New England Express
New England Express, also known as N.E. Express, was an American tournament paintball team associated with the New England region of the United States. Active during the early professional era, the team participated in national competitions and was represented in the discussions that led to the establishment of the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL) in 1993. [1]
New England Express was among the teams featured in the 1993 Smart Parts Paintball ProSet trading-card collection and participated in the 1995 ESPN World Paintball Championships. The team name also appears in tournament records from the late 1990s. [1][2][3]
History
[edit]Early competition
[edit]New England Express was an established tournament team by the early 1990s.
The team participated in the competitive paintball scene of the northeastern United States, alongside organisations including Wild Geese, New England Grim Reapers, Thunderstorm and Gang Green.
Canobie Paintball in New Hampshire was among the venues used for tournament practices and scrimmages by these teams. A historical article documenting equipment designer Skip Swift describes the competitive environment at Canobie during the early 1990s. [4]
Former professional player Phil Kelly recalled representing New England Express during his competitive career, which ran from 1987 to 1996. Kelly had also played for the Wild Geese and New England Grim Reapers. His recollections were published on the M. Carter Brown paintball forum in July 2023. [5]
The available records do not establish the team's exact founding date.
Formation of the NPPL (1992–1993)
[edit]New England Express was represented at the November 1992 meeting in Chicago that helped establish the National Professional Paintball League.
The meeting was convened by Steve Davidson and brought together representatives of leading tournament teams, equipment manufacturers, promoters and paintball publications.
Participating organisations included the All Americans, Chicago Aftershock, Ironmen, Bad Company, Constant Pursuit, Master Blasters and New England Express. [1]
Al Podufaly, representing N.E. Express, was appointed to the promotions and marketing committee alongside Fred Schultz of Constant Pursuit, Ron Kilbourne of the Bushwackers and Bill Gardner of the All Americans.
Podufaly was also named among the participants in the rules committee discussions. [1]
The meeting established proposals for a national professional competition structure, including tournament rules, entry fees, prize requirements and officiating arrangements.
The NPPL subsequently began its inaugural season in 1993.
Smart Parts ProSet trading cards (1993)
[edit]New England Express was represented in the 1993 Smart Parts Paintball ProSet trading-card collection.
The series included seven cards identifying individuals associated with the team under the N.E. Express name:
- Peter Poutre – Card 47
- Al Podufaly – Card 48
- Roy Chapman – Card 49
- Ludlow Berkeley – Card 50
- Mike Poutre – Card 51
- Rene Boucher – Card 52
- Michael Kaye – Card 53
The cards are catalogued in the Trading Card Database. [2]
The collection provides a contemporary record of individuals associated with New England Express during the early NPPL period, although it does not establish the team's complete tournament roster.
ESPN World Paintball Championships (1995)
[edit]New England Express participated in the 1995 ESPN World Paintball Championships, one of the early major tournament paintball events produced for American national television.
The competition featured leading professional teams including the Ironmen, All Americans, Aftershock, Bad Company, Rage, Swarm and New England Express. [1]
The championship represented an important early attempt to present competitive paintball to a mainstream television audience.
The available historical account identifies New England Express among the participating teams but does not establish its final placing. [1]
Zap Amateur Open (1998)
[edit]New England Express competed in the 1998 Zap International Amateur Open, held from 4 to 9 August.
The tournament featured three-player, five-player and ten-player competition.
New England Express advanced to the ten-player semi-finals, competing in Division B against Actiontown Sports, Missouri Magic and Rebellion.
The team scored 52 points across its three semi-final games, placing fourth in its group and failing to advance to the final round. [6]
Skyball (1999)
[edit]New England Express appeared at the 1999 Skyball tournament, held at Toronto's SkyDome in Canada.
The team entered the amateur five-player competition.
Its published roster consisted of:
- Richard Loiacono
- Kevin Weeks
- Matt Falby
- John O'Brien
- Dana Coletti
- Justin Lyrintz
- Kim Loiacono
[7]
New England Express recorded 321 points during the preliminary rounds.
The tournament's final amateur rankings placed the team 38th among 154 entries. [8]
The available sources do not establish the precise organisational relationship between this roster and the earlier N.E. Express team represented in the 1993 trading-card collection.
Notable players
[edit]Individuals documented in connection with New England Express include:
- Al Podufaly – Team representative involved in the 1992 NPPL organisational discussions.
- Peter Poutre – Featured in the 1993 Smart Parts Paintball ProSet collection.
- Roy Chapman – Featured in the 1993 ProSet collection.
- Ludlow Berkeley – Featured in the 1993 ProSet collection.
- Mike Poutre – Featured in the 1993 ProSet collection.
- Rene Boucher – Featured in the 1993 ProSet collection.
- Michael Kaye – Featured in the 1993 ProSet collection.
- Phil Kelly – Former professional player who recalled competing for New England Express.
[1][2][5]
Selected tournament appearances
[edit]| Year | Competition | Division | Recorded result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | ESPN World Paintball Championships | Professional | Participant [1] |
| 1998 | Zap International Amateur Open | Amateur 10-man | Semi-finalist; fourth in semi-final group [6] |
| 1999 | Skyball, Toronto | Amateur 5-man | 38th overall [8] |
Historical significance
[edit]New England Express was part of the early American professional tournament scene during the transition from regional woodland competitions to an organised national league.
The team's representation at the November 1992 NPPL meeting connects it to the development of professional tournament rules, organisation and administration. [1]
Its inclusion in the 1993 Smart Parts ProSet collection and participation in the 1995 ESPN World Paintball Championships also document its presence during a formative period of professional paintball. [1][2]
See also
[edit]- National Professional Paintball League
- Wild Geese
- Grim Reapers (paintball team)
- Thunderstorm
- Canobie Paintball
- History of paintball
References
[edit]- History of Paintball – Historical account of the November 1992 NPPL founding meeting and 1995 ESPN World Paintball Championships.
- Trading Card Database – N.E. Express, 1993 Smart Parts Paintball ProSet.
- World Classic Paintball League – WCPL NY: An Historic Field.
- Paintball History – Skip Swift of SwiftLine, an Early Autococker Innovator.
- M. Carter Brown – Paintball Hall of Fame Discussion, recollections of Phil Kelly, 18 July 2023.
- WARPIG – 1998 Zap International Amateur Open, Ten-Player Semi-Final Results.
- WARPIG – 1999 Skyball Team Rosters.
- WARPIG – 1999 Skyball Official Tournament Rankings.