)
San Diego Cup
Brunswick Billiards (brunswickbilliards.com)
Salotto (salotto.app)
Digital Pool (digitalpool.com)
Perimeter Billiard Lights (perimeterbilliardlights.com)
Automated Entertainment (autoentinc.com)
Awesome San Diego Pool Player (youtube.com/)
The 8 Ball Store (the8ballstore.com)
Jam Up Apparel (jamupapparel.com)
West State Billiards (weststatebilliards.com)
Ride the Lightning Electrical (rtles.com)
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Special Thanks to all these amazing people that worked hard on this event from top to bottom. I seriously couldn't have put this event on myself without so many volunteers pitching in their time and efforts! I hope we can continue this rivalry for many more years:
👉 Lila Woodland (Owner - Pockets)
My idea to pit our cities against each other couldn't have worked without you and Pockets willing to get in the box! You and your staff at Pockets were very welcoming and did an amazing job all weekend. If you've never been to Pockets, do yourself a favor and plan a trip!
👉 Marcos Hernandez & John English (Owners - Good Times)
Not only did these awesome room owners jump at the idea to challenge another pool room last year and host the first one, they showed up in SD with nearly all the equipment needed to bring the fans the live stream! From cameras to screens and headsets, Good Times powered the event all weekend.
👉 Steve Kwon
This man took the initiative operationally and put in countless hours prepping meetings, documents, players and everything else on the San Diego side. He kept the event planning organized and ensured its success! Definitely a promoter I'd like to see more events from.
👉 Michael Fernandez
Mike (AKA Awesome SD Pool Player) was the voice for most of the event, offering his very insightful and experienced commentary to the matches. He is a pillar in the SD pool community and works very hard to bring events like the San Diego Cup to the players! Definitely subscribe to his YouTube channel!
👉 Larry Carr
As my counterpart/captain for Team SD, Larry was easy to work with and was very helpful with some of the finer details/format/rules for the teams leading up to the event. Nothing like having a respectable and professional captain as an opponent! Larry was also the mastermind that was able to get Louis Ulrich back under the lights - something we are all grateful for (and something Marielle couldn't do🤣!)
👉 Tim Traver
Representing Digital Pool, Tim was a critical piece in our production! Tim was able to not only setup the matches uniquely in DP, he assisted in getting a shot clock to function in the app, ensured the matches and scores flowed properly, and even trained our volunteer referees! If you're ready to level up your event with Digital Pool, get in touch with Tim!
👉 Edward Arciniega & Sean Ahlers
These two volunteer referees were one of the more critical elements of this event. They kept play flowing with shot clocks, watched hits, and were on their feet all weekend. Both are interested in more ref gigs, so reach out if you want a more professional touch for your next event!
👉 Isadora Bezerra
Izzy was great all weekend, capturing amazing photos and video footage of not only her MVP wife, but also the players, staff, and fans!
👉 Team SD
This team had a blast representing their home room, and despite the score line, were very professional , friendly, and took the L knowing that their team will come back stronger in 2026! It was a pleasure competing against players of such character and class. I hope to get to know you all better in the future!
👉 Team LA
Wow, what's left to say? This team was built off of hard, dedicated players that truly represent the best of LA. Juan, our current 9 Ball King of LA, waited 11 months to prove his worth on the team, and did so with great performances. Jose, our current #1 ranked player in LA, brought the heat to SD after beating everyone in the LA/OC area for the last few years. David Nichols did his part and not only performed at the high level we know he can, he also coached his teammates when they needed him. Rhino did Rhino things and galvanized the team like I knew he would as a wild card - keeping the vibe fun and crazy, while still dropping 9s like the monster he is! Finally, our MVP Trinh really came through and proved herself - again! - as a strong competitor on the tight 9 footers, and didn't care who she faced. You all made the hard work all year pay off, and you deserve all the cash and another spot on the Cup 🏆!
Lastly, thanks to all the fans on each team that rooted for their players and kept the hype up leading up to the event! As much fun as it is competing in the Cup, we want the fans to be entertained as well. This has been a great SoCal Cup, and I can't wait to see what happens next year in LA!
Chris Santana
Founder & Promoter,
Mezz SoCal Cup
