Fast Break News: Writers Awards
All season we have had our beat writers watch and write about the MLQ season. With championships happening this weekend, we are kicking off Awards week for the first time to reflect and honor the players from the 2023 season. Part One will consist of the nominees for the Rookie of the Year, Beater Pair of the Year, and Coach of the Year. Part two will cover the nominees for Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player of the Year, and Most Valuable Player of the Year.
Rookie of the Year Nominees
PC: Major League Quadball
East Division
Christian Barnes, Beater, Titans: Many in the community may know of Barnes from all the bureaucratic work they tirelessly put into USQ and MLQ. However, all of their work on the pitch is garnering attention and praise this summer. Barnes has found themselves as one of the most efficient beaters in the league this year. They hold an average of 1.68 dodgeballs per possession, which is made even more impressive considering that they were amongst the top 12% of beaters in terms of drives played, and the cherry on top being that they boast the league’s 3rd best +/-. Barnes has anchored what is seen as a high-paced Titans team with stability, and their balance was a vital part of the Titans achieving their first undefeated regular season.
Adrian Koretsky, Beater, Admirals: Koretsky had a monster rookie season that was completely unexpected by even their own team. Talking to Washington players and coaches, no one expected Koretsky to be as good as they were entering this season. As a rookie, they lead the Admirals in drives played in their opening weekend matchup (31), and they never once looked outmatched and were able to control the pace of the game when they were on the field. Their impact continued the rest of the season when they led a short-rostered Washington team to Ottawa and led the team in +/- and followed that up with a dominant four stops and +9 against Charlotte. A 21-year-old taking the reigns and storming through the league never once feeling outmatched makes this a phenomenal debut season for Koretsky and finishing the season second on their team for +/- with 12 was a huge part of the team that finished 2nd in the East Division for the first time since 2017 and the second time in program history.
Luis Mendoza, Chaser, Titans: Mendoza entered this MLQ season coming from a Rutgers program that featured some names that held a bit more weight than his own. But being overlooked seems to have played into Mendoza’s hand this summer as he has used his unpredictable style of play to become a vital spark plug to the Titans. Though his stats of 7 goals and 5 assists over 9 games played doesn’t exactly jump off of the page, the impact that he provides with his motor on both sides of the ball makes him an invaluable asset, and an X factor to watch out for at all times.
North Division
Nicholas Love, Chaser, Innovators: Coming off his rookie season with the University of Michigan, Nicholas Love played a large role for the Innovators during MLQ. He was a consistent scorer, tied for third on the team with 13 goals. He normally played a critical role behind the hoops as he perfectly cut to the hoops for an alley-oop. He was also always there to clean up the occasional mess the Innovators chasers would cause, whether rushing to a loose ball and scoring or jumping up to turn a bad pass into a goal. More importantly, he led the team with 14 stops this season and only did it in 8 games. A stat like this might lead you to think he could take down anyone on defense, but that generally isn't Love's game. All of his stops come from intercepting passing at the hoops that most teams consistently make but are often shut down by Love.
Lyndsey Smeyers, Chaser, Innovators: Playing for an unofficial GVSU during the USQ season, many people have not heard of Lyndsey Smeyers before the start of this season. After this year, they have become a force in the game on a higher level. Smeyers became a regular part of the Innovators' rotation. They put up two 30 point-series against Chicago and Cleveland. They also have no problem hitting the keeper zone and driving or looking for a shot. They ended the season with 70 points on the season, a top 6 scorer for the Innovators. Not to mention they also finished as a top 6 distributor for the Innovators.
Ben Zimet, Chaser, Monarchs: Another rookie who played for an unofficial program this USQ season, Ben Zimet made their first official debut in quadball this season with the Monarchs. They played a key role in all their series this year and often started for the team or was in their second chaser line. They are great at making wraps on defense and finding the right spots to get the ball on offense to help the Monarchs find a goal. At the end of the regular season, Zimet led the Monarchs in assists. Zimet made a big splash playing in their first-ever official MLQ season.
South Division
Riley Usami, Chaser, Stampede: Bouncing off of a breakout USQ season at Creighton University, Usami exploded onto the MLQ season with 23 goals in his first two (and only) series of the summer. Even after not playing half of the season, Usami finished the season as the leading goal scorer for the Stampede team and also tied Miguel Esparza and Sammy Garza for the most number of goals (18) in a singular season in the MLQ season. A fast twitch, explosive quadball player noticeably improved his game in just a few short months from the USQ season by developing the ability to drive and shoot in both directions making him extremely difficult to stop offensively. For a rookie to only have 11 turnovers with his usage rate shows how dynamic Usami has been this summer, and his potential was seen in a small sample size, leaving us excited for what he is able to do over a full season.
Great Usiaphre, Keeper/Chaser, Legends: 27 goals, 8 assists, and 11 stops is an impressive statline; however, it becomes even more noteworthy when describing a player playing in their first MLQ season. Usiaphre has developed a more well-rounded game throughout the summer, with his coaches lauding his overall awareness and shot selection. His development of when to attack, combined with his natural tackle-breaking and inclination to score, has made him become very impactful for an extremely young League City squad. A true rookie finishing in the top 10 in scoring and being tied with names like Nathan Digmann and Ian Scura is a great start for a promising young career.
Alyssa Villalba, Chaser, Soldados: Villalba's quadball story started at UTSA this January, and her impact was instantly felt in USQ and MLQ. Her ability to adapt and pick up game strategies has been lauded by her teammates and coaches, and she has turned herself into a crucial part of the quadball core. For a rookie at the MLQ level, the level of intensity and physicality does not go down when Villalba steps on the field, which allows the team to maintain pace and play at a fast pace. Villalba's ability to keep the level of play at a high level has given her coaching staff the ability to be flexible and utilize players in other areas, contributing to San Antonio's success this summer. Villalba has a really good way of getting out of sticky situations by just being elusive and slipping off defenders, pump-faking defenders, and even shooting the ball for a score. This reflects her 9 goals and 6 assists in her first year of play. The hustle to get back on defense shows her ability to play fast for an extended period of time, and when talking about her defense, she does not shy away from contact and plays great on hoop defense which attributes to her 5 stops.
Beater Pair of the Year Nominees
PC: Major League Quadball
East Division
Tessa Mullins & Tate Kay; Titans: Mullins was +6 and Kay +4 against Washington, which can be viewed as NYC’s toughest series, showing how big of an impact they had against the second-best team in the East Division. When matched up against the other two pairs nominated for this award, Mullins and Kay consistently outplayed them when matched up against them. Working effectively with their chasers, the two implemented a high press defense taking advantage of the league's new reset rule. With both being able to switch between engage and free beater seemingly on a whim, the two are one of the most versatile pairs in the league with the ability to consistently give their opponents different looks, matchups, and angles. Furthermore, they performed as the aces; when it came down to the wire in Game 1 against WAS and Game 3 against BOS (NY's only competitive games of the season), the pair put up stop after stop to ensure an undefeated season for New York. Often going unsung, Mullins and Kay have been on a tear during SOP for their respective USQ teams, The Warriors and Boston Black Pandas, respectively. Combining their experiences has brought the ceiling of this pair to new heights, proving to be the best SOP pair in not only the division but possibly the league.
Bernie Berges & Katryna Hicks; Admirals: Like a fine wine, the pairing of Bernie Berges and Katryna Hicks gets better with age. Now in their 4th MLQ season together, the Admirals star pair led the team to it's best ever finish. The beater duo are one of the league's most unpredictable and versatile. Both are comfortable with or without the ball, and both are masters of all the dark arts of beating. The new reset rule allowed the duo to play an even more aggressive style, routinely meeting their opponents at half-court and forcing opposing teams into bad situations. While many of those turnovers are ultimately granted to the Admirals’ chasers in the stats, Berges still recorded a team-leading 14 stops, and Hicks led the team in Plus-Minus in their series against both New York and Boston.
Kieran Collier & Leeanne Dillmann; Forge: On a team that has struggled for consistency this season, Kieran Collier & Leeanne Dillman have been a beacon for Boston. Dillman has always been an elite free-beater, and this season was no different. Leading her team with 14 beater stops and a +/- of 16, the rest of Boston's defense gets to breathe easy when Dillman is on the pitch. On top of that, her communication has been unmatched. Helping Boston defenses keep their shape, identifying when and where the offense should attack, and with her locking down the hoops and working on the offensive wings, Collier is free to take over the mid-pitch. Having at times struggled with consistency in the past, like many of the explosive engage beaters in the league, some questioned if Collier could be the starting engage beater Boston needed in the absence of Max Havlin. However, Kieran has spent the last half a decade of their career improving season over season, culminating in this, their best MLQ performance to date. Bringing 9 stops to the table themselves, Collier became a terror for opposing beaters at mid-pitch. Lighting players up with long-distance snipes and catching half the balls that reached them, with Collier on the pitch, explosive beater duels, and high-pressure defense, is a guarantee. Together this duo forced opposing offenses to play at a pace they were not prepared for and gave Boston's offense the time and space it needed to be effective.
North Division
Nojus Ausra & Matt Brown; Prowl: Beaters have been afraid to face Matt Brown and Nojus Ausra throughout the year. The two of them have a combined total of 27 stops throughout the season, and Brown and Ausra are first and second in drives played for Chicago all season. They often separate during Flag Runner on Pitch, but their chemistry as beater partners also helps them communicate together after the first 20 minutes. Brown and Ausra also do a great job of applying pressure on chasers and doing a great job of causing turnovers. The Prowl beating core runs deep, but these two have automatically retained dodgeball control and created fastbreak goals all season.
Rei Brodeur & Ryan Hsu; Innovators: The 2022-23 season will always be remembered as the year Rei Brodeur and Ryan Hsu became a household name. Last season, the two beat together a good amount for the Innovators as rookies, and they followed it up with an addition to the USNTDA and a USQ final-four run. How did they do as a sophomore beating pair during the MLQ season? They kept their dominance alive (except against the Prowl). The two of them have played big minutes for the Innovators, with Hsu playing the second most drives across the league and Brodeur playing the fourth most drives across the league. And remember, they each played one game less than their competition because of their division, so they would easily take the top two spots with one more game. They also have the numbers to back up their playtime. Hsu leads the league in stops, and Brodeur is in the top ten. Don't be fooled by their negative plus/minus. In the same way, most South beaters have a low plus/minus because of Austin, Brodeur, and Hsu have a near-even plus/minus even after playing the Prowl. They will also finally get a taste of MLQ champs, as they helped bring the Innovators to their first earned bid since 2019.
Zac MacDonald & Emma Sherwood; Raiders: Emma Sherwood and Zac MacDonald have been tearing up the pitch together this season. With MacDonald out against Cleveland, Sherwood held it down for the Raiders by leading the team with stops and drives played that series. In fact, throughout the season, Sherwood lead the team in drives played and is tied for the best plus/minus and stops. When the Whiteout came to Canada to defend their I-90 title, Sherwood and MacDonald shut them down. Often Sherwood's or MacDonald's beats were needed to slow Kit Powpour from scoring. The two of them led the series in plus/minus, with Sherwood finishing with plus seven and MacDonald following with a plus six. Sherwood is also leading the team in drives played, showing her importance to the Raiders' run this season. The pair seem always to know where the other is on the pitch to slow drives and take out the biggest scoring threat.
South Division
Josh Mansfield & Alex Pucciarelli; Curse: Despite low roster numbers, the New Orleans Curse proved to be an extremely tough out all season, with virtually all their games (outside of the Austin series) coming down to just a couple of goals or the flag runner. The driving force of their success was the MVP-level play of Mansfield, who led the league in drives played with 193 and exhibited world-class play for nearly every one of those drives, and Puciarelli, who played a whopping 176 drives of her own. Excluding the team’s blowout losses to Austin, Mansfield was +8 on the season, and Pucciarrelli +4. Across all series, Mansfield finished with 32 stops, the second most in the league, and Pucciarelli added an additional 13.
Bailee Fields & Jackson Johnson; Outlaws: Bailee Fields & Jackson Johnson seem to always be in sync for every shift they've played. From seamless one-and-a-half offenses to a beater trade and quick recycling to keep control, any beater that faces them must always consider winning not one but two battles in a row to even play against these two to parity. Combining that with their understanding of field space, making the right tap beats on offense, or forcing a bad pass/shot to facilitate a turnover, the Fields/Johnson combo doesn't leave much penetrability in an already strong Outlaws defense. Verbally, these two beaters can be heard pumping up the energy on the sidelines and calling out offense and defensive tweaks to make from the sidelines, and in-game remind their chasers when they can push on a fast break offense. In a confident Austin Outlaws who expect to come home with the Benepe Cup, these two add another layer of protection to that confidence.
Kris De La Fuente & Maya Hinebaugh; Soldados: If you take anyone who watched San Antonio play even a single game this year and asked about key figures on the team, they would mention the name Kris De La Feunte, Maya Hinebaugh, or both. They both played an insane number of drives for San Antonio and performed well in competition against every other South division team, opening space for their chasers both with and without dodgeball control. Their spirit and drive, when playing with each other or separately, showed the level of heart we've all now come to expect from the San Antonio Soldados- true underdogs (in terms of expectations coming into the season) that we've been honored to see the battle to maintain 2nd in the South Division and give their rivals, the Austin Outlaws, their closest game.
Coach of the Year Nominees
Ben Mertens: New Orleans have been on a continous growth pattern this year, and Ben Mertens made sure they continued the improvement. Missing some pieces from last year, Mertens has provided an ability to slow down the game when needed and center the chasing core when they're losing their discipline on pitch. Given his limitations with roster size and the higher heat and physicality in the South Division, Mertens played his pieces to a great potential for the Curse franchise. Strategically, his ability to put together a game plan made the Austin series much closer than the final score suggests. The Curse this year have lost a total of 8 games, but 5 of them were either one score games or within 1 goal in the quadball game before losing the catch. A bounce or two the other way could have changed how this Curse team is viewed league wise, and Mertens should have the team as a tough out at MLQ Championship.
Frank Minson: NY has been one of the best prepared teams pulling out different defensive strategies for different opponents. Fusing different styles of play and incorporating players from the tumultuous NYC area club teams, in addition to the Harvard and Rutgers collegiate programs, Minson has taken players who have worked under all levels of coaching in the USNT program and applied them on the field with diverse plays. The Titans finished 12-0 for the first time in program history and were crowned the division champions for the second time in history- both of which would not have happened without Minson at the helm.
Kennedy Murphy: Head coach Kennedy Murphy has put the entire league on notice, whether that’s coming off of a final four run with Boom Train in the 2023 USQ season, or when she hit the ground roaring with the Chicago Prowl to an 8-0 undefeated season and their first divisional title as a franchise, it’s impossible to miss how efficiently Murphy has impacted a midwest community and the overall sport itself. The results speak on paper, with scores and +/-, but also through multiple of her players dominating MLQ’s player of the week, which no doubt are in relation to her defence first mentality and fluid offence. To look back, the (former) Indianapolis Intensity have had some down times since their finals appearance in 2017, but Murphy has turned that around with a demonstration of positive team culture. Whether that be through her quotes of the week for the team, or sharing a laugh, or shouldering the weight of struggles for some, inside sources can confirm that head coach Kennedy Murphy continually models a balance of reverence and relentlessness.
We have opened up fan voting so if you want to support a certain nominee please fill out the link or click on the fan voting text: https://forms.gle/RahbcpYwxq2qtvyu6
