BREWER – Thursday was only day three of the 22nd World Team Candlepin Bowling Championships, but for the last three hours of the day’s action, it had all the intensity of a championship final.

Perhaps that’s because Thursday afternoon’s late match between four-time defending champion MacLaughlin’s Truck & Trailer of Halifax, Nova Scotia and USA East, one of the local favorites, may very well be a preview of this year’s championship.

Nerves, intensity, and competition were set on “high” as the two teams squared off

“Oh, this was a big one alright,” said USA East team member and former state singles champion Shawn Morrison of Brewer. “You’re very nervous out there. I mean, all the tournaments I’ve bowled and my hands were kind of shaking while I was waiting.”

There was no shakeup in the Holiday Inn division standings, despite USA East winning six of a possible eight points against MacLaughlin’s.

MacLaughlin’s still holds first place with 58 points won and 14 lost. USA East is two points behind with a 56-16 record – tied with Halifax Fairlanes. The New Hampshire All-Stars are fourth (45-27) and Total Chaos of Exeter, N.H., fifth (39-33).

The top five teams in each division advance to the quarterfinal round held late Friday and early Saturday.

In the Varney GMC division, Stateside of Bedford, N.H., leads the way at 60-12. Moncton Fairlanes (54-18) is second, followed by Maria’s Sub (52-20) of Scituate, Mass., Vacationland Bowling Center of Saco (44-28), and Maine Heat (33-39) of Brewer.

“The matches we’ve had against them have always been tight, always been close,” said Rockland’s Tim Matero of USA East. “I mean, how do you not get up for a four-time world champion?”

USA East got up just enough to knock down 37 more pins than MacLaughlin’s.

Was it a “statement” match?

“The statement should be made in the playoffs, but they’re the best competition here so if you don’t bring your game against them, you’re going home,” said USA’s Mike Morgan of Lynn, Mass.

Still, the victory was a momentous one for USA East.

“Points-wise, it sets us very much in place to get first place and that’s such a big advantage,” Morrison said. “Emotionally, it gives us kind of an advantage going into the playoffs if we happen to meet them. It gives us such an advantage mentally too, knowing we just won six points against them in a very close match.”

Morrison was the steady bowler on the team with a 131 in the first string, a 131 in the second, and a 121 in the third.

Morgan was up and down, but he got his down out of the way early with a 105, followed by a 142 and 138.

If there was a team MVP Thursday, as tough as that would be to pick, Matero would be a top contender despite rolling a 101 in the last string. He gave USA East some early momentum and also helped it keep that momentum with a 145 in the first string and then a 142.

Matero had four-frame sequence of strike, spare, spare and strike to ignite his team.

“That was in the second string,” Matero recalled. “We’d lost the first by 20 or 30 pins and I want to say in the fifth or sixth box, I threw a strike and then I throw a big nine-pin drop on it, picked it, and then threw another nine-pin drop before getting another strike.”

With guys like Chris Hollett, Pat Birchell and Davey Somerton of MacLaughlin’s rolling three-string totals of 413, 376 and 353, respectively, every strike – and pin – was huge.

“When one of us throws a strike, the whole team gets energized,” said Matero. “You could see it when I did it and you could see it in the last string when Davey did it against me for them. Then [teammate] Nate [Nealey] threw a big strike that kind of brought us back around.”

First round competition continues Friday at 9 a.m., with quarterfinal action beginning at 3 p.m.

Bowling

CANDLEPIN

22nd World Team Championships

At Bangor-Brewer Bowling Lanes

Day Three

Holiday Inn Division

1. MacLaughlin T&T 58-11, 2. USA East 56-16, 3. Halifax Fairlanes 56-16, 4. NH All Stars 45-27, 5. Total Chaos 39-33, 6. Beazley’s Lanes 36-36, 7. Fenway Painters/PPL 33-39, 8. Line M Up 30-42, 9. Fat Boy’s/Speedy’s 27-45, 10. Irving Big Stop 24-48, 11. Mid Coast Maine 21-51, 12. Short & Curly’s 7-65

Thursday’s team high series: NH All Stars 1910; high game: NH All Stars 663; high average: Halifax Fairlanes 632

Thursday’s individual high series: Chris Hollett (MacLaughlin T&T) 413, Dave Barber (NH All Stars) 413; game: Dave Barber 167

Tournament high series: Halifax Fairlanes 1994; game: NH All Stars 724; average: Charles Milan III 144.00 (USA East)

Varney GMC Division

1. Stateside 60-12, 2. Moncton Fairlanes 54-18, 3. Maria’s Sub 52-20, 4. Vacationland BC 44-28, 5. Maine Heat 33-39, 6. Woodstock/Kingswood 32-40, 7. TNT/Funtime 30-42, 8. Colonial Bowling Center 30-42, 9. Saint John Vipers 28-44, 10. Town Delivery 24-48, 11. Team USA 24-48, 12. Moncton Gunz 21-51

Thursday team high series: Stateside 1963; game: Stateside 714; average: Stateside 651

Thursday individual high series: Chris Sargent (Stateside) 480; game: Chris Sargent 182

Tournament high series: Maria’s Sub 1971; game: Stateside 714; average: Chris Sargent 139.52